Here is some context:
I'm 41 YO. I have 13 years experience in my field and only made 45k a year when I started/can't remember hourly rate. I make about $52/hour today...I'm my families only income at the moment.
Couldn't find a job that paid anything in NE Ohio in my first degree field (IT). Worked at a prison for 3 or so years because money was decent for the area and I could make a living. Held like 5 different roles in a prison over that time, but calling people Captain and Lt. plus working with convicted felons was depressing as all hell and not for me. By now I'd probably be an Assistant Warden or even Warden making big money. The bad part about that is when an inmate escapes or dies in custody, the AW and Wardens get blamed and get shipped to some middle of nowhere in an area like a desert. Prisons aren't typically located in desirable areas.
Saw nurses in the prison making a lot of money, lot of overtime, and basically passing pills. Anything serious, inmate got sent to hospital. It looked like a cake job. Decided to go back to school for accelerated BS in Nursing.
Since I actually paid for both my degrees myself, didn't want to waste them. So I thought Health IT would be best career path. Once I got into nursing and experienced some of the gross shit I didn't want to do, I decided Health IT was definitely for me over straight clinical. Couldn't get a job at Cleveland Clinic or Akron Children's. They wanted like 2 years of ICU experience to have an IT job.
Had to move 3 hours away to other side of Ohio for my first Clinical IT role. Again, didn't want to move away from friends and fam in NEO, but that is what I had to do to secure my first role and gain experience.
Live in NC now though. Luckily I bought my house prior to Covid Boom for 325k with 2.9 interest rate. Today my house value says 475k and with current rates, monthly payment would be more than double of what I currently pay. I couldn't afford my house today.
I drive an old 2007 Honda CRV with 200k miles I bought brand new. Before Covid Hit, I had a van payment, 2018 odyssey. Once everything moved remote and wife couldn't seem to not wreck van....I decided to get rid of the $600 payment because it wasn't really needed anymore.
Looking back, if I would have held on longer I could have sold for more. Might have held onto it, just because I only owed 20k and people paying 10k over sticker for a fucking kia or over MRSP on any car are idiots. If people weren't idiots and refused to not pay over sticker, car dealers wouldn't be able to sustain it.
I have 2 kids and a wife. I have two bachelor's in complete different fields. Student loans all paid. Wife is still in school and doing an associates to masters program (which is expensive). My oldest is home Schooled at the moment and my youngest will probably be homeschooled too. I pay $1500-2k for their curriculum. Wife's school, we pay as we go. Use credit cards for everything so I get cash rewards. Pay off Credit cards in full monthly. At this point I don't have a ton of money in my checking, but have access to emergency cash if needed.
While my current house isn't my dream home, I do like it alot and count my blessings everyday. My wife could work and make 60k in her field easily, but at this point in our lives we value our kids more than money and again I know we are lucky we can live like this (with only 1 income). I dread getting a new or used car.
At times I do wish my wife worked. I sacrifice a lot for my family and so does my wife. Would I like a telluride, yes? Do I want to take my kids to Disney, yes? But you need to be an adult and choose wisely as to what is most important to you.
I have no real empathy for people who have crazy ass amounts of student loans and want the government to forgive them. If the government does that, I'm not sure why I can't get a tax credit for being an adult and paying my debt. I shouldn't have to pay higher taxes because people go to Ohio State for a 150k political science degree they never use. Go to a community college for your undergrad or at least do the first two years of your LERs....it's not hard, just think a little.
Don't pay the minimum payment on your loans, buy an affordable car, not a Tesla, a Mustang, or giant fucking truck that costs 80k plus $1000 a month for gas when you aren't in construction.
Shit ain't easy, but its not that hard either. It just requires some sacrifice and self discipline. Don't think what you make today is what you'll make 10-15 years.
Sorry, so deep, just really living my "get off my lawn" old man moment.....lol.
