See title.
I am frustrated beyond belief. I'm a 33 year old guy in the Netherlands for reference.
I did everything right. Started working shit jobs nobody else would touch at 13. Did the right education ( BSC./B-Eng Mechanical Engineering + Honors programme), did all the top internships including multinationals, aersospace and for the Ministry of Defense. I Worked 12 hours per day engineering in an ancient, crumbling steel mill where I literally saw people getting maimed or die young due to poor working conditions and industrial accidents.
Now I work in a hospital, where I am responsible for all non-medical engineering in said hospital (water, HVAC, electricity etc.) and two clinics in nearby villages. On top of that, I have my own small business in leatherworking and 3d-printing/design. I also do firebreating/firedancing/entertainment on festivals on the weekends to earn extra money now and then.
By all means, I should be making decent enough money to afford a house, car etc. just like my parents could on a single factory workers salary, right?
My total income is maybe 50k euro's a year on my own before taxes (something like 30-ish after). A house within reasonable distance of my job starts at 250k. The total bank mortgage I can get: 212k at most. Even a somewhat decent used car starts at 5k plus now.
My girlfriend is from Brazil, I am hoping her application to live here will be approved soon, but I have no idea how I will pay for her needs, insurance etc as well until she gets a job. Which is hard as hell on a 5-year visa. I can't even afford to provide for the woman I love. It is downright humiliating.
What's the goddamn point of working 24/7 If I can't afford anything?
Anyway, Rant over