I'm a welder too, granted just starting off in my career so wages are a lil low still but god. My monthly income is (currently) only a few hundred dollars more than my monthly cost of living. So a few hundred dollars a month to do anything recreational, any maintenance for my vehicle, any emergency costs, anything that isn't a necessity. If I miss a day for sickness or anything, I no longer have anything to save between paycheques.
How are you supposed to get ahead or even stay afloat when everything costs more every month? How am I supposed to stay dedicated when I get home sore and cut and burnt after long days and I have to steal coffee from the grocery store?
Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but I despise how everything is “do it faster, do it cheaper, do it sloppier”.