Rant warning: Long time lurker here… but I need to get this off my chest, and maybe tap into the hive mind here.
Every year this happens… it’s my wife’s birthday next week (her 50th! Kind of a big one) and we’re fucking broke. Like, currently missing payments broke.
I really try every year, because she’s an amazing woman and mother, and she has been through so much. She deserves a good turn. She deserves better than I’ve been able to muster.
I just got a new job working at least 50 hours a week, and the transition has stretched us way too thin financially… I’m exhausted. I have no more time or capacity to try and make more money.
She recently started a new position working at our kids school too. She’s got such a big heart. She gives so much, and she works so fucking hard.
Like, we’re both working good, full time jobs, and we still can’t keep up.
As soon as we made this transition, our landlord decided to raise rent by $600. SiX-hUnDrEd. Per month. WTF.
Not like we can afford down payments to move right now either.
We had to pay in taxes again… we have kids, and we took the tax-credit “pre-payment” last year which clearly stated it was for half the credit… where was the other half??
I know life has been tough for everyone. I’ve actually faired pretty well all things considered. I’ve kept a roof over my family’s heads (even with rent going up so much), and we haven’t gone hungry. I got out of the live events business right before COVID struck and killed that industry.
But my wife deserves to finally have something good. And it fucking kills me that even with both of us working this much, we’re still sinking.
What gives? Is there really any chance for any of us? Retirement is a pipe dream. I’m only hoping I’ll be able to give my kids some sort of start in life… only a few years to figure that out.
We’ve been doing everything “right” too. We budget to the penny. We buy in bulk as we can. I always pack my lunches.
My used car broke down recently too, and I can’t afford to fix it.
Ugh… anyway. Thanks for listening Reddit.
Off to grind another day.