I thought earning more money would make my financial situation change and I’d be able to save some money but I was wrong.
I happen to live in one of the most expensive cities in the US. In 2022, I was finishing up my last semester of college having two jobs and earning minimum wage. At the time minimum wage was around $13 because you couldn’t find housing under $1000. At the time I was able to pay my rent and bills from the money I had saved working while living with my parents. After graduation and a whole college degree, I still worked a shitty minimum wage retail job for months.
After months of my resume being ignored and wondering if I should sell my plasma to pay rent, I finally get an interview from my dream job. My dream job is STEM and unfortunately it usually doesn’t come with the money and benefits. I can accept that. I don’t want to be rich I just want to be comfortable. After years of being paid pennies, any type of raise looked like gold in my eyes. It wasn’t until my friend told me she made $10k more than me and lived in a city that was notoriously cheap, that I realized I don’t get paid well enough. I thought this new job meant I wouldn’t have to limit my grocery shopping anymore and not have to worry about rent. I was wrong again. I still live pay check to paycheck. I didn’t realize that getting a salary job comes with random bs taxes and fees taken from my paycheck. I don’t remember signing up for the non-optional workers life insurance that continued to terrorize my wallet to this day.
I just pray that things improve as I gain more experience