Ok so a house or kids/a family are out of the question. But in recent years I have been struggling to maintain even my regular life. My saving are mostly gone. I have 400 Dollars in the bank. I have already cut back on pretty much everything – yet I still spend more than ever and it keeps getting worse.
I already buy the cheapest brands and skip some meals. I already moved to a cheaper apartment. My car is 8 years old and I use every trick in the book to keep it going and doing most small repairs by myself. I buy second hand products. I unsubsribed from all streaming, I dont even have a tv. I dont even go out with my budy anymore because the pub is to expensive. Rather I buy some beers in the supermarket and we meet to watch football at home.
I dont go to the cinema and if I do like twice in a year I dont buy anything to eat there. I recycle my stuff as long as possible, use it as long as possible, trade my few valuables for necessary things like shoes. I dont do any vaccations and I cook only at home – bulk as much as possible – to save money. Yet it still isnt enough. Sometimes I do 20 or 30 hours of overtime so that I can stay ahead of my bills.
But there is no long term solution. I things get just another 5% more expensive in the next few months, I will run out of money within a few weeks. I just cant do 20-30 ours overtime every week just to keep up. I am just exhausted.
Just for info I am an accountant and earn 55 000/year. After taxes Im left with 40 000/year. My “cheap” apartment alone costs me 20 000/year. Food another 5000/year. So I am left with just 15 000 for the entire year to pay insurance, internet, phone, gas, electricity, water, heating and buy the occasional new clothing/machinery that I need in order to survive/not look like homeles. I dont know what to do and dont know how this can keep going.