I need some serious advice as a 23 year old currently making $13 an hour 6 days out of the week. Is it possible to live off this? Should I get a higher paying job? Fck, I don't know what to do you guys
13 an hour is totally enough to live off of in many areas. Get a roommate / just one bedroom to put less into housing expenses. Just start saving and budgeting as much as possible. Don't eat out, etc. Check out the subreddits r/personalfinance and r/frugal on Reddit.com.
I would try to find a higher paying job, even though you CAN live off of that. I will say that you can venture into the black market and/or hobbies. Just saying. Selling low level drugs is great on top of your job bc then you'll be laughing. Paid in full. I don't sell drugs and am not trying to convince you. But if you can't get a higher paying job, it's a legitimate option. You won't believe how many people I know that do that.
If you live in arkansas yes. Calfornia you will need three times that much just for a studio. Are your parents upset with you?
Learn to cook. You don't need to eat much meat, meat is expensive. Rice + beans can provide you most of what you need to survive on the cheap. Even if you can afford to eat more lavishly, try eating as simply as you can for a few months. I learned to survive splendidly off a mere $100/month for groceries. That's about an average of $3.50 per day for food...or in your case... About one 8hr shift at work (before tax) After that all you need to pay for is shelter. Depends on the area you are in, but commonly one can find a room for rent for about $500/month. Think about that like...5 shifts per month. Tack in your miscellaneous expenses and you can cover a simple life in two weeks of full-time work. Take the rest of what you earn and INVEST IN YOURSELF. If you don't know how or what yet, stick it in an interest-bearing account and don't touch that money until you have a solid idea and a plan of how you can use it to better yourself. You got this man, it's just a matter of self-discipline.
I know my husband makes $13/hour but with a baby, for us it's been tough, and we live in a very wealthy area. If you're single, and are living in maybe the south or some other area that isn't like NYC then it's probably possible to live off of. I would say ask yourself these questions: 1. Do I like my job/career? 2. Is this what I want to do for my life? 3. What other options are out there (literally go do the research and see what other opportunities are available) 4. Is my current job able to afford to live without my parents? Look at the past 3 months of your finances - how much do you spend on food, utilities, rent (if your parents make you pay rent), entertainment, etc. Once you see your spending habits see if they are realistic. Can you cut some things off to save some money?? Take out is a huge money waster. My husband loves take out and we never have money. Though, on weeks we don't get take out, we can have some extra. What will your new apartment cost, what will utilities cost, how much do you spend on groceries and gas, and other areas. That will help you determine whether you're making enough to live on your own. If not, see if you can find a roommate so rent is cut in half, and see if that is manageable. If not, then I would say definitely look for another job that pays at $14 or $15 an hour if possible.
This is a legit route. I have a solid career in aviation making almost $50/hr. The sacrifice was six years in the Navy working my ass off on P-3’s. But I was getting paid to travel half way around the world and back, that was a hoot. Afterwards got on with an airline and 26 years later still with that airline getting good pay and benefits. The military is worth thinking about. If you get into a good field it can translate into a solid career when you get out.
Nice. This is probably a similar route to what I'm going to do. I can't see a great way forward without the help of the military.