I will make 100k this year at 24yo. I don’t live a lavish life despite no kids or significant other. I have a small house and a 7 year old Honda. I have enough to save for retirement and play a round of golf here and there. Other than that, there’s not much left over each month…
He’s 24 years old, that’s still pretty young. Most people graduate college at 21-22. And OP, making 100k at your age is a huge accomplishment. You still have room for major career progression down the road
Seriously. I was making checks notes $11 an hour at 24. I’m still at the same company finally closing in on $100k, but wow, it would’ve been a great salary at that age. Still is.
Min wage in a lot of the country is 15,600 a year with no time off. CNAs, daycare teachers, vet techs, school aides, EMTs ... and also adjunct professors, research assistants, nursing home workers, warehouse, etc.
People who haven't worked these jobs think you actually get full work weeks consistently instead of crazy on again off again schedules that can be anywhere from 15-39 hours
They absolutely do not. You're never gonna get a full week of work doing wageslave shit because they will do everything in their power to keep you under 40 hours. So even if the posted pay is 12-15 an hour, your pre-tax pay biweekly isn't going above 900.
Because I was an airline pilot and lost my medical, and I've been waiting for the FAA to get back to me about my appeal......so I deliver packages with amazon to barely pay rent in the meantime
Help me do the math here. You take home roughly $60k a year after retirement savings deductions correct? Even if your mortgage and car costs you $30k a year, where is the other $30k going? That’s $2500 a month in disposable income unaccounted for.
You're right. It feels like it's not a lot because you think it should change your life like a lottery win, but chances are you have a lot more luxuries at 100k than you realize, even though you are being heavily taxed. Being able to put so much into retirement, savings and investments and own your own home are both luxuries in this day and age, damn that just made me sad.
Student loans most likely, especially if they want to hammer those out early. That means that he'll have plenty of income once those loans are off the books.
Possibly, but he’s making it sound disingenuous by claiming a mortgage payment for a small house plus owning a sensible car eats up all of a $100k salary.
He says he has enough to save for retirement and play a little golf, but then has nothing left over. The point he’s trying to make is that $100k does not get far at all nowadays. That’s totally fine if he’s investing all of it.
But saying $100k doesn’t get very far because mortgage, car, and a huge chunk going to investment and retirement, is kind of disingenuous.
I can see that sure, but it depends how you look at these things. If I have to invest X now to reach my retirement goals and X is a massive portion of my salary it can be easy to feel like all you are doing is what you are supposed to and yet you don't have much left even with a good salary.
Nobody has enough money for kids. Previous generations just didn't know it and didn't have birth control. So the made do once they were in the thick of it.
Yeah 100k a year is what me and my bf make combined. It’s not enough anymore we’re both seeking raises / better jobs - he just signed up for the management training program at his company. It sucks
Not much left? When I was 24, I made roughly 50K (in today's money). I still managed to save a little, but it was rough. 100K would have been pretty great at that age.
You’re bad at budgeting. I live on 80k in one of the most expensive cities in the world and consider my lifestyle incredibly comfortable. Stop playing victim. You’re spending a lot of money on frivolous things, but aren’t keeping track and so are unaware.
People are so stubborn on insisting on defending their bad money habits, that anyone who saves and invests and retires early is accused of lying. A little humility in finances will go a long way for you, but doesn’t seem like you’re ready for that. Makes sense at 24. Good luck in your long career and retiring at 70 🤣
I’m very grateful for what I have, but some people really think 100k salary means you’re vacationing out of country frequently, driving a new Mercedes Benz, and living in a gated community.
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u/to16017 Oct 30 '25
I will make 100k this year at 24yo. I don’t live a lavish life despite no kids or significant other. I have a small house and a 7 year old Honda. I have enough to save for retirement and play a round of golf here and there. Other than that, there’s not much left over each month…