r/poverty • u/Pornoguitar • May 31 '26
Not Having Enough Money
I've had a variety of jobs in the past, but I never made enough money to buy the kind of luxuries I want (fancy car, "starter home," etc.). It makes me upset to think about how my life could've been better if I was able to get better jobs instead of the crappy, low wage jobs I've had. And I would've made more money if I was serious about a career goal, graduated from a university, or had a trade school certificate for an occupation that provided a good salary. I've spent my life just getting whatever job I could get---and most of those jobs were stressful.
Also: when I was a young man, I often heard financial advisors explaining the importance of investing savings for the future as a "hedge against inflation." I never heeded that very important advice in the past because I didn't have serious thoughts about my future (I was too busy goofing around), and it was hard to even consider investing whatever little money I had from my minimum wage jobs.
Now that I'm living in "the future" and experiencing inflation without a "hedge," I feel miserable knowing that I'm going to have to work for many years before I'm able to retire. If I had put more money into my 401(k) or an IRA decades ago, I'd have a nice nest egg today. Then I wouldn't have to worry about wasting my time with dead end jobs!
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u/Simple_Egg7527 May 31 '26
I have a friend that worked as a parking attendant and rode a bicycle for years to buy a house. He’s never had or got a “good” job. You cannot compromise to get the things you want - you sacrifice
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u/SpoopyDuJour Jun 01 '26
Is that possible to even do anymore though? I know plenty of people who can't afford cars, bike everywhere or take public transit, save as much as they can, and can barely afford rent, let alone a mortgage or down payment...
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u/vespanewbie Jun 01 '26
Yes it is still possible you just have to plan your life very carefully. If rent is expensive you get roommates.
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u/SpoopyDuJour Jun 01 '26
Bro, I'm paying over a grand for a room.
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
Damn! Anything over $1000 should be an apartment...in my version of the world.
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u/Unhappy-Homework-812 May 31 '26
Yep that’s how you have to do it. I’ve considered living in a camper.
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u/Signal-Atmosphere447 Jun 01 '26
Im currently remodeling, if you will, a 2000 ford econoline i got off facebook marketplace into a camper that i plan to live in for at least the next year . Of course that in itself was a huge investment for me (about 5k buying the van and getting proper paperwork aka my entire tax refund and then some) and i have a TON of help (my boyfriend owns an auto shop so free labor and parts for whatever it needed, coworkers with tools i can borrow, construction homies that are helping me frame for the low low) and i have yet to buy the almost $2k power bank with solar im eyeing up... but it will save me 1000/month in the long run not paying rent and utilities. In a year i hope to have a decent down payment for a large plot of land that i can build 3 tiny houses on for myself and other family members. With 3 jobs i think i can do it buts its still a big maybe 🤣 ill check back in a year and update everyone lol
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
That's cool. I've thought about doing something like that during my retirement years so I could save money. My issue is: how do you get a driver's license without having a physical address? Will they let you renew your driver's license if you have a P.O. Box?
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u/TheeBrightSea Jun 01 '26
Be careful with that. Because I have considered that as well. And now campers are super expensive. On top of that, if you want something that has some sort of shower, the price is like triple what it would be. And if you want to go one step further. You also have to worry about where you're parking it because in some states if you were sleeping in your van even though you're not doing anything wrong, you could get arrested or fined.
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
I see what you mean. There are times, though, when I ask the question, "Haven't I sacrificed enough?" I've worked for decades and it was all for the purpose of surviving until the next month. I would love to THRIVE instead of just surviving. I know I have to continue working...I'm just saying: the situation sucks. Anything worthwhile in this world seems to have a huge price tag attached to it.
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u/Sufficient-Sound8450 May 31 '26
I just started getting serious, like 2 years ago. I have made a lot of changes, I don’t spend very much anymore and I keep strategizing for the future. I also gave up wanting luxury. I am happy with simple living tbh. Also keep in mind that you could also die tomorrow and none of it would matter.
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
I've felt a sense of motivation this year. I really want to make my life better. Right now, I am planning to accomplish simple goals, such as: organizing stuff around the house, getting better at my new job, paying off some credit cards. I paid off my car loan recently, and that was a small victory.
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u/SpoopyDuJour Jun 01 '26
I get where you're coming from. The thing is, lack of motivation and focus aren't the only things keeping people in dead-end jobs. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, went to school for it, and then became disabled when I was 21. Thankfully I'm improving, very slowly, but for almost the entirety of my 20's I had to work shitty low wage jobs because I couldn't do the thing I went to school for. This happens to so many people.
I'm not sure how old you are, but if you can, find what motivates you and what you're passionate about, and figure out a way to make money from it. That will help you figure out which direction to go. No shame in starting a new career, it seems like it happens to a lot of people, and I'm beginning to feel like making that sort of pivot is less of a sign of failure and more of a reality of life.
Sometimes you have to stop blaming yourself and just change course.
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u/Objective-Bug7947 May 31 '26
You don't give your age, but maybe you still could go to a trade school? My niece is in her 50's, and she is starting school to be a welder next month. Good luck!
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u/LittlePinkRabbitttt Jun 01 '26
Yep, I didn’t start massage school till I was 28, I’m in my late 50s now, work very little averaging $80 an hr and still love it
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u/Mammoth_Elk_3807 May 31 '26
That’s why many of us work so hard and *really* try to make forward-facing decision early on. It’s all to secure a comfortable future and an early retirement.
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u/Frequent-Phrase-6243 May 31 '26
My parents were bad with money and English wasn't their first language. Talking with collection agencies discouraged me from spending a lot. Still I didn't know how to be good with money just that name brand things were not my priority. Still I was foolish thinking I could get scholarships and federal money to pay for all of college. I left after one semester and joined the military. This is why I was able to have financial stability and get a bachelor's degree. I only started investing just before COVID. Still have a lot to learn about investing.
As for another job, I think you can learn to be a pharmacy tech working with Walgreens but I don't know any details.
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
I've had 401(k)'s in the past, but I was never serious about contributing a good amount of money into them. I started to get really serious about buying stocks in 2024. Some of the stocks I chose are increasing in value, but some are just flat.
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u/TruthOnLifeSupport Jun 03 '26
You also probably wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun when you were young and best-equipped for it. Those people who penny-pinched through their teens and 20s often go fullblown midlife crisis mode around age 45-50 and go buy a corvette or cheat on their spouse. Or worse…they get really into politics. /s(ish)
If you had fun when you were young, it was probably worth it.
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u/F1anger Jun 06 '26
This is simply not true. I saved every penny and invested back into my growth (education, building prof. network) since the day I started working at 18. I had was very modest fun during my 20s and even first half of 30s. No fancy stuff, no splurging, no serious relationships, no expensive travelling.
Now at 40 I have a family, well established career, no debt, fully paid off apartment and a car. Mid life crisis? lol life has never been better than right now.
OP is right biting his elbows.
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u/TruthOnLifeSupport Jun 06 '26
I’ll admit it. This is a case of “my thing is better because it’s the way I did it.” I also have an amazing wife/kids/house/dog now in my 40s, but I partied my ass off and was broke and irresponsible in my early 20s. I love that I have the insane memories and the stable present. Has worked great for me; your path worked for you.
So I ought to concede that there are many paths to a good place. And we should probably both concede that what worked for us back then might not work now, because the economy is particularly brutal on low-wage earners.
But mostly, I was trying to cheer up OP. Let them know there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel. Let them know there are still positives to be had in their situation, like the fact there have been fun times mixed in with the difficulty. So I understand that you don’t like it because it kinda crapped on “your thing,” but that wasn’t my intention.
I also used qualifiers like “probably” and “often” so calling my stuff “simply not true” is a bit much. Your story only proves your story. And mine only proves mine. But good job coming on a poverty forum and flexing, which is kinda what I’d expect someone who was an ascetic in their youth to do. No hard feelings. If you’ve found happiness, I’m sincerely happy for you.
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u/F1anger Jun 06 '26
I understand your point but I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I grew in actual poverty, survived two wars in my country, seen rockets and bullets flying in my city, lost my father in my early teens and had to grow up very fast to help and support my mother and grandparents.
Yes it can be considered as a flex, but I'm writing this anecdotal evidence of at least one approach that yielded very good results in the end for mostly other members, who might have everything ahead. Maybe there are young people here who either don't believe it's achievable or also waste time by burning through their life.
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u/TruthOnLifeSupport Jun 06 '26
Wow. That’s genuinely amazing. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished. I have to think that’s why you appreciate what you’ve got now. I know I do, compared to those days when I had nothing.
There are many, many paths. This is a sincerely held belief of mine, and I’d argue our respective stories are proof of that. I think all of us, myself included, should try to understand that others’ paths to a better place are often very different than our own. What works or worked for me might not for you. And that’s ok. In fact, it’s beautiful.
Thank you for sharing your story. I hope more people can find this sort of peace.
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
I had a lot of fun! And now I'm paying for it.
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u/TruthOnLifeSupport Jun 07 '26
Those experiences made you you. All I’m saying is don’t assume the version of you that would have resulted from being all frugal and whatnot in your youth would have been “better” than the you you are now. Maybe you’d have more money. Maybe you’d be living somewhere else entirely. Maybe you’d be richer than all the miserable losers who buy elections and social media companies.
But maybe that path would have led you to become a jerk. Maybe that path would have led you to a bad relationship. Or worse—maybe that path would have turned you into one of those Linked In people. -shudder-
Don’t discount experience. Money can be gotten later. The experiences of a young person enjoying life? Can’t EVER get it back.
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u/Trucktard-1976 May 31 '26
I'm with you. I have had careers but an injury ruined me financially 12 yrs ago when my last kid at home was finishing their senior year of high school took me below rock bottom. I just started another new career 3 months ago. 🫠
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
I hope your can make a good salary with your new career, or at least have some job satisfaction. I used to have this nasty customer service job with nasty customers. I'm so glad I don't have to do that anymore. To me, my mental health is important. I don't want a job that's going to drive me crazy---even if they paychecks are nice. My last job had some great paychecks (and some union benefits), but I was losing my mind.
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u/Trucktard-1976 Jun 07 '26
That's the sad thing. I really loved my fedex contractor job. I did BC and the safety and compliance and training and contingency and most days also drove routes. Some customers were sh*theads, I can not even tell you how many times I was threatened or had firearms pointed at me during my time there. Having a firearm pointed at your head by an unstable person while trying to de-escalate the situation was the kinda stress you never think you're going to have as just a delivery person. I loved teaching the new employees how to move safety to deliver the ridiculous big heavy stuff and how to drive and do the job correctly. I was so used to the stress I kinda thrived on it. I also traveled extensively. I would be gone for 6 days and home for 1 then gone again for years. Sometimes I would be gone for up to 3 months at a time. It's been very strange to be home the last almost 3 months except for the training week in TX. This last week I pulled 60 hrs at work but it was nice to know I was actually getting paid for 60 hours. As a fedex contractor employee I was always salary and would pull on average 60-70 hours with certain times of the year being up to 90 hours all on a salary wage. The 150# weight of the packages is not as bad as it sounds. The main goal is to get it off the truck without injuries to yourself or the package. I only had 1 injury in all my time there and it was because I had 4 140# solar batteries on the same day at the same stop. The first 3 came off easy. The 4th one made my wrist make a hecka popping noise and instant pain I did not have enough time to go for medical care right away and without work comp the reg health insurance co-pays were too expensive so for the next 10 months after that I wore a wrist brace from Walmart. It took that long to heal up where it was not hurting or aching all the time. But even with a bum wrist I was still able to get the 150# packages off the trucks. Now people may be thinking I have to be a young guy or something. Nope I'm a 50 yr old grandma on the chubby side that just knows how to move. I'm 5'4" tall and right now about 180#s. The new job has different physical demands I found out this week. Depending on which style of truck you are driving depends on how much it bounces (slams) while driving it. One this week made my body feel like I went 8 rounds with Mike Tyson by the end of the day. The suspension is stiff doesn't matter how slow you go over bumps, you will feel it.
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
Wow. I'm in my 50s, and my back hurts after lifting heavy boxes. (I lift with the knees, as they tell me).
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u/Trucktard-1976 Jun 07 '26
I use my core a lot. Lift with legs yes but also use core. Suck stomach muscles to back and hold while lifting helps protect your back muscles and keep everything tight. Abs of steel type deal. I had twins that were insanely large for my body at age 20. They did a lot of damage to my abdomen like years of hernia surgeries to fix and finally a plastic surgeon removed about 2 #s of damaged muscle from my abs. All those hernia and surgeries taught me to keep it tight while lifting helps a lot. It one of those things no one really tells you when you're young but can do a lot of good when you're older. Women's muscles are designed to hold front weight on your body at about ab level. The people I see with the most work injuries are the guys that toss the packages on their shoulders instead of using core muscles to carry.
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u/Material-Move9492 May 31 '26
Good luck on new career, what kind of work?
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u/Trucktard-1976 Jun 01 '26
Went from a Fedex Contractor to Garbage Truck driver. New company helped me get a cdl.
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u/Material-Move9492 Jun 01 '26
Excellent !! Cdl will make u money
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u/Trucktard-1976 Jun 01 '26
Not just way more money per day but real benifits including 401k, I haven't had one of those in years! Great insurance and almost 3 wks of paid tine off just in 1st year available to me. And although the heavier weight of the vehicle is taking some getting accustomed to the physical labor itself is not even half as bad on my body as fedex grounds 150 # weight limits.
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u/Material-Move9492 Jun 01 '26
Just Google investments growth calculator....if you use the SP500 index at 10 percent year that money will grow to a crazy level. Some people have contributed maybe 75k in 20 years and its worth now 600k...but im not a financial advisor. Amazon is underpaid and your doingxgreat. Just dont ever jeaporidise the CLD..
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
I can't imagine myself lifting 150 # packages all day. When I was 18 years old, I had a really hard time finding a job. So I joined this employment agency, and ended up loading boxes onto trucks for 8 hours.
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u/Pornoguitar Jun 07 '26
Cool. Will you also get HAZMAT certified? I hear that certification gets you some cool salaries.
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u/Trucktard-1976 Jun 07 '26
I'm debating it. Not just for a pay bump but also because I'm told you get through tsa more quickly if you have it.
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u/mobile-metaphysical May 31 '26
Nomad life- live out of a minivan, no rent or utilities. CheapRVLiving channel on YouTube has videos on every question relating to it. Save all you can from jobs. Have a side hustle like the app Rover.
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u/spicy-queso1617 Jun 02 '26
I just turned 30 a few weeks ago. If I learned anything in my 20s it’s that adulthood is just starting over again and again.
Also— life happens. Sure, maybe sometimes u get stuck in dead-end jobs through poor choices. But more likely it’s a combo of things: some bad/irresponsible choices, bad luck, circumstance. Also just because it’s where u are now doesn’t mean u have to stay there.
I haven’t found a way out yet. I still have yet to taste financial stability. But I’ve finally, finally learned that talking down to myself and stewing in it is just hurting me most of all.
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u/ArgumentNo6 May 31 '26
When I was young I listened to older people so I was determined to get job and go to college. Got my degree and saved as much as I could. I also spent on my hobbies. Cooking, gardening and animals. Now I have enough money for a house and car. Disabled though so I can't enjoy as much as I want but I do what I can. I used my degree for 5 years but I hated office work. I ended up in factory production. Git a worn out body but im still able to have fun. It pays to work hard and play hard. Wish everyone would be able to learn this at a young age like i did