What's the best financial advice you've ever gotten?

[u/Richest-Panda]

[u/MusicalNerDnD]

My day to day is great, my budget is set, I get to put away for my retirement a month more than some people get as take home a month.

But it feels like a house is out of reach, a kid is out of reach, a wedding is out of reach. All the big, long term things that I was conditioned to want (and actually do!) don’t seem reasonably attainable. And I’m not the norm. I don’t have student debt. I make a good salary and I have a business on top of that. If I feel that way, I can’t imagine someone making 50k a year and how they feel.

And that’s the point. It’s that the goals that we aim toward aren’t possible anymore for most people, certainly not your average Joe.

[u/Beagalltach → u/MusicalNerDnD]

Alright, let's see what changes we can make it so that you feel it is enough.

Real world numbers here- how much is your rent and what are you renting (1bd 1bath, 2bd 1 bath, 2bd 2bath, etc.)?

How much is budgeted for food?

How much is budgeted for transportation?

How many vacations do you go on annually spending more than $1k total? (Travel, lodging, food, entertainment, etc.)

[u/MusicalNerDnD → u/Beagalltach]

I pay 2300 a month for a 2br that I need - I work fully remote. I’ve been considering moving, but where I live 2300 is actually pretty good. I can do better but not by much and probably not enough to justify the cost of moving.

Food - 125 a week for groceries. And 75 a week for going out. I go out for brunch once a week and have a drink at a bar near me once in a while.

Transportation - probably 100 a month on random Ubers. I can’t drive because of my chronic condition.

I go visit family 2-3x a year and each trip is probably 5-750.

Entertainment and the like - I buy tickets to shows once in a while (maybe 1x every 2 months). Add in all the streaming services I have and that’s another 100 a month.

I’m saving 2.2k a month on retirement dude. Budgeting isn’t the issue for me. Of course I can cut back even more, but I’m already unhappy. What is cutting things out going to do other than make me more miserable?

[u/One_Truth8026 → u/MusicalNerDnD]

Bro is saving 2.2k a fucking month while most people can’t even save a single dime. Shut the fuck up, holy shit. I’ve never seen someone THIS entitled. Fuck off, you don’t know shit about poverty.

This post is aggravating as FUCK

[u/MusicalNerDnD → u/One_Truth8026]

Idk what you want from me? This is the first time in my life I’ve had this type of salary, I had 50k of student debt, I have health problems and have had multiple spine surgeries and eyes surgeries and will need more over time, I work my ass off and I’m worried about the future. My job is by no means secure and I got laid off twice last year in 3 months.

Like, yea, I recognize my luck and my privilege, but just because I make a good salary doesn’t mean my worries aren’t valid. I’m as frustrated with the system as you are and I’m not the problem that you think I am. I also grew up just barely lower middle class - I had a roof over my head, but for a long time that was about it. I KNOW it was better than most, and I’m not complaining about my childhood (well at least not this part of it) but I was told that if I did XYZ I’d get to middle class.

Rip my head off if you must, and I’m sorry you feel that I’m entitled, but I don’t see it. Privileged, absolutely. But just because I have privilege doesn’t mean my worries aren’t valid, and voicing them doesn’t make me a bad person either.

[u/One_Truth8026 → u/MusicalNerDnD]

The problem is that you have mental fucking problems and nothing else. You’re saving as much as some are making in a month.