club The Frugal Adventurers Club

[Jarric]

A bit of a spendy week this week, though I don't regret it. Tuesday I went for a haircut, which was pre-booked. Thursday was payday, so Friday night WW and I went out for tapas, which was wonderful. We don't do it very often, and it was an evening well spent.

 

Then Saturday, after a couple of hours writing a running training plan, I went and spent £120 on running shoes. Intellectually I think it was the right move - they're exactly the shoes I want, they were half price (two pairs at £60 each), I would have to buy new ones when my current onces wear out anyway, and I won't get them cheaper than this again. So logically it's a good call, but it's also a chunk of money I don't have to chuck on a credit card.

 

Things are tight at the moment, and both my main accounts will be in overdraft by the end of the week. That's not really a problem; I have savings available and I'm choosing not to use them because it reduces my interest if I access them, but being this tight to the wire makes me feeel very stressed.

[Loveable_Bouncer]

On 1/26/2024 at 9:06 PM, Sepherina said:

The grocery list.  I am pretty type A about this section.  There are estimated prices for our area as well as where I think I may get the best deal.  There are a few items here I am buying in bulk (like soy sauce at a local Asian market) and some money budgeted towards sales for future meals.  My guess is I will be within 10% of this mark.

Nice very nice. I'm nowhere near this but partly due to being single and have flexibility (but almost too much flexibility). 

 

On 1/27/2024 at 8:50 AM, Sepherina said:

Yep we do that too with potatoes/carrots/onions. But we also have access to some high quality, cheap frozen veggies (peas, corn, green beans) that are super quick to just throw in a bowl and microwave.

 

On 1/27/2024 at 8:31 AM, Jarric said:

I'd second this; it's quick to prep and it's so nice to come home to a warm meal and a house that smells of stew. I'd even stick all of the veg in the pot, so that I don't have to cook anything on the side.

Thank you for the reminder! I also have an instant pot (that means more tools with the 12-1 I need to wrap my head around and how to use it). 

 

On 1/28/2024 at 12:07 PM, Sovalis said:

I rolled my tip coin into tubes this morning and have enough to cover all of my splurge purchases this month so I am feeling relieved about that. I will accrue my tips before I spend them going forward and not hope to have enough to cover off what I have put on my card by the time I hit the end of the month. 

Sounds like your tips are in coins, but have you ever thought about taking the card off the table and using cash for fun splurges? Understand if that doesn't work  (especially if it is online shopping). 

And yay, for having enough!

 

I have personally have started to use the envelope system for weekly items. I'm keeping my cards at home or in a box a little gift card box I was given for the holidays (small enough to keep in my pocket when I do take the card out, but obvious enough not to lose/remind myself my goals). I ended up having some creativity this weekend around my needed groceries and needed cat items. 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

6 hours ago, Jarric said:

it reduces my interest if I access them, but being this tight to the wire makes me feeel very stressed.

Definitely sounds like the best way to think through the ideas but sorry things ended up tighter than you would like. Hope you find an answer to the stress of finances!

[Sovalis]

Unexpected windfall today: I closed a bank account I don’t use and there was $160 in it that I got to have when the account emptied. I deposited it immediately into the account I do use and put it against my credit card. That feels good. 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

On 1/29/2024 at 6:33 PM, Sovalis said:

Unexpected windfall today: I closed a bank account I don’t use and there was $160 in it that I got to have when the account emptied. I deposited it immediately into the account I do use and put it against my credit card. That feels good. 

Yay for finding hidden money! Always helps

 

----

Weekly win: Decided to not cancel a cat sitter. I realized my cats are more resilience and may a day of grazing...  I asked around and my mom agreed to check-in with my cats a couple times (help with their routine a little bit since they so social). 

Really glad I did this, since I found out a hotel I'm staying at this weekend for 1 night only does room service for breakfast (was planning supper...). So an extra $80 will be helpful to be extravagant for a night with my little savings buffer.

 

On my own challenge I had change of plans for the year and discussed with my apartment manager (that is also a work manager and turning into friend). She brainstormed ways I cut down on my monthly living costs at my current apartment. 

 

I will be planning to get my life to work for 60 hours a week in my near future with some chaos, but going to take  some personal time to enjoy my 3 days off for at least a few weeks. I have a buffer, that even if I have a small emergency I'm going to be okay. 

 

 

---

Want to share my favorite tool that is helping me use YNAB a bit better. 

Ramit Sethi's "Conscious Spending Plan" (CSP). I've been working on his book for a few years (having some money mindset barriers) and found with his podcast (couples talking about money) and his netflix show "How to Get Rich", I personally had some "ah hahs" with my finances. 

I personally am able to finally see "why do I feel against the wall despite making good money?" 

Found out my apartment is taking quite a bit of my money along with my cats being another expense (lifestyle creep). I was close to "just giving up". But found the CSP helped me vocalizing where I'm tight on money, and a look what I want on my life. 

 

---

Today I also found a tiktok that explained how to uncover the no hidden fees for tax earning since I earn under $75k. (I really hate doing my own taxes... but planning a day with it usually helps). 

Just helped to watch someone else point how to do this, which I appreciated:

 

 

[Sepherina]

This week’s meal plan and grocery list for us. 

 

Meal Plan

Spoiler

In no particular order.

• Sloppy joes with potato wedges
• Pork chops, brussel sprouts and perogies
• BBQ chicken with baked potatoes and corn
• Chicken tortilla soup
• sourdough waffles with sausage

 

 

Grocery list.  I have $200 budgeted but really hoping to spend closer to $175.  There are some items I may have estimated high on or can find a better deal on (I hope).

Spoiler

Meat ($55)

SALE Pork chops ($7.00)

SALE Chicken Breasts ($12.00)

SALE Ground Beef ($10.00)

Sausage ($5.00)

Chicken liver ($11)

Ground turkey ($10)

Dairy ($16)

Shredded Cheese ($3.00)

Creamer ($4.00)

Cottage Cheese ($3.00)

Coconut Milk ($4.00)

Sour cream ($2.00)

Produce ($15)

Onion ($4.00)

Cilantro ($2.00)

Avocado ($4.00)

Lime ($1.00)

Grapefruit ($4.00)

Pantry ($34)

Chicken stock ($6.00)

Black beans ($2.00)

Sloppy Joe mix ($5.00 4 cans)

Pork and beans ($5.00 4 cans)

Ketchup ($6.00)

Kid snacks ($10)

Frozen ($12)

Blended Fruit ($8.00)

Hashbrowns ($4.00)

Home/Pet ($65)

Paper towels ($5.00)

Toilet Paper ($10.00)

Canned Puppy food ($35.00)

New Maple Toy ($15.00)

 

[Sovalis]

@Sepherina: how many chicken breasts are you getting for $12? I just bought 2 kg of frozen breasts here and they were $45 Canadian. I was stunned. It seems so expensive! I seem to remember the same bag being $35 before Covid...

[Sepherina]

17 hours ago, Sovalis said:

@Sepherina: how many chicken breasts are you getting for $12? I just bought 2 kg of frozen breasts here and they were $45 Canadian. I was stunned. It seems so expensive! I seem to remember the same bag being $35 before Covid...

@Sovalis  They are on sale this week for $1.99/pound (US Dollars). So probably around 4-6 pounds.  US chicken breasts are also stupidly large so there will probably be about 5-6 to the pack.  I usually cut them in half as no human needs a massive slab of chicken for one meal.  Not sure what the conversion would be to Canadian dollars but it would probably be about $4.40 per kg in US dollars.

[Sepherina]

On 1/25/2024 at 9:16 PM, Sepherina said:

In our tax lives, I had to file an appeal with the state of Pennsylvania around our 2020 taxes.  Now the auditor is asking me about if a payment was made, except I am pretty sure we got a refund that year….sigh. Going to double check and make sure that was the case and that I didn’t make a payment. This means I probably need to trek to the bank since I can’t access statements that far back.  It is entirely frustrating dealing with anything tax related especially with something almost 4 years back

A win on this one.  After reviewing my paper work I did see we made a payment.  After a trip to the bank to get a copy of the check and sending that on to the auditor, our case was resolved as paid in full and the audit dropped.  Saved us about $400 they said we owed.

 

My credit card balance is also under 7k and my goal is to get it under $6500 by the end of February.  We have some extra money coming in so I am hoping this will be easy.

 

How is everyone doing on their journey?  

 

[Sovalis]

Things are good here. Trying to get to the 15th without relying on the credit card. Might need a bag of dog food before then which will eat roughly half of my liquid cash, but I think it's doable. I'm weirdly excited about the prospect of making it happen. 

[TrashcanCarla]

Long time, no check in! I just got caught up on everyone's money stuff, and am glad that this discussion exists on the forum. It's nice to share our journeys with frugality and money management.

 

My update:

1. Switched from automatic payment of mortgage once a month to splitting up into biweekly payments. This means that we make one full extra month's worth of mortgage payment against the principal every year and thus pay off our 30 year mortgage earlier (in about 23-24 years versus the 30).  If we can find ways to pay extra against the principal as we go we will.
2. My university job has mandatory retirement savings. I'm enrolled in the 7% contribution pension plan. I plan to retire there, or at least be there long enough to get vested. Anyway, we have the option to do supplemental retirement savings, so I chose to add an additional 5% of my paycheck pretax to a 403(b) plan (like a 401(k) plan for non-profits and education). I shouldn't feel too much of a pinch. Maybe as the years pass by and I get a better handle on my finances, I'll add more percentage contribution.
3. I've put together a plan for increasing how much I pay against my credit card debt. I should be able to pay down $2K against my $7K balance this year. Next year, I'll try to take it down to zero. I know that some are of the opinion that paying down one's debt is the first thing to do, but I've decided to attack both savings and debt payoff simultaneously.
4. I've adjusted my payroll to deposit 30% of my take home into our joint savings accounts.

I can do these things above for our family's finances because I'm married and we are each contributing as we can. <-- Awkwardly said. What I meant was my husband and I share our finances, but have jointly mismanaged them for years. After being a stay-at-home mom for the previous four years I'm glad to be contributing and finally be wrangling the dollars we bring in and wrestling them away from our easy to spend from wallets. Not even seeing the money departing for savings is the best for us.

[Darciana]

I've updated on my personal challenge but here we go (it's a long one again, sorry):

(It may help make sense of things by saying the Man and I have separate bank accounts - my income goes to mine, his income to his. He sends me money to help cover the shared bills like mortgage, vehicles, electricity, internet, insurance, groceries, etc but otherwise, everything we do is independent of each other)

1. The Man and I have worked out a plan. He's used the cash savings he's saved up over the last several months plus his tax return to pay off 2 credit cards and pay down a 3rd. The eldest son should be paying him back starting later this month for a loan he had to take from us for a situation. That payback will help him pay off the last 2 cards over the next couple months. His credit score is the focus since mine is in a decent spot and he's working his way back from a financially devastating divorce (7+ years later and he's still trying to recover...that woman...)

 

2. He will be getting a bonus from work either mid-March or mid-April (he forgot when it was supposed to be deposited). This bonus will be enough to pay off the travel trailer loan in my name since we no longer have the trailer (the boys bought it off of us so they could move out at a steep discount) and any residual credit card debt he may have. Once the trailer is paid off, I will only have the mortgage, truck, one personal loan, and one credit card with a balance. The personal loan was was a me-thing so it's on me to pay it off. That's okay, once the travel trailer is paid off (personal loan, not dealer - purchased from a friend) having a second personal loan will help my credit score bounce back quicker due to maintaining a variety of debt. This loan is only barely over $3,000 so it's not a huge burden. I'm more concerned with the nearing-maxed out credit card.

 

3. I should be getting my last document (assuming I need it) from investments to do my taxes within the next week. I should get something back since I have my employer take the maximum out plus I added an additional $50 each paycheck towards taxes. This is to to help cover any investments or my high-yield savings. This year, my high-yield savings gave me over $10 in interest so I have to pay tax on that (if I remember correctly, that was about $14, so nothing significant and barely over the $10 threshold). I'm unsure if my dividends totaled more than $10 so I'm waiting to see if I require the last document (if I don't receive it by Feb 15th, I didn't earn enough in dividends to be reportable. Fine by me but that also means I have to wait until then to be sure). This will be the first year I'm attempting to do taxes using a software rather than paying someone. I'm hoping I didn't earn enough in dividends so I don't have to deal with the added hassle of figuring out how to input the proper information from that. Doing it myself rather than paying someone will save me at least a couple hundred dollars so it's worth trying. Anyway, I'm hoping I don't somehow owe and whatever I do get back will go towards my credit card balance to get that down. It's painfully close to max right now and my making my anxiety shoot right up there with it.

 

4. I'm working towards paying down my credit card. Today I received a reimbursement ($92 each dog) from the pet insurance for Harley and Smoke's annual exams and vaccines. That went directly toward the credit card since I had to put the bill on the credit card while waiting for my mortgage, insurance, and electric bills to clear the account and give me an accurate picture of where I stood. I'm sitting at $7,399.04 there. Higher than it was when I started working on paying down debt last year, but all my other credit cards have since been paid off and I have a significantly lower credit card overall debt (29% overall usage down to 19% now) so it works out. My HEB card finally cleared the payment (from when debit machines went down and I had to use credit) and shows a $0 balance so I'm set to move on with this big one.

 

As of today, my credit score has increased 1 to 2 points, depending on which reporting agency I look at. I'm still fairly solidly in "Good" but inching towards "Great" with only 20 or so more points to reach that elusive goal. I've been there before, I can do it again!

 

I'm so excited for a bit more financial freedom heading into the summer. We typically spend more with activities with the kids (and this being step-daughter's last summer with us before she graduates), we tend to rack up debt. I'm hoping this year we can plan smarter. I'd rather not have another year of 2 months of summer creating 8 months of tight budget trying to pay off debt again.

[TrashcanCarla]

3 hours ago, Darciana said:

I'm so excited for a bit more financial freedom heading into the summer. We typically spend more with activities with the kids (and this being step-daughter's last summer with us before she graduates), we tend to rack up debt. I'm hoping this year we can plan smarter. I'd rather not have another year of 2 months of summer creating 8 months of tight budget trying to pay off debt again.

 

All of your post is awesome, but I really think that being excited about a bit more financial freedom is awesome-sauce. Go you!

[Jarric]

On 2/8/2024 at 1:32 PM, TrashcanCarla said:

I know that some are of the opinion that paying down one's debt is the first thing to do, but I've decided to attack both savings and debt payoff simultaneously.

 

I think the logic behind that tends to be that debt interest is usually higher than savings interest - if you're paying 30% interest on a credit card it's most cost-effective to pay that off rather than leaving the money in an account that's earning 4% interest. There are other factors that make it more complicated though, e.g.:

• Some debt is relatively cheap (like mortgages) and long-term savings can be quite high-earning.
• Investments need money to sit in them for a long time to balance out fluctuations over the years, so it's sensible to pay into those earlier.
• Opportunity cost, e.g. if you can only pay a certain amount in to a savings account each month you probably want to get the maximum every month before looking at other areas.
• Convenience, e.g. money taken directly by your employer before you see it.
• Taxation e.g. money taken pre-tax by an employer rather than post-tax after it hits your bank account, or maxing out tax-free savings accounts.
• Whatever best suits your lifestyle at any given time.

 

I don't think I really had a point with this reply. I just think it's interesting to talk about  

[TrashcanCarla]

21 minutes ago, Jarric said:

 

I think the logic behind that tends to be that debt interest is usually higher than savings interest - if you're paying 30% interest on a credit card it's most cost-effective to pay that off rather than leaving the money in an account that's earning 4% interest. There are other factors that make it more complicated though, e.g.:

• Some debt is relatively cheap (like mortgages) and long-term savings can be quite high-earning.
• Investments need money to sit in them for a long time to balance out fluctuations over the years, so it's sensible to pay into those earlier.
• Opportunity cost, e.g. if you can only pay a certain amount in to a savings account each month you probably want to get the maximum every month before looking at other areas.
• Convenience, e.g. money taken directly by your employer before you see it.
• Taxation e.g. money taken pre-tax by an employer rather than post-tax after it hits your bank account, or maxing out tax-free savings accounts.
• Whatever best suits your lifestyle at any given time.

 

I don't think I really had a point with this reply. I just think it's interesting to talk about  

 

There's definitely solid logic behind paying down credit card debt first. My particular viewpoint on my debt versus savings is particular to how my brain works, and what feels right to my husband, too. For us, taking a year to focus on credit debt elimination solely without increasing our safety net at the same time or saving enough to enjoy life (modest vacation) seems blah. So I guess we're more in the lifestyle category, even if that extra time spent paying interest on the old credit card doesn't make sense to everyone.

 

Interesting discussion fodder!

[Heidi]

1 hour ago, Jarric said:

I don't think I really had a point with this reply. I just think it's interesting to talk about  

I, too, find the strategies of finances interesting. It's sort of like a rubik's cube.

 

37 minutes ago, TrashcanCarla said:

So I guess we're more in the lifestyle category, even if that extra time spent paying interest on the old credit card doesn't make sense to everyone.

While there is absolutely logic to paying credit cards off (even it it means taking a personal loan at the same interest rate as the cards, which seems stupid but is still true), I totally understand needing to "do the savings thing." Ulitimately if you can bring yourself to make a shift for the better in savings becuase it feels good, then it's a win, and can't be comapared to other possible shifts in behavior (such as paying off something different or going on vacation or decreasing spending on whathaveyou). 

 

I've been leaning into good planning structures over the past few weeks, letting the autopay streams do their thing.

 

The credit score has finally reflected the actual payments (it always takes 4-6 weeks to populate through the reporting machines). This feels good, and to watch my credit score jump so dramatically was definitely the dopamine boost that I needed. I feel pretty solid with the aut-pay setup, and it seems to be working. 

 

Over the next few months, I'll be looking into some possibilities for pre-tax deposits into things like HSA and IRA accounts. As an independent contractor, these are all my things to manage, and getting the stars to align in just the right way is fiddly and also I hate it. 

 

Also on deck for the coming few weeks is filing my taxes. I don't mind doing it, and I usually go down to H&R Block and take my papers and let them sift through everything and just write the check on my way out. I finally have all the w2s to go along with medical receipts, tuition statements, student loan statements, and the like. Now all I have to do is actually attend an appointment, which involves leaving the house. 

[Jarric]

My last 'regular saver' account finally paid out this week, so I'm now not racing to the bottom of my overdraft again. I had to keep a little more money back than I would have liked to balance everything, but I really hate the feeling of scaping at the bottom of my available funds so it was worth it. I still managed to put a chunk away into a new 1-year fixed savings account to get decent interest on it, just not quite as much as I would have liked.

 

I'm also working a shift delivering flowers on Valentine's Day, so I'm hoping that extra money will cover a chunk of my credit card payment without needing to touch my other savings. It would be nice to leave all of the big purchases out of the equation and give my poor savings account a break for a little while!

[Sepherina]

Another win this week. Our eldest minion got an additional $800 grant for her university tuition. Less money we have to put out for college this semester.  Some of this money not needed for college will go to purchasing a bed for her here at home (she took hers to school for the off campus apartment) and a new mattress for her sister’s bed (desperately needed). 

[TrashcanCarla]

Remember how I mentioned that I had the possibility of leveling up my work situation thus leveling up my income? Well, that interview was on Monday. I don't know how it went, but I suspect only "ok". I don't think that I blew them away with my Excel skills (didn't answer a question fully enough, in hindsight). I knew all of the interview panelists, though, so maybe they'll overlook that? Gah! Not holding my breath.

 

I made a big planned spend over the past two days and it felt good. It was the deposit for a hotel stay in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, trip insurance and airfare. This is for a trip all the way off in November, which is one of the reasons it feels good. I have time to finish putting together savings for the trip and have faith that I will (alongside adding money to emergency savings, paying down debt, etc.). This is the most confident in our money handling I've felt in years.

 

Last bit of update: This week is the first real test of our new budgeting system. Half of the mortgage for our house will come due tomorrow. Things are a bit tight at this exact moment, so we'll see how it goes and if I have to transfer a bit over from the buffer account to make things smoother. We'll see.

[TrashcanCarla]

Update: I got the job! I leveled up my income just a bit (by about $3,000 a year), but it's a career track that I'm really excited to be in that has long-term potential AND isn't administrative support. Nothing against administrative support, but I am glad to be pivoting my resume and skills toward a new career track. That is worth more than the modest income bump.

 

I read an article in the Washington Post that explores the concept of what it means to be "middle class" in the United States, based on polling of thousands of Americans as there is not a hard and fast definition. According to the polled people, the top concepts that define being middle class for them are:

1. A secure job.
2. Ability to save money for the future.
3. Ability to afford an emergency $1,000 expense without debt.
4. Ability to pay all bills on time without worry.
5. Having health insurance. (!)
6. Ability to retire comfortably.

The article made me think about the ability to retire comfortably bit the most. I honestly don't know if we meet that criteria. My husband and I are both saving for retirement, but there were many years during which we were struggling financially and were not. So how behind are we? How much "catching up" do we need to do in order to have a comfortable retirement? I think we may finally need to talk to a financial advisor about our future. I don't know.

 

But yeah - yay for me getting the job!

[Sovalis]

That's awesome, TC!!! Congratulations!!! 🥳🎉

[Heidi]

On 2/8/2024 at 8:32 AM, TrashcanCarla said:

Not even seeing the money departing for savings is the best for us.

This is what works for me, too. I used to think this was failure, but the longer I'm on this plan, the more I see it as a superpower.

 

On 2/14/2024 at 8:53 AM, TrashcanCarla said:

This is the most confident in our money handling I've felt in years.

I really like this for you.

Well done! 
And congrats on the new job!

 

10 minutes ago, TrashcanCarla said:

, the top concepts that define being middle class for them are:

1. A secure job.
2. Ability to save money for the future.
3. Ability to afford an emergency $1,000 expense without debt.
4. Ability to pay all bills on time without worry.
5. Having health insurance. (!)
6. Ability to retire comfortably.

Of these, it seems obvious that if a person can't get a secure job, then none of the others is possible. 

I'm a contractor, and I feel the weight of precarity of my position every week, and that's hard. I can't believe the position has lasted as long as it has, and I'm grateful every day. Also, it would be really nice to be an actual employee. My contract renewal date was yesterday, and I was able to log in this morning, so I'm taking that as a sign that I still have a job, at least for another little bit.

 

I'm glad that I'm able to save for the future and that I've been able to put some into an emergency fund. I can feel the difference this makes in my mental security, and being able to have enough in my operating bank account to do my bills on autodraft without worry is a stone cold win. 

Does this list strike anyone else as the deinition of being 'financially secure' and not the definition of 'middle class'? Have we in the US become so capital-insecure that we have acclimated to working just for the privilige of being broke? Sorry, I'm not meaning to rant. I worry about the overall financial health of individuals in this country.

 

This week was a big spending week: Movers, who will have to come back this weekend for a second round (meaning a second bill, of course) and two sets of cleaning, the second of which is about twice what I had counted on. That's moving though, and I'm not surpirsed, and I have the funds, so hooray. This is what being "middle class" feels like to me. 

 

Also, I paid for my daughter's upcoming field trip to the state capital, and she and I are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate her birthday. Of course there are birthday gift expenses, but all of that was already planned, it's just a large hit to the bank account balance all in the same week as the move. Wowza. I'm taking it as a huge win that I didn't put anything on a credit card.

 

All in all, the financial health and wellness report this past month is very good, depsite the life expenses. 

I'm very glad to be on this Financial Freedom Fight with you guys. 

 

[Sepherina]

10 hours ago, TrashcanCarla said:

Update: I got the job! I leveled up my income just a bit (by about $3,000 a year), but it's a career track that I'm really excited to be in that has long-term potential AND isn't administrative support. Nothing against administrative support, but I am glad to be pivoting my resume and skills toward a new career track. That is worth more than the modest income bump.

Hurray and congrats!  Happy Dance!

 

9 hours ago, Heidi said:

Does this list strike anyone else as the deinition of being 'financially secure' and not the definition of 'middle class'? Have we in the US become so capital-insecure that we have acclimated to working just for the privilige of being broke? Sorry, I'm not meaning to rant. I worry about the overall financial health of individuals in this country

It does…and as someone used to work for an international Fortune 50 company, the top one just isn’t true anymore.  Our company saw several layoffs between covid and now, all the while they hired C-suit level managers.  No job in the USA is secure anymore unless you are in a union.

 

 

[Sepherina]

A win this week.  Our only credit card is now below $6500.  It is so close to being under 6K that I am almost tempted to put even more money on it.  But I still have bills to pay and I want to ensure we have enough to cover things like grocery/gas.  Having a family sometimes is hard.  I could live on cheap food for several months to pay this down, but the minions and hubs would revolt after a week.

[Jarric]

On 2/16/2024 at 2:30 PM, TrashcanCarla said:

Update: I got the job! I leveled up my income just a bit (by about $3,000 a year), but it's a career track that I'm really excited to be in that has long-term potential AND isn't administrative support. Nothing against administrative support, but I am glad to be pivoting my resume and skills toward a new career track. That is worth more than the modest income bump.

 

Congratulations! Obviously the money is great, but a career you're excited for really feels like the massive win here.

 

On 2/16/2024 at 2:52 PM, Heidi said:

Does this list strike anyone else as the deinition of being 'financially secure' and not the definition of 'middle class'? Have we in the US become so capital-insecure that we have acclimated to working just for the privilige of being broke? Sorry, I'm not meaning to rant. I worry about the overall financial health of individuals in this country.

 

I'm aware that in the UK we have a very different relationship with class than the US does, but to me none of these have anything to do with class. Class is about the type of job you do, the kind of area you live in, your idealogical beliefs, who your parents are, how you talk, what you had growing up - all sorts of things that are related to money but aren't really based in it.

 

You could have a typical working-class job, say a plumber, and be very financially secure. Or you ciuld have a typical middle-class job, say a lawyer, and be scraping by payday to payday.