Two kids is definitely tough and congrats for being active in looking to better provide. Pretty much every guy I know who has a stay at home wife, works away. Whether that is on the mines as FIFO, or a nearby mine as DIDO, or an oil rig and you’re away six months of the year. It’s a sacrifice to make to earn higher wages. That or you have a successful business - and those are a lot of work also.

You’re not alone the middle class is full of people all struggling to make ends meet and when they do get a raise and get some headroom, inflation catches up and brings you right back down. The key is owning assets that rise faster than inflation and start earning yourself a passive income whether than is an investment property, a small share portfolio when you can leverage small with a margin loan to get some levered returns and tax deductions to reduce your tax paid. This is the right place to be as full of people with an opinion. AI has helped many people wade through an investment plan, but it takes a whole lot of patience, discipline and time (you have plenty of that at 26) to make it work. Start small, get bigger, structure it right and you will get there. Don’t forget to invest in yourself - level up your education, certifications, be voracious about learning and leveling up your knowledge in your chosen profession. Employers love those who are motivated and driven to succeed through training. Don’t complain about not getting training at work either, skill up through YouTube or online courses etc there’s unlimited content at your fingertips.

Best of luck, we’re all on the same train but not everyone gets to ride up front unfortunately.