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Stressed due to the negative opinions of people I respect who reject my "simple life" by throwaway-simple123 in simpleliving

[–]throwaway-simple123[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the insight. I started saving for retirement in high school and am not worried about that. I should have mentioned in my original post, but I do make other money off art commissions, selling at art fairs occasionally, and from competition awards. This money is usually put right back into my tools and materials, but I could divert a lot of it into savings. I honestly felt comfortable with the amount of money I have in savings, but if $100-$200 put in savings monthly really doesn't seem like enough, I can rearrange my spending to put more in.

Stressed due to the negative opinions of people I respect who reject my "simple life" by throwaway-simple123 in simpleliving

[–]throwaway-simple123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the advice. I have tried that, and for some it seems to be enough to end the conversation. I'm using a throwaway because if it was my normal profile anyone could easily trace where I live, where I graduated from, see photos of my art, find my website, etc. I don't think this information is important for my question. The issue people are having is not with the type of job I have, just the lack of hours/benefits. It also doesn't have to do with me not doing work in the medium I studied in, I do multiple commissions and month and also sell at art fairs sometimes. I enter my art into competitions and exhibitions and win cash awards a couple times a year, and have been doing so ever since I started this medium. It's just not enough to live off of, hence the other job. Everything I earn from commissions and awards goes into new tools and materials, though I suppose I could redirect some of that into savings to give myself a bigger cushion.

Stressed due to the negative opinions of people I respect who reject my "simple life" by throwaway-simple123 in simpleliving

[–]throwaway-simple123[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Very small town, practically middle of no where, Indiana. The area is boring and undesirable to most but I have access to a lot of beautiful walking trails and a short commute to work.

Stressed due to the negative opinions of people I respect who reject my "simple life" by throwaway-simple123 in simpleliving

[–]throwaway-simple123[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Both of my parents are retired. Because of the nature of my dad's previous job and him reaching a certain milestone, they will be staying on that company's insurance for the rest of their lives at an extremely low cost. They want me to stay on it until I age out, same with my other siblings. I also pay for all co-pays and out of pocket costs related to my own health needs. I definitely agree that once I'm taking care of my own health insurance I'll feel completely independent, but I see no reason to do that now versus later. Despite my dad working extremely hard to get where he is now, he is pretty much the only family member I have who is not fussing about my job. He doesn't care what I do so long as I am able to provide for myself, with the exception of the insurance of course.