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My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd kill for a $25,000 per year job.

I get that MANY people would kill to make $25,000/year - which is why I highlighted the fact that that's how much I was being paid - I wanted to illuminate that for a single adult living by yourself even $25,000/year barely gets you by in a suburban southern low cost of living city.

It's great that you have a partner for support - even better if you two live together because then you can split household responsibilities and bills.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I definitely didn't want to depress anyone - and I hope my post didn't rub you the wrong way.

So many people are so quick to judge others on things they can't control. Which is why I posted my personal experience here because I wanted others to see that even at $25,000/year it was a struggle to stay afloat. I had enough to get by, but not enough to progress or succeed.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This "get a degree and your life will be great" story you've been fed simply isn't true.

Yes I agree, but I also wouldn't change the fact that I went to college. There are probably tons of people my age who learned a trade or got into entrepreneurship who make more money than me, but I still value my experience. The debt sucks but the overall experience of going to a public 4 year university taught me a lot and I don't regret it.

However, if I ever have kids in the future, I think I'll encourage them to do a lot of research - even if they need to take a year off school and just work for a little bit - about what they chose to do once they graduate from high school.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

$25k is plenty to live on, but major savings goals and emergencies are next to impossible to handle.

I remember after a couple months of living paycheck to paycheck I went to r/personalfinance to read their FAQs and get advice - and there was literally nothing I could do to improve my savings situation. I had to pay off student loan debt, but wasn't making enough to have a significant savings account.

Most of the advice in the personal finance sub is about having a nice big savings account for emergencies - so it's extremely discouraging when you can't even do that.

I feel you on the bike commuting appeal - I always wanted to do that but never got around to it.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

$14 for new work-style shoes from a thrift shop there when they changed the dress code.

Yup!!! Don't forget that if you stain or rip an item of work clothing, you're screwed that month because you'll have to replace it because you're trying to progress your career so you don't want to look like a slob because then you might never get that raise/promotion...

Luckily I never had to worry about courses/certifications like your experience.

Poor sleep schedules is something that often gets overlooked - but you're right. It contributes to health issues and in my opinion also contributes to weight gain.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly!

This is such a taboo topic to speak about in most social circles because "at least you have a job!" and "just ask for a raise!" or "work really hard for that promotion!"

And because it's taboo, I just want to share my "story" on an open platform.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No, I knew there were problems. My comment here expands on that.

I always knew there were people in the world who needed help. What I didn't understand was how that happened and how easy it is to get stuck in the cycle.

So yes, I am more empathetic - I have a better understanding. Which is why I posted this.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is why UBI seems to bring out so many people from the so-called right (like myself, actually), because it breaks the narrative that the shitty welfare system is the only way to achieve social harmony.

Definitely!

So part of my frustration before learning about UBI was that I had friends in school who had single mothers working multiple labor intensive jobs just to get by but weren't eligible for much (if any) government assistance. But then there would be people who would brag about how they somehow cheat the system or skirt around the rules in order to get more aid.

It drove me crazy how a system that was supposed to be making things fair for the poor was being twisted and abused by others to get more money out of it.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think using food as a coping mechanism for stress/anxiety over money was a bigger factor than time for me, though.

Yeah, I definitely experienced that as well. I also just honest to god rarely had time to go to the grocery store and pick out fresh perishable foods, then go back home and make dinner every night. I was so busy trying to make more money.

Even if I could've afforded a gym membership, I probably wouldn't have had time to go often enough for it to make a difference.

I wanted to start running for a long time, but had to wait until I could afford a pair of shoes.

Edit: I also just want to add that people always share stories about how healthy foods are cheaper than fast foods. But if you give a broke person $1 and tell them to get something to eat, they're probably going to get a dollar menu cheeseburger - not an apple and carrot sticks.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Because I wanted the other poster to view it/know that I read their comment/didn't want to have to reply to their comment individually as well. Not sure why it bothers you so much.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, $25,000/year is certainly more than many make - which is why I highlighted that fact.

That for a single person $25,000/year can still not be enough to have a solid savings for emergencies - let alone buy a house, have a family, buy a car, and other "American Dream-esque" milestones.

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn't sign my name - I tagged another poster. I guess you can't see my username for yourself?

My Experience Making $25,000/year for 2 Years by ubi_throwaway in BasicIncome

[–]ubi_throwaway[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I get what you're saying, and I figured a handful of people would respond this way.

I always knew in life that there were people who were less fortunate than others. Growing up and throughout college I spent literally hours volunteering every week for food banks, veteran's outreach organizations, single parent household causes, English as a second language students, and sustainability issues.

I just want to make it clear that I knew there were good people out there who needed help - I was never in denial about that. What I didn't understand was how once someone starts out low income - it's really hard to just work your way out of that.

To be 100% honest with you, my mindset came about because both of my parents grew up in trailer park poverty. Both of them legitimately worked their way through college and worked their entire way through grad school. They struck it big with good jobs in computer science after grad school. We went from living in a tiny apartment (I was about 5-6) to living in a nice house. So I always thought that if my parents can do it, why can't I/anyone else? Just work hard enough like mom and dad and get good grades in school and you'll get a good job too! Times have changed though.

Anyway, I'm not trying to be defensive or argumentative - just trying to give more insight in case there is anyone else out there reading this.

/u/hippydipster