2meirl4meirl

1. Get a new job. Six years is too long because raises no longer keep up with inflation. I'm aware that the job market is shit right now, but it's easier to find a new job while you currently have one.
2. Never accept the counter-offer from your current employer. They'll just keep you on long enough to replace you with someone cheaper.
3. Cycle/metro to work if possible to cut health/car costs. Consider the price difference of jobs/housing close to metro stops.
4. Meal prep and refrigerate weeks worth of lunches at a time. Don't go to bars. Consider vegetarianism.
5. Focus on your cheaper hobbies. Cancel all subscriptions and pirate everything instead.
6. Download your bank and credit card statements, then make a pie chart of where all your money is actually going.
7. Once your monthly income exceeds your monthly costs, start by saving a 6-month cash reserve (as per the meme). Being poor is expensive, you'll need this for surprise expenses.
8. Once you've got 6 months of savings, start dollar cost averaging into volatile long-term investments. Never attempt technical analysis; it's bullshit. Stick to your plan during bear markets. You are not a genius day trader waiting to happen, stick to the plan.
9. Never feel bad about lying to your employer, be "sick" whenever you want. Don't do unpaid overtime. Don't fall victim to Stockholm syndrome. Fuck 'em. Your mental health matters more.

Inb4 capitalism bad: no shit. Unionize if you can, participate in mutual aid if you can, but don't listen to crabs in a bucket who tell you it's hopeless.

"Pay yourself, first".

Figure out what your actual essential costs are: housing, food, transportation. Make sure that's covered, then set a reasonable savings goal, and only spend on extra with any money left after that per month.

When I got my first decent job, I basically lived like I was still in a dorm for the next 4 years. Saved a big percentage of my income. That was 12 years ago. My percentage has fallen a little since then but I think outing of life style creep and creating those good savings habits early helps. Then compounding doors the rest.

I rarely drink, I don't smoke, I don't have a car, my apartment is 40m^2 because that's all I need, I pay <750€/month including utilities. Around 150€/month go to a private retirement fund with an insurance company. After other regular expenses, if I don't make any purchases, I can save 1000€ a month. Realistically I do make purchases, so it's more like 500 - 700€. I generally split that between my savings account and etfs (as retirement fund), and try to not let my savings account go below a certain point.

I make ~2800€/month net salary. Depending on where you live, it's entirely possible your base expenses are much higher, not having a car might not be a real option, rent might be insane etc. But as someone else said, lifestyle creep. You get used to luxuries and suddenly all your money is gone for "things you need". If I want something new that will lead to regular expenses, I try to examine if there's anything else I could really just do without that I can stop paying for. Sometimes I also just look at subscriptions etc. to see if I forgot about anything.

I have zero degrees, rent, and I saved over $1000 every month on average even before I got my new/better job, when I was making less than $55k/yr.

Don't know what to tell you other than create a budget and examine it against your expenses carefully. Lifestyle creep is a hell of a drug.

Let me know if you figure it out! I've tried making a lot of money. I've tried making little money but spending nothing. I've ultimately decided money's broke.

See you made the mistake of doing something in your field you presumably kind of are interested in and know about.

They know you want that job so why would they pay you?

Instead of working hard and becoming skilled in an extremely niche and important science, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge what you should have done is gotten involved in finance and just do mumbo jumbo with other people's money and take a fee.

Better yet, have you tried being born owning a ton of land, or perhaps a factory?

I would have thought a good job with high education in biotech would be lucrative. Do you not earn enough of is your cost of living that high?

Move to a lower cost of living area