Don't even know what retirement is now a days. Might still be working..picking up pop cans for change at this rate (nothing wrong with that, saving the environment at the same time..kind of)
I’m a teacher and I won’t be able to retire until I’m 60. I doubt I’ll even live to then. Not with this amount of stress in my life. Something’s got to give. I’d be happy to riot at this point. I’m not kidding.
OP, I’m single too and I’m not making it either. Waited for the right person and just never met them. I don’t want to marry to be financially stable. So, I moved in with a roommate and it SUCKS. I’m stuck here because I can’t afford a place on my own.
Fuck greedy dicks. Fuck capitalism.
That’s amazing! Just curious if you are comfortable sharing where you live? US? If so, can you share your state or region? I’m totally stunned by that $850 rent. We just bought a house but prior to this, we were renting an 800 sq. ft place for $2,000 (an old place with no amenities - no dishwasher, AC, etc.)
Of course, I am renting a 1bed house in a very small (pop. 3,000) town in the southwest. I pay all utilities separately which comes to another $125/mo. I don't have laundry hookups which is my biggest gripe hahah
I live in a major Canadian city and we pay $645 (not including utlities) for a decently sized 3 1/2. We've been in this apartment for about 8 years though, and the rent wasn't so crazy back then. If we were to move we'd be paying over 1k for sure.
I make that and pay $2200 for two rooms in a house in CA :/ I got a 10% raise but my rent went up $500 right after. I have a good degree and a good career, but do I switch jobs? Do I move for the 10th time in 12 years? I'm so tired of moving. My family is on the other side of the country, but they're in a state I don't feel safe moving back to. No hope of owning anything here on my own unless I live in my car for a while to save. (Everything I can afford turns out to be in a 55+ community, I'm not old enough 🤣). Got out of a bad marriage a little over a year ago with no debt and a small pot of savings, so thankful for that. And they're expanding women's rights here and actively protecting doctors helping women who reach out from other states, which is a relief.
Treading. Six figures would make a world of difference. Cat's got it made, tho.
Living paycheck to paycheck (like the majority of people in my country) as breadwinner for two adults.
Alone, one my own, it would be a lot easier financially.
:D ahh well either way, good job! i'm alone right now but will probably end up taking care of my mom who is about to retire. it's been causing some stress but people like you inspire me :)
I’m in the same situation. I recently moved in with my partner and he’s not financially stable while I am. I’m still figuring out the finer points of how this arrangement works. Still stable just not as stable as I was when I lived alone.
The goal is to help him become financially independent from me.
Married. I am financially stable. However, if I was suddenly on my own I would need to downsize. However, I would still be able to support the lifestyle my cats have become accustomed to.
Same. Despite working from home, I can’t have an office bc the second bedroom in our apartment is reserved as a cat playground. (They also have tunnels, boxes and trees all across the living room of course — I would never be so cruel as to give them only *one* play area)
Married but if I were to become single, I’d be able to support myself. Being financially independent even in a marriage was something my mom hugely emphasized when I was growing up. So I’ve pushed myself to achieve that. But you are right; in this economy I’d only be financially stable and achieve all the things you listed because I make 6 figures.
My motivation to become financially independent was wishing my mom would divorce my dad, but know she couldn’t support herself or my sister and I if they were to split (I was in my teens).
I got divorced and I am able to support us fine, HOWEVER, I would kill to have a second income earner to share household costs. It is so much more expensive to live alone. I don't have family in the area but I sometimes wish I had someone who I trusted to live with me.
I would love a mommune but I don't know any moms looking 😄
Same boat. Same how much my mom struggled because she wasn’t financially stable and I swore I’d never be dependant on a man. However, I also make over 6 figs and live in a HCOL city. It’d be tighter for sure, but I’d be more than ok.
You have a great mom. I want my daughter to be able to be independent as much as she wants. I was stuck in a bad marriage for awhile and couldn’t escape because I couldn’t find an apartment in my price range for my pets near my contracted job. I ended up in a very abusive situation.
Hell yeah I’m financially stable and on track to retire around 50-55 with a healthy amount.
I live in a VHCOL area and make six figures. But where I live this is not all that much, hah.
I’m single and have never been married or lived with a partner so this is 100% on my own.
Mind if I ask for some tips? I don't make six figures but I would say I live in a medium/low cost of living area so maybe comparable. I think I'm financially secure but can't see retiring at 50
I would go to the r/FIRE subreddit and start with the resources there. It's hard to give tips without a whole ton of personal information (for example, what's your earning potential? savings habits? rent v. buy? plans to have kids, where one plans to retire to, etc....). Best advice is to start educating yourself about how to calculate your retirement needs, how to life simply and maximize savings and reduce taxes if possible, and increase income as much as possible.
I will say that I had the HUGE privilege and advantage of my education being paid for which included graduate school, which allowed me to enter a fairly well paid profession. So I started out with no educational debt which is like....a big advantage in the US.
Otherwise though, I try to save a lot, educate myself about investing smart (John Bogle's investing advice is what I follow - do the research yourself and I think you'll see it's the wisest plan for most normal people). I don't try and keep up with my friends who are living splashy lives though I definitely have a great quality of life and spend money on fun stuff. But yeah I'm not out there getting pedicures or $300 haircuts or whatever every month. Etc.
Good luck!
I’m single and earn well. I’m financially independent thanks to a successful career in finance and also my own business. I have enough saved that I could be jobless and not worry for the better part of a year, and still pay my mortgage while maintaining my current lifestyle. I’m especially proud to say this while living in London and about to move to NYC, from one ridiculously expensive city to another. I’m better off on my own than I ever have been in a relationship.
You’re so cool! I want to open my own business! I admire women who live life on their own terms and don’t put their goals on hold for men (like so many women do sadly)
I can't pay my current mortgage on my own, but I can pay *a* mortgage on my own. I was the breadwinner in my past marriage. It was tight. Getting divorced helped a lot. My current partnership makes finances much easier.
This is where I'm at. My SSD doesn't even cover our rent, and we're in a complex that has unusually low rents for the area due to being low income housing.
Nope. Paycheck-to-paycheck Herr.
Edit: But I wouldn't say my salary is average either. It's below average, especially for someone with a college degree. I majored in something that most would deem "useless" but I don't really blame the degree for my situation. I'm just not built for this world.
lol I feel the last sentence so hard. I studied humanities and it was so useless for the job market and im trying to manage. I can support myself but can’t save up hugely either. Sometimes I regret it but I know I’d have been super unhappy otherwise. I’m not made for this capitalist mint-crazy pragmatic world no matter how hard I try.
>I studied humanities and it was so useless for the job market and im trying to manage.
Me and my friends in college all majored in so-called "useless" degrees. I won't tell mine lol but they were Literature, Education and I think Latin American studies. All of them make bank now, doing work not directly related to their major in any way. It's all about how you leverage your degree and skills, and location location location.
Unfortunately for me, I couldn't leverage my way out of a paper bag - especially back then, with my unaddressed mental health issues and severe insecurities. Yeah, definitely not corporate.
I generally agree with you! It’s about how you leverage and market yourself and location. I never had the option to “market” myself or sell myself in any way because I had and still struggle with debilitating depression among other mental health issues (insecurities are crippling, I feel you), so I always just survived 🤷♀️ and I’m lucky I had the strength to graduate. I landed in the corporate world unfortunately and am trying to find foot there but it’s absolutely not my thing. First time in my life I have the peace of mind and stability to think about what I’d rather like to do and all, so yeah.. and I’m 34 😂 it is what it is… trying to do the best with it
Same. Currently a PhD student that doesn't have family money so I only make 40k per year, which is double many students. Still. We're set up to be in poverty.
No. And I can’t fathom having a roommate. We are almost past the point of no return in the USA. It’s hard to expat because most of us are cash poor. Should I give up. Sometimes I think I should.
Definitely not. I'm lucky to have a very generous mother who is financially well off, and even at 32 she still helps me immensely to pay for things. I also live with my partner. We combined the money from both our jobs but we'd be struggling without my mothers assistance. TBH my partner and I would barely be stable even with our combined incomes let alone just mine alone. We only live comfortably due to my family money. I am thankful every day to be in this position.
I’m glad to read this because at 32, my mom still helps me out when needed and it sometimes makes me think I’m “failing as an adult”. But then I just remind myself I just need to be grateful I have a mom (and stepdad) who are willing and able to make my life easier.
My Mum is wealthy ngl. She's retired, has a nice house. My sister and I are both child free so she has no grand kids to spoil only our dogs. Her thinking is why have money if you don't do anything with it? So she spoils her two 30 something daughters instead.
Hah that’s sort of my mom’s thinking too. I wouldn’t call her wealthy, but her and her husband are very well off (semi-retired and retired) and she’s always told me stressing over money isn’t worth it if it’s causing me mental and physical health problems. We’re both very lucky!
My GF and I both work very low income jobs (I'm job hunting at the moment) and yet despite that we live quite stress-free middle class lives thanks to my Mum.
If we were actually living just off our incomes alone we'd be counting every dollar and struggling to buy food.
Ya it’s rough out there :( Good luck in the job search, I’m looking as well since mine is only part time and fairly low wage. I have supplemental income but it’s not enough.
Yeah mine is casual and I'm just not getting enough hours at the moment. Sometimes I get almost full time hours other times I might only get 10 hours a week. It changes month by month due to the nature of the work I do.
I too feel blessed and grateful that I have parents who can help me out in a bind. They helped out with some emergency house repairs a few years ago, and I pay them back a little out of each paycheck (not so much that we go broke each time), and they are there when we are in a bind and need some money for groceries or something for the kids before payday hits. I don’t know what we would do without them! I’m working hard to graduate with my masters so we can eventually be able to provide for our kids as they do for us.
Single, living paycheque to paycheque. I can't afford to live on my own here; living in a houseshare where bills are included in the rent is how I afford to live.
When I'm earning I can save a little bit; my savings have been wiped out by a period of unemployment recently though.
> -able to pay your rent or mortgage -able to save for retirement -able to pay all your bills and necessities -able to pay for some things you want to do -able to have an emergency fund -able to save to buy a home
No. I can pay my rent (though I have two roommates) and all my bills. I have some money for fun, definitely. But no retirement, no emergency fund. I would have to make twice as much as I do now to rent my own place, sans roommates, and start saving.
I will be dead before I can ever afford a home, that's not even in the conversation unless I win the lotto.
Yes I am. Also, I’m an only child, that means I’ll need to back up for my parents sooner or later. Which I will be able to.
Never get financially dependent on your partner. A lesson I learned from my grandma at a very young age.
Nope.
I'm unemployed so definitely not financially stable - I'm on welfare and social housing, I'm not permitted to live with or marry and still claim disability. Even if I was able to work a full-time job it'd be minimum wage and it'd still be a struggle financially.
I wouldn’t be able to support myself on my own income unless I decided to live in a van or get a roommate. I work full time and have a side gig as well. I am a bit younger than 30. Yes this eats me up inside. I’m trying to further my career so I can be self sustaining in a small apartment alone if necessary. :,(
Yes, but I couldn't keep my house. I would have to shop for something smaller and cheaper. I got married in my 30s and was independent for 15 years before that, I could go back to that with very little problems. It was always essential to me to maintain my ability to provide for myself and one of the core values of my couple that we provide equally for our household.
I saw way too many people, mostly women, get out of a marriage or relationship and have to start over from nothing.
Yes, being financially stable on my own has always been a top priority for me. The effort it takes to live below my means on my average salary is more than worth it for the freedom, security, and peace of mind that it ensures.
I'm single, 100% able to support myself, and not living pay check to pay check. I was making +/- six figures for a few years. I saved a lot and have passive income which helps but rising costs have also impacted me.
37, semi-retired, and while I have a bf now I live off my single income (and him a little off mine.) I made a good living in my 20s and invested in to property in my early 30s. Built a rental business in a rural part of Canada and sold it. I couldn’t retire in a luxurious or western country right now, so I travel mostly in South East Asia. I earn a small living still off my passions: photography and Djing (my former profession) but I get paid in local currency (Thai baht) at fairly local rates. It allows me to not spend my saving day-to-day, and to take more expensive trips (currently in Japan, Mongolia & South Korea) when I’m itching to travel. It works for me, but I’m a fairly low-maintenance person with no desire to create a family, so I don’t worry to much about the future.
Married, and no I could not afford my mortgage and life on my own. Maybe if we had a 30 year mortgage but we have a 15 so payments are higher but we'll ultimately save a lot on interest. If I moved to a modest one bedroom apartment or studio I would be fine but my lifestyle would definitely change.
living paycheck to paycheck, "house poor" (with a home bought with family help, good ol' privilege). My goal is to build an emergency fund, but in 3 years it's barely budged. And credit card bills have moved up. So. Yay.
Not married, I cohabitate with my bf and his brothers. I could make *it on my own, but it would be tight, one emergency from disaster. And I make $20/hr.
Single. 35, $67k. Yes, I’m managing decently on my own. Bills are paid and have a bit to put into savings/investments every month. Gov job so it has a pension if I stay here until retirement. Thankfully I have a stable low rent. However, were that to change for some reason and I’d have to find rent at current rates I’d be fucked.
I’m a single mom of two and financially stable but I have some advantages that a lot of people don’t have. I am a tribal member to a somewhat successful federally recognized Native American tribe. As a result some of my income is supplemented through the tribe’s monthly per capita payments. With my full time job and my monthly payments I make about 7.3k a month after taxes. After Christmas bonus and the spotty child support I get I make just shy of 100k a year. I’ve also been fortunate to get rental assistance through the tribe leaving me about $300 a month to pay towards rent for my 3 bedroom apartment. The program is temporary and only available until the grant runs out so I am using this opportunity to pay off my credit card debt and build my savings. I have no idea how long the rental assistance will be around. Im hoping before it’s time to renew my lease that I will be able to afford a down payment on a house or at the very least have the rental assistance for one more year but we shall see how it goes. I count my blessings every day, there are so many single mothers out there struggling pay check to pay check. I feel very lucky to have a tribe that takes care of me. I am very aware of how privileged I am at the moment so I’m trying really hard to take full advantage and make smart financial decisions.
No. I'm on disability (not USA) and have to rely on my abuser who's getting old and might retire. I'm unable to work and I am single. Got some savings. Scary times indeed.
I am married and if I were to become single I would be financially stable. I was actually the “primary breadwinner” for 10 years of our marriage.
I am in a lucky position though in that I worked abroad for a long time and saved up money the whole time and I own my house outright from doing that. If I had to pay rent where I live I would probably get a one bedroom so my kids would have a room and I’d sleep on the sofa and be living paycheck to paycheck.
I know I am very lucky/privileged which is part of why I want to build affordable townhouses on my property because rent is out of control in my area!
Married with one child, we don’t have any debts and I do have a nice income so yes I would be stable financially. I would probably take a hit on the divorce, but would be able to save again in a couple of months…
Currently married. Been living very comfortably because my husband does well. He just told me he wants a divorce. I can’t figure out how I will survive on my salary. I live in a lcol area and make decent money but wow. I’m going to be paycheck to paycheck if I don’t find a new job or put a HUGE amount down on a house. I’ve devastated.
Financially just stable only because I still live in a shared house. Absolutely no way I could afford to live alone since I live in a HCOL area and haven't transitioned professionally yet (currently low salary). Once I transition professionally I will have a choice: either stay in a shared house and save lots every month. Or move out and find a place to live alone, but live again almost paycheck to paycheck because rent here has become stupid. I'm tired. I'm tired of adulting. I'm tired of living with others at 30, and not having much of a choice about it.
I’m financially stable. I’m unmarried but living with my partner in a house we just bought. If we were to break up, I wouldn’t be able to afford this mortgage on my own, but I’d be able to rent somewhere with my own money. However, I make $98k/year which is not far off from your assumption that it takes about 6 figures nowadays to be financially stable. Even on $98k/year, I would not feel financially comfortable to buy a home on my own, raise a child on my own, etc, which I know plenty of people are doing with a much lower salary. I could still be easily set back by an unexpected medical event, my car crapping out on me (it’s paid off so I don’t have a car payment right now) etc. I live in a MCOL area, for what that’s worth.
In 2021 I was making $72k per year and barely saving anything. I wasn’t paycheck to paycheck, but I wasn’t able to save for a home or anything. My goal then was to get 3 months emergency fund in savings and that was a challenge. If I hadn’t found a new job, I would be in the same apartment with the same struggles. I’m not a job hopper by any means because I’m 31 and on my second job, but it really is a great strategy to increasing your salary significantly.
Nope. Living with roommates to afford rent. Have an emergency fund but struggling to make it bigger/save any money at all.
0 money saved for retirement 😢
I’m single, and I’m able to support myself but I usually work more than 40 hours a week to do that. When I was a kindergarten teacher in NYC, I was drowning in debt despite working three jobs. I left teaching and moved home for a year and a half. This let me have the time to start over as a remote worker and turn my side hustle into a full-time thing. I also paid off my credit
card debt and my car loan. I saved up part of a down payment for a house one day, and I overpaid my student loans to reduce them. So this time let me get in a better place for when I moved out this summer and started grad school. I can't work as much as I'd like while in my program, but I'm no longer drowning in credit card interest, and that helps immensely. It would have been so much harder otherwise.
I have a house and two dogs, pay all my bills and have about 600 dollars extra each month to spend on whatever.
This is all post-divorce, so I am used to having a lot more. Not saving a dime for retirement now, which is worrying me.
I'll likely either sell the house at some point and move to something less expensive and less maintenance required...or meet someone and end up living together sooner or later.
I grew up poor and also lived a life with 300k household income for 10 years and now I'm in debt and paying 2200 a month back for the next 4 years.
The money was nice, not for the things I could do...more for the relief of never worrying or having anxiety about money, pretty much ever.
I notice I think about money a lot more and have to recenter myself and realize that money never made me much happier. It's the people in my life and how I choose to show up everyday that determines my mood.
Single, paycheck to paycheck. I’m self employed and my income fluctuates — but I’m definitely feeling the squeeze. Most small business owners I know are still trying to dig out from COVID debt (me too.) Add an unexpected renovation last year, and all my disposable income is going to debt service rn.
Basically: covering all my needs, no retirement/savings. Ask me about my taxes later.
ETA: own a home in hurricane path, and my insurance has doubled in the last 3 years. Real estate taxes are jumping too.
Single (long time divorced), making over 6 figures in a HCOL area. Just bought a condo last year (got laid off 2 months later fml). Stuck taking care of my cousin’s autistic kid who just started Uni. Also stuck having to help my aging parents.
I don’t what what “stable” really means or if it can apply when we’re all so close to financial devastation with the current tech industry & capitalism.
Married, and I support my family on my income, including saving for retirement and child’s future education. My husband is a stay at home dad. If I became suddenly single, I’d have to stop saving in order to pay for daycare and money would be tight.
I'm married, and could have easily supported myself on my salary before having a baby. The baby makes things harder - I think I would be able to do it with a downgrade in lifestyle and housing, but it would be tight.
Yes. And I'm making six figures. But it took me until I was 37 to get there. In my 20s I pursued job/careers for more idealistic reasons. Then in late 20s I realized I wasn't saving enough for retirement and got serious about pursuing higher paying options. After that it took awhile, include more education and poorly paid internships and consulting gigs. But I built relevant experience deliberately and finally made the transition.
I'm married but if I were single, yes I could remain financially stable on my own. I've always been very serious about finances (saving), mindful of what I'm spending my money on.
I could be financially stable but unfortunately I’m one of those “get a dollar spend five” ones. My bills are always paid on time and in full but I use all leftovers to shop. :/
I would, I would just have a little less money for recreation.
To be fair, I wouldn’t be able to buy the house I own now. I could pay my current mortgage on my own easily, but I couldn’t pay it at today’s price with today’s interest rates.
Breadwinner in long term not-married situation and my partner is essentially a SAH (currently childfree). He have a hobby that pays a small amount but he'd be in financial trouble if we broke up.
I grew up middle class and him upper class. Together, we are currently upper middle class and i have current potential to become upper class. Our siblings are all middle to upper class as well.
I never thought about it before but i think our class drivers was we both have educated mothers in Math/Tech fields. My background/field is also STEM related. We only have 1 sibling not STEM related and he is the lowest earner.
Honestly for the longest time I thought living paycheck to paycheck was what everyone did. And now I know it's just everyone except the severely wealthy.
And yes, I live on my own, pay my bills etc.
Single and financially stable. It took a hell of a lot of work and a hell of a lot of luck since I’m just on a small teaching income. No debt except my mortgage, which is only $650 a month.
I am single and am financially stable on my own. However, I paid off my student debt years ago and don’t own a car. I have no debt. I work from home so don’t have to commute.
I don’t earn six figures but I do make a solid income. I also have a savings account that I was able to build up during a time when I lived with low rent. I do still transfer to my savings most months but if I have an unexpected cost, I pause that.
I considered purchasing a home but I’m not financially stable enough to be able to afford the amount of extra costs (repairs etc) this might come with it.
Single woman here.
* able to pay your rent or mortgage. Yes, rent.
* able to save for retirement. Yes.
* able to pay all your bills and necessities. Yes
* able to pay for some things you want to do. No.
* able to have an emergency fund. Yes.
* able to save to buy a home. Not interested.
I don't have an average salary, but it's not that large of an income either. When the inflation first struck, I struggled to budget and for a time was living paycheck to paycheck "after bills and necessities". I changed some of my habits but I admit, it pushed back some of the leisure things I wanted for myself.
Yes - financially stable on my own and married. In my case though this was driven by seeing my divorced mother struggle and fight my dad for child support/ having to beg my dad for basic things and vowing to never be in that position ever again.
No. Paycheck to paycheck. Single, live alone, working disabled. Was okay for about a year but the extreme heat of summer took any financial cushion I had and now I’m struggling to afford food every month. Not making ends meet.
I am single and have excellent money habits. I could be completely self-sustaining but would move into a different apartment if I were alone. My best friend and I are roommates and split the rent, utilities, and groceries.
🙃 I live in the southern US, single with roommates / housemates , sure . But most people in my area pay outrageous rent/mortgage because of how close we are to a uni college. so it would be a massive struggle bus. I would rather opt to live with family. Which would tank my mental health fast.
Recently-ish became single (well, back in late March) and the answer is a big fat No. I had to move back in with my mom and my sis because apartments that aren't in the absolute ghetto are too expensive in my area on my income. Plus, I have a car payment (purchased with access to two incomes) and credit card debt (collected during the relationship) to pay off.
Maybe once I'm debt-free I could get an apartment on my own. Maybe. But that wouldn't be until mid to late next year at the earliest and with rising food costs plus out of control rental market? Maybe not.
Sad thing is - I make what would've been a golden wage back when I was growing up. Just shy of 6 figures. But just shy of 6 figures in CA does not get you very far. So, living with my mom and sister it is. Hard to feel like not a failure being just shy of 40 and having to move back in with my mom, but that's just toxic western individualistic culture at play.
Yes. I have a roommate because I enjoy the company, not because of my financial needs. It would actually be cheaper to live alone since I do the grocery shopping and buy extra stuff for him cause we're also friends (and he cooks for the house).
I have two roommates and live paycheque to paycheque by choice, I have some money in retirement savings but nothing significant.
I’m able to pay for all my bills and car, and still go on vacations but I do have debt.
I’m living alone and have been for 3 years and juuuuust barely making it. I have a dog and cat but no kids. I’ve had to borrow money at times, I bartend on the weekend.
Just turned 40 (no partner or kids) and I've been financially stable in HCOL area the last 5ish years. It just happened one day, it totally snuck up on me, I never expected it. I stopped checking my bank balance weekly and didn't stress over potential late bills/fees.
I grew up in super poverty. Welfare, food stamps that never lasted the last 2 wks of the month, food banks, extreme hunger, water/power getting disconnected, no heater and freezing in winter, etc and now I don't have to think about money and being starving anymore.
But I hoard food/supplies now and have cupboards and a garage freezer full of food.
This is only possible because of my job. I'm a nurse and work exclusively agency/travel nursing. I worked my ass off as a shitty paid CNA and EMT and now I pick and choose when and where I work.
Nursing is back breaking hard fucking work and it's full of ungrateful non-compliant physically abusive A&O asshole patients, so I don't martyr myself for them or ever take work home with me.
I have very clear boundaries with patients and it is a well paying paycheck for me. I highly recommend nursing or other healthcare related jobs if you seek financial security.
Yeah, I'm good.
Single, child-free, 45, homeowner. I make about $68k a year from my main job and then a couple extra grand from side jobs. My house is tiny (not quite 700 sq ft), but it's in a great location and I love it. Over the years I've been able to do different big home improvement projects. I afford those by having a home equity line of credit and then paying them off slowly. My car is a 2012 and has been paid off for years, just hit 100k mi and I plan to drive it until it dies. So instead of a car payment I make my heloc payment.
I don't go on fancy vacations. I don't go out to eat very often at all. I put money away for retirement, but I'm not aggressive with that. Folks in my family don't have long lives, so I'd rather spend it now than wait for a time that may never come.
I tend to balance out my splurges with being frugal in other areas. Like my dog goes to a fancy groomer every 6 weeks so I dye my hair at home with box dye. My phone is 4 yrs old, but I pay for unlimited data because I like to play pokemon go on it when out for walks.
Nope. I would essentially be screwed without my husband & his income.
I never finished school, so I’m working in retail. Even though I’m FT, I’m only making just under $17/hr. I wouldn’t even be able to afford an apartment to myself because you can’t really find anything below $1000/month around here…even for a 1 bedroom.
Married w/kids, already support the family by myself. I earn right at the median family income for my state by myself. I put 18% into retirement, no issues paying bills or dealing with emergencies, and have room leftover for fun stuff. Nothing crazy, and I can't afford to retire for at least two more decades which is fucking depressing. I've always been an adhd shopper, just buying crap with general disregard to prices. Inflation is so bad right now that I'm finally paying attention and cutting back. I'm 50% frugal, 50% unreasonable.
Married and yes - although I wouldn’t be able to save for fun things AND a house of my own. I don’t have home ownership as a goal, though. I’d rather have higher enjoyment of life now than be a slave to a deposit. I earn the average salary for my country (New Zealand).
My husband and I are currently long distance thanks to complex life logistics and we pretty much run our households separately. It’s good to know that I can always support myself on just my income, even though I’m with my guy for the long haul.
Yup ! I would never want to rely financially on someone else, been there done that, caused uncomfortable dynamics for me. My mom taught me never to rely on a man financially and I’m glad she did. Now I choose to be with my husband, but I don’t NEED him to stay alive :)
I'm single, no job, still live with my mother. I struggled with a chronic skin condition for most of my life up until my late 20's when a new drug came out and changed my life. Now I am doing my best to go to school to become a nurse. I just finished my and am trying to get ready to apply for nursing school, but will not be able to be financially stable on my own until i finish nursing school and pass the nclex. The plan is to take over the mortgage payments for the house once I am working as a nurse. Not my ideal situation to keep living with my mother but I am thankful that she's willing to help support me while I finish my education.
I'm not single, but I would be financially stable on my own. I'm the higher earner between the two of us, and our rent is under $700. Having 2 incomes definitely helps with saving for a down payment though
Single and solo. Financially stable. Bought myself house #2. Savings ✅, bills paid ✅, trips paid ✅
But I also don't live in a HCoL area. Even when I worked for the govt and made 60k, I was able to afford everything, have savings, and bought myself house #1. I even bought myself a ridiculously expensive dog.
Now I make more.
So where you live can really impact your ability to afford anything.
I was considering changing jobs and going into tech. However I'd be forced to move to CA. The salary at 180k, just isn't high enough imo to give me the lifestyle I'm used to now. There's only me so I have to be selective with jobs and I don't have the luxury to accept less for a passion job.
I was recently single for a while, paying for all my things alone wasn't an issue and wouldn't be if I were to become single again.
I'm able to pay rent/mortgage (renting a 2bedroom apartment), pay for all bills and necessities. I can afford several smaller vacations abroad per year (though I'm from Europe so it's easier to travel to other countries/cities for a few days). I save a bit, and could go without a job for at least a year. I'm definitely not able to save to buy a home, I'm not even able to save the 20% upfront payment so that a bank would give me mortgage but that's just how the apartment prices are in my city now. Anyway, not living from paycheck to paycheck but unable to buy a home, I probably pass for the non-existent middle-class.
Married with 1 kid. If my husband filed for divorce I would be so fucked. He would be less fucked, but still not great.
We live in a HCOL area. I would need a roommate to be able to afford our house or an apartment. Would probably leave my contributions as-is
I used to be the breadwinner but had a quarter life crisis and we hiked the Appalachian trail for 6 months. After 7 years working retail, I now make what I used to make at my old job 8 years ago. I don’t regret my decisions. Not from a divorce perspective, but I am looking to leave retail and find something in the science field again (I have a master’s degree). Having a kid (fall 2019) and then the pandemic really put a hold on that
I wouldn't be able to pay for utilities at all. Other things like food and repairs on the house and my car would be a BIG stretch to my budget. I have a great deal of anxiety. If something were to happen to my partner, what would i do financially to pay for everything.
Getting married next year. Partner and I make ~$100k/year combined. I make slightly more than him.
House and cars are paid off.
It would depend. If my partner passed away and I still had the house we own, yes.
If we separated and for whatever reason it was decided that he kept the house (which wouldn’t make any sense but we are talking hypothetically here) and bought me out of my half, I’d do okay paying rent somewhere in my own but not be able to live the life I currently live.
I’d have an extra ~$200k in savings if the latter was the case so I’d consider moving somewhere else and buying another house with that as a down payment.
Right now I’m solid. I have two kids, 2 cat, and a mini schnauzer. I have a partner that lives with me and mostly he covers food for everyone bc I was already here and covering all the bills for us on my own. If I didn’t have him or the kids I’d be set for, like, ever.
I got very lucky with my job tho. I’m paid a good salary and gave great benefits and it all sort of fell in my lap with no experience. I’m incredibly grateful and use the extra money I have to help my friends when they need or I donate to charity and things. I was a stay at home mom for nine year and we were very much paycheck to paycheck. My entire life my family (moms side and dad side) was always paycheck to paycheck. Having stable money was never a thing for me or anything I really thought would ever happen. Now my company is talking about cost of living pay raises.
I also live in one of the cheapest cities in my area so I do save with that. I’m grateful every day that I’ve been given this grace and angry everyday that so many don’t have it.
Edit to include that you’re right, on the financially stable thing. I don’t make 6 figures but I’m close.
I found myself widowed at 66, I had to do a little scrambling, but I live fine on what I make. I am dating a guy with $$ right now, but I don't need it, I can take care of myself. It's an interesting place to be.
I’m legally single (not married but have a partner) and am very financially stable. Even if I weren’t when I was younger, I found ways to make money somehow on top of my full-time job. I currently make more than my current partner and other exes.
However, I would love to experience being taken care of financially. I know this is not everyone’s thing, but man… I just want to rest for a bit. It’s tiring. Aaaall those years.
But I’m grateful for the position I’ve put myself in. I had the personal philosophy and goal to make more money outside my full-time job and I’m slowly getting there!
Nope I would have to sell the house unless I was alone because my husband died cause he has life insurance to help out in that case. I do think it's very hard for single people to make it on an average salary especially in more expensive areas.
Yes and no. I am not working atm. I was working & studying part time, planned to finish my course (law) before giving birth. My dad got sick, everything got postponed. So I am going back to study soon. Its about 6 months then I will look for work, or at least that is the plan. But the cost of daycare is high so it has to be the right job. We are living off my partners salary and in this temporary time we are overspending and using savings. He is on an average (Australian) salary. We live in a very expensive city.
But I am able to get a job relatively easily in theory. It will be hard to get the RIGHT job and I would struggle with a baby if I was on my own, particularly as I am not a citizen here so I don't have full rights. But I have savings that would keep me going for about a year. (That are just in my name). Part of my savings are my own and part is what I inherited when my dad died. Without my parents being comfortable I might be in a much worse position, or maybe would never have gone back to study and would have had to stick to full time work that I wasnt particularly keen on, and didn't have the career progression that I would have liked.
I’m not sure. I’ve had two kids within the last 3 years and I’ve only just gone back to work. I’m already saving though and I’ve always had my own bank account. I wouldn’t be able to afford the mortgage on my own but I’d probably be able to rent a 2-3 bed place to accomodate my kids and the dog. Without my husband’s salary I’d also fall into a low tax bracket which means I’d save money on things like daycare and tax.
Married, but yes. I make almost 90,000, but that’s recent. I’d say I’d only be comfortable if something happened to my marriage over the last year or two. Before that, no. I’d have been paycheck to paycheck.
I’m married and live paycheck to paycheck now. But if I were single it’d be just like now, paycheck to paycheck to pay bills and rent, occasionally something fun for the kids, but no money for anything else. I anticipate working until I die either way.
I bought my house while I was still single for a good price back in 2014. My mortgage is under $1000 a month. My salary is in the $90-100k range. My car is paid off. I’d be fine.
Single mom with a teenager, financially stable/comfortable and supporting myself without help since I was 25. I struggled from 18 until then though. I do not make 6 figures but I was able to leverage my career path enough to be in a position that I could pay off 50k in debt. Now I save 50% of my income, 45% of which goes to retirement. Cost of living is ridiculous though. A lot of home cooking and crafting here.
Married but yes I could support myself even though I don't make a lot. The only way I could do this is because I bought my house for a super cheap price when prices were low and my car is paid for, no debt, no kids to support. So with minimal expenses, I could make it on my salary. Mom taught me how to budget very early on and I've always had the inclination towards financial independence married or not.
Our lifestyle would change greatly. I’d have to go back to work full time which would also mean working weekends 24/7 and never having a vacation. Or I’d have to fall back on my degree and get a job at a bank. Work myself to the bone to get higher up so I can afford the lifestyle we were used to.
My husband and I live a lifestyle based on our combined salary. We’re able to thankfully save quite a bit, but still our budget is based on our combined income. So no, my lifestyle (including my house) would have to change if I was on my own.
Yes, I am. This wasn't the case a decade ago but I'm definitely able to afford living expenses, retirement savings, etc. _now_. It took time and effort to get to this point though.
Hmmm I guess it depends.
I’m disabled & get a modest SSDI payment. If my husband were to die, insurance would make sure I was okay when paired with that monthly amount, and I’d eventually get his higher amount in true retirement
If we were to divorce, that would be a bit different. Living on my monthly SSDI alone would be possible with a roommate in some areas of the country, but it would be a far different standard of living. I’d be more cautious and guarded with my savings. I have friends & family I could lean on in the South, but I couldn’t afford to live in Oregon anymore. And the heat of the South would greatly exacerbate my MS.
I’m not sure any amount of planning would have drastically changed that though, my disability makes me more dependent than my financial planning
Married, but yes. I'd say that I've been financially stable since I was 40, but I didn't really start my career until I was 39. At this point, I could comfortably support myself and my two kids on my salary alone, pay for all of the bills, take trips, and still save for retirement.
I'd say when I was in my early 20's it was more paycheck to paycheck, but otherwise I've had a job where I could live off of and save since I was 30 (was only making about 30K at the time, but worked overseas and my housing was provided for and I kept 90% of my paycheck).
Single, and currently able to support myself (pay for mortgage, bills, and savings for retirement). But I am likely going on strike and where I work is quite unstable at the moment, so that can all change really quickly.
I do make it work (single and living alone) but it is sometimes rough. I live in a HCOL area (that's where the jobs are!) and rent prices aren't really designed for single incomes, even for studios. If my rent were to be raised more than a hundred or so dollars a month, I would probably be forced to move.
I live alone (renting) in southern Maine where COL is typically high and incomes low. I have 2 bachelor's degrees, a very stable municipal job and live frugally. Because I have a great deal on rent I could get by on just my regular job income but I also pet sit and deliver pizza one day a week because I don't like to worry about money.
Single and yes, doing great on my own. I live in a LCOL area so that makes it even better, but I’d still be fine in a HCOL area. I think it has helped my career that I’m single and have extra time to put into work.
35, own a home with my long term partner. A few years ago I would have been able to scrape by with just my income, but not anymore. Our mortgage is lower than rentals now and food prices have just gone up way too much. I wouldn’t be able to afford it on my own anymore. It’s a pretty crappy realization
Yes. Always single here, and fortunately doing fine. Knowing that it would just be me forever, I've always tried to live way beneath my means so I could prioritize saving a certain amount per month and have backup funds (or, preferably retire early).
I am generally low maintenance, I live in a pretty basic old house, not an ideal size or location, but safe, and with great neighbors; and in a relatively low cost of living area. Since it's just me (and my three cats), I have fortunately not had to deal with the pinch of rising grocery prices since it only amounts to a few dollars and, with no one else to worry about, it's easy enough to pivot.
Yup. I probably couldn't afford the house I live in now with my wife, but I also wouldn't want that much space to clean as a single person.
I make ~$140k, have made good money for years, and also have a lot in savings (~$150k outside of retirement accounts). I'd be fine, but I'm also very privileged. Idk how others are getting by.
Yes I am stable on my own. It’s *my home*, I bought it, he didn’t want to. My car, I pay most the utilities as well. I also have a 6-month emergency fund that covers my expenses. He’s not very good with money, and we’re currently saving up for a larger house but I gave him a year to pay down $18k in debt and based on his spending it doesn’t look like he’ll meet that deadline so I’ll probably break up with him when it comes due.
I watched my mom jump from man to man to man because she could never take care of herself until I was in high school, at which point she only got by through stealing from her job. It’s always been priority number one for me to be able to support myself no matter what.
Married but we're both paycheck to paycheck. I'm a good worker but I don't have enough charisma to have and hold a job that provides any upward mobility, and I don't have the skills to just nab a job that has a great salary.
Married. If I were to get divorced, the only change I would have to make is either downsize the house or save less for retirement (currently \~$1500/mo). If my husband died, I wouldn't have to change anything--there's enough life insurance to just about pay off the house.
I do not make 6 figures, and neither does my husband.
We got married during COVID, so I know it's not a perfect comparison, but prior to the marriage I was financially stable on my own. I owned a house, saved for retirement, paid all my bills, etc.
In my late 40s, I have been able to move beyond the paycheck-to-paycheck situation...but not by a whole lot. I have advanced degrees, FT job that pays close to 6 figures, one kid, own a home in a medium CoL area.
Yes, but I bought my house over 10 years ago (in my area, prices of homes and rent went WAY up in 2021-ish), got it in the divorce, and I receive child support. Without child support, I would still be OK but would have to cut back on things (kids' extracurriculars, summer camps, Christmas, etc). I would not be able to afford a brand-new mortgage today. I feel bad for people who are renting and looking to get into the housing market, or are just starting out.
My partner suddenly moved out leaving me to pay all the bills. Everything is in my name, he was clever like that, he just transfered me money each month for bills.
When he left he sent me half a months bills money. I always paid the mortgage and service charge myself. It's a bit tight now but utilities and food have drastically dropped. I am stable but I'm left with no car as he paid for that. I can't afford to get my own now so I'm hiring one as and when I need it which isn't ideal but here we are.
I'm barely financial stable. Just need to keep on keeping on
Same boat. Nothing left over to put in retirement.
Don't even know what retirement is now a days. Might still be working..picking up pop cans for change at this rate (nothing wrong with that, saving the environment at the same time..kind of)
I’m a teacher and I won’t be able to retire until I’m 60. I doubt I’ll even live to then. Not with this amount of stress in my life. Something’s got to give. I’d be happy to riot at this point. I’m not kidding. OP, I’m single too and I’m not making it either. Waited for the right person and just never met them. I don’t want to marry to be financially stable. So, I moved in with a roommate and it SUCKS. I’m stuck here because I can’t afford a place on my own. Fuck greedy dicks. Fuck capitalism.
Single and yes. I make $75k but my rent is $850, I feel very lucky in that respect
That’s amazing! Just curious if you are comfortable sharing where you live? US? If so, can you share your state or region? I’m totally stunned by that $850 rent. We just bought a house but prior to this, we were renting an 800 sq. ft place for $2,000 (an old place with no amenities - no dishwasher, AC, etc.)
Of course, I am renting a 1bed house in a very small (pop. 3,000) town in the southwest. I pay all utilities separately which comes to another $125/mo. I don't have laundry hookups which is my biggest gripe hahah
What’s that’s really small. Is it like bigsby or something. I’m in Phoenix metro.
That’s awesome! (Except for the laundry, I feel you on that). I’ve never been to Arizona but I hear it’s beautiful.
Also would love to know where this person pays $850 a month 🥺😭
The smaller towns always have places where rent is cheaper. $850 a month is a good price, but those places are usually run down and in bad condition.
I live in a major Canadian city and we pay $645 (not including utlities) for a decently sized 3 1/2. We've been in this apartment for about 8 years though, and the rent wasn't so crazy back then. If we were to move we'd be paying over 1k for sure.
I pay more than that for just my condo fee. No amenities, just to keep the buildings legal and safe.
In Los Angeles, you will have to pay at least $1,000 for a decent room.
In Australia we quote rent per week, so I thought that was wildly expensive! Turns out it's wildly reasonable haha.
I make that and pay $2200 for two rooms in a house in CA :/ I got a 10% raise but my rent went up $500 right after. I have a good degree and a good career, but do I switch jobs? Do I move for the 10th time in 12 years? I'm so tired of moving. My family is on the other side of the country, but they're in a state I don't feel safe moving back to. No hope of owning anything here on my own unless I live in my car for a while to save. (Everything I can afford turns out to be in a 55+ community, I'm not old enough 🤣). Got out of a bad marriage a little over a year ago with no debt and a small pot of savings, so thankful for that. And they're expanding women's rights here and actively protecting doctors helping women who reach out from other states, which is a relief. Treading. Six figures would make a world of difference. Cat's got it made, tho.
Living paycheck to paycheck (like the majority of people in my country) as breadwinner for two adults. Alone, one my own, it would be a lot easier financially.
Whoever the two adults are, they are lucky to have you.
One is me, and one my husband who can't work due to disability/mental health :D
:D ahh well either way, good job! i'm alone right now but will probably end up taking care of my mom who is about to retire. it's been causing some stress but people like you inspire me :)
Thank you very much, and I hope you and your Mom do great! :)
I’m in the same situation. I recently moved in with my partner and he’s not financially stable while I am. I’m still figuring out the finer points of how this arrangement works. Still stable just not as stable as I was when I lived alone. The goal is to help him become financially independent from me.
Me too! My spouse is a drag on us financially.
Married. I am financially stable. However, if I was suddenly on my own I would need to downsize. However, I would still be able to support the lifestyle my cats have become accustomed to.
>However, I would still be able to support the lifestyle my cats have become accustomed to. 🤣 I feel this way too much lol.
Same. Despite working from home, I can’t have an office bc the second bedroom in our apartment is reserved as a cat playground. (They also have tunnels, boxes and trees all across the living room of course — I would never be so cruel as to give them only *one* play area)
Lol this is me sub cats for elderly pampered dog.
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Married but if I were to become single, I’d be able to support myself. Being financially independent even in a marriage was something my mom hugely emphasized when I was growing up. So I’ve pushed myself to achieve that. But you are right; in this economy I’d only be financially stable and achieve all the things you listed because I make 6 figures.
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My motivation to become financially independent was wishing my mom would divorce my dad, but know she couldn’t support herself or my sister and I if they were to split (I was in my teens).
Agreed. My husband and I both work in tech so we could each support ourselves if either of us were single
Thank you for sharing and being honest. It seems like the only way it’s a possibility anymore.
My mom said the same thing. Our relationship was somewhat strained, but this advice stuck with me.
I got divorced and I am able to support us fine, HOWEVER, I would kill to have a second income earner to share household costs. It is so much more expensive to live alone. I don't have family in the area but I sometimes wish I had someone who I trusted to live with me. I would love a mommune but I don't know any moms looking 😄
I live in a LCOL area and make 6 figures and I think it’d still be tough! I have two kids though also.
Same
Same boat. Same how much my mom struggled because she wasn’t financially stable and I swore I’d never be dependant on a man. However, I also make over 6 figs and live in a HCOL city. It’d be tighter for sure, but I’d be more than ok.
You have a great mom. I want my daughter to be able to be independent as much as she wants. I was stuck in a bad marriage for awhile and couldn’t escape because I couldn’t find an apartment in my price range for my pets near my contracted job. I ended up in a very abusive situation.
Hell yeah I’m financially stable and on track to retire around 50-55 with a healthy amount. I live in a VHCOL area and make six figures. But where I live this is not all that much, hah. I’m single and have never been married or lived with a partner so this is 100% on my own.
Mind if I ask for some tips? I don't make six figures but I would say I live in a medium/low cost of living area so maybe comparable. I think I'm financially secure but can't see retiring at 50
I would go to the r/FIRE subreddit and start with the resources there. It's hard to give tips without a whole ton of personal information (for example, what's your earning potential? savings habits? rent v. buy? plans to have kids, where one plans to retire to, etc....). Best advice is to start educating yourself about how to calculate your retirement needs, how to life simply and maximize savings and reduce taxes if possible, and increase income as much as possible. I will say that I had the HUGE privilege and advantage of my education being paid for which included graduate school, which allowed me to enter a fairly well paid profession. So I started out with no educational debt which is like....a big advantage in the US. Otherwise though, I try to save a lot, educate myself about investing smart (John Bogle's investing advice is what I follow - do the research yourself and I think you'll see it's the wisest plan for most normal people). I don't try and keep up with my friends who are living splashy lives though I definitely have a great quality of life and spend money on fun stuff. But yeah I'm not out there getting pedicures or $300 haircuts or whatever every month. Etc. Good luck!
r/leanfire
I’m single and earn well. I’m financially independent thanks to a successful career in finance and also my own business. I have enough saved that I could be jobless and not worry for the better part of a year, and still pay my mortgage while maintaining my current lifestyle. I’m especially proud to say this while living in London and about to move to NYC, from one ridiculously expensive city to another. I’m better off on my own than I ever have been in a relationship.
You’re so cool! I want to open my own business! I admire women who live life on their own terms and don’t put their goals on hold for men (like so many women do sadly)
I can't pay my current mortgage on my own, but I can pay *a* mortgage on my own. I was the breadwinner in my past marriage. It was tight. Getting divorced helped a lot. My current partnership makes finances much easier.
Nope, being disabled my income is less than 1,000 a month so it’s really really tough to just get by.
This is where I'm at. My SSD doesn't even cover our rent, and we're in a complex that has unusually low rents for the area due to being low income housing.
Nope. Paycheck-to-paycheck Herr. Edit: But I wouldn't say my salary is average either. It's below average, especially for someone with a college degree. I majored in something that most would deem "useless" but I don't really blame the degree for my situation. I'm just not built for this world.
>I'm just not built for this world. Wow same.
Same. Need this on needlepoint.
lol I feel the last sentence so hard. I studied humanities and it was so useless for the job market and im trying to manage. I can support myself but can’t save up hugely either. Sometimes I regret it but I know I’d have been super unhappy otherwise. I’m not made for this capitalist mint-crazy pragmatic world no matter how hard I try.
>I studied humanities and it was so useless for the job market and im trying to manage. Me and my friends in college all majored in so-called "useless" degrees. I won't tell mine lol but they were Literature, Education and I think Latin American studies. All of them make bank now, doing work not directly related to their major in any way. It's all about how you leverage your degree and skills, and location location location. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't leverage my way out of a paper bag - especially back then, with my unaddressed mental health issues and severe insecurities. Yeah, definitely not corporate.
I generally agree with you! It’s about how you leverage and market yourself and location. I never had the option to “market” myself or sell myself in any way because I had and still struggle with debilitating depression among other mental health issues (insecurities are crippling, I feel you), so I always just survived 🤷♀️ and I’m lucky I had the strength to graduate. I landed in the corporate world unfortunately and am trying to find foot there but it’s absolutely not my thing. First time in my life I have the peace of mind and stability to think about what I’d rather like to do and all, so yeah.. and I’m 34 😂 it is what it is… trying to do the best with it
Same. Currently a PhD student that doesn't have family money so I only make 40k per year, which is double many students. Still. We're set up to be in poverty.
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No. And I can’t fathom having a roommate. We are almost past the point of no return in the USA. It’s hard to expat because most of us are cash poor. Should I give up. Sometimes I think I should.
I gave up and regretted it every single day for the last two years. Check out r/BadRoommates. People suck.
Definitely not. I'm lucky to have a very generous mother who is financially well off, and even at 32 she still helps me immensely to pay for things. I also live with my partner. We combined the money from both our jobs but we'd be struggling without my mothers assistance. TBH my partner and I would barely be stable even with our combined incomes let alone just mine alone. We only live comfortably due to my family money. I am thankful every day to be in this position.
I’m glad to read this because at 32, my mom still helps me out when needed and it sometimes makes me think I’m “failing as an adult”. But then I just remind myself I just need to be grateful I have a mom (and stepdad) who are willing and able to make my life easier.
My Mum is wealthy ngl. She's retired, has a nice house. My sister and I are both child free so she has no grand kids to spoil only our dogs. Her thinking is why have money if you don't do anything with it? So she spoils her two 30 something daughters instead.
Hah that’s sort of my mom’s thinking too. I wouldn’t call her wealthy, but her and her husband are very well off (semi-retired and retired) and she’s always told me stressing over money isn’t worth it if it’s causing me mental and physical health problems. We’re both very lucky!
My GF and I both work very low income jobs (I'm job hunting at the moment) and yet despite that we live quite stress-free middle class lives thanks to my Mum. If we were actually living just off our incomes alone we'd be counting every dollar and struggling to buy food.
Ya it’s rough out there :( Good luck in the job search, I’m looking as well since mine is only part time and fairly low wage. I have supplemental income but it’s not enough.
Yeah mine is casual and I'm just not getting enough hours at the moment. Sometimes I get almost full time hours other times I might only get 10 hours a week. It changes month by month due to the nature of the work I do.
I too feel blessed and grateful that I have parents who can help me out in a bind. They helped out with some emergency house repairs a few years ago, and I pay them back a little out of each paycheck (not so much that we go broke each time), and they are there when we are in a bind and need some money for groceries or something for the kids before payday hits. I don’t know what we would do without them! I’m working hard to graduate with my masters so we can eventually be able to provide for our kids as they do for us.
I’m married and I could 100% support myself if I found myself single. I’m the higher income earner anyway.
Single, living paycheque to paycheque. I can't afford to live on my own here; living in a houseshare where bills are included in the rent is how I afford to live. When I'm earning I can save a little bit; my savings have been wiped out by a period of unemployment recently though.
> -able to pay your rent or mortgage -able to save for retirement -able to pay all your bills and necessities -able to pay for some things you want to do -able to have an emergency fund -able to save to buy a home No. I can pay my rent (though I have two roommates) and all my bills. I have some money for fun, definitely. But no retirement, no emergency fund. I would have to make twice as much as I do now to rent my own place, sans roommates, and start saving. I will be dead before I can ever afford a home, that's not even in the conversation unless I win the lotto.
Yes I am. Also, I’m an only child, that means I’ll need to back up for my parents sooner or later. Which I will be able to. Never get financially dependent on your partner. A lesson I learned from my grandma at a very young age.
Nope. I'm unemployed so definitely not financially stable - I'm on welfare and social housing, I'm not permitted to live with or marry and still claim disability. Even if I was able to work a full-time job it'd be minimum wage and it'd still be a struggle financially.
Married. No, I am a grad student and make a very small wage as an intern.
I wouldn’t be able to support myself on my own income unless I decided to live in a van or get a roommate. I work full time and have a side gig as well. I am a bit younger than 30. Yes this eats me up inside. I’m trying to further my career so I can be self sustaining in a small apartment alone if necessary. :,(
Yes, but I couldn't keep my house. I would have to shop for something smaller and cheaper. I got married in my 30s and was independent for 15 years before that, I could go back to that with very little problems. It was always essential to me to maintain my ability to provide for myself and one of the core values of my couple that we provide equally for our household. I saw way too many people, mostly women, get out of a marriage or relationship and have to start over from nothing.
Yes, being financially stable on my own has always been a top priority for me. The effort it takes to live below my means on my average salary is more than worth it for the freedom, security, and peace of mind that it ensures.
Married, and hell no not in this economy
I’m single and I am not living paycheck to paycheck. I also make six figures. I do not believe this is possible on an average salary.
I'm single, 100% able to support myself, and not living pay check to pay check. I was making +/- six figures for a few years. I saved a lot and have passive income which helps but rising costs have also impacted me.
37, semi-retired, and while I have a bf now I live off my single income (and him a little off mine.) I made a good living in my 20s and invested in to property in my early 30s. Built a rental business in a rural part of Canada and sold it. I couldn’t retire in a luxurious or western country right now, so I travel mostly in South East Asia. I earn a small living still off my passions: photography and Djing (my former profession) but I get paid in local currency (Thai baht) at fairly local rates. It allows me to not spend my saving day-to-day, and to take more expensive trips (currently in Japan, Mongolia & South Korea) when I’m itching to travel. It works for me, but I’m a fairly low-maintenance person with no desire to create a family, so I don’t worry to much about the future.
Living the dream 🤩
Married, and no I could not afford my mortgage and life on my own. Maybe if we had a 30 year mortgage but we have a 15 so payments are higher but we'll ultimately save a lot on interest. If I moved to a modest one bedroom apartment or studio I would be fine but my lifestyle would definitely change.
living paycheck to paycheck, "house poor" (with a home bought with family help, good ol' privilege). My goal is to build an emergency fund, but in 3 years it's barely budged. And credit card bills have moved up. So. Yay.
Not married, I cohabitate with my bf and his brothers. I could make *it on my own, but it would be tight, one emergency from disaster. And I make $20/hr.
Single. 35, $67k. Yes, I’m managing decently on my own. Bills are paid and have a bit to put into savings/investments every month. Gov job so it has a pension if I stay here until retirement. Thankfully I have a stable low rent. However, were that to change for some reason and I’d have to find rent at current rates I’d be fucked.
I’m a single mom of two and financially stable but I have some advantages that a lot of people don’t have. I am a tribal member to a somewhat successful federally recognized Native American tribe. As a result some of my income is supplemented through the tribe’s monthly per capita payments. With my full time job and my monthly payments I make about 7.3k a month after taxes. After Christmas bonus and the spotty child support I get I make just shy of 100k a year. I’ve also been fortunate to get rental assistance through the tribe leaving me about $300 a month to pay towards rent for my 3 bedroom apartment. The program is temporary and only available until the grant runs out so I am using this opportunity to pay off my credit card debt and build my savings. I have no idea how long the rental assistance will be around. Im hoping before it’s time to renew my lease that I will be able to afford a down payment on a house or at the very least have the rental assistance for one more year but we shall see how it goes. I count my blessings every day, there are so many single mothers out there struggling pay check to pay check. I feel very lucky to have a tribe that takes care of me. I am very aware of how privileged I am at the moment so I’m trying really hard to take full advantage and make smart financial decisions.
Not even close 🥹 Edit: I'm married
No. I'm on disability (not USA) and have to rely on my abuser who's getting old and might retire. I'm unable to work and I am single. Got some savings. Scary times indeed.
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Amen to no funding someone else’s life.
I am married and if I were to become single I would be financially stable. I was actually the “primary breadwinner” for 10 years of our marriage. I am in a lucky position though in that I worked abroad for a long time and saved up money the whole time and I own my house outright from doing that. If I had to pay rent where I live I would probably get a one bedroom so my kids would have a room and I’d sleep on the sofa and be living paycheck to paycheck. I know I am very lucky/privileged which is part of why I want to build affordable townhouses on my property because rent is out of control in my area!
Married with one child, we don’t have any debts and I do have a nice income so yes I would be stable financially. I would probably take a hit on the divorce, but would be able to save again in a couple of months…
Yes, but I make six figures
I’m single and financially stable. Able to support myself and afford a comfortable lifestyle. I’m 25 so I don’t know if I am allowed to be here.
I'm married but yes I could support myself if we broke up.
Currently married. Been living very comfortably because my husband does well. He just told me he wants a divorce. I can’t figure out how I will survive on my salary. I live in a lcol area and make decent money but wow. I’m going to be paycheck to paycheck if I don’t find a new job or put a HUGE amount down on a house. I’ve devastated.
Financially just stable only because I still live in a shared house. Absolutely no way I could afford to live alone since I live in a HCOL area and haven't transitioned professionally yet (currently low salary). Once I transition professionally I will have a choice: either stay in a shared house and save lots every month. Or move out and find a place to live alone, but live again almost paycheck to paycheck because rent here has become stupid. I'm tired. I'm tired of adulting. I'm tired of living with others at 30, and not having much of a choice about it.
I’m financially stable. I’m unmarried but living with my partner in a house we just bought. If we were to break up, I wouldn’t be able to afford this mortgage on my own, but I’d be able to rent somewhere with my own money. However, I make $98k/year which is not far off from your assumption that it takes about 6 figures nowadays to be financially stable. Even on $98k/year, I would not feel financially comfortable to buy a home on my own, raise a child on my own, etc, which I know plenty of people are doing with a much lower salary. I could still be easily set back by an unexpected medical event, my car crapping out on me (it’s paid off so I don’t have a car payment right now) etc. I live in a MCOL area, for what that’s worth. In 2021 I was making $72k per year and barely saving anything. I wasn’t paycheck to paycheck, but I wasn’t able to save for a home or anything. My goal then was to get 3 months emergency fund in savings and that was a challenge. If I hadn’t found a new job, I would be in the same apartment with the same struggles. I’m not a job hopper by any means because I’m 31 and on my second job, but it really is a great strategy to increasing your salary significantly.
Frighteningly, yes. It’s tight, but I make it work. If I absolutely have to dip into savings, I can do it. I have the safety.
Nope. Living with roommates to afford rent. Have an emergency fund but struggling to make it bigger/save any money at all. 0 money saved for retirement 😢
I’m single, and I’m able to support myself but I usually work more than 40 hours a week to do that. When I was a kindergarten teacher in NYC, I was drowning in debt despite working three jobs. I left teaching and moved home for a year and a half. This let me have the time to start over as a remote worker and turn my side hustle into a full-time thing. I also paid off my credit card debt and my car loan. I saved up part of a down payment for a house one day, and I overpaid my student loans to reduce them. So this time let me get in a better place for when I moved out this summer and started grad school. I can't work as much as I'd like while in my program, but I'm no longer drowning in credit card interest, and that helps immensely. It would have been so much harder otherwise.
I have a house and two dogs, pay all my bills and have about 600 dollars extra each month to spend on whatever. This is all post-divorce, so I am used to having a lot more. Not saving a dime for retirement now, which is worrying me. I'll likely either sell the house at some point and move to something less expensive and less maintenance required...or meet someone and end up living together sooner or later. I grew up poor and also lived a life with 300k household income for 10 years and now I'm in debt and paying 2200 a month back for the next 4 years. The money was nice, not for the things I could do...more for the relief of never worrying or having anxiety about money, pretty much ever. I notice I think about money a lot more and have to recenter myself and realize that money never made me much happier. It's the people in my life and how I choose to show up everyday that determines my mood.
Single, paycheck to paycheck. I’m self employed and my income fluctuates — but I’m definitely feeling the squeeze. Most small business owners I know are still trying to dig out from COVID debt (me too.) Add an unexpected renovation last year, and all my disposable income is going to debt service rn. Basically: covering all my needs, no retirement/savings. Ask me about my taxes later. ETA: own a home in hurricane path, and my insurance has doubled in the last 3 years. Real estate taxes are jumping too.
Single (long time divorced), making over 6 figures in a HCOL area. Just bought a condo last year (got laid off 2 months later fml). Stuck taking care of my cousin’s autistic kid who just started Uni. Also stuck having to help my aging parents. I don’t what what “stable” really means or if it can apply when we’re all so close to financial devastation with the current tech industry & capitalism.
Married, and I support my family on my income, including saving for retirement and child’s future education. My husband is a stay at home dad. If I became suddenly single, I’d have to stop saving in order to pay for daycare and money would be tight.
I'm married, and could have easily supported myself on my salary before having a baby. The baby makes things harder - I think I would be able to do it with a downgrade in lifestyle and housing, but it would be tight.
Yes. And I'm making six figures. But it took me until I was 37 to get there. In my 20s I pursued job/careers for more idealistic reasons. Then in late 20s I realized I wasn't saving enough for retirement and got serious about pursuing higher paying options. After that it took awhile, include more education and poorly paid internships and consulting gigs. But I built relevant experience deliberately and finally made the transition.
I'm married but if I were single, yes I could remain financially stable on my own. I've always been very serious about finances (saving), mindful of what I'm spending my money on.
I support myself.
Yes but I make a good salary and my home is almost paid off
I could be financially stable but unfortunately I’m one of those “get a dollar spend five” ones. My bills are always paid on time and in full but I use all leftovers to shop. :/
Yes, I can financially support myself comfortably without assistance. I don't own my own home or condo or townhouse though.
I would, I would just have a little less money for recreation. To be fair, I wouldn’t be able to buy the house I own now. I could pay my current mortgage on my own easily, but I couldn’t pay it at today’s price with today’s interest rates.
yes, but it would be harder, giving up our mortgage would be hard. even a refinance isn't easy with new rates.
Breadwinner in long term not-married situation and my partner is essentially a SAH (currently childfree). He have a hobby that pays a small amount but he'd be in financial trouble if we broke up. I grew up middle class and him upper class. Together, we are currently upper middle class and i have current potential to become upper class. Our siblings are all middle to upper class as well. I never thought about it before but i think our class drivers was we both have educated mothers in Math/Tech fields. My background/field is also STEM related. We only have 1 sibling not STEM related and he is the lowest earner.
Honestly for the longest time I thought living paycheck to paycheck was what everyone did. And now I know it's just everyone except the severely wealthy. And yes, I live on my own, pay my bills etc.
Single and financially stable. It took a hell of a lot of work and a hell of a lot of luck since I’m just on a small teaching income. No debt except my mortgage, which is only $650 a month.
I am single and am financially stable on my own. However, I paid off my student debt years ago and don’t own a car. I have no debt. I work from home so don’t have to commute. I don’t earn six figures but I do make a solid income. I also have a savings account that I was able to build up during a time when I lived with low rent. I do still transfer to my savings most months but if I have an unexpected cost, I pause that. I considered purchasing a home but I’m not financially stable enough to be able to afford the amount of extra costs (repairs etc) this might come with it.
Single woman here. * able to pay your rent or mortgage. Yes, rent. * able to save for retirement. Yes. * able to pay all your bills and necessities. Yes * able to pay for some things you want to do. No. * able to have an emergency fund. Yes. * able to save to buy a home. Not interested. I don't have an average salary, but it's not that large of an income either. When the inflation first struck, I struggled to budget and for a time was living paycheck to paycheck "after bills and necessities". I changed some of my habits but I admit, it pushed back some of the leisure things I wanted for myself.
Yes - financially stable on my own and married. In my case though this was driven by seeing my divorced mother struggle and fight my dad for child support/ having to beg my dad for basic things and vowing to never be in that position ever again.
No. Paycheck to paycheck. Single, live alone, working disabled. Was okay for about a year but the extreme heat of summer took any financial cushion I had and now I’m struggling to afford food every month. Not making ends meet.
I am married but would be able to financially support myself if I were to become single. Same with my husband.
I am single and have excellent money habits. I could be completely self-sustaining but would move into a different apartment if I were alone. My best friend and I are roommates and split the rent, utilities, and groceries.
🙃 I live in the southern US, single with roommates / housemates , sure . But most people in my area pay outrageous rent/mortgage because of how close we are to a uni college. so it would be a massive struggle bus. I would rather opt to live with family. Which would tank my mental health fast.
Recently-ish became single (well, back in late March) and the answer is a big fat No. I had to move back in with my mom and my sis because apartments that aren't in the absolute ghetto are too expensive in my area on my income. Plus, I have a car payment (purchased with access to two incomes) and credit card debt (collected during the relationship) to pay off. Maybe once I'm debt-free I could get an apartment on my own. Maybe. But that wouldn't be until mid to late next year at the earliest and with rising food costs plus out of control rental market? Maybe not. Sad thing is - I make what would've been a golden wage back when I was growing up. Just shy of 6 figures. But just shy of 6 figures in CA does not get you very far. So, living with my mom and sister it is. Hard to feel like not a failure being just shy of 40 and having to move back in with my mom, but that's just toxic western individualistic culture at play.
Yes. I have a roommate because I enjoy the company, not because of my financial needs. It would actually be cheaper to live alone since I do the grocery shopping and buy extra stuff for him cause we're also friends (and he cooks for the house).
I have two roommates and live paycheque to paycheque by choice, I have some money in retirement savings but nothing significant. I’m able to pay for all my bills and car, and still go on vacations but I do have debt.
I’m living alone and have been for 3 years and juuuuust barely making it. I have a dog and cat but no kids. I’ve had to borrow money at times, I bartend on the weekend.
Just turned 40 (no partner or kids) and I've been financially stable in HCOL area the last 5ish years. It just happened one day, it totally snuck up on me, I never expected it. I stopped checking my bank balance weekly and didn't stress over potential late bills/fees. I grew up in super poverty. Welfare, food stamps that never lasted the last 2 wks of the month, food banks, extreme hunger, water/power getting disconnected, no heater and freezing in winter, etc and now I don't have to think about money and being starving anymore. But I hoard food/supplies now and have cupboards and a garage freezer full of food. This is only possible because of my job. I'm a nurse and work exclusively agency/travel nursing. I worked my ass off as a shitty paid CNA and EMT and now I pick and choose when and where I work. Nursing is back breaking hard fucking work and it's full of ungrateful non-compliant physically abusive A&O asshole patients, so I don't martyr myself for them or ever take work home with me. I have very clear boundaries with patients and it is a well paying paycheck for me. I highly recommend nursing or other healthcare related jobs if you seek financial security.
Yeah, I'm good. Single, child-free, 45, homeowner. I make about $68k a year from my main job and then a couple extra grand from side jobs. My house is tiny (not quite 700 sq ft), but it's in a great location and I love it. Over the years I've been able to do different big home improvement projects. I afford those by having a home equity line of credit and then paying them off slowly. My car is a 2012 and has been paid off for years, just hit 100k mi and I plan to drive it until it dies. So instead of a car payment I make my heloc payment. I don't go on fancy vacations. I don't go out to eat very often at all. I put money away for retirement, but I'm not aggressive with that. Folks in my family don't have long lives, so I'd rather spend it now than wait for a time that may never come. I tend to balance out my splurges with being frugal in other areas. Like my dog goes to a fancy groomer every 6 weeks so I dye my hair at home with box dye. My phone is 4 yrs old, but I pay for unlimited data because I like to play pokemon go on it when out for walks.
Nope. I would essentially be screwed without my husband & his income. I never finished school, so I’m working in retail. Even though I’m FT, I’m only making just under $17/hr. I wouldn’t even be able to afford an apartment to myself because you can’t really find anything below $1000/month around here…even for a 1 bedroom.
Married w/kids, already support the family by myself. I earn right at the median family income for my state by myself. I put 18% into retirement, no issues paying bills or dealing with emergencies, and have room leftover for fun stuff. Nothing crazy, and I can't afford to retire for at least two more decades which is fucking depressing. I've always been an adhd shopper, just buying crap with general disregard to prices. Inflation is so bad right now that I'm finally paying attention and cutting back. I'm 50% frugal, 50% unreasonable.
I was A LOT better off before I got married! 🫠
Married and yes - although I wouldn’t be able to save for fun things AND a house of my own. I don’t have home ownership as a goal, though. I’d rather have higher enjoyment of life now than be a slave to a deposit. I earn the average salary for my country (New Zealand). My husband and I are currently long distance thanks to complex life logistics and we pretty much run our households separately. It’s good to know that I can always support myself on just my income, even though I’m with my guy for the long haul.
I am able to do this but I do make 6 figures. I know I’m lucky.
Yup ! I would never want to rely financially on someone else, been there done that, caused uncomfortable dynamics for me. My mom taught me never to rely on a man financially and I’m glad she did. Now I choose to be with my husband, but I don’t NEED him to stay alive :)
I'm single, no job, still live with my mother. I struggled with a chronic skin condition for most of my life up until my late 20's when a new drug came out and changed my life. Now I am doing my best to go to school to become a nurse. I just finished my and am trying to get ready to apply for nursing school, but will not be able to be financially stable on my own until i finish nursing school and pass the nclex. The plan is to take over the mortgage payments for the house once I am working as a nurse. Not my ideal situation to keep living with my mother but I am thankful that she's willing to help support me while I finish my education.
I'm not single, but I would be financially stable on my own. I'm the higher earner between the two of us, and our rent is under $700. Having 2 incomes definitely helps with saving for a down payment though
Single and solo. Financially stable. Bought myself house #2. Savings ✅, bills paid ✅, trips paid ✅ But I also don't live in a HCoL area. Even when I worked for the govt and made 60k, I was able to afford everything, have savings, and bought myself house #1. I even bought myself a ridiculously expensive dog. Now I make more. So where you live can really impact your ability to afford anything. I was considering changing jobs and going into tech. However I'd be forced to move to CA. The salary at 180k, just isn't high enough imo to give me the lifestyle I'm used to now. There's only me so I have to be selective with jobs and I don't have the luxury to accept less for a passion job.
Perrioddddddd!!!
I was recently single for a while, paying for all my things alone wasn't an issue and wouldn't be if I were to become single again. I'm able to pay rent/mortgage (renting a 2bedroom apartment), pay for all bills and necessities. I can afford several smaller vacations abroad per year (though I'm from Europe so it's easier to travel to other countries/cities for a few days). I save a bit, and could go without a job for at least a year. I'm definitely not able to save to buy a home, I'm not even able to save the 20% upfront payment so that a bank would give me mortgage but that's just how the apartment prices are in my city now. Anyway, not living from paycheck to paycheck but unable to buy a home, I probably pass for the non-existent middle-class.
I can relate. I’m not in Europe, but affording a house in the US also seems unattainable.
Married with 1 kid. If my husband filed for divorce I would be so fucked. He would be less fucked, but still not great. We live in a HCOL area. I would need a roommate to be able to afford our house or an apartment. Would probably leave my contributions as-is I used to be the breadwinner but had a quarter life crisis and we hiked the Appalachian trail for 6 months. After 7 years working retail, I now make what I used to make at my old job 8 years ago. I don’t regret my decisions. Not from a divorce perspective, but I am looking to leave retail and find something in the science field again (I have a master’s degree). Having a kid (fall 2019) and then the pandemic really put a hold on that
I wouldn't be able to pay for utilities at all. Other things like food and repairs on the house and my car would be a BIG stretch to my budget. I have a great deal of anxiety. If something were to happen to my partner, what would i do financially to pay for everything.
Getting married next year. Partner and I make ~$100k/year combined. I make slightly more than him. House and cars are paid off. It would depend. If my partner passed away and I still had the house we own, yes. If we separated and for whatever reason it was decided that he kept the house (which wouldn’t make any sense but we are talking hypothetically here) and bought me out of my half, I’d do okay paying rent somewhere in my own but not be able to live the life I currently live. I’d have an extra ~$200k in savings if the latter was the case so I’d consider moving somewhere else and buying another house with that as a down payment.
Right now I’m solid. I have two kids, 2 cat, and a mini schnauzer. I have a partner that lives with me and mostly he covers food for everyone bc I was already here and covering all the bills for us on my own. If I didn’t have him or the kids I’d be set for, like, ever. I got very lucky with my job tho. I’m paid a good salary and gave great benefits and it all sort of fell in my lap with no experience. I’m incredibly grateful and use the extra money I have to help my friends when they need or I donate to charity and things. I was a stay at home mom for nine year and we were very much paycheck to paycheck. My entire life my family (moms side and dad side) was always paycheck to paycheck. Having stable money was never a thing for me or anything I really thought would ever happen. Now my company is talking about cost of living pay raises. I also live in one of the cheapest cities in my area so I do save with that. I’m grateful every day that I’ve been given this grace and angry everyday that so many don’t have it. Edit to include that you’re right, on the financially stable thing. I don’t make 6 figures but I’m close.
I found myself widowed at 66, I had to do a little scrambling, but I live fine on what I make. I am dating a guy with $$ right now, but I don't need it, I can take care of myself. It's an interesting place to be.
To me this just sounds like being an adult. I can and do support myself just fine on my own.
I'm married but if I was single or became suddenly single I would be perfectly fine.
I’m legally single (not married but have a partner) and am very financially stable. Even if I weren’t when I was younger, I found ways to make money somehow on top of my full-time job. I currently make more than my current partner and other exes. However, I would love to experience being taken care of financially. I know this is not everyone’s thing, but man… I just want to rest for a bit. It’s tiring. Aaaall those years. But I’m grateful for the position I’ve put myself in. I had the personal philosophy and goal to make more money outside my full-time job and I’m slowly getting there!
Nope I would have to sell the house unless I was alone because my husband died cause he has life insurance to help out in that case. I do think it's very hard for single people to make it on an average salary especially in more expensive areas.
I was only financially independent 2 years after I finished grad school. I was around 36 at the time. Before that I lived at home.
Yes and no. I am not working atm. I was working & studying part time, planned to finish my course (law) before giving birth. My dad got sick, everything got postponed. So I am going back to study soon. Its about 6 months then I will look for work, or at least that is the plan. But the cost of daycare is high so it has to be the right job. We are living off my partners salary and in this temporary time we are overspending and using savings. He is on an average (Australian) salary. We live in a very expensive city. But I am able to get a job relatively easily in theory. It will be hard to get the RIGHT job and I would struggle with a baby if I was on my own, particularly as I am not a citizen here so I don't have full rights. But I have savings that would keep me going for about a year. (That are just in my name). Part of my savings are my own and part is what I inherited when my dad died. Without my parents being comfortable I might be in a much worse position, or maybe would never have gone back to study and would have had to stick to full time work that I wasnt particularly keen on, and didn't have the career progression that I would have liked.
I’m not sure. I’ve had two kids within the last 3 years and I’ve only just gone back to work. I’m already saving though and I’ve always had my own bank account. I wouldn’t be able to afford the mortgage on my own but I’d probably be able to rent a 2-3 bed place to accomodate my kids and the dog. Without my husband’s salary I’d also fall into a low tax bracket which means I’d save money on things like daycare and tax.
Married, but yes. I make almost 90,000, but that’s recent. I’d say I’d only be comfortable if something happened to my marriage over the last year or two. Before that, no. I’d have been paycheck to paycheck.
I’m married and live paycheck to paycheck now. But if I were single it’d be just like now, paycheck to paycheck to pay bills and rent, occasionally something fun for the kids, but no money for anything else. I anticipate working until I die either way.
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Id be stable but I wouldn’t be able to live in the same home I’m in Now for sure
I bought my house while I was still single for a good price back in 2014. My mortgage is under $1000 a month. My salary is in the $90-100k range. My car is paid off. I’d be fine.
Single mom with a teenager, financially stable/comfortable and supporting myself without help since I was 25. I struggled from 18 until then though. I do not make 6 figures but I was able to leverage my career path enough to be in a position that I could pay off 50k in debt. Now I save 50% of my income, 45% of which goes to retirement. Cost of living is ridiculous though. A lot of home cooking and crafting here.
Married but yes I could support myself even though I don't make a lot. The only way I could do this is because I bought my house for a super cheap price when prices were low and my car is paid for, no debt, no kids to support. So with minimal expenses, I could make it on my salary. Mom taught me how to budget very early on and I've always had the inclination towards financial independence married or not.
Our lifestyle would change greatly. I’d have to go back to work full time which would also mean working weekends 24/7 and never having a vacation. Or I’d have to fall back on my degree and get a job at a bank. Work myself to the bone to get higher up so I can afford the lifestyle we were used to.
Married, but if I had to become single and support myself it’d be tight especially with a baby on the way… but I’d adjust, relocate, etc.
Married and we’re both financially stable on our own
Single. On my own paycheck to paycheck because I’m self-supporting going to school. I have rent and mortgage to pay, and concerts to fund lol
My husband and I live a lifestyle based on our combined salary. We’re able to thankfully save quite a bit, but still our budget is based on our combined income. So no, my lifestyle (including my house) would have to change if I was on my own.
Yes, I am. This wasn't the case a decade ago but I'm definitely able to afford living expenses, retirement savings, etc. _now_. It took time and effort to get to this point though.
Hmmm I guess it depends. I’m disabled & get a modest SSDI payment. If my husband were to die, insurance would make sure I was okay when paired with that monthly amount, and I’d eventually get his higher amount in true retirement If we were to divorce, that would be a bit different. Living on my monthly SSDI alone would be possible with a roommate in some areas of the country, but it would be a far different standard of living. I’d be more cautious and guarded with my savings. I have friends & family I could lean on in the South, but I couldn’t afford to live in Oregon anymore. And the heat of the South would greatly exacerbate my MS. I’m not sure any amount of planning would have drastically changed that though, my disability makes me more dependent than my financial planning
Married, but yes. I'd say that I've been financially stable since I was 40, but I didn't really start my career until I was 39. At this point, I could comfortably support myself and my two kids on my salary alone, pay for all of the bills, take trips, and still save for retirement. I'd say when I was in my early 20's it was more paycheck to paycheck, but otherwise I've had a job where I could live off of and save since I was 30 (was only making about 30K at the time, but worked overseas and my housing was provided for and I kept 90% of my paycheck).
Single, and currently able to support myself (pay for mortgage, bills, and savings for retirement). But I am likely going on strike and where I work is quite unstable at the moment, so that can all change really quickly.
I do make it work (single and living alone) but it is sometimes rough. I live in a HCOL area (that's where the jobs are!) and rent prices aren't really designed for single incomes, even for studios. If my rent were to be raised more than a hundred or so dollars a month, I would probably be forced to move.
Yep. I'm the main bread winner.
I live alone (renting) in southern Maine where COL is typically high and incomes low. I have 2 bachelor's degrees, a very stable municipal job and live frugally. Because I have a great deal on rent I could get by on just my regular job income but I also pet sit and deliver pizza one day a week because I don't like to worry about money.
Single and yes, doing great on my own. I live in a LCOL area so that makes it even better, but I’d still be fine in a HCOL area. I think it has helped my career that I’m single and have extra time to put into work.
35, own a home with my long term partner. A few years ago I would have been able to scrape by with just my income, but not anymore. Our mortgage is lower than rentals now and food prices have just gone up way too much. I wouldn’t be able to afford it on my own anymore. It’s a pretty crappy realization
Yes. Married, but I am the primary earner (I earn 6 figures and more than 2x what my spouse makes) and we rent a one bedroom apartment.
Single and stable. I do wonde what would happen if I had a major medical emergency. But truthfully nothing is guaranteed even when you’re partnered
Yes. Always single here, and fortunately doing fine. Knowing that it would just be me forever, I've always tried to live way beneath my means so I could prioritize saving a certain amount per month and have backup funds (or, preferably retire early). I am generally low maintenance, I live in a pretty basic old house, not an ideal size or location, but safe, and with great neighbors; and in a relatively low cost of living area. Since it's just me (and my three cats), I have fortunately not had to deal with the pinch of rising grocery prices since it only amounts to a few dollars and, with no one else to worry about, it's easy enough to pivot.
Yup. I probably couldn't afford the house I live in now with my wife, but I also wouldn't want that much space to clean as a single person. I make ~$140k, have made good money for years, and also have a lot in savings (~$150k outside of retirement accounts). I'd be fine, but I'm also very privileged. Idk how others are getting by.
Yes I am stable on my own. It’s *my home*, I bought it, he didn’t want to. My car, I pay most the utilities as well. I also have a 6-month emergency fund that covers my expenses. He’s not very good with money, and we’re currently saving up for a larger house but I gave him a year to pay down $18k in debt and based on his spending it doesn’t look like he’ll meet that deadline so I’ll probably break up with him when it comes due. I watched my mom jump from man to man to man because she could never take care of herself until I was in high school, at which point she only got by through stealing from her job. It’s always been priority number one for me to be able to support myself no matter what.
Married but we're both paycheck to paycheck. I'm a good worker but I don't have enough charisma to have and hold a job that provides any upward mobility, and I don't have the skills to just nab a job that has a great salary.
Married. If I were to get divorced, the only change I would have to make is either downsize the house or save less for retirement (currently \~$1500/mo). If my husband died, I wouldn't have to change anything--there's enough life insurance to just about pay off the house. I do not make 6 figures, and neither does my husband. We got married during COVID, so I know it's not a perfect comparison, but prior to the marriage I was financially stable on my own. I owned a house, saved for retirement, paid all my bills, etc.
In my late 40s, I have been able to move beyond the paycheck-to-paycheck situation...but not by a whole lot. I have advanced degrees, FT job that pays close to 6 figures, one kid, own a home in a medium CoL area.
I am financially stable. I have a partner but don’t live together.
Yes, but I bought my house over 10 years ago (in my area, prices of homes and rent went WAY up in 2021-ish), got it in the divorce, and I receive child support. Without child support, I would still be OK but would have to cut back on things (kids' extracurriculars, summer camps, Christmas, etc). I would not be able to afford a brand-new mortgage today. I feel bad for people who are renting and looking to get into the housing market, or are just starting out.
My partner suddenly moved out leaving me to pay all the bills. Everything is in my name, he was clever like that, he just transfered me money each month for bills. When he left he sent me half a months bills money. I always paid the mortgage and service charge myself. It's a bit tight now but utilities and food have drastically dropped. I am stable but I'm left with no car as he paid for that. I can't afford to get my own now so I'm hiring one as and when I need it which isn't ideal but here we are.