I’m not, have a pretty high double income. But, a lot of my friends are. I’m starting to notice things getting more expensive, but I was pissed off before that.
I don’t have to be struggling myself to be upset at how things are going. I guess not everybody is like that.
My situation exactly. I get pissed off thinking about how unaffordable everything is for the majority of people right now.
Struggling?
No.
Drowning, yes.
the finances I have to manage are a 12 pound bass hanging off 4 pound line.
I have been rather fortunate, and well paid (~$120K after taxes and savings). Even 3 years ago, I didn’t have to think about money day to day. I was brought up with a very modest lifestyle, so the things that feel extravagent to me were affordable in that context.
Today my wife and I eat out less, shop for groceries differently, and plan things that used to be a small purchase more carefully. It’s not a struggle in the important senses, but I have a clear feeling of “it’s going to get worse”, and I want to make lifestyle adjustments ahead of that rather than falling behind it.
Feels like it. I’m getting the most pay in my life and 5 years ago it would have been comfortable. Now with the cost of everything I’m just eeking by. Hell I drive a 30 year old car still as I can’t afford a new one or even a newer used one
Motorcycles are much cheaper, easier to maintain, and convenient if you don’t live in a place with snow. If I ever go back to America, I am selling my 20 year old toyota and buying a sensible Honda Motorcycle.
I actually used to ride believe it or not. But with starting a family and the insane amount of distracted driving here in the US I quit. It’s disturbing to see people with their phone in their hands while driving. Plus I didnt want to leave my family without a father. I loved riding and still miss it
I used to ride, but even bikes are getting quite more expensive, and it’s much dangerous to ride on at least in the US as everyone is driving bigger and bigger vehicles and more distracted as well.
I know Harleys are overpriced, but you can get a brand new cb750 for 7-8K, cheaper most of the world.
What is weird is that much cheaper bikes the third world gets are way more expensive in the US, a XR150L is 3.4K in the US, a CB150 verza has the exact same engine, it’s less than half the price in Indonesia.
Same with the Honda Wave in asia vs Grom in the US, they switch the functional frame/clutch for something “sporty” and just double the price.
Not everybody.
All of the worst people you know of or can imagine are doing GREAT.
Everytime i manage to save a few thousand and think im adding to my savings, suddenly we need a root canal, i blow a tire, doctor wants an MRI because he felt something odd… and poof, all my savings are gone.
I literally refuse to look at our bank balance. The moment I look and think “oh, that’s better than I expected” then the AC dies, or our roof starts leaking and needs replacement, or some other bullshit happens to consume every last penny we have.
I always thought i was 2 paychecks away from being homeless.
Now im also worried about the C level morons saying AI can do my job and let me go. They already require everyone use AI to gen code. Eventually, they will expect AI to architect the product too.
On the plus side, I have been in the biz long enough to have heard the “developers are a thing of the past” speech often enough to realize it’s bullshit. Unfortunately, I have also been around long enough to know that the idiots in the C suite will use any excuses to cut people loose if they think it can get them even $1 more on their next bonus. I also have never ever seen a dev let go because something came along that made them more efficient, quicker, and able to do more work in the same amount of time. What happens instead is that the already “overly optimistic” time lines get even shorter and more unrealistic.
The short of it is, if they let you go, it wasn’t because of AI, it’s something that they were planning on doing anyway.I know that doesn’t really help the anxiety, but understanding that can change how you react. For instance, rather than being upset with being forced to use AI. Lean into it. Learn what it can do and what it can’t. Fucking abuse the credits that they are paying for. When you run out, ask to be moved up to the next AI tier/usage allowance, and then do it all over again. Do shit like running 2 AIs on the same job and seeing who gets closer. Set up tests that have AI run these comparisons for you. Have AIs run subagents that rubber duck, review, test, verify, ect., the entire work ticket from end to end. Work on augmenting those skills that AI fails at, and add AI expert to your resume (because that is the next bullshit thing that companies will expect on resumes). But the big difference between you and everyone else will be that you have some real insight and experience to talk about with confidence.
And if your learning curve happens to cost them so much $$ that the AI vs employee cost difference begins to rapidly shrink, well that’s not really a bad thing for you either.
Paycheck to paycheck gang with very little if anything goes wrong
Not struggling perse but yeah shit has gone up way more than my pay check. Paying double for groceries what I did a few years ago, paying 50% more for gas than I did a year ago electricity doubled. Pay went up a few percent…
Yes.
Yeah, shits tight and every institution is in decay. On the other hand it’s only gonna get worse until it gets better, so theres that.
Not sure anyone asked you yet… tell us your story. Where you living and what’s the sitch?
I’m not struggling but damnit i want some fucking slack.
…so youre struggling and you just cant admit it?
…Wot?
Is it great? No, but I’m above water and not having to cut back. Couldn’t afford kids though
The trick is, if you have them you just have to afford them :/.
Yeah but I haven’t really been financially stable for my entire adult life.
My parents did alright, both retired office workers you’d classify as middle class but I am uneducated and never managed to save anything.
I’m not struggling, but I’m not that far off considering the salary I’m paid. I should be doing very well, but instead, I’m merely managing. I’m grateful for that, but also I know if I’m scraping by, how the fuck is everyone else doing…?
And 10-20 years ago a licensed RN working for a university hospital would’ve been solid enough to afford an apartment in that city while the hospital paid for the bachelor’s. That’s… getting less doable. And I don’t want them paying for the bachelor’s in case the boss starts telling me I gotta do sketchy shit and I have to jump ship suddenly. Let’s not even get into how a CNA is considered a “starter job” for a student of some higher paid healthcare position instead of it’s own perfectly respectable career that’s vital to the safe functioning of a decent hospital and as such has always deserved a wage that can feed kids.
