Can any oldfags on here ensure me that this soul crushing panic

>>18487630
My pay started getting good with lots of money to spare after four years of professional work out of university, this is again assuming you took something smart and the labor market is appropriate. First year feels kinda touch and go though.

Buy cheaper things and sacrifice more to save, it may take a while to build up, but with every penny you save you are eliminating a part of your fear.
There's always room to save. And once you have that safety net of money, you never touch it until a gun is pointed at your head, so to speak.
All of this is easier said than done. Good luck

It's possible but it depends on what you are going into after school.

If you got into this situation you are just barely independent. Your parents should help you but parents are not all made equal.

>>18487630
Take potassium

Life is full of ups and downs. I'm 24 and have had plenty.

And, I also recall watching both my divorced parents struggle their entire life just the same.

Between jobs, cars breaking down, series of unfortunate events happening, the only thing that matters at the end of it all, is that no matter what..

The sun is going to come up again tomorrow.

>>18487641
>>18487664
Thank you, I'm admittedly going into something that will never be a "rich person's job", but it's stable and it's job security is one of the best. I at least have no real fear about not finding a job after college, and it will pay well enough for a modest person.
I am thankful to have relatively supportive parents. I suppose I know deep down if I needed a car or surgery my parents would do everything they can to help me foot the bill, but just not without compromising their own financial status to a somewhat significant degree. I just do not want to be that kind of burden on them, crawling to them begging for money knowing they don't have all that much more than me to spare almost seems worse than death to me.
>>18487644
I already do a lot of that. I don't think I've bought clothes in 3 years, I only buy things I have a coupon for, I turn off the shower between washes (like, shower on, wet self down, shower off, lather with soap, shower back on, second 90% of the soap is off shower off.) That kind of stuff.
I hoard all money I get as well.
>>18487668
Does that help with anxiety or something?
>>18487673
Thanks anon. I'm trying to power through, the uncertainty of tomorrow just really kills me.

>>18487630
It is really very very very simple.

Construct a lifestyle that stays within your income.

That might mean giving up some things, but you give up things because you can't afford them every day of your life. You just have to adjust the list and stop wanting what you can't get.

>>18487630
Quit eating out as often. Those avocado toasts add up, haha!

>>18487630

What is it that you're currently doing, and where are you living, that has you in the situation of living paycheck to paycheck? Without knowing these answers, I can't tell you if you're going to be better off eventually.

What's your situation with education? Are you working on a trade?

In short, I'm 30 years old, and have witnessed WAY too many people who convinced themselves they were living paycheck to paycheck, and either took on a second shit minimum wage job, or worked obnoxious overtime hours for 3 more dollars on the hour. They never invested that time in themselves, either by pursuing greater opportunities, or getting an education to move into higher paying jobs.

While lots of these people I used to work with are still paycheck to paycheckers, in two jobs just above minimum wage, I make $48 an hour for 40 weeks of work.

Learn to manage your bills you dumb fuck. Learn to give up some short term comfort for long term stability.


Lets say you're a minimum wage earner or someone making ~ $10/h. You work 40 hours a week. That's $400 per week. There's 4.3 weeks per month. So $1720 per month. - 20% tax = $1376. Now you rent an apartment with a room mate and pay ~500 per month for electricity/rent/internet. You're now left with $876. You use car to get around the world. You pay about $100 for insurance and $200 for gas. That leaves you with $576. You use ~150 for food. That leaves you with $426. You spend $100 on random things that come up. That's $326 left now.

326 * 12 = $3912 saved per year.

3912 * 5 year = $19,560

Where is all that?

Even if you only have "200 per month", that's still $12,000 saved up in 5 years. Where is it?

I'll tell you where, you spent it on drugs. You spent it on concerts. That new $800 iPhone. The new $20,000 car. The new $600 TV. etc

TL;DR, learn to fucking keep your desires in check and stop wasting money on garbage.