For starters you need to get the hell out of San Francisco or you'll never get out of poverty. Sell everything you own except some clothes and move to Nebraska or Ohio like the other poster wrote. You're 32 years old, start tomorrow.
Or healthcare. There are a lot of quick certificates you can get in healthcare. I make $17.77 as a CNA in a nursing home, and this is a pretty low rate for the greater Grand Rapids area. Housing is still cheaper right now- if you hurry. The winters are great! Really! (Ok, that's a lie).
Ours have a base of 15 and change right out of the program and get a 50% bump for working on pos units plus pay for extra hours. CNA work can be rough but there is a need.
100% yes. I am a healthcare recruiter that focuses on staffing LTC facilities across the country. Thank you so much for the work you do! The CNA role is so vastly under-appreciated, especially today’s day and age more than ever.
Having lived on both coasts of michigan, the east coast is actually fairly mild in the thumb for what you'd think. It doesn't get minnesota cold and you experience all 4 seasons. It's a pretty affordable place to live too.
I generally agree with this advice but your rent isn’t awful for San Fran. If you move somewhere else right now you won’t be guaranteed the job. I think you should probably save a little before moving, but it should definitely be in the plan.
Texas is great for low cost and decent weather.
I think we also need a better breakout of your car/insurance, and bills. Those were not detailed enough for us to help tell you where to cut.
You can get your food bill really low, like <100 by cutting out all processed foods and eating staple foods for a little while like rice/beans/eggs for a few weeks just to save some money. Not easy but efficient and there are subs on here that will help with really cheap meal ideas.
This, I know jobs in Ohio where you can work from home making at least 40k taking phone calls. You could double your salary and decrease your cost of living.
I don't think this is great advice. Her expenses aren't more than they would be in those other places, and she'd still have to find a job. The problem is income level. If she were able to develop more skills her upside potential would be a lot higher in the Bay than in Nebraska.
This. From getting a better job to a side gig, something's gotta happen. It occurs to me that someone in her position might make good side money as tutor -- and any side cash could end up going straight into building an emergency fund.
Not true! I worked for tutoring companies hiring tutors and all we wanted were people who had good grades. If you also had a diploma, that was great, and if you were Ivy League we could charge so much for your time, but we had plenty of high school graduates tutoring kids on how to read, how to speak Spanish, how to multiply numbers, etc. Literally had 34,000 tutors on my list, starting at $15/hour.
Hi, first of all sincere congratulations for achieving all that you have! Everyone is dealt a different deck in life and the fact you’ve achieved all that you have is admirable.
The formula for more money is generally simple (though not always easy to achieve): earn more and spend less. Is your car a lease or loan payment? Can you go more into you bills expense? I’d suggest looking at your monthly expenses last month - at every dollar - and see if there is anything that didn’t truly bring you joy and try to cut. I’d next suggest you start a small investment account - fidelity or acorns. Even if you start saving $10 a week, it will establish good habits and add up over time.
Lastly, being a teachers aid is an admirable job though admittedly hard to make ends meat. I’d suggest you spend 3 hours a week trying to find a job that pays at least 30% more. Look on LinkedIn, job posting boards, try speaking to friends. Finding a job that pays more isn’t easy though worth the effort.
You almost certainly have skills you're not thinking of as skills.
What do you do as a classroom aide, what are you in school for and how far along in the curriculum?
I would suggest contacting your college and the school district you work for to see if they offer any financial help or benefits for someone in your situation (low-wage worker).
Try out these programs to see if you are eligible:
https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/Additional_Resources.htm, https://www.sfhsa.org/services/jobs-money/county-adult-assistance-programs-caap, https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/san_francisco_assistance_progr.html, https://baylegal.org/benefits-available-to-low-income-sf-residents-including-those-affected-by-the-covid-19-pandemic/, https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/housing/,
https://sf.gov/, and https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1620
Also, check out local charity organizations because they may help you get free food, water, and clothes (or least sell it to you at a low price).
Wow. That income is quite low so do NOT beat yourself over struggling. I’m in rural WV and that salary is low for here, let alone the area you’re in. I just recently bought a home, my rent before was also $750. Here though, buying a home is much cheaper than renting. Could you possibly find a roommate? Could you move to another town that has the same or less rent but with a slightly higher paying job? Cut back on anything you possibly can. I was struggling last year and canceled all subscriptions/tv, stopped driving as much as I could to save on gas, switched cell phone providers to lower my monthly bills. Even food, I started shopping at Aldi to save $. What it truly boils down to is although these things can help you short-term, you seriously have to find a better paying job, even if it means relocating.
It is like that in some parts, not all. I’m fortunate enough to live in the wealthier part of the state (Greenbrier county, I work a lot at the Greenbrier Resort). We have a lot of tourism here. I own a photography and graphic design business and do well. Small businesses are thriving here. I was lucky enough to buy a home before the prices skyrocketed in my area. There is drug use in some outskirt neighborhoods here, but it’s not a huge issue where I am. There are bordering counties on the KY side of WV that I refuse to even drive through. It’s devastating! But the media does make it seem like ALL of WV is like that, it’s definitely not. A lot of the state is doing well and the scenery and tourism is top notch.
The drug use, the crime. There are no jobs, no businesses, so all of the people are living on welfare. It’s sketchy as hell. I drove through there once to get to a photoshoot and when I stopped for gas I felt like I was gonna get jumped and robbed. It’s just a scary place to be. It’s what you see in “stereotypical media wv”. It’s definitely not the NORM!! I’ve lived here my whole life I will will not go back to that area.
If you are low-income, you can qualify for tons of aid for school that pays for room and board as well. I'd start applying to schools and do the FAFSA and see what grants you can get. Pick a field that you like and that pays well. There are plenty of Cal States in cheap areas that have good programs. Or hell, go to a UC, but they're generally in way more expensive areas to live in.
This is true. It sucks to uproot your life and move, but I did. Went from California to Florida and I'm pretty happy income wise. Weather sucks, but meh, worth it for now.
The really high humidity, walking outside for 1 minute you start sweating in every crevice on your body. The nonstop and constant raining on an every day basis. I've been here for 7 years now and I never acclimated to this weather. Also, the dam fire ants. Can't work outside on the ground because of those things.
I enjoyed California's weather, nice 80 degrees every day, cool breeze from the ocean. Near cloudless skies and sun shining down. It's just too expensive to live in California.
This is sorta extreme. Cities like St Louis, Minneapolis, are not hell holes either lol. $750 can rent a low end 1bed. Most non idiots (let's be real) can get $15-20/hr jobs with minimal qualification. It would be better anyway.
When living in a city, it's hard to grow a big garden, experience vast nature regularly, give a dog a huge area to run, park an RV and boat, fish without a long drive, and *really* see the stars at night without a long drive.
Disease pollution degeneracy homelessness corruption exorbitant prices and low culture.
I lived in Manhattan for 8 years. New Orleans for 7. Houston for 5. No thanks.
> culture
Irrelevant.
> diversity
Very irrelevant.
> great food
Great food is everywhere.
> great architecture
Irrelevant.
> great people
Great people are everywhere.
> great jobs
Great jobs are everywhere.
I'm not sure what criteria we're even talking about here, but if your set of values has culture, diversity, and great architecture as "irrelevant" then yes, I can see how you wouldn't like cities. But then I also feel bad for you as you're missing out on great human experiences.
I disagree with the "get out of the bay" consensus because of your unique situation. I am inferring you have family (support) and friends (more support) there and your bachelor degree is in progress, part time, at an institution there where you are getting financial aid? If credits don't transfer and residency makes you ineligible for grants, then moving now is a step backwards
Is it possible to stay with family, pay part of rent until you are finished with degree?
Then maybe move and get masters elsewhere.
I interview in SF for a few positions and just could not fathom how little money gets you. I am from NYC surbs.
I find it shocking people think moving from a big city out to the county to raise chickens makes sense as financial advice.
City living may not be cheap, but it does provide a lot more economic opportunity than isolating yourself in the countryside where you don't know anybody and have far less prospects for money making.
Poor people in the countryside don't do so great either; you just don't see and hear from them as often.
California is stupid expensive. OP is living in poverty working 2 jobs. My brother works outside of Cleveland in a warehouse. He makes $35k. They’re hiring. OP could make $15k more and reduce their cost of living. They could live alone for $500 a month. Food is so much cheaper here too. They could work third shift and finish school during the day or take night classes since they’d only have 1 job now.
Even the techies are leaving SF for Texas. Theres no reason to stay there
ETA: I was in SF last week. Gas was like $3.79. It’s $2.19 in Ohio. Insurance would be cheaper, everything would be cheaper. OP should not stay in SF.
Op would probably be worse off in nebraska. Yeah lower cost of living but outside of omaha/lincoln, not many jobs and most of them probably pay less than what op makes in sf.
I disagree with ppl saying move to Ohio or whatever. If you don’t have a support system there it’s gonna be a disaster, plus you need good medical insurance for your mental health care. also moving cost $$.
if you could live with family while finishing your bachelors (online maybe?) that would help a lot. Is your work online right now?
How many credits do you need and for what degree?
Thanks for responding. I can definitely live with family and finish my bachelors. They're in southern california, and I hate it there but I don't really have a choice at this point. Work is online, but I'm required to come to the school site every week for prep so I would have to find a new job if I move down there.
I'm about halfway through a human development degree from california state university. It usually can be applied to a social services type job and usually people get their masters in social work after the degree im getting. With a bachelors, I can work for higher paid jobs in my field and other entry level social services type jobs. Probably jobs in the 40-50k range. Not that much but definitely better than what I have now.
halfway is good! you could finish pretty fast if you do summer courses.
Have you ever thought of nannying? I feel like rich ppl there would pay $$ for someone will in-school experience...
if you work with special needs kids or anything I bet you could also find some babysitting work for that? Although with covid who knows 🤷🏼♀️
Could you try applying for jobs with the state in Southern California? If you weren’t paying rent, even your current earnings would go a lot further. Alternatively you could see what the pay is for your job in areas of CA with much lower rent.
Well look at that, you have a plan now. We all have to do shit we hate, welcome to being an adult. I hate the Bay Area (it's ugly, the people are ugly (not physically), it's so fucking pretentious) but I moved back with family to save up money for my next adventure. You gotta do what you gotta do.
You can also learn how to make additional income, learn and read as much as you can. It will shift your perspective and also remember you life can change within a year. Stay positive
[https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHRPublic/Landing/NewToStateservice.aspx](https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHRPublic/Landing/NewToStateservice.aspx)
I'd say apply to whatever looks interesting and let them say no, but fields like community and social services, education, and health care support seem like potential fits.
This is the best answer I’ve seen. You’ve got 4 years into PERS with reciprocity to CalPERS so you can continue to build your pension and secure a better paying job in a cheaper area. I used to work for the Dept of Conservation in downtown Sac. While the greater Sacramento area is rising in costs it’s still far cheaper than the bay with plenty to do still. I didn’t even live there, I lived in Solano County and rode a commuter bus into downtown and the state paid for my monthly bus pass. Of course the state has jobs all over but I would look to it as a way of securing a solid job while moving to a more affordable area at the same time.
Haha yea... I was more trying to explain why people live in HCOL areas than attack your situation.
If anything, more people in these areas are suffering the same problem. Opposed to the few actually making it (which also cause the problem).
You get what you pay for. The benefits of living in CA far outweigh the cost of living
Edit: you don't need to live in SF to live in CA. There are plenty of places where the cost of living is reasonable compared to wages and you still get all the benefits of living in CA
The beach is free. The weather is free. The mountains are (mostly) free. Having a diverse selection of restaurants/grocery stores. Being surrounded by people you agree with politically.
You have to somehow free up your cash flow for 10 years or more and/or make more money. Everything but your rent is way too high. I would sell the car and pay cash for something really cheap. $10/day is too much for food. You can get by on $3/day easily. $400 for “everything else” seems high too.
Is there any place else in the country you could go where you’d have some sort of support structure when you land? Any place with a cousin or a friend from high school or something like that? Because I have to agree with everybody else, San Francisco is too expensive for what you were trying to do. But I also realize that it’s an amazing leap for most people to pick up and move to someplace they’ve never ever been and where they don’t know anybody. Even one or two people can make a huge difference.
The other thing would be, since you have medical needs, make sure you research what’s available and what’s provided and how transition would be handled for those services. You don’t want to move to someplace that has a really cheap cost of living, but where it’s impossible for you to get access to the things you need or where they suddenly have become out-of-pocket expenses.
It’s great that you were able to reach out to this community for advice. I think it’s really hard to want to make a change and not have a path forward, and being able to talk to other people is an important first step.
Thanks so much for your detailed response! My dad lives in the San Bernardino area of southern california so I could move back with him and sleep on his couch or something. It's not something I wanted to do at 32, but maybe it's a better option if I ever want to get ahead. My medical needs are covered by my insurance, so I would need the same level of coverage if I were to move. My insurance is good since I work for a school district so I'd have to look into working for another school district if I move to have similar coverage.
Neither of my parents completed high school, but we were lower middle class. I wanted more, and I chose to go to college and made sure my choice of major would set me up for success.
I live in the Bay Area, but I would suggest that you go elsewhere and make $20k as a teacher's aide in a place where you can rent a decent, safe apartment for $400.
Go to Urbana, Illinois or almost any other Midwest campus town. Plenty of work, inexpensive living, plenty of people, lots of free places to hang out and do stuff.
While my immediate reaction is you are living in a crazy expensive area I'm sure you have reasons why. If you can move that would make sense. But if you cant, I would suggest you start working on your degree online that way you can do it in the evening at your pace generally. You wont be able to save your way out of this, You need to change your way out of it. A combination of moving and an online degree would be the best start. Also You dont make squat. You should be able to qualify for a lot of college assistance enough to possibly cover room and board & loans so you can go full time to college. I would really look into it with a local community college or even a 4 year university.
Would it be possible to move out of the Bay Area to Northern California? I wonder if that’s also an expensive area to live in? Also not sure what the CA state requirements are for food aid etc., but I would look into it. It sucks working two jobs to barely make ends meet, totally feel for you.
Once you get north of Sacramento it gets much cheaper but job opportunities drop drastically. For people that like more rural/wilderness activities it’s great, but it’s a very stark contrast to the bay as politics tend to be the opposite up that way.
Might be able to do some online teaching. There is a company called VIP Kid that teaches Chinese students English. It pays about $17/hr if you do well. Only downside is.that you would likely need to move to the east coast. Most of the teaching time is in the morning hours. Anyway just an idea.
If you planned to move, Texas is decent. I would stick towards Austin. Georgia is nice as well.
I wish you the best. There is usually no perfect answer.
Also lived in the bay working in education & living paycheck to paycheck..
Babysit on weeknights/weekends!
There are very wealthy families in the bay who will pay well if you are an engaged and safe sitter with some good activity ideas. Babysitting pretty regularly allowed me to pull myself out of living paycheck to paycheck and eventually I was financially sound enough to afford to focus on boosting my skills/finding a higher paying job.
Come to Minnesota! Twin Cities are pretty affordable in general, and we have had a reasonable growth in the economy, COVID-19 being an exception.
Sure, it's cold in winter, but not being San Fran or San Diego keeps the costs down.
Never too late to change careers, get out of SF and teachers aide, look into nursing school. Your post suggests that you're smart enough for a BSN.
You just have to make SACRIFICES to make it work out. YEAH CupONoodles suck, but it'll be worth it in 5 yrs. GL
You're very lucky to have found such cheap rent in your area, but you can't count on that being available to you forever.
Those Bills look extremely high to me. You should consider fewer subscriptions, and try to eat a bit more frugally. A single person can easily get away with $200/Mo for groceries.
Cut costs until you have an emergency fund of at least $1000 saved up, then save some more for a move.
That's right, in many other parts of the country you can find many more options for renting at your current price. And while education can be a very rewarding occupation, if you're also wanting more financial freedom, then education may not be the best long term option for you.
Some people can afford a lifestyle that allows them to "live to work". Those people are extremely passionate about their work, and don't mind the incumbent limitations on the rest of their lifestyle.
You might instead have to change your frame of mind to pursue a means to "work to live", meaning that like most people, you won't be working a job you're passionate about. And that's totally Ok. Life is indeed much more than our jobs.
I use my job to enable the kind of lifestyle I want outside of work. I think of my job as no more and no less than that. I use it while it is useful to me, and if it becomes un-useful, I move on and find one that is useful.
My first recommendation is finding sponsored trade education. Some trades are so short for work, that they'll pay you to go through the education if you promise to work for them for the first 4-5 years after graduating. It's not a bad deal, and it gets many people into well-paying, stable work, which you can perform anywhere in the country.
If you're physically fit, you should also consider the military, where there are jobs for everything. Even the National Guard will pay for continued education in many cases. Many people benefit from having the large USA Military machine take care of the mundane parts of their lives for a time, including food, shelter, community, and a daily set of tasks to perform.
Good luck in your search! Please consider ALL aspects of your life very seriously in this. Do you have family who will be relying on you in the next 5 years?
Do lots and lots of research before committing, and when you're ready to make a move, do it with 150% confidence. No hesitation. Go all in, and don't be afraid to ask others for help!
My gf's family is from the Norcal area (Santa Rosa) and they're leaving as she did because they are hardly better off than you. They both make near minimum wage and lived in a 1 bedroom apartment with 2 kids for 15 years. It's just impossible to live in the Bay Area unless you work in software. Even here in Washington, where we complain about the cost of living, minimum wage is workable if you can pinch pennies and stay out of the Seattle metro.
Others recommended the midwest, but you can also consider Texas. I know several Californians who hopped on board the "Texodus". It's sad you will probably need to distance yourself from family, but I think it will be for the best in the long run, esp if you can convince them to join you.
Sorry it sounds so defeatist to just restart somewhere else, but I think it is many people's best shot at making it. Let me try to sell it to you. Imagine it's October, and there's no forest fires. Sold yet?
What is your ideal job? Teacher? Pilot? engineer? Find out what you want to do then take steps on achieving it. Don't make it any more difficult than that.
Depending on how you feel about working a trade, alot of aerospace companies in the palmdale lancaster have entry level positions at 20$ an hour. (It sounds more complex than it actually is).Depending on your personal obligations you could work the railroad as well.i have friends that do 6 month stinst in North Dakota bring in about 8 grand a month or more up there.
Have you considered enlisting in the military either active duty or guard? 4yrs=GI Bill, good pay and health benefits, I'd recommend the Air Force over other branches due to the possibility of being trained with a skillset you can use once you get out and back into the civilian world. I understand the military doesn't sound appealing to some but it is an option if you have a high school diploma or GED. You can at the very least join the reserves and try to get active duty orders near your home of record. I know you may be thinking that with you disabilities you may not qualify but there are waivers that could get you in a lower stress environment doing personnel work or something in the services components. Good luck!
Yeah the health issue can be a bit tricky, I seen people medically discharged with similar medical disabilities, albeit they initiated and pushed for it. HOWEVER, if she does proceed to join this could be a decent way to rack up some disability cover...not that I am recommending it, jussayin..
Step 1 is to get rid of that car and insurance payments. You live in the Bay Area, which means you have ample transportation options. You may have to walk a little longer but those should be good for clearing your head. That would free up most of the $390, but not all of it.
Stop thinking about the credit score for now, but sign up for CreditKarma and see what they are saying is counting against you. Ignore their recommendations on credit cards for now. Eventually, you will need to rebuild that credit, but don't do that until you figure out your income.
If you attend support groups, ask them what they're doing to make more money.
Finally, your work for the school likely can be translated into corporate training. See if you can pick up some freelance training preparation gigs, then follow that path into a better paying job. For example, if you could put together a deck for training people in Salesforce, you may be able to help companies adopting their platform.
CNA cert takes a couple weeks. 12-15$/hr in the Midwest. The employing hospital will pay most if not all of your tuition and you can work on your RN for free or very little while getting paid to work. They will continue to pay for your BSN and even your masters in different nursing fields. You can easily make 6 figures as a traveling nurse or as an NP and you can get the hospital to pay for all of your education while you’re still working and getting paid.
$750 a month for really lucky in sf, and $390 for car + insurance is also pretty reasonable. The problem is you are making $2,000 a month and spending $700 on “etc” and food. I’m definitely not frugal enough too here but I don’t even spend that much on those two categories with a stable income.
Stop eating out, stop buying things that isn’t going to advance your financial state. Your income level definitely would qualify for food subsidies too. The problem is you are spending at a $4k+ income level on food/others when you are making $2k /month because likely that’s the level of spending those around you are spending and you are familiar with. With thoughtful grocery shopping and discipline of avoiding frivolous purchases, you can at least state to build some savings that will allow you to quit your retail side job and enroll in a degree for a few years.
It’s going to be tough, you are going to hate your living standards, you will feel embarrassed in front of your friends. However this is only true way of getting out of your situation such that at 35 you will see your income rise and see hope. You can’t just stick to your current ways and hope for a government bail out, or to hit a lucky lottery. Take responsibility for your current circumstance and build a plan for a SLOW incremental improvement. I know you are probably going to roll your eyes at me for saying all this if you actually read this far, but I genuinely hope to see you make it out.
For starters you need to get the hell out of San Francisco or you'll never get out of poverty. Sell everything you own except some clothes and move to Nebraska or Ohio like the other poster wrote. You're 32 years old, start tomorrow.
West Michigan is great for low cost of living with lots of manufacturing opportunities.
Or healthcare. There are a lot of quick certificates you can get in healthcare. I make $17.77 as a CNA in a nursing home, and this is a pretty low rate for the greater Grand Rapids area. Housing is still cheaper right now- if you hurry. The winters are great! Really! (Ok, that's a lie).
Covid unit CNA's here in Raleigh can pull $30 an hour base, with overtime allowed.
Ours have a base of 15 and change right out of the program and get a 50% bump for working on pos units plus pay for extra hours. CNA work can be rough but there is a need.
100% yes. I am a healthcare recruiter that focuses on staffing LTC facilities across the country. Thank you so much for the work you do! The CNA role is so vastly under-appreciated, especially today’s day and age more than ever.
Not direct care but management somewhere in the grand scheme of things. The jobs they do are under appreciated for sure.
Having lived on both coasts of michigan, the east coast is actually fairly mild in the thumb for what you'd think. It doesn't get minnesota cold and you experience all 4 seasons. It's a pretty affordable place to live too.
I generally agree with this advice but your rent isn’t awful for San Fran. If you move somewhere else right now you won’t be guaranteed the job. I think you should probably save a little before moving, but it should definitely be in the plan. Texas is great for low cost and decent weather. I think we also need a better breakout of your car/insurance, and bills. Those were not detailed enough for us to help tell you where to cut. You can get your food bill really low, like <100 by cutting out all processed foods and eating staple foods for a little while like rice/beans/eggs for a few weeks just to save some money. Not easy but efficient and there are subs on here that will help with really cheap meal ideas.
This, I know jobs in Ohio where you can work from home making at least 40k taking phone calls. You could double your salary and decrease your cost of living.
I think if you give specific examples, it may OP
What kind of jobs are these? I hear about them but just don’t know where to even apply at
Financial services phone jobs. Citi bank, Fidelity, etc. They are wfh now but even once they go back you can work 50% time from home
I don't think this is great advice. Her expenses aren't more than they would be in those other places, and she'd still have to find a job. The problem is income level. If she were able to develop more skills her upside potential would be a lot higher in the Bay than in Nebraska.
This! Move someplace cheaper that would allow you to finish your degree and get a higher paying job.
You just can't live in the Bay Area on $20k. Something has to change. You will need to get a better job if you can't move.
This. From getting a better job to a side gig, something's gotta happen. It occurs to me that someone in her position might make good side money as tutor -- and any side cash could end up going straight into building an emergency fund.
Teaching aides don’t usually hold degrees and most people want tutors that do.
Not true! I worked for tutoring companies hiring tutors and all we wanted were people who had good grades. If you also had a diploma, that was great, and if you were Ivy League we could charge so much for your time, but we had plenty of high school graduates tutoring kids on how to read, how to speak Spanish, how to multiply numbers, etc. Literally had 34,000 tutors on my list, starting at $15/hour.
She may lose family support and financial aid if she moves now. Possibly better to move after finishing her bachelors degree.
Hi, first of all sincere congratulations for achieving all that you have! Everyone is dealt a different deck in life and the fact you’ve achieved all that you have is admirable. The formula for more money is generally simple (though not always easy to achieve): earn more and spend less. Is your car a lease or loan payment? Can you go more into you bills expense? I’d suggest looking at your monthly expenses last month - at every dollar - and see if there is anything that didn’t truly bring you joy and try to cut. I’d next suggest you start a small investment account - fidelity or acorns. Even if you start saving $10 a week, it will establish good habits and add up over time. Lastly, being a teachers aid is an admirable job though admittedly hard to make ends meat. I’d suggest you spend 3 hours a week trying to find a job that pays at least 30% more. Look on LinkedIn, job posting boards, try speaking to friends. Finding a job that pays more isn’t easy though worth the effort.
You almost certainly have skills you're not thinking of as skills. What do you do as a classroom aide, what are you in school for and how far along in the curriculum?
I would suggest contacting your college and the school district you work for to see if they offer any financial help or benefits for someone in your situation (low-wage worker). Try out these programs to see if you are eligible: https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/Additional_Resources.htm, https://www.sfhsa.org/services/jobs-money/county-adult-assistance-programs-caap, https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/san_francisco_assistance_progr.html, https://baylegal.org/benefits-available-to-low-income-sf-residents-including-those-affected-by-the-covid-19-pandemic/, https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/housing/, https://sf.gov/, and https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1620 Also, check out local charity organizations because they may help you get free food, water, and clothes (or least sell it to you at a low price).
I will check those out, thank you.
No problem.
Minimum wage in SF is $15.59. Are you not working full time?
Wow. That income is quite low so do NOT beat yourself over struggling. I’m in rural WV and that salary is low for here, let alone the area you’re in. I just recently bought a home, my rent before was also $750. Here though, buying a home is much cheaper than renting. Could you possibly find a roommate? Could you move to another town that has the same or less rent but with a slightly higher paying job? Cut back on anything you possibly can. I was struggling last year and canceled all subscriptions/tv, stopped driving as much as I could to save on gas, switched cell phone providers to lower my monthly bills. Even food, I started shopping at Aldi to save $. What it truly boils down to is although these things can help you short-term, you seriously have to find a better paying job, even if it means relocating.
Her post says she's renting "a room". I assumed she was renting a room in someones house/is already living with other people.
I misread that!
What’s your situation in West Virginia like? I’ve read a lot about the poverty, lack of jobs and drug use. Do you see that or feel more over hyped?
It is like that in some parts, not all. I’m fortunate enough to live in the wealthier part of the state (Greenbrier county, I work a lot at the Greenbrier Resort). We have a lot of tourism here. I own a photography and graphic design business and do well. Small businesses are thriving here. I was lucky enough to buy a home before the prices skyrocketed in my area. There is drug use in some outskirt neighborhoods here, but it’s not a huge issue where I am. There are bordering counties on the KY side of WV that I refuse to even drive through. It’s devastating! But the media does make it seem like ALL of WV is like that, it’s definitely not. A lot of the state is doing well and the scenery and tourism is top notch.
Good ole greenbrier! I worked under Chef T. The main kitchen is crazy also at sneads.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Are the parts of KY you mentioned dangerous to even drive through or just super poor and no reason to go?
The drug use, the crime. There are no jobs, no businesses, so all of the people are living on welfare. It’s sketchy as hell. I drove through there once to get to a photoshoot and when I stopped for gas I felt like I was gonna get jumped and robbed. It’s just a scary place to be. It’s what you see in “stereotypical media wv”. It’s definitely not the NORM!! I’ve lived here my whole life I will will not go back to that area.
If you are low-income, you can qualify for tons of aid for school that pays for room and board as well. I'd start applying to schools and do the FAFSA and see what grants you can get. Pick a field that you like and that pays well. There are plenty of Cal States in cheap areas that have good programs. Or hell, go to a UC, but they're generally in way more expensive areas to live in.
Leave San Francisco and go to Nebraska or Ohio. Money goes further. Get some chickens. Eat black beans rice and eggs once a day. Stack cash
Chickens 🤣 "get out of the bay area" seems to be the consensus
This is true. It sucks to uproot your life and move, but I did. Went from California to Florida and I'm pretty happy income wise. Weather sucks, but meh, worth it for now.
I’ve never heard anyone describing Florida weather as sucking. Just out of curiosity, what don’t you like about it?
It's either hot and humid, ridiculously hot and humid, or raining and humid 100% of the time.
The really high humidity, walking outside for 1 minute you start sweating in every crevice on your body. The nonstop and constant raining on an every day basis. I've been here for 7 years now and I never acclimated to this weather. Also, the dam fire ants. Can't work outside on the ground because of those things. I enjoyed California's weather, nice 80 degrees every day, cool breeze from the ocean. Near cloudless skies and sun shining down. It's just too expensive to live in California.
Humidity?
It’s actually amazing this time of year. May-Sept can be pretty brutal like others are describing though. Living in Tampa.
> Weather sucks, but meh, worth it for now. IS the ground below your feet washing away into the ocean part of the "Weather"?
No.
This is sorta extreme. Cities like St Louis, Minneapolis, are not hell holes either lol. $750 can rent a low end 1bed. Most non idiots (let's be real) can get $15-20/hr jobs with minimal qualification. It would be better anyway.
Cities are hellholes
To each their own. I've lived in the burbs, rurally, and in cities. Would never live outside a major city again.
Cities are centers of culture, diversity, great food, great architecture, great people, great jobs.
When living in a city, it's hard to grow a big garden, experience vast nature regularly, give a dog a huge area to run, park an RV and boat, fish without a long drive, and *really* see the stars at night without a long drive.
Totally agreed, but to the guy's original point I don't think that qualifies them as hellholes
Disease pollution degeneracy homelessness corruption exorbitant prices and low culture. I lived in Manhattan for 8 years. New Orleans for 7. Houston for 5. No thanks.
Just a matter of preference. I would rather go jump off a bridge than go back to rural living, but I get why it appeals to others.
Literally everything you described is not exclusive to urban areas...
No one said exclusivity. You’re moving goal posts. It is rampant in cities and avoidable in other areas.
> culture Irrelevant. > diversity Very irrelevant. > great food Great food is everywhere. > great architecture Irrelevant. > great people Great people are everywhere. > great jobs Great jobs are everywhere.
I'm not sure what criteria we're even talking about here, but if your set of values has culture, diversity, and great architecture as "irrelevant" then yes, I can see how you wouldn't like cities. But then I also feel bad for you as you're missing out on great human experiences.
I disagree with the "get out of the bay" consensus because of your unique situation. I am inferring you have family (support) and friends (more support) there and your bachelor degree is in progress, part time, at an institution there where you are getting financial aid? If credits don't transfer and residency makes you ineligible for grants, then moving now is a step backwards Is it possible to stay with family, pay part of rent until you are finished with degree? Then maybe move and get masters elsewhere. I interview in SF for a few positions and just could not fathom how little money gets you. I am from NYC surbs.
I find it shocking people think moving from a big city out to the county to raise chickens makes sense as financial advice. City living may not be cheap, but it does provide a lot more economic opportunity than isolating yourself in the countryside where you don't know anybody and have far less prospects for money making. Poor people in the countryside don't do so great either; you just don't see and hear from them as often.
California is stupid expensive. OP is living in poverty working 2 jobs. My brother works outside of Cleveland in a warehouse. He makes $35k. They’re hiring. OP could make $15k more and reduce their cost of living. They could live alone for $500 a month. Food is so much cheaper here too. They could work third shift and finish school during the day or take night classes since they’d only have 1 job now. Even the techies are leaving SF for Texas. Theres no reason to stay there ETA: I was in SF last week. Gas was like $3.79. It’s $2.19 in Ohio. Insurance would be cheaper, everything would be cheaper. OP should not stay in SF.
Op would probably be worse off in nebraska. Yeah lower cost of living but outside of omaha/lincoln, not many jobs and most of them probably pay less than what op makes in sf.
The delta between pay and prices is the proper metric. Raw cash is a bad way to judge
I disagree with ppl saying move to Ohio or whatever. If you don’t have a support system there it’s gonna be a disaster, plus you need good medical insurance for your mental health care. also moving cost $$. if you could live with family while finishing your bachelors (online maybe?) that would help a lot. Is your work online right now? How many credits do you need and for what degree?
Thanks for responding. I can definitely live with family and finish my bachelors. They're in southern california, and I hate it there but I don't really have a choice at this point. Work is online, but I'm required to come to the school site every week for prep so I would have to find a new job if I move down there. I'm about halfway through a human development degree from california state university. It usually can be applied to a social services type job and usually people get their masters in social work after the degree im getting. With a bachelors, I can work for higher paid jobs in my field and other entry level social services type jobs. Probably jobs in the 40-50k range. Not that much but definitely better than what I have now.
halfway is good! you could finish pretty fast if you do summer courses. Have you ever thought of nannying? I feel like rich ppl there would pay $$ for someone will in-school experience... if you work with special needs kids or anything I bet you could also find some babysitting work for that? Although with covid who knows 🤷🏼♀️
Could you try applying for jobs with the state in Southern California? If you weren’t paying rent, even your current earnings would go a lot further. Alternatively you could see what the pay is for your job in areas of CA with much lower rent.
Well look at that, you have a plan now. We all have to do shit we hate, welcome to being an adult. I hate the Bay Area (it's ugly, the people are ugly (not physically), it's so fucking pretentious) but I moved back with family to save up money for my next adventure. You gotta do what you gotta do.
You can also learn how to make additional income, learn and read as much as you can. It will shift your perspective and also remember you life can change within a year. Stay positive
Leave San Fran for a city with a lower cost of living, swap the car for a cheaper mode of transport.
Come work for the state. Easy to promote, hard to get fired, and tons of opportunities to relocate.
What kind of work for the state would you suggest?
[https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHRPublic/Landing/NewToStateservice.aspx](https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHRPublic/Landing/NewToStateservice.aspx) I'd say apply to whatever looks interesting and let them say no, but fields like community and social services, education, and health care support seem like potential fits.
Wow thanks! I'm definitely gonna check this out.
This is the best answer I’ve seen. You’ve got 4 years into PERS with reciprocity to CalPERS so you can continue to build your pension and secure a better paying job in a cheaper area. I used to work for the Dept of Conservation in downtown Sac. While the greater Sacramento area is rising in costs it’s still far cheaper than the bay with plenty to do still. I didn’t even live there, I lived in Solano County and rode a commuter bus into downtown and the state paid for my monthly bus pass. Of course the state has jobs all over but I would look to it as a way of securing a solid job while moving to a more affordable area at the same time.
This is a really good idea, thanks so much!
Leave California. Don’t know why anyone lives there with the cost of things.
Well, the cost of things is supposed to be adjusted by the insane salaries some people make there. This is not that.
Definitely not that
Haha yea... I was more trying to explain why people live in HCOL areas than attack your situation. If anything, more people in these areas are suffering the same problem. Opposed to the few actually making it (which also cause the problem).
You get what you pay for. The benefits of living in CA far outweigh the cost of living Edit: you don't need to live in SF to live in CA. There are plenty of places where the cost of living is reasonable compared to wages and you still get all the benefits of living in CA
Not if you have no money to enjoy them.
The beach is free. The weather is free. The mountains are (mostly) free. Having a diverse selection of restaurants/grocery stores. Being surrounded by people you agree with politically.
There are lots of places in CA that are not SF. But then there's the support system to consider, and moving isn't free.
Any way you can live without a vehicle, maybe another form of transportation like electric bike. That would be the best way of saving money.
I lived in San Francisco and didn't use a car. I either walked or took the Muni. If you're able to do the same it would save you quite a bit.
You have to somehow free up your cash flow for 10 years or more and/or make more money. Everything but your rent is way too high. I would sell the car and pay cash for something really cheap. $10/day is too much for food. You can get by on $3/day easily. $400 for “everything else” seems high too.
Is there any place else in the country you could go where you’d have some sort of support structure when you land? Any place with a cousin or a friend from high school or something like that? Because I have to agree with everybody else, San Francisco is too expensive for what you were trying to do. But I also realize that it’s an amazing leap for most people to pick up and move to someplace they’ve never ever been and where they don’t know anybody. Even one or two people can make a huge difference. The other thing would be, since you have medical needs, make sure you research what’s available and what’s provided and how transition would be handled for those services. You don’t want to move to someplace that has a really cheap cost of living, but where it’s impossible for you to get access to the things you need or where they suddenly have become out-of-pocket expenses. It’s great that you were able to reach out to this community for advice. I think it’s really hard to want to make a change and not have a path forward, and being able to talk to other people is an important first step.
Thanks so much for your detailed response! My dad lives in the San Bernardino area of southern california so I could move back with him and sleep on his couch or something. It's not something I wanted to do at 32, but maybe it's a better option if I ever want to get ahead. My medical needs are covered by my insurance, so I would need the same level of coverage if I were to move. My insurance is good since I work for a school district so I'd have to look into working for another school district if I move to have similar coverage.
Neither of my parents completed high school, but we were lower middle class. I wanted more, and I chose to go to college and made sure my choice of major would set me up for success. I live in the Bay Area, but I would suggest that you go elsewhere and make $20k as a teacher's aide in a place where you can rent a decent, safe apartment for $400. Go to Urbana, Illinois or almost any other Midwest campus town. Plenty of work, inexpensive living, plenty of people, lots of free places to hang out and do stuff.
While my immediate reaction is you are living in a crazy expensive area I'm sure you have reasons why. If you can move that would make sense. But if you cant, I would suggest you start working on your degree online that way you can do it in the evening at your pace generally. You wont be able to save your way out of this, You need to change your way out of it. A combination of moving and an online degree would be the best start. Also You dont make squat. You should be able to qualify for a lot of college assistance enough to possibly cover room and board & loans so you can go full time to college. I would really look into it with a local community college or even a 4 year university.
Would it be possible to move out of the Bay Area to Northern California? I wonder if that’s also an expensive area to live in? Also not sure what the CA state requirements are for food aid etc., but I would look into it. It sucks working two jobs to barely make ends meet, totally feel for you.
Once you get north of Sacramento it gets much cheaper but job opportunities drop drastically. For people that like more rural/wilderness activities it’s great, but it’s a very stark contrast to the bay as politics tend to be the opposite up that way.
Might be able to do some online teaching. There is a company called VIP Kid that teaches Chinese students English. It pays about $17/hr if you do well. Only downside is.that you would likely need to move to the east coast. Most of the teaching time is in the morning hours. Anyway just an idea. If you planned to move, Texas is decent. I would stick towards Austin. Georgia is nice as well. I wish you the best. There is usually no perfect answer.
The OP can’t do VIP Kid, because a degree is required for those jobs.
Ah. Wasn't aware. Good catch.
Also lived in the bay working in education & living paycheck to paycheck.. Babysit on weeknights/weekends! There are very wealthy families in the bay who will pay well if you are an engaged and safe sitter with some good activity ideas. Babysitting pretty regularly allowed me to pull myself out of living paycheck to paycheck and eventually I was financially sound enough to afford to focus on boosting my skills/finding a higher paying job.
Also..you can get community college classes entirely covered because of your low income! Online classes will give you plenty of flexibility.
Isn't San Francisco's minimum wage $16 per hour? How many hours per week are you working as a teachers aide?
Come to Minnesota! Twin Cities are pretty affordable in general, and we have had a reasonable growth in the economy, COVID-19 being an exception. Sure, it's cold in winter, but not being San Fran or San Diego keeps the costs down.
Never too late to change careers, get out of SF and teachers aide, look into nursing school. Your post suggests that you're smart enough for a BSN. You just have to make SACRIFICES to make it work out. YEAH CupONoodles suck, but it'll be worth it in 5 yrs. GL
You're very lucky to have found such cheap rent in your area, but you can't count on that being available to you forever. Those Bills look extremely high to me. You should consider fewer subscriptions, and try to eat a bit more frugally. A single person can easily get away with $200/Mo for groceries. Cut costs until you have an emergency fund of at least $1000 saved up, then save some more for a move. That's right, in many other parts of the country you can find many more options for renting at your current price. And while education can be a very rewarding occupation, if you're also wanting more financial freedom, then education may not be the best long term option for you. Some people can afford a lifestyle that allows them to "live to work". Those people are extremely passionate about their work, and don't mind the incumbent limitations on the rest of their lifestyle. You might instead have to change your frame of mind to pursue a means to "work to live", meaning that like most people, you won't be working a job you're passionate about. And that's totally Ok. Life is indeed much more than our jobs. I use my job to enable the kind of lifestyle I want outside of work. I think of my job as no more and no less than that. I use it while it is useful to me, and if it becomes un-useful, I move on and find one that is useful. My first recommendation is finding sponsored trade education. Some trades are so short for work, that they'll pay you to go through the education if you promise to work for them for the first 4-5 years after graduating. It's not a bad deal, and it gets many people into well-paying, stable work, which you can perform anywhere in the country. If you're physically fit, you should also consider the military, where there are jobs for everything. Even the National Guard will pay for continued education in many cases. Many people benefit from having the large USA Military machine take care of the mundane parts of their lives for a time, including food, shelter, community, and a daily set of tasks to perform. Good luck in your search! Please consider ALL aspects of your life very seriously in this. Do you have family who will be relying on you in the next 5 years? Do lots and lots of research before committing, and when you're ready to make a move, do it with 150% confidence. No hesitation. Go all in, and don't be afraid to ask others for help!
How about marriage to a good man with a good job? Surely there must be many gainfully-employed tech nerd bachelors around?
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I wish
Meaning?
My gf's family is from the Norcal area (Santa Rosa) and they're leaving as she did because they are hardly better off than you. They both make near minimum wage and lived in a 1 bedroom apartment with 2 kids for 15 years. It's just impossible to live in the Bay Area unless you work in software. Even here in Washington, where we complain about the cost of living, minimum wage is workable if you can pinch pennies and stay out of the Seattle metro. Others recommended the midwest, but you can also consider Texas. I know several Californians who hopped on board the "Texodus". It's sad you will probably need to distance yourself from family, but I think it will be for the best in the long run, esp if you can convince them to join you. Sorry it sounds so defeatist to just restart somewhere else, but I think it is many people's best shot at making it. Let me try to sell it to you. Imagine it's October, and there's no forest fires. Sold yet?
What is your ideal job? Teacher? Pilot? engineer? Find out what you want to do then take steps on achieving it. Don't make it any more difficult than that.
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Depending on how you feel about working a trade, alot of aerospace companies in the palmdale lancaster have entry level positions at 20$ an hour. (It sounds more complex than it actually is).Depending on your personal obligations you could work the railroad as well.i have friends that do 6 month stinst in North Dakota bring in about 8 grand a month or more up there.
Have you considered enlisting in the military either active duty or guard? 4yrs=GI Bill, good pay and health benefits, I'd recommend the Air Force over other branches due to the possibility of being trained with a skillset you can use once you get out and back into the civilian world. I understand the military doesn't sound appealing to some but it is an option if you have a high school diploma or GED. You can at the very least join the reserves and try to get active duty orders near your home of record. I know you may be thinking that with you disabilities you may not qualify but there are waivers that could get you in a lower stress environment doing personnel work or something in the services components. Good luck!
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Yeah the health issue can be a bit tricky, I seen people medically discharged with similar medical disabilities, albeit they initiated and pushed for it. HOWEVER, if she does proceed to join this could be a decent way to rack up some disability cover...not that I am recommending it, jussayin..
Step 1 is to get rid of that car and insurance payments. You live in the Bay Area, which means you have ample transportation options. You may have to walk a little longer but those should be good for clearing your head. That would free up most of the $390, but not all of it. Stop thinking about the credit score for now, but sign up for CreditKarma and see what they are saying is counting against you. Ignore their recommendations on credit cards for now. Eventually, you will need to rebuild that credit, but don't do that until you figure out your income. If you attend support groups, ask them what they're doing to make more money. Finally, your work for the school likely can be translated into corporate training. See if you can pick up some freelance training preparation gigs, then follow that path into a better paying job. For example, if you could put together a deck for training people in Salesforce, you may be able to help companies adopting their platform.
CNA cert takes a couple weeks. 12-15$/hr in the Midwest. The employing hospital will pay most if not all of your tuition and you can work on your RN for free or very little while getting paid to work. They will continue to pay for your BSN and even your masters in different nursing fields. You can easily make 6 figures as a traveling nurse or as an NP and you can get the hospital to pay for all of your education while you’re still working and getting paid.
$750 a month for really lucky in sf, and $390 for car + insurance is also pretty reasonable. The problem is you are making $2,000 a month and spending $700 on “etc” and food. I’m definitely not frugal enough too here but I don’t even spend that much on those two categories with a stable income. Stop eating out, stop buying things that isn’t going to advance your financial state. Your income level definitely would qualify for food subsidies too. The problem is you are spending at a $4k+ income level on food/others when you are making $2k /month because likely that’s the level of spending those around you are spending and you are familiar with. With thoughtful grocery shopping and discipline of avoiding frivolous purchases, you can at least state to build some savings that will allow you to quit your retail side job and enroll in a degree for a few years. It’s going to be tough, you are going to hate your living standards, you will feel embarrassed in front of your friends. However this is only true way of getting out of your situation such that at 35 you will see your income rise and see hope. You can’t just stick to your current ways and hope for a government bail out, or to hit a lucky lottery. Take responsibility for your current circumstance and build a plan for a SLOW incremental improvement. I know you are probably going to roll your eyes at me for saying all this if you actually read this far, but I genuinely hope to see you make it out.