Am I going to have to work until I die?

I'm 33 and I don't make enough to really save but I try and save what I can for a rainy day... I definitely can't contribute to a 401k. Things got bad a few years ago and they aren't going so well right now financially. Does this mean that I'm basically going to be working until I'm really old? I worry about these things. I worry about my future a lot.

Yes. Social security only pays about $25k a year at retirement --- which for you would be at age 67....or never.

gosh this sucks.

It is not too late to start saving, and have action plan, find a better pay job, or part-time job... I immigrated to US when I am late 20s, and start work around 31 years old, now I have 2 homes, sizable saving and 401k, never too late, you just have do it. I am mid 40s now and single.

Its much harder than everyone makes it out to be. I was laid off and I can't find a good paying job I work now but the pay is low. I can barely make rent and food. I am looking and looking and looking and looking for a job and NOTHING. I'm getting really angry everyday just thinking about all of this. I'm tired. If I could just find a better paying job I would just find one. Its so....annoying for lack of a better word. I'm really tired.

No one who has made it on their own will tell you it is easy.

When I had a full time job that didn't pay enough to meet my rent, car loan, student loans, etc.... I got a 2nd job on the weekends.

And didn't have cable.

And only went out 2x a month with my gf ---- to her HOUSE

It isn't easy. It is doable.

I understand but my situation is not the same. I am on call 24 hours a day for my current job, I can't work a second job doing that. I need a new job that pays more that is a set amount of hours and then I can get a second job. I'm not expecting anything to be easy. I'm really exhausted. I have been through a lot and I'm really angry. I don't have cable. I don't go out. I don't do anything.

Yes- how about weekend job? And what you do for living?

Change your attitude toward life, things will get better.

I work 24 hours on call on the weekends for my job. I am a Staffing Executive for nurses. Working 24 hours means that I will have to work at anytime the cell phone rings that my job gives me. If I work a second job and my full time job calls me I will have to abandon my second job to work my full time job. Does that make sense? Its really difficult.

I am going to sit down this weekend and try to write out a new plan or something. I need CHANGE ASAP.

A lot of people are having to work late into life these days. Pension plans are scarce and few can afford to save enough to retire on.

Life is not and never has been fair. All you can do is try to find better employment. I sincerely wish you the best of luck.

THANK YOU! I will continue to keep trying. Sometimes its just exhausting and I want to vent so I come here and try to get advice. I don't like bothering people in my life with all my issues all the time.

I don't know anyone who doesn't worry about the future these days. It's a different world now.

No one's job is safe and retirement is a thing of the past for a lot of people.

Having said that, don't worry too much. Try and enjoy life, you only get one.

^ Yes exactly it's a different world than it was 40 -50 years ago. Nobody's job is secure, companies no longer pay retirement ,nobody works for the same company for more than a few years at a time. 50 years ago people worked for the same company for their whole life and got a pension. Unfortunately that life is over and it kind of went out in the 80s. But it seems sometimes we haven't caught up with the reality of it. Many many people are in the same boat you are. Probably the majority of people will have to work until they die.

Someone in my family lost almost their whole retirement savings when a bad investor lost most of it. They are now still working full time at 75. And basically they will have to work until they die. And just from the bad luck of investing with the wrong person. They had already had their retirement all saved up for.

wow that is so sad things are just bad for a lot of people lately I guess. I just have a few friends that are saving and I have another friend in the military and he has his life together already. I hope I can get at least halfway there. I really need a new car my car is from 2003 and its getting REALLY OLD. I just need so much that I can't afford.

As long as you maintain the maintenance on your car it can last a few more years. We have a 98 that is still running.

But I thank God my husband is military so he will have a government pension.

Even if you put $10 a month into a retirement savings that is still something.

We put away a few hundred a month for our retirement.

I have a 93 classic I'm still driving! You just need to figure out what's important to you and make it work. The first 7 raises I got I never saw a dime of that money cause I just put it in to my retirement. I figured I was used to living off what I made before the raise... I wouldn't miss it. Bills and rent are huge but normally there's ways for everyone to lower both of those.

I agree with others tho try not to focus too much on the future now. Just figure out ways to make the journey better!

No one who has made it on their own will tell you it is easy.

 

When I had a full time job that didn't pay enough to meet my rent, car loan, student loans, etc.... I got a 2nd job on the weekends.

And didn't have cable.

And only went out 2x a month with my gf ---- to her HOUSE

 

It isn't easy. It is doable.

How long did you do both jobs, did you not have any days off? How did you cope with that, not having time to recharge, how old were you?

I'm not your babe: I really understand your sistuation, I once had a job like that where I felt I was hanging from whatever shifts they would give me, it was so erratic..and didn't provide any stability as it was a 0 hr contract.

I am really broke myself, my computer is dying, I live on low rent in a room that is not particularly sunny and suffers from mold, I flatshare with 3 more people. I am constantly broke. Will think twice before buying fish as it is expensive and always buy cheap chicken etc. I don't even want fancy things eventhough it would be nice (my boyfriend treats me to meals sometimes so that helps) But yes, I hear you. And it sounds like you are in the helping professions like I am which makes me even sadder that I need to work for pittance, pay tons for my degree (I went back to college while working), I also need to do 450 hrs of volunteering btw before I earn a living in my field so yeah, life can be a sh**ty struggle. Oh, I am foreign here in the UK, don't have a family, but my kind mum put $50 in my account to attend a business start up seminar because I want to start my own thing in case I can get out of this low pay nightmare. Do you have any hobbies, interests you can turn into a business fro home? That could be a good idea. You won't have to depend on someone else. And you can start really small, you can look at sites to help you and you can even raise money to help you start through crowdfunding websites. But you must find something you are naturally interested in.

Another thing I do is try to look at nature, the sky, the flowers..notice that I can still walk and talk and smile and genuinely appreciate what is here. And wear lipstick and fancy earrings. I actually don't worry about it anymore as much, I just try and live with what I have or calmly see what else I can do.

Not sure I understand correctly..do you guys not get state pension in the US?

In Canada we get what is called an "old age" pension. You receive it when you're 65. You can also get what's called a Canada pension but that's only if you've worked and paid into it. And how much you've paid into it is what you're going to get out of it. You can also get a pension from a company and save for your own pension through an RRSP.

A lot can happen between now and your 60s. The economy might improve a lot, you might get promoted, you might find something better during that time... the possibilities are endless and you never know what's coming around the corner. In Canada, I know some people who can live on just a pension, although they're basically renting a room and eating.. that might be a better alternative than working until one dies, though. It depends on the person.

How long did you do both jobs, did you not have any days off? How did you cope with that, not having time to recharge, how old were you?

 

 

.

I was 27-31. I did it for 4 years. My full time job gave me 2 weeks vacation a year. And my weekend job was bartending so if I needed to give up a shift, I could. But I wanted to pay off my school loans and my car loan, and start saving for a down payment on a house. And my salary only left me with a few hundred after all my bills were paid. I bought my first condo by age 31.

I work 24 hours on call on the weekends for my job. I am a Staffing Executive for nurses. Working 24 hours means that I will have to work at anytime the cell phone rings that my job gives me. If I work a second job and my full time job calls me I will have to abandon my second job to work my full time job. Does that make sense? Its really difficult.

I am going to sit down this weekend and try to write out a new plan or something. I need CHANGE ASAP.

I think that making a new plan sounds a lot more useful than worrying.

I am also confused: so you work every M-F and then are on call every weekend, all weekend?

I would think that any position that demanding would pay reasonably well. Am I misunderstanding this?

yes you are understanding correctly and unfortunately no the job does not pay well. But I need a job so I stay...well until I can find something new.

I work Monday-Friday and I work oncall. My job gave me a cell and I need to answer it when nurses call out and need to be restaffed. I can't do that if I'm at another job. No job will let me take time to staff a nurse while I'm on their clock.

Can you split expenses with an other person(s)?

Also, if you are on call, are you saying that at no time during that 24-hour period you can take 20 minutes to work on getting a different job?

Can you split expenses with an other person(s)?

 

Also, if you are on call, are you saying that at no time during that 24-hour period you can take 20 minutes to work on getting a different job?

No if I get a 2nd JOB do you know of any positions that will allow me to work on their clock while I'm working for my fulltime job staffing nurses after hours? And who would I split these expenses with? A roomate? I have a one bedroom apartment and I really do not feel safe or comfortable moving in with a strange person. Its one thing I just do not feel comfortable with.