I won’t be retiring until I’m 64 since I started at 24 but I don’t have to worry about any kind of retirement accounts if I stay for the full 40 and that makes me very happy.
Even with pension, retirement accounts can be a powerful tool (especially if there’s a 401k match). You do you but if possible I would always recommend investing in 401k and Roth IRA and other tax incentivized retirement accounts.
Hard to tell. I’ve got 35 years left. If I didn’t move to any other positions and stayed in this one I’d probably end around $45hr. Right now I make 26.58hr but I could possible move into the supervisor or management position when they open up within the next 15 years. Or move to another department. The city I work for has tons of jobs and it’s easy to move departments as internal applicants have first dibs at jobs before they go externals
Yea but you will actually end up with more because Social Security and Medicare are taken out of your paycheck, but it won't be taken out of your pension check.
And, of course, you will be collecting SS on top of it all also.
Donating more than 5x what you're saving is insane
Edit: people really seemed to enjoy correcting my math so I didn't Edit the comment for a while. I misunderstand the frequency of saving vs the frequency of donations. Thank you. No need to be the 20th person to do the math.
Whether I believe in the OP's religion or not, he should be commended for being an asset to his community. I would wager that he is more of a benefit to those around him than any of the redditors poking fun at him.
yeah, i wouldnt say i’d recommend donating 10% of your salary to church, but I’m not religious.
i probably spend more than 10% of my income on hobbies and shit i don’t need. if the church is his community and they do things for the members with the money, it doesnt sound like all that bad a deal.
it’d be one thing if OP was claiming he can’t afford to live or even asking how he can budget better, but he isnt. i could imagine $7k a year (as a tax deductible donation) to support your community could be very worthwhile
as an atheist redditor, reddit’s general hatred for religion is unreasonable. i certainly contributed to it in my teenage years, not proud of that but i’ve grown. unfortunately the toxicity on reddit seems to have also grown. I’m 30 now and my attitude toward religion has changed drastically, i can’t say I’m a believer but i respect it for the most part. good and bad happens everywhere, churches arent immune to that, and they arent defined by the bad.
It's bullshit to call it donations anyway, it's the Mormons so it's actually tithing. Maybe they're not just letting the church take 10% of their gross paychecks and they do specifically choose who to donate to, but usually the church just gets it straight from the paycheck.
Yeah that's not true at all. I'm not here to debate tithing, but members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Day Saints (LDS/Mormons) don't get their tithing taken out from their paychecks. It's a voluntary contribution. Sure members are asked to donate 10%, but not outright required or forced via garnishment of wages.
Pretty sure in Germany, all churches take your 'donation' straight from your paycheck.
I know that's not what op or commenter is talking about. More of just a not fun fact
This is true you meet with the bishop periodically for tithing settlement, which is basically like income tax what you owes determined and you write a check
Sorry to break it to you OP, but $25 is not good. The positive is you are still relatively young and can make more. Keep trying to better yourself and aim higher as your aunt says. In the meantime enjoy your wins.
Yeah, it's 10% of each gross paycheck. We want to have kids, but because of my heart conditions, we can't, I had right sided heart failure last year, luckily insurance paid the surgery. We put about $14k into savings every year.
Atheist here, but when there is a tithe like this the church does provide welfare services to its members. They'll get things like job and housing assistance or bills covered if they're in need. It's their own localized social welfare system, not without its greed of course (look at their churches), but it does get redistributed some for their poorer members. I've seen situations where the church owns a few houses they provide for free to some poor families, and use their network to get these guys jobs and back on their own feet.
Exmo here, I can assure you the LDS church is not providing free housing to needy members and takes far more than it gives even with the members so destitute that they actually receive any assistance from their local Bishop.
When I was homeless, it was a church that got me on my feet again.
The main benefit people get from religious organizations, aside from whatever personal satisfaction comes from prayers, is a structured support system and a community bonded via ritual.
There's a long history of churches being the main source of social welfare. Even going so far as being the main source of 'income' for artists and scholars. I put it in the same bucket as I put the government.
I’m not sure why having a heart condition means you “can’t” have the kids that you want (and you don’t owe Reddit an explanation). But if it’s a given that you’re never having them, you’re doing fine at $25 given the stability of a career at USPS combined with (presumably) living in a LCOL area. A job that pays twice that comes with more stress, which is something you don’t want with a heart condition.
Now, throw a kid or two into the equation and you can forget about putting that $14K into savings annually.
Potentially more to do with hereditary transmission, I went to school with 2 kids who's father had a genetic disorder and it was a miracle that he reached adulthood. Both of his kids made it to like 10th grade, so 16ish years before they died. That would be a reasonable "I can't have kids because of a disorder" if I know they're going to suffer before they die way early
It’s now pretty straightforward to do in vitro fertilization and screen embryos prior to implantation, implanting only those that don’t have the genetic defect.
$25 is pretty solid, is there opportunity to get raises or bonuses in the future or is that the rate for the relative future?
Also were you working full time at $20.48? If you were that sounds like your wife was making under $20k a year? Which isn’t a problem if she’s doing part time but if she’s trying to complain about not making enough money as a couple there’s definitely ways to make more than $20-25k
I work between 55 hours a week. As a clerk, anything after 8 hrs is time in a half. After 10 hours, it's a penalty, which is time in a half x2. After 60 hours, it's double premium pay.
I could eventually become a lead clerk in a different office or a supervisor and make closer to $28-32hr.
My wife loves her job she does make about $23k a year. No benefits but she works 4 days a week (10 hours a day). My wife isn't complaining. She's happy we're not in debt at all, and all the bills get paid.
If all the bills are paid and there’s no debt. See if you can get 10-20% savings/investment
Put it in VOO or SPY. Make sure you open an IRA if you don’t have one already.
If you do this for 2-3 years by the time you guys are 30 you’ll have a good bit of money in savings/investment. If you do not think you can keep living the way you do after that, then maybe re-explore at 30
Sounds like you’re doing just fine and have ability to get a little bit ahead, but there’s obviously always room for improvement. If you’re willing to work so hard there def ways to maximize income with a little less hours at work.
But if I’m grading you 1-100 you’re probably high 70s or low 80s. Not crazy struggling so you’re above 30. And not having debt puts you above 50. Being young and working hard moving you into the 70s. There’s room to get to 90s but for now I would say you’re in a decent spot.
The only thing I see here is no benefits for your wife, if she doesn’t have insurance one bad visit or emergency and your screwed for years. Figure that out.
Self-made millionaire just adding some two cents here. You’re free to keep or toss at your discretion.
First, your aunt was wrong to judge you financially. She should be saying words of encouragement to you rather than down playing your promotion. Although I think her heart is in the right place. I don’t know what your aunt financial situation is and whether she’s working or not, or just living off a rich husband. But telling someone after they got a raise that they should be making more, is a little rude. I think she’s trying to be helpful, but She should also be proud that her nephew is working hard.
Second, yeah, you’re doing everything right. I wouldn’t be necessarily donating so much money like 7K to charity, which is very magnanimous of you. but you could be investing it and putting into other things. I know you are trying to help others and that’s very noble of you. But as the old saying goes: help yourself first before you can help others. You are certainly saving a lot of money, but you do need to save/invest more.
Which goes into number three, looks like you got things going good and if you can retire by 50, that’s always good. But I would say you can never anticipate your costs will never go up. You may want to buy a house one day, you may want to adopt kid s one day, you may want to travel more one day , etc. a lot of things can come up. 60K sounds great as a person in their 20s who keeps costs low but you can never guarantee that it’s always gonna be like that.
But that leads to the last point and that you do seem to have a good financial mind and you do seem to be following good financial rules and hey, you’re doing great. Keep it going, adjust your financial plans as time comes by, and as your needs change and I think you’ll be OK.
good luck. 👍
Depends on where you live! But I’d say you’re doing great! (Even though we always hear of young guys making tons) Retiring in 20 years sounds way nice. Also I’m LDS too ;) good luck with your work!
Yeah he needs to stay longer. My job does pensions but if you stay for 40 years you get 100% of your highest. So I’m going to work till I’m 64. Fuck it.
USPS basically has three retirement income streams. Pension, retirement and TSP which has a match up to 5% which also gives the option of contributing to a Roth IRA. If you play it right you can retire very well off.
Does the Mormon religion really require you to tithe $7,000, or 10% as young adults trying to secure your future?
Sounds like you guys are doing good, the only thing I’d say is look at getting a house, that way you’ll chip away at some equity rather than throwing money down the drain, renting.
Secondly, can your wife try to up her earning potential. You’ve got some serious bennies where you are at, maybe she can find something that will pay better.
It's not a requirement, but more of I want to help other people, I want to help maintain church buildings for worship, everytime I go into a building and see lights and running water, cleanliness, I can think, "wow I'm helping keeping a clean and working place to go to every week"
People see it as, I hate giving 10% of my income, I feel like it's stealing my money, or you're paying for your salvation kind of thing. You're not forced to do it. You don't have to. I was super anti tithe for years, then one day it just clicked, and I understood. I view it as a reward to go into the temple to really escape the world, and it helps me become a better person.
I hope that helps. It's not securing your future, but rather helping others get education, food, or a place of refuge if that makes sense? I do it because I want to.
The Morman church is worth $265 billion at last estimate. Yes, billion with a B. It’s commendable to want to help people, but maybe that money doesn’t go where you think it does.
If you want to help other people then stop giving your money to somebody that already has over $100 billion to work with and is hoarding it all.
I’m not kidding.
You are being scammed.
And the worst part is you aren’t helping needy people
you’re helping greedy people
Hey dude, I used to be Mormon too. My parents are Mormon and they’ve always paid their tithe and you know where that got them? On the road to barely being able to retire, certainly not comfortably.
I would strongly encourage you to read the CES letter. It was written by a young man who had detailed questions about the church and his CES director advised him to write a letter with his questions so to get them on paper and that he would reply to them one by one . The letter was famously never responded to & has become somewhat famous online but ultimately it’s just a series of questions about the church and its history. Learning more about the LDS church and asking questions about it does not make you a bad person or sinful for viewing “anti Mormon literature”. That is cult like thinking. I’m not telling you to leave the church, just to read the CES letter and see what you think
Sounds like you're doing fine. Don't forget you get a ~50c raise every 36 weeks as well as COLAs and a general wage increase till the next contract. Supervisors are EAS 17 so they make about 65k-95k but in my opinion.. definitely not worth the headache.
- fellow postal worker
Is $25/hr "good"? No. Especially if you're justifying college expenses.
But a job you love with good benefits and full retirement after 20 years is a gem. If you guys are making ends meet, go for it. Maybe after that 20 years you can find something different (and do the travel/house/kids things) or maybe just retire early/frugally.
This is up to you and your wife (not your aunt).
You just got a $9k / 22% raise. That's not bad!
And as you said - that pension plan makes up for a lot of missing salary.
Sounds like you have more than enough money to meet your needs and you enjoy what you do. I wouldn't stress over it.
The problem is the humanities degree. You might as well have skipped college. It won't make a difference. If your happy with the current pay, there is no problem
I can attest to that. I have a Business Marketing Degree that is just being used as home decor. It couldn’t even get me through the door to interview for Marketing roles. 😂
Mmm I definitely wouldn’t put it *this* way.
A college degree has become the new version of a highschool degree where places won’t even let you apply without one (literally “applications without that don’t meet the educational requirements will not be considered” or something to that language)
I will say this, now a days you’ve gotta be very aware of the fact that you’re spending money on a degree whose field you might not get hired in.
You guys sound like you’ve got a healthy thing going, don’t listen to the aunt. You’re thriving and she’s probably a tad jealous or pushing her unrealistic views onto you, you’re doing great keep going :)
Yes, when you are working for the ups 25 an hour is good. People don’t realize these jobs in the postal service, jobs in law enforcement, jobs for the fire department, etc etc are so much more than your salary per hours. My friend works for the local fire department and makes like 1500 a week after taxes with a little bit of overtime. He doesn’t really need to invest if he doesn’t want to on account of his pension, his health insurance is free, dental and vision all free. Ample time off and vacation days. My cousin works for a police department and rakes in over 2500 a week (though he breaks his back in OT), with all the same benefits. These jobs are great. You’re doing great.
Never give up that USPS job. That's a solid career there and you will eventually be able to retire with a pension which is getting more and more rare these days.
Carriers get it pretty bad. They are abused by upper management day in and day out.
Clerk position for the most part is a pretty good gig. A lot less stress than a carrier lol
I only miss being a letter carrier every other Friday. Other than that, it was single handedly the most stressful job I've ever had, top that with the most abusive boss and it was pure hell
I’m a usps clerk as well, the money and benefits are great and nevermind the fact the job itself is good and not too difficult or physically demanding, and you don’t ever have to take your work home with you. It’s a great position
...I think I'm struggling making $55k after taxes solo, and I have a wife whose making close to $55kannually.
If you're doing the DINK thing its definitely possible but at a very controlled spending level. Not seeing much international travel in your future or property ownership anytime soon.
What does $1200/mo for two peoples retirement look like in 20 years plus that pension (maybe).
Honestly the fact that she told you to “aim higher” but then just told you to shoot for a job that still pays hourly tells you everything you need to know about her lack of perspective.
I’m also 27 M, and have a humanities degree (Film and Media studies). I have had multiple jobs that paid me high 5 to low 6 figures within my first 2 years out of college. That being said, the opportunity for you to make money with your degree is certainly there if you’re creative enough with how you leverage your experience. If you’re happy with your current financial situation and work life balance, stay where you are and continue to produce good work day in and day out. Work to live, not the other way around. Keep pushing brotha
It depends on where you live. If you live where I live (Oklahoma) then $25 an hour is pretty OK. Not great but not terrible either. If you live in New York than $25 an hour is terrible.
If I were you I would put in my 20, get a pension, then go get a state job (or federal) that offers pension then put in another 20. You are 27 so if you are just starting that would put you at 67 with a double pension.
While personal finance is indeed personal first, it’s also a purely mathematical one the other hand.
$59k per year post tax for a family isn’t much, objectively speaking, especially when you factor in tithing.
If anything at all changes in your living situation, your income will start to show its weakness.
Kids? Rough.
Property? Rough.
Family support? Rough.
Travel? Nothing fancy.
Business ventures? Rough.
Luxuries? Barely.
Generosity outside of tithing? Rough.
Your wiggle room is extremely tight, that’s all.
Reaching for higher income isn’t just about affording a better quality of life, it’s about affording options and time. Two things your current budget poorly supports.
My 2 cents :)
@OP, what part of the country do you live? It’s all relative. Fast food workers in California (Bay Area) make $22-$25/hour. If you’re in West Virginia, that $25/hour is still really good money.
You need to consider the value of the entire package. Salary is just one part of it. Insurance is another big one. 401k/pension program can have significant value. PTO time.
Then you have the work-life balance that is hard to put a dollar value on. Is the work easy, or are you going to physically or mentally destroyed after some years?
It is possible to use your college degree for more money. My wife has a philosophy degree, got a PMP and is a project manager in the IT space making 6figures 100% work from home, no OTz and nearly no travel.
This is highly location dependent. If you are where I am in California that’s basically min wage and you will be struggling without room mates and living below your means.
Your aunt lowkey sounds like an ass. I make 20.50 but I gross 75k a year. Hourly wage isn’t always everything. Plus, USPS has GOOD benefits and plenty of room to grow and make a shit ton of money
Congratulations on the promotion and the raise!! You earned it. Don't worry about what your aunt said. You're doing far better than most in your age range. If you're happy at your job, happy with your pay, and able to afford all your needs and want them you are doing better than 99% of people.
Stop donating money wtf are you doing. Put that 7k into a hysa and in 20 years you'll have 160k+ more dollar. Get out of that psychotic religious cult.
The benefits, imo, make up for it maybe not being the best hourly rate. Plus potential for overtime.
It’s incredibly location and lifestyle dependent on if it’s enough or not.
You will regret giving 10% of your earnings to people who say they know the make believe guy in the sky. I’m ex LDS and everybody’s journey of discovery is different, but just think about what could change in your life if you had saved another 70k over 10 years instead of donating it to the LDS hedge fund.
Really depends on your cost of living. It would be hard to buy a house on that income today. I wouldn’t rest there but use the stable income to prepare for better things. Maybe work towards a higher earning/STEM degree online or do evening classes to learn a trade. I made the mistake of not being ambitious enough in my twenties. I regard that as one of my biggest mistakes so far in life.
It’s so frustrating when people do this. They mean well, but it is demeaning. If you are happy with your job and the compensation meets your needs you are doing better than most. Keep doing you OP.
If you are paying your bills, putting money away, dont feel particularly stressed, and are happy, then you are doing great. You, my friend, are successful!
> donate $7k a year
I'm sorry to rag on you for doing a good thing, but if your total savings is like $14400 a year there's no way you should be donating $7k, you can see like a 50% growth of your yearly gains just by doing what the people with enough money to actually solve problems do and not give it away..
At least he's putting money into savings and living cheap. There a have been other posts of people living above their means and wondering why they are broke. While downplay the huge amounts they are giving to their church and 'freedom fund', charity, etc. and refuse to cut back on that.
You're doing okay, but it's best to always aim higher & not get too comfortable + at the same time be grateful for what we have :) If you have a degree, I do believe that you should (eventually) be making more then that...I don't have a degree, but make more then that... I'm also older then you though..
Even if you’re only making $25hr (which in most areas is not bad) the fact that you can retire early and you seem to like your job more than makes up for it. Don’t ever put a price on happiness.
Doing well for yourself! Sounds like you're responsible and assuming your rent and car payments aren't way overboard, it's fine. Most people your age aren't at that level. I'd say keep rent around 1200 or less and car payments around or under 400 and you'll be just fine. It's odd that your aunt made that comment - is there some other context? Does she expect you to move into a house? Houses are expensive but in that context, yes you would need to make more money. Regardless of her opinion if you are comfortable with where you are at, then by all means keep it going. Always push for more anyways because majority of the time, inflation outpaces wages so it's good to aim for promotions or see what other companies are hiring at for similar work. If she was referring to your degree, still doesn't hurt to research and maybe apply around if your current job doesn't have any growth opportunities.
>we're living pretty comfortably, we can go out, we can put $1,200 into savings every month and still pay our bills, and donate $7k a year to education and food storage for people who need it.
It sounds like you're already winning the game. Keep on keeping on.
It’s not always about how much you make, it’s also about what you do with the money you make!! Lots of people make great money and blow it all or end up in tons of debt bc they can’t manage their money well.
Make sure you’re investing, and it doesn’t hurt to talk to a financial advisor about your goals for the future. No kids now… but do you want them eventually? Do you want to buy a home at some point? It’s important to budget and plan for your goals.
It sounds like you’re doing great. 😊
Well tbh your aunt isn't wrong. For example, my career requires no college degree and you can make $25/hr after 1 year experience. Guys in their late teens or early 20s are making $25/hr at my job. We also get several pensions
You’re 27 making $52k a year(based on a 40hr week), you love your job and you’re living comfortably. I don’t see a problem. I’d rather have that than make $75k and be miserable. I recently left a job I hated for a new one that I love and took a $5k pay cut. I have a wife and three kids, so I had to figure that into it. I’m so much happier. That’s what matters most.
Depends on what you want. If you are happy, not losing sleep over money, putting money away, have spoken to someone about having enough in retirement, are correct to be happy.
That said, the whole thing about what your aunt is saying is that while starting jobs in your field nay pay less, you aren't going to make the money she is talking about at the USPS. You could if you progress in your field. I'll use my son as an example. His first job out of college like 3 years ago was for like 42k a year, to my idea criminally low. But 4 years later he is making well into the $60s and just changed jobs because there is a lot more room for advancement. I wouldn't be surprized if we was making in the $90,000s in 5 years.
That said, as someone who is about to retire, that pension is special in today's world. You have to factor that it.
THAT SAID, if the other posters are correct and you get 22% and even if you are making $70k at the end, that is $14k a year. Hardly enough to retire on.
I would suggest investing more vigorously in your retirement. Beyond that, if you're happy where you are and can see your career path maintaining that with our terrible cost of living increase, roll with it. If you plan on increasing your costs beyond your current means, absolutely find the means before the cost arise.
If you are comfortable with the lifestyle that you have, then you are doing fine. Don’t progress upward simply for pay if you don’t need to. It is more important for your health to stay in a job that makes you happy (unless it is not a livable wage).
Honestly, if things get tough, the easiest thing to cut out from a money perspective in the 10% tithing. The LDS church is doing quite well on financing. If you start to struggle and they still demand your money, you should really evaluate why the church is okay being wealthy while you struggle. If the tithing is completely optional, and you do it because you feel you have the disposable income, then that is your choice to spend your money how you deem fit.
Dang we make 68k a year after taxes but I only save 500 to 1000 a month. Would love to save more but student loans take 550 a month between both of us. Home maintenance has been a decent chunk lately too with new dishwasher and insulation for the attic.
Don’t take what people say very serious. Listen of course but don’t base your life on others opinions no matter how close they are to you. Opinions are like assholes everyone has one. Keep doing what you do. Work hard. Take promotions when opportunities arise. Keep expenses low, and avoid as much consumer debt as possible. You guys are doing great.
7k a year?!?! thats fucking insanse. more power to you, but thats like half of your savings each year?? idk how people do that. charity is good. but damn thats alot
Maybe she sees potential in you and is trying to keep your fire going. A lot of people just settle because they’re happy with what they make and then have regrets later on
At 27 I was making about $25 an hour and me and my wife were fairly comfortable with one kid with the arrival of a 2nd and the need for a newer car we started struggling some but those were our choices too, I was insistent on being done having kids by 30.
I'm turning 30 this year and alone I make around 80,000 and my wife brings in an additional 38 we still struggle at times but are not doing bad by any means being happy with what you have is the important thing.
That being said you donate decent amount and if your fine with that great however as others have said really make sure you understand your retirement plan you will probably realize your misunderstanding something l. After looking at it again you may discover you want to redirect some of that money towards an IRA. I won't pretend that I fully understand LDS culture they do allot of good for allot of people but I would say they are one of the organizations that of hugely profitable for a "nonprofit" with some of the largest agricultural programs and huge amounts of reserves invested I would easily say they don't need your 10% and if they insist on it their are plenty of other options to donate in my opinion that don't have to revolve around money.
All i can say is... if you are giving 10% of your income to that MASSIVELEY RICH institution you might want to do a little research on you church! start with the ensign peak fund... and the other shell companies that they created to hide money in the stock market. google How much land and property that your church owns search how many times they've been fined from the SEC for covering up how much money they have. why is that rich institution so secretive about how much money it has? My point is invest in yourself quit giving that church more of your hard earned money Mormon God does not need any more money.!!! And don't worry, you will still receive the same blessings I stopped paying several years ago and life is just the same. In fact it's twice as good and I have more money for my kids future😇
I think I would base staying there on how good the pension is at 20 years. At my job my pension will be worth 32k a year at retirement if i had 20 years of service and it goes up the longer i work, to me that's pretty good. If your pension is worth less than 25k per year at retirement age I would probably look elsewhere
Depends where you live. Where I'm at, I would have to take a significant downsize with that income. $25 an hour would have been amazing 10 years ago. Today, that's pretty low. Again, depending on your expenses.
You got a 22% raise. You did well, but she may be referring to this in these defined terms:
[https://smartasset.com/data-studies/salary-needed-live-comfortably-2024](https://smartasset.com/data-studies/salary-needed-live-comfortably-2024)
Do what makes you happy, don't do what others tell you to do. Research and learn when in doubt, and asking for people's opinions is fine, but don't let their comments stray you from what fulfills you and your wife. Sure, you could be making more by working at a corporation, but you also have to look into stress, commute time and gas, sacrificing time for work instead of being with the family, etc.
I work in a fast paced environment with "good" pay, but the amount of stress is very high for everyone, and that's a very big impact on your health in the long run.
The pension after 20 years is a golden ticket. If you’re living comfortably, you’re doing great.
The pension isn’t 100% of final salary but will be around 22% of high three salary. Need to put money into 401k as part of retirement plan
If I stay at my job for 40 the pension pays out 100% of my paycheck as if I was still working full time. That’s what I’m shooting for
Damn. Nice
I won’t be retiring until I’m 64 since I started at 24 but I don’t have to worry about any kind of retirement accounts if I stay for the full 40 and that makes me very happy.
Still mild your 401 and 457. Especially since they will tax you. And those accounts are all pre tax
And what happens if his employer just fires him before the 40 years?
39 years later* look throwaway we have to let you go you did us great the last 39 years but I’m sorry goodbye.
I think unless your fired for cause, you'd still get prorated. So probably like 90% of their salary
Even with pension, retirement accounts can be a powerful tool (especially if there’s a 401k match). You do you but if possible I would always recommend investing in 401k and Roth IRA and other tax incentivized retirement accounts.
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Hard to tell. I’ve got 35 years left. If I didn’t move to any other positions and stayed in this one I’d probably end around $45hr. Right now I make 26.58hr but I could possible move into the supervisor or management position when they open up within the next 15 years. Or move to another department. The city I work for has tons of jobs and it’s easy to move departments as internal applicants have first dibs at jobs before they go externals
But you SHOULD worry about other retirement plans. Get those investments rolling.
40 years and then you get 100% pension for life?
Yeah they'll pay out for the whole three weeks you're alive after retiring.
I'm actually making more in retirement than when I was working, and I just got a COLA raise today. It's a beautiful thing.
Yea but you will actually end up with more because Social Security and Medicare are taken out of your paycheck, but it won't be taken out of your pension check. And, of course, you will be collecting SS on top of it all also.
Depends. Some jobs with pensions are exempt from SS.
Mine too
Yeah I got a job making pension right now. Couldn't even believe it
Donating $7k on a $59k combined income is crazy
Donating more than 5x what you're saving is insane Edit: people really seemed to enjoy correcting my math so I didn't Edit the comment for a while. I misunderstand the frequency of saving vs the frequency of donations. Thank you. No need to be the 20th person to do the math.
its more of a membership fee than a donation. LDS are mormons, they require the “donation”
This makes it even more stupid! Lol
tithes are a bible thing, although many dont practice it anymore
Whether I believe in the OP's religion or not, he should be commended for being an asset to his community. I would wager that he is more of a benefit to those around him than any of the redditors poking fun at him.
yeah, i wouldnt say i’d recommend donating 10% of your salary to church, but I’m not religious. i probably spend more than 10% of my income on hobbies and shit i don’t need. if the church is his community and they do things for the members with the money, it doesnt sound like all that bad a deal. it’d be one thing if OP was claiming he can’t afford to live or even asking how he can budget better, but he isnt. i could imagine $7k a year (as a tax deductible donation) to support your community could be very worthwhile as an atheist redditor, reddit’s general hatred for religion is unreasonable. i certainly contributed to it in my teenage years, not proud of that but i’ve grown. unfortunately the toxicity on reddit seems to have also grown. I’m 30 now and my attitude toward religion has changed drastically, i can’t say I’m a believer but i respect it for the most part. good and bad happens everywhere, churches arent immune to that, and they arent defined by the bad.
Yup and sometimes they even marry each other. I’m a believer and my husband is an atheist.
How is 7k 5 times 14.4k?
They thought that 1200 was a yearly savings but its monthly as you point out
Your math ain’t mathin
Yeah I noticed but hoped no one else would. I though it was 1200 savings and 7000 donations. Not 1200 monthly and 7000 yearly
You mean just pure stupidity? Yes it is lol.
It's bullshit to call it donations anyway, it's the Mormons so it's actually tithing. Maybe they're not just letting the church take 10% of their gross paychecks and they do specifically choose who to donate to, but usually the church just gets it straight from the paycheck.
Yeah that's not true at all. I'm not here to debate tithing, but members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Day Saints (LDS/Mormons) don't get their tithing taken out from their paychecks. It's a voluntary contribution. Sure members are asked to donate 10%, but not outright required or forced via garnishment of wages.
Pretty sure in Germany, all churches take your 'donation' straight from your paycheck. I know that's not what op or commenter is talking about. More of just a not fun fact
This is true you meet with the bishop periodically for tithing settlement, which is basically like income tax what you owes determined and you write a check
The lds church does not directly take 10% from each paycheck like taxes or 401k deductions. Why would businesses have that option?
Sorry to break it to you OP, but $25 is not good. The positive is you are still relatively young and can make more. Keep trying to better yourself and aim higher as your aunt says. In the meantime enjoy your wins.
I donate 10% of my income... it's not required or obligated my church (apostolic). I just do it because I love Jesus and I trust him.
You’d think an all-knowing, all-powerful god would be beyond the need for money. Maybe Jesus isn’t the best with finances?
God doesn't need the money, people do. Jesus said that when we give to others, we give to him.
You’re much better off getting up and contributing your time and talents directly to your community than donating money to religious organizations.
Loving Jesus is free. Someone at the church needs your money to keep the lights on.
He might love you too but he definitely doesn’t love all the kids in Gaza.
Very much depends where you live. Where I live, it would be pretty tough to live on that amount.
I'd be living on the best neighbourhood of my country
7K donations means your rich to me. I would save it for when you want to start a family
Yeah, it's 10% of each gross paycheck. We want to have kids, but because of my heart conditions, we can't, I had right sided heart failure last year, luckily insurance paid the surgery. We put about $14k into savings every year.
10% gross? That’s a lot. What not 10% net?
How is the LDS supposed to run a massive hedge fund if all its congregation is only giving 10% of net. Are you crazy?
I find it insane how people can give that much away.
Brainwashing from childhood.
i mean, giving 10% of your income to a cult IS insane person behavior
Atheist here, but when there is a tithe like this the church does provide welfare services to its members. They'll get things like job and housing assistance or bills covered if they're in need. It's their own localized social welfare system, not without its greed of course (look at their churches), but it does get redistributed some for their poorer members. I've seen situations where the church owns a few houses they provide for free to some poor families, and use their network to get these guys jobs and back on their own feet.
Exmo here, I can assure you the LDS church is not providing free housing to needy members and takes far more than it gives even with the members so destitute that they actually receive any assistance from their local Bishop.
When I was homeless, it was a church that got me on my feet again. The main benefit people get from religious organizations, aside from whatever personal satisfaction comes from prayers, is a structured support system and a community bonded via ritual. There's a long history of churches being the main source of social welfare. Even going so far as being the main source of 'income' for artists and scholars. I put it in the same bucket as I put the government.
lol. True. What was I thinking !?
its a membership fee, they don’t decide it, its like taxes to be in the church.
Are you donating to the church or is the 10% going somewhere else?
I’m not sure why having a heart condition means you “can’t” have the kids that you want (and you don’t owe Reddit an explanation). But if it’s a given that you’re never having them, you’re doing fine at $25 given the stability of a career at USPS combined with (presumably) living in a LCOL area. A job that pays twice that comes with more stress, which is something you don’t want with a heart condition. Now, throw a kid or two into the equation and you can forget about putting that $14K into savings annually.
Potentially more to do with hereditary transmission, I went to school with 2 kids who's father had a genetic disorder and it was a miracle that he reached adulthood. Both of his kids made it to like 10th grade, so 16ish years before they died. That would be a reasonable "I can't have kids because of a disorder" if I know they're going to suffer before they die way early
It’s now pretty straightforward to do in vitro fertilization and screen embryos prior to implantation, implanting only those that don’t have the genetic defect.
If you're in a state where that's still legal.
By savings I hope you mean investments...
$25 is pretty solid, is there opportunity to get raises or bonuses in the future or is that the rate for the relative future? Also were you working full time at $20.48? If you were that sounds like your wife was making under $20k a year? Which isn’t a problem if she’s doing part time but if she’s trying to complain about not making enough money as a couple there’s definitely ways to make more than $20-25k
I work between 55 hours a week. As a clerk, anything after 8 hrs is time in a half. After 10 hours, it's a penalty, which is time in a half x2. After 60 hours, it's double premium pay. I could eventually become a lead clerk in a different office or a supervisor and make closer to $28-32hr. My wife loves her job she does make about $23k a year. No benefits but she works 4 days a week (10 hours a day). My wife isn't complaining. She's happy we're not in debt at all, and all the bills get paid.
Your wife is getting fucked hard
And not by OP. Ayooo
If all the bills are paid and there’s no debt. See if you can get 10-20% savings/investment Put it in VOO or SPY. Make sure you open an IRA if you don’t have one already. If you do this for 2-3 years by the time you guys are 30 you’ll have a good bit of money in savings/investment. If you do not think you can keep living the way you do after that, then maybe re-explore at 30 Sounds like you’re doing just fine and have ability to get a little bit ahead, but there’s obviously always room for improvement. If you’re willing to work so hard there def ways to maximize income with a little less hours at work. But if I’m grading you 1-100 you’re probably high 70s or low 80s. Not crazy struggling so you’re above 30. And not having debt puts you above 50. Being young and working hard moving you into the 70s. There’s room to get to 90s but for now I would say you’re in a decent spot.
The only thing I see here is no benefits for your wife, if she doesn’t have insurance one bad visit or emergency and your screwed for years. Figure that out.
She’s probably under his
Self-made millionaire just adding some two cents here. You’re free to keep or toss at your discretion. First, your aunt was wrong to judge you financially. She should be saying words of encouragement to you rather than down playing your promotion. Although I think her heart is in the right place. I don’t know what your aunt financial situation is and whether she’s working or not, or just living off a rich husband. But telling someone after they got a raise that they should be making more, is a little rude. I think she’s trying to be helpful, but She should also be proud that her nephew is working hard. Second, yeah, you’re doing everything right. I wouldn’t be necessarily donating so much money like 7K to charity, which is very magnanimous of you. but you could be investing it and putting into other things. I know you are trying to help others and that’s very noble of you. But as the old saying goes: help yourself first before you can help others. You are certainly saving a lot of money, but you do need to save/invest more. Which goes into number three, looks like you got things going good and if you can retire by 50, that’s always good. But I would say you can never anticipate your costs will never go up. You may want to buy a house one day, you may want to adopt kid s one day, you may want to travel more one day , etc. a lot of things can come up. 60K sounds great as a person in their 20s who keeps costs low but you can never guarantee that it’s always gonna be like that. But that leads to the last point and that you do seem to have a good financial mind and you do seem to be following good financial rules and hey, you’re doing great. Keep it going, adjust your financial plans as time comes by, and as your needs change and I think you’ll be OK. good luck. 👍
Stop comparing to others only compare to where you used to be. You moved from 20.48 25. Went from 819.20 per week to 1000 per week. Nice.
Depends on where you live! But I’d say you’re doing great! (Even though we always hear of young guys making tons) Retiring in 20 years sounds way nice. Also I’m LDS too ;) good luck with your work!
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You need to make sure you understand the pension. How much will you get from it at the 20 year mark?
About 20% of median between their highest 3 years. So if they make peak at 55k/60k/55k they'll get around 12k/year guaranteed
Yea that’s what I thought. OP keeps saying he’s going to retire at 50. Someone needs to explain this to him.
Yeah he needs to stay longer. My job does pensions but if you stay for 40 years you get 100% of your highest. So I’m going to work till I’m 64. Fuck it.
I understand now.
USPS basically has three retirement income streams. Pension, retirement and TSP which has a match up to 5% which also gives the option of contributing to a Roth IRA. If you play it right you can retire very well off.
Does the Mormon religion really require you to tithe $7,000, or 10% as young adults trying to secure your future? Sounds like you guys are doing good, the only thing I’d say is look at getting a house, that way you’ll chip away at some equity rather than throwing money down the drain, renting. Secondly, can your wife try to up her earning potential. You’ve got some serious bennies where you are at, maybe she can find something that will pay better.
It's not a requirement, but more of I want to help other people, I want to help maintain church buildings for worship, everytime I go into a building and see lights and running water, cleanliness, I can think, "wow I'm helping keeping a clean and working place to go to every week" People see it as, I hate giving 10% of my income, I feel like it's stealing my money, or you're paying for your salvation kind of thing. You're not forced to do it. You don't have to. I was super anti tithe for years, then one day it just clicked, and I understood. I view it as a reward to go into the temple to really escape the world, and it helps me become a better person. I hope that helps. It's not securing your future, but rather helping others get education, food, or a place of refuge if that makes sense? I do it because I want to.
I got you! I’ve heard headquarters earns in the billions each year, so I was just curious.
Yikes
The Morman church is worth $265 billion at last estimate. Yes, billion with a B. It’s commendable to want to help people, but maybe that money doesn’t go where you think it does.
If you want to help other people then stop giving your money to somebody that already has over $100 billion to work with and is hoarding it all. I’m not kidding. You are being scammed. And the worst part is you aren’t helping needy people you’re helping greedy people
Dude go look at the shit ur church has in Los Angeles. They don’t need your money.
A fool & his money will soon be parted
That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard.
Hey dude, I used to be Mormon too. My parents are Mormon and they’ve always paid their tithe and you know where that got them? On the road to barely being able to retire, certainly not comfortably. I would strongly encourage you to read the CES letter. It was written by a young man who had detailed questions about the church and his CES director advised him to write a letter with his questions so to get them on paper and that he would reply to them one by one . The letter was famously never responded to & has become somewhat famous online but ultimately it’s just a series of questions about the church and its history. Learning more about the LDS church and asking questions about it does not make you a bad person or sinful for viewing “anti Mormon literature”. That is cult like thinking. I’m not telling you to leave the church, just to read the CES letter and see what you think
Sounds like you're doing fine. Don't forget you get a ~50c raise every 36 weeks as well as COLAs and a general wage increase till the next contract. Supervisors are EAS 17 so they make about 65k-95k but in my opinion.. definitely not worth the headache. - fellow postal worker
Is $25/hr "good"? No. Especially if you're justifying college expenses. But a job you love with good benefits and full retirement after 20 years is a gem. If you guys are making ends meet, go for it. Maybe after that 20 years you can find something different (and do the travel/house/kids things) or maybe just retire early/frugally. This is up to you and your wife (not your aunt).
Sounds like your doing great and your aunt doesn’t know what she’s talking about. This ain’t the boomer years
You just got a $9k / 22% raise. That's not bad! And as you said - that pension plan makes up for a lot of missing salary. Sounds like you have more than enough money to meet your needs and you enjoy what you do. I wouldn't stress over it.
The problem is the humanities degree. You might as well have skipped college. It won't make a difference. If your happy with the current pay, there is no problem
I feel that goes for a lot of degrees and it's sad but true
I can attest to that. I have a Business Marketing Degree that is just being used as home decor. It couldn’t even get me through the door to interview for Marketing roles. 😂
Mmm I definitely wouldn’t put it *this* way. A college degree has become the new version of a highschool degree where places won’t even let you apply without one (literally “applications without that don’t meet the educational requirements will not be considered” or something to that language) I will say this, now a days you’ve gotta be very aware of the fact that you’re spending money on a degree whose field you might not get hired in.
You guys sound like you’ve got a healthy thing going, don’t listen to the aunt. You’re thriving and she’s probably a tad jealous or pushing her unrealistic views onto you, you’re doing great keep going :)
It was 20 years ago
I’m 56, been in my social worker position for almost 20 yrs and I make $25 hour at a non profit.
Yes, when you are working for the ups 25 an hour is good. People don’t realize these jobs in the postal service, jobs in law enforcement, jobs for the fire department, etc etc are so much more than your salary per hours. My friend works for the local fire department and makes like 1500 a week after taxes with a little bit of overtime. He doesn’t really need to invest if he doesn’t want to on account of his pension, his health insurance is free, dental and vision all free. Ample time off and vacation days. My cousin works for a police department and rakes in over 2500 a week (though he breaks his back in OT), with all the same benefits. These jobs are great. You’re doing great.
You donate 7k a year? Invest all that instead. I would never donate to big corporations because only like 10% of the money goes to the actual cause😭
Never give up that USPS job. That's a solid career there and you will eventually be able to retire with a pension which is getting more and more rare these days.
Interesting because I worked with a person who retired as a letter carrier and he said he would not wish that job on his worst enemy.
Carriers get it pretty bad. They are abused by upper management day in and day out. Clerk position for the most part is a pretty good gig. A lot less stress than a carrier lol
I only miss being a letter carrier every other Friday. Other than that, it was single handedly the most stressful job I've ever had, top that with the most abusive boss and it was pure hell
Exactly! That's what I'm really excited for.
Yeah I'd be cool making that much. Unfortunately they don't have any jobs paying that much around 😭
If you're happy, then you're happy. And I'm happy for you. Don't live for other people's expectations of you.
I’m a usps clerk as well, the money and benefits are great and nevermind the fact the job itself is good and not too difficult or physically demanding, and you don’t ever have to take your work home with you. It’s a great position
...I think I'm struggling making $55k after taxes solo, and I have a wife whose making close to $55kannually. If you're doing the DINK thing its definitely possible but at a very controlled spending level. Not seeing much international travel in your future or property ownership anytime soon. What does $1200/mo for two peoples retirement look like in 20 years plus that pension (maybe).
Honestly the fact that she told you to “aim higher” but then just told you to shoot for a job that still pays hourly tells you everything you need to know about her lack of perspective.
Who cares what your Aunt thinks? If you’re happy, keep on livin brother.
I’m also 27 M, and have a humanities degree (Film and Media studies). I have had multiple jobs that paid me high 5 to low 6 figures within my first 2 years out of college. That being said, the opportunity for you to make money with your degree is certainly there if you’re creative enough with how you leverage your experience. If you’re happy with your current financial situation and work life balance, stay where you are and continue to produce good work day in and day out. Work to live, not the other way around. Keep pushing brotha
It depends on where you live. If you live where I live (Oklahoma) then $25 an hour is pretty OK. Not great but not terrible either. If you live in New York than $25 an hour is terrible. If I were you I would put in my 20, get a pension, then go get a state job (or federal) that offers pension then put in another 20. You are 27 so if you are just starting that would put you at 67 with a double pension.
While personal finance is indeed personal first, it’s also a purely mathematical one the other hand. $59k per year post tax for a family isn’t much, objectively speaking, especially when you factor in tithing. If anything at all changes in your living situation, your income will start to show its weakness. Kids? Rough. Property? Rough. Family support? Rough. Travel? Nothing fancy. Business ventures? Rough. Luxuries? Barely. Generosity outside of tithing? Rough. Your wiggle room is extremely tight, that’s all. Reaching for higher income isn’t just about affording a better quality of life, it’s about affording options and time. Two things your current budget poorly supports. My 2 cents :)
You are selling hours of your life for money to live. Is $25 enough? You decide.
@OP, what part of the country do you live? It’s all relative. Fast food workers in California (Bay Area) make $22-$25/hour. If you’re in West Virginia, that $25/hour is still really good money.
In this economy?
You need to consider the value of the entire package. Salary is just one part of it. Insurance is another big one. 401k/pension program can have significant value. PTO time. Then you have the work-life balance that is hard to put a dollar value on. Is the work easy, or are you going to physically or mentally destroyed after some years? It is possible to use your college degree for more money. My wife has a philosophy degree, got a PMP and is a project manager in the IT space making 6figures 100% work from home, no OTz and nearly no travel.
Key to life, it’s all relative. You live in the Bay Area, no, 25 is not good. You live in Oklahoma, it’s great. It all depends on your lifestyle.
How horrible that must feel to try and celebrate your little victory, and your aunt says it still isn't good enough? Sorry but, shame on her
This is highly location dependent. If you are where I am in California that’s basically min wage and you will be struggling without room mates and living below your means.
Your aunt lowkey sounds like an ass. I make 20.50 but I gross 75k a year. Hourly wage isn’t always everything. Plus, USPS has GOOD benefits and plenty of room to grow and make a shit ton of money
Congratulations on the promotion and the raise!! You earned it. Don't worry about what your aunt said. You're doing far better than most in your age range. If you're happy at your job, happy with your pay, and able to afford all your needs and want them you are doing better than 99% of people.
Stop donating money wtf are you doing. Put that 7k into a hysa and in 20 years you'll have 160k+ more dollar. Get out of that psychotic religious cult.
The benefits, imo, make up for it maybe not being the best hourly rate. Plus potential for overtime. It’s incredibly location and lifestyle dependent on if it’s enough or not.
That's a lot more than I made at 27 years old. I'm 43 and making low six figures now, so my by age you'll likely be making 200k per year.
Compare you to you, not what others think you oughta be.
You will regret giving 10% of your earnings to people who say they know the make believe guy in the sky. I’m ex LDS and everybody’s journey of discovery is different, but just think about what could change in your life if you had saved another 70k over 10 years instead of donating it to the LDS hedge fund.
Really depends on your cost of living. It would be hard to buy a house on that income today. I wouldn’t rest there but use the stable income to prepare for better things. Maybe work towards a higher earning/STEM degree online or do evening classes to learn a trade. I made the mistake of not being ambitious enough in my twenties. I regard that as one of my biggest mistakes so far in life.
It’s so frustrating when people do this. They mean well, but it is demeaning. If you are happy with your job and the compensation meets your needs you are doing better than most. Keep doing you OP.
Fuck your stupid religion
If you are paying your bills, putting money away, dont feel particularly stressed, and are happy, then you are doing great. You, my friend, are successful!
> donate $7k a year I'm sorry to rag on you for doing a good thing, but if your total savings is like $14400 a year there's no way you should be donating $7k, you can see like a 50% growth of your yearly gains just by doing what the people with enough money to actually solve problems do and not give it away..
lol you’re donating 7k a year? Lmfao
At least he's putting money into savings and living cheap. There a have been other posts of people living above their means and wondering why they are broke. While downplay the huge amounts they are giving to their church and 'freedom fund', charity, etc. and refuse to cut back on that.
You waisted your time and money getting a degree in humanities?😂
Wasted*. If you’re going to insult someone, at least use the correct spelling.
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Someone has to float the bill for abused children.
If you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life- money isn’t everything
Good is subjective. Someone on $10/hr will say yes, someone above 30/hr will say no…
I mean. If you’re happy, family is happy, then there’s no issue.
You're doing okay, but it's best to always aim higher & not get too comfortable + at the same time be grateful for what we have :) If you have a degree, I do believe that you should (eventually) be making more then that...I don't have a degree, but make more then that... I'm also older then you though..
Ok to start.
it quite depends on where you are living and the cost of life.
Even if you’re only making $25hr (which in most areas is not bad) the fact that you can retire early and you seem to like your job more than makes up for it. Don’t ever put a price on happiness.
Sounds like you're rich in life. Congratulations
Doing well for yourself! Sounds like you're responsible and assuming your rent and car payments aren't way overboard, it's fine. Most people your age aren't at that level. I'd say keep rent around 1200 or less and car payments around or under 400 and you'll be just fine. It's odd that your aunt made that comment - is there some other context? Does she expect you to move into a house? Houses are expensive but in that context, yes you would need to make more money. Regardless of her opinion if you are comfortable with where you are at, then by all means keep it going. Always push for more anyways because majority of the time, inflation outpaces wages so it's good to aim for promotions or see what other companies are hiring at for similar work. If she was referring to your degree, still doesn't hurt to research and maybe apply around if your current job doesn't have any growth opportunities.
If you make enough to build up a savings, you're doing better than most Americans. Tell your aunt to back off
Not during these times
Your aunt shouldn’t say that to you. So rude! Good for you guys. I would lower the amount you’re giving to the church though.
>we're living pretty comfortably, we can go out, we can put $1,200 into savings every month and still pay our bills, and donate $7k a year to education and food storage for people who need it. It sounds like you're already winning the game. Keep on keeping on.
It’s not always about how much you make, it’s also about what you do with the money you make!! Lots of people make great money and blow it all or end up in tons of debt bc they can’t manage their money well. Make sure you’re investing, and it doesn’t hurt to talk to a financial advisor about your goals for the future. No kids now… but do you want them eventually? Do you want to buy a home at some point? It’s important to budget and plan for your goals. It sounds like you’re doing great. 😊
If your happy then your doing fine.
Pension after 20 years? I should apply there.
Well tbh your aunt isn't wrong. For example, my career requires no college degree and you can make $25/hr after 1 year experience. Guys in their late teens or early 20s are making $25/hr at my job. We also get several pensions
That’s an awesome raise. And that income is amazing as well. You’re doing just fine. Some people just have a different idea of things.
You’re broke, but you’re richer than almost everyone.
You’re fine dude. Higher salary will come with time.
You’re 27 making $52k a year(based on a 40hr week), you love your job and you’re living comfortably. I don’t see a problem. I’d rather have that than make $75k and be miserable. I recently left a job I hated for a new one that I love and took a $5k pay cut. I have a wife and three kids, so I had to figure that into it. I’m so much happier. That’s what matters most.
She just wants better for you, no matter how good you're already doing
Depends on what you want. If you are happy, not losing sleep over money, putting money away, have spoken to someone about having enough in retirement, are correct to be happy. That said, the whole thing about what your aunt is saying is that while starting jobs in your field nay pay less, you aren't going to make the money she is talking about at the USPS. You could if you progress in your field. I'll use my son as an example. His first job out of college like 3 years ago was for like 42k a year, to my idea criminally low. But 4 years later he is making well into the $60s and just changed jobs because there is a lot more room for advancement. I wouldn't be surprized if we was making in the $90,000s in 5 years. That said, as someone who is about to retire, that pension is special in today's world. You have to factor that it. THAT SAID, if the other posters are correct and you get 22% and even if you are making $70k at the end, that is $14k a year. Hardly enough to retire on.
I would suggest investing more vigorously in your retirement. Beyond that, if you're happy where you are and can see your career path maintaining that with our terrible cost of living increase, roll with it. If you plan on increasing your costs beyond your current means, absolutely find the means before the cost arise.
How many hours do u work a week to have 59k after taxes?
If you are comfortable with the lifestyle that you have, then you are doing fine. Don’t progress upward simply for pay if you don’t need to. It is more important for your health to stay in a job that makes you happy (unless it is not a livable wage). Honestly, if things get tough, the easiest thing to cut out from a money perspective in the 10% tithing. The LDS church is doing quite well on financing. If you start to struggle and they still demand your money, you should really evaluate why the church is okay being wealthy while you struggle. If the tithing is completely optional, and you do it because you feel you have the disposable income, then that is your choice to spend your money how you deem fit.
Dang we make 68k a year after taxes but I only save 500 to 1000 a month. Would love to save more but student loans take 550 a month between both of us. Home maintenance has been a decent chunk lately too with new dishwasher and insulation for the attic.
Love your life not theirs. You sound pretty happy start there.
Don’t take what people say very serious. Listen of course but don’t base your life on others opinions no matter how close they are to you. Opinions are like assholes everyone has one. Keep doing what you do. Work hard. Take promotions when opportunities arise. Keep expenses low, and avoid as much consumer debt as possible. You guys are doing great.
Personally I don’t find a comfortable wage until around 28-32/hr. You start getting out of that “one paycheck to homelessness” life
7k a year?!?! thats fucking insanse. more power to you, but thats like half of your savings each year?? idk how people do that. charity is good. but damn thats alot
Maybe she sees potential in you and is trying to keep your fire going. A lot of people just settle because they’re happy with what they make and then have regrets later on
I know this may be important to you but 10% is too high with your salaries to the church.
She’s absolutely right, inflation will continue rising and that 25/hr will be 15/hr
Boomers/Gen X do not live in reality and still live in a fantasy 2001 land, they LITERALLY cannot grasp the idea of wages stagnating / inflation.
I make $25 but also work 65-70 hours a week 😩
At 27 I was making about $25 an hour and me and my wife were fairly comfortable with one kid with the arrival of a 2nd and the need for a newer car we started struggling some but those were our choices too, I was insistent on being done having kids by 30. I'm turning 30 this year and alone I make around 80,000 and my wife brings in an additional 38 we still struggle at times but are not doing bad by any means being happy with what you have is the important thing. That being said you donate decent amount and if your fine with that great however as others have said really make sure you understand your retirement plan you will probably realize your misunderstanding something l. After looking at it again you may discover you want to redirect some of that money towards an IRA. I won't pretend that I fully understand LDS culture they do allot of good for allot of people but I would say they are one of the organizations that of hugely profitable for a "nonprofit" with some of the largest agricultural programs and huge amounts of reserves invested I would easily say they don't need your 10% and if they insist on it their are plenty of other options to donate in my opinion that don't have to revolve around money.
Take your 7k and donate to something like.. https://theoceancleanup.com/ That’s where your money actually would make a difference.
All i can say is... if you are giving 10% of your income to that MASSIVELEY RICH institution you might want to do a little research on you church! start with the ensign peak fund... and the other shell companies that they created to hide money in the stock market. google How much land and property that your church owns search how many times they've been fined from the SEC for covering up how much money they have. why is that rich institution so secretive about how much money it has? My point is invest in yourself quit giving that church more of your hard earned money Mormon God does not need any more money.!!! And don't worry, you will still receive the same blessings I stopped paying several years ago and life is just the same. In fact it's twice as good and I have more money for my kids future😇
I think I would base staying there on how good the pension is at 20 years. At my job my pension will be worth 32k a year at retirement if i had 20 years of service and it goes up the longer i work, to me that's pretty good. If your pension is worth less than 25k per year at retirement age I would probably look elsewhere
Depends where you live. Where I'm at, I would have to take a significant downsize with that income. $25 an hour would have been amazing 10 years ago. Today, that's pretty low. Again, depending on your expenses.
You got a 22% raise. You did well, but she may be referring to this in these defined terms: [https://smartasset.com/data-studies/salary-needed-live-comfortably-2024](https://smartasset.com/data-studies/salary-needed-live-comfortably-2024)
Do what makes you happy, don't do what others tell you to do. Research and learn when in doubt, and asking for people's opinions is fine, but don't let their comments stray you from what fulfills you and your wife. Sure, you could be making more by working at a corporation, but you also have to look into stress, commute time and gas, sacrificing time for work instead of being with the family, etc. I work in a fast paced environment with "good" pay, but the amount of stress is very high for everyone, and that's a very big impact on your health in the long run.
I think you should donate that $7k a year to your own investment account. Put it in an s/p 500 index fund.
Do not discuss your salary with your aunt. It’s crass.