Yes I will! Thank you. After I’m done I’m putting a good amount into my Roth IRA monthly. I got this!

I would try to make a budget possibly using a service like Mint or Rocket Money. Determine where your money goes and cut back on areas where you can spend less. You should treat yourself sometimes but don’t overdue it. Create a balance and you’ll be happy and financially stable.

That’s not a horrible mentality because it’s true but you are here right now and will need money in the future so it’s important to save.

if you’re saving for a house you should research teacher home loan programs in your state. Many states offer those programs to help get teachers homes as teachers pay often leave them left out of getting a decent home. For your home savings goal you should save for that in a HYSA or CD’s.

You should ensure you have an emergency fund in a HYSA account (eg. Sofi, Ally).

If you have any debt like credit cards work on paying those off AFTER building up the emergency fund. If you have student loans as a teacher look into the PSLF program if your loans are federal.

I would also consider checking to see if your employer has matching contributions to a 403(b) or 457(b) plan. I would of course max out the IRA first but if you max it out the next step in saving for your retirement would be contributing to one of those above mentioned plans. Be forewarned though you may or may not know this but 403(b) plans are known to have high fees with products like annuities and managed accounts. You can use a website called 403bwise.org to compare 403(b) providers. If you employer doesn’t offer a good 403(b) plan check out the 457(b) or push HR at your school to add a better provider you can get fellow teachers to help support you in this effort. You said you are investing on the side which is good however you may consider diverting more income into a tax advantaged plan.

I know this feels terrible. But you can manage it. I know this sounds super condescending but it’s way better to take these knocks earlier and with lower stakes like you are now.

You’ll get through this, you’ll probably look back on it as a learning experience. At least that’s how it was for me.

I have to download HSA investment data tomorrow because my state doesn't exempt HSA.

Seems to me you wouldn't be much worse off just quitting the job altogether.

Do my monthly update to the net worth spreadsheet and prep to backdoor the IRA limit.

I'm curious what your financial advisor does for you.

Man, as a Maine native, I'm struggling to not unleash a tirade about the influx of transplants and their... uh, quirks.

I'll keep it civil and relevant: no, your job sounds great, and you risk making your life considerably more stressful if you leave for some meager payout. You're making more than like 90% of the people around you and your household income is probably in the top 1% of the state. Come on now.

Can’t live with my parents anymore, lmaoo. I need to leave Los Angeles 🤣

Thank you for the kind reply, I actually have mint! I will pay off my credit card in full most likely by next month. I am only going to be living with my girlfriend in New Orleans for about 1.5 years, until I transfer to a college, hopefully Boston U! She will be coming with me as we both want to go to school together. She makes more than me now, and is saving up for our studio apartment for the end of 2023. I will be moving there in 7 months

Don’t be afraid of $3k in debt that’s very attainable to pay down with some discipline. There are many that have much more, but it all starts the same. When I first moved out I built up credit by taking a few loans; furniture, tires, etc..I was actually right around where you are.

At the time I made $14/hr, and each paycheck was barely $1000. I managed to save $200/mo and chipped away. It was motivating to get down to $2000, then $1000, going through that helped me realize how quickly things can get out of hand. It was a life lesson learned early.

It can be tough to manage your finances when you're in a lower paying job, especially as a teacher. But it's important to remember that the work you do is valuable and helps shape the future generation. So kudos to you for taking on such an important role!

To help you with your budgeting and financial management, have you considered using a budgeting website or app? There are tons of options out there that can make it easier to track your spending and see where your money is going. Some popular ones include Mint, Mvelopes, YNAB (You Need a Budget), and Personal Capital. They can be really helpful in keeping you on track and seeing your progress.

Another thing to consider is setting financial goals for yourself. Having specific goals in mind can help motivate you to save and make better financial decisions. If your goal is to buy a house by the time you're 30, you can focus on saving a certain amount each month and tracking your progress towards that goal. This can also help you prioritize your spending and make sure you're using your money wisely.

It's also important to remember that it's okay to treat yourself every now and then, but it's all about finding a balance. By making smart financial decisions most of the time, you'll be able to enjoy your money while also building a strong financial foundation for the future. Keep up the good work and don't be afraid to seek out additional resources or advice as you continue to build good financial habits. Your hard work and dedication to teaching and shaping the future generation is truly appreciated.

you sound like you're on a good track. I would just avoid the CC until it is paid off, then debate if you want to keep using it and paying it off monthly but if you start using it and can't pay it off, pay it off and be done with it for a few years

Make a budget if you haven’t yet.

I update the net worth spreadsheet and hope it went up.

keep living on 60K/year

put the extra into retirement, paying off the cars early, the mortgage depending on the interest rate on it (over 5% i'd chip away faster)

you can treat yourselves to a nice anniversary dinner & nicer vacation, but I would really focus on still living frugally so that you can put most of that extra income into future goals: retiring early, being debt free, something towards your child's future, ect...

>My mentality is “enjoy your money, you don’t know what will happen tomorrow.” How can I change that?

Instead of thinking about death, why not think that for every dollar you spend you will need to work an extra day before retiring? Is that small comfort or luxury today worth two or more weeks of hard work when you're older?

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Hey there! It's great to see that you're taking control of your finances and working towards paying off your credit card debt. It can be tough at any age, but especially as a young adult, so kudos to you for taking this on.

To help you with your budgeting and debt repayment efforts, have you considered using a budgeting website or app? There are tons of options out there that can make it easier to track your spending and see where your money is going. Some popular ones include Mint, YNAB (You Need a Budget), and mvelopes. They can be really helpful in keeping you on track and seeing your progress.

As you mentioned, you're planning on moving in with your girlfriend in the near future. That's exciting! Just be sure to have some open and honest conversations about your finances before combining them. Make sure you both have a clear understanding of each other's financial goals and habits, and consider getting a written agreement in place if you decide to merge your accounts. It's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to money matters.

Keep up the great work, and remember to celebrate your progress along the way. Paying off debt can be a long and sometimes difficult process, but it's worth it in the end to have a strong financial foundation. Good luck!

Not on used cars. I've never bought a new one off the lot.

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yeah have got a link on my profile hit up and text with the company

There is a reason why finance managers are the highest paid employees at a dealership. They make tons of money pushing all that stuff., it’s typically a $150k - 300k a year job for that reason.

I just looked this up for my own harvesting.
The IRS has some ambiguous language. You can't buy the sma fund but you also shouldn't buy a similar fund with a different name. Ie, if you swap a vanguard s and p fund for a fidelity s and p. You can swap a total market for an s and p. That's what I did. You also can't rebuy the fund you sold. So if you have auto buys on your 401k you need to switch them.

It’s standard policy to deliver a vehicle with a full tank, it’s usually one of the questions on the manufacturer’s survey.

For what it's worth, the Goodyear credit card offer OP is describing (most likely) applies to GY tires purchased at TireRack too. For me it was a $75 base manufacturer mail-in-rebate which was bumped up to $150 if I had the goodyear credit card. Not worth burning a credit card slot for $75, obviously, so I just took the base mail-in-rebate.

+1 on buying online and having the tires shipped to an independent installer though. Much cheaper than the dealer and better service than the big shops i.e. Firestone/Discount Tire/Pepboys