Im 42 years old working as a web designer for the last 10 years but only make 54k per annum. I live in London and it's impossible to save with this amount…basically i have no savings. Everyone where I work makes so much more than me and its embarrassing. Im losing sleep over this, I only have about 25 years till retirement, and my girlfriend and I want kids. There's no way i can afford kids atm.
The story goes i have been in bands touring and writing music and practising the whole time no never really focused on my career until now I don't have a band. So I have had the same job for almost 10 years, and my pay hasn't gone up much . My portfolio is way out of date and isn't getting me any work. I have been building my portfolio website for over a year now, and it's looking really good, but it isn't finished, and I feel stuck. Am I cooked?
I am good at what I do, and have recently got into UX, I could be making more.
42 yo web designer and im only making 54 k pa in London unable to save
byu/Melodic_Ad8637 inpersonalfinance
Posted by Melodic_Ad8637
9 Comments
You’re not cooked at all — 42 is still plenty of time to turn things around. The biggest win will be increasing income, not just cutting costs. Finish and share that portfolio — done is better than perfect.
On saving, what helped me was tracking my cash flow simply day by day instead of just stressing over balances. (I use something for that — check my profile if you’re curious.)
It has taken a year for you to build a portfolio site? Dude, knuckle the fuck down and get that shit finished in a weekend.
Are you freelancing? Are you employed full time? I know entry level devs making the same/more money outside of London.
You need to move to a new company asap.
Post your monthly expenses. I can’t believe you are unable to save on that salary
A year to do portfolio and struggling on 20k more than average income in a dual relationship no child relationship? o.o
Change your job.
Or give yourself 4 weeks. Make a portfolio with 4-5 very good well crafted case studies but also don’t over think it.
Get applying for jobs .
Ask for better salary than this, show your experience, with confidence, your UX learnings (so far)
And regularly do something to upskill.
You’re not cooked it just means you need a focused plan to level up. Finish that portfolio ASAP, highlight your UX skills, and start applying to higher-paying roles or freelance gigs. London’s market rewards strong portfolios, so once that’s done, you can realistically double your opportunities. Small wins now = more financial freedom later.
You need to post your monthly expenses because you should absolutely be able to save on a £54k per year salary in London. Are you in a flat share or renting solo?
Dude – get your portfolio done, brush up your CV and make sure what you present to employers actually reflects your skills as a designer and go get that bag.
You’re definitely not cooked. I would prioritize updating your portfolio and website ASAP and applying for other jobs. In our current economy job hopping is often more rewarded than continuing with the same company. Any small gigs you can do on the side would also be beneficial.
The other thing I would recommend is starting to budget and building your emergency fund first. With your salary you should be able to save, but perhaps you’re living above your means. You have to figure out where your money’s going. I personally use a budget spreadsheet on google sheets for this.
Bro. So many things you say highlight real problems. Career wasn’t your focus, a year to build a portfolio site, no kids. Your priorities are all wrong.
You say you’re good but on lower pay than everyone else, maybe you need to be more critical of yourself?
I’m a CTO and have interviewed thousands of people. Many of them have worked 10-20 years in the industry and are next to useless, lacking many skills they should have acquired, or can’t do their skills at a high level.
Take a look in the mirror, change your priorities and work toward a pay you’d be proud of.