This prolly gets asked a lot on here but I’m in not in a normal situation. Even besides just money, I want some life advice as well. I think technically I’d be considered homeless right now, but it’s more so by choice. I always either have options to couch surf at friends or if I can’t sleep anywhere, my car is pretty comfy. All my storage is in my car as well. I’ve only recently in the last 8 months started saving since I got a job but it added up quick.
For more background, thx to my grandma I have a finance degree with no debt, although I could never find a job after college. Then I was locked up for about 10 months, then I got a job as a poker dealer for my first real income ever at 24 years old. But now at this point I have no debt, done with legal trouble, and have about $60k across a Roth ira, my HYSA, and my brokerage with Fidelity. I make like $4000-4600 a month after taxes which is fairly decent. Idk if the general rule of renting is for before or after tax income, but either way, I could afford an apartment, I just don’t know if that’s a smart move.
Couple things to consider, I am super fearful and uncertain about my future. I already felt super behind with what is now a worthless degree, and idk how stable my job as a poker dealer is. I’m still trying to find entry level jobs relevant to my degree but I have no hope in that. Basically, im afraid of long term commitments of paying at least $1500-2000 more a month than I currently do with such uncertainty on where life will take me. Secondly, now that I somewhat educated myself on money a little bit, I feel like now is a better time than ever to dump as much as I can into savings/investings. I still want to have fun while I’m young, and not paying rent allows me to have fun and invest big.
On the other hand, I’ve never had my own place and would really like my own place, and since I could afford it, maybe I should, I’m 24 after all now. I don’t know what the balance is between living expenses and still being smart financially smart with my income. Could I still afford Rent+smart investing+fun? I really don’t know what to do. I have turned my life around but I don’t know where it’s going
Should I get an apartment or just keep saving?
byu/TheSlimmestofShadys_ inpersonalfinance
Posted by TheSlimmestofShadys_
1 Comment
Congrats on turning your life around! Couch surfing and sleeping in car will get old sooner or later. You do want to get your own place. Find a cheaper, safer and clean place to live on your own. Not knowing about rest of your finances, it is hard to tell but you should be able to budget, and keep saving and investing, plus have some fun.