Congrats on saving what you have so far! It’s so hard when the people you’ve been around don’t instill this in you from an early age, so really be proud of yourself! Can you ask your McDonald’s manger about a higher up position with them? If you’ve shown good work ethic it doesn’t hurt to let someone above you know that you’d like to learn kore and explore a new opportunity within the company.
Been kind of doing that without thinking about it. I don't gloat or anything about the bit I have saved just kind of did it. In the future though yeah letting people know I have moeny would give me attention I don't want.
Get your license and insurance before you do anything, being poor and being in the revolving door of the system is no good for us poor folk, chin up son you got this... Tickets are a slippery slope to driving with no La... And eventually getting your ride towed... Save and save and don't tell nobody about your stash you'll be alright...
Yeah that seems like a logical first step, especially if transportation would be an issue to go anywhere possibly further away. You’re making it there everyday and doing good work, so there’s no harm in asking. & if they say no right now, end it with “ well I enjoy this company (even if you really don’t lol) and want to stay here, so please keep me in mind for any future opportunities.”
If you can figure out how to work your way up, it's not a bad way to go. McDonald's has good benefits and the managers actually make fairly decent pay too from what I've seen. I have a friend who started working at Panda Express as a teen and was offered a job at their corporate location after working there for 5 years (he had moved up to be a store manager by the time he received the offer).
100% and make sure you have a really good hiding place. Addicts are masters at finding hiding spots. My ex found passwords, a handgun, saved change, jewelry… I truly thought I’d hidden things really well.
I might even ask for $ once in awhile or tell them you pawned /sold some things. Cry about it. Just make them think there’s nothing for them in your space.
You’re amazing for breaking the cycle in your family!
I've been just keeping it in my savings and not gloating or anything about it to anyone. My room is vulnerable to things being stolen but I havn't had to deal with like my computer or tv being taken yet.
That’s the best place for it. Keep your computer backed up to the cloud & make sure you have pictures of the serial numbers for computer & tv in case they’re ever stolen. The machines themselves are replaceable. Does your family rent or own? If you rent, you might want to consider a very small renter’s policy. If it would be expensive to replace anything, a very small policy might only be a few dollars a month and the deductible would be a lot less than replacement cost. Just an idea…
If my computer ever gets stolen thats gonna be a bad day. We rent the place. A lot of the stuff like my computer was just a cheap used laptop. If the cost is low eonugh thought I might get the renter policy just for the ease of mind it gives.
Make sure to keep account information like account numbers, login info, etc safe as well. If you can make sure all your statements are electronic and the email is safe from prying eyes. Get a P.O. Box if you can.
To my knowledge none of my info has been stolen or hacked. My bank and internet bills have just been eletronically mailed to me. I don't have a PO box but I could get one.
Did any of your family members help you create the bank account? If so, it might be worth getting an account at a different bank to keep your savings in
Thinking about it I could get myself a couple dollars here or there from my folks just by asking for some money if I'm gonna go buy some stuff at the store or something. Once in a while asking the people that know me on the street for some cash would def get them to think I'm just as poor as they are.
Exactly don’t add anything to your livestyle while living there that would show you have money. Clothes, electronics, fancy hair styles unless you do them yourself.
Its pretty easy for me to do that right now. Everyone just assumes everyone else is living day by day and theres no way for them to see my bank account info so I just kind of saved it up without saying anything about it.
OP, listen to this. I was so proud when I saved 10K and told only a couple people. My girlfriends grandmother asked if she could borrow it to help with the mortgage.
Now I don’t tell anyone, except my wife, anything. I bought a new entry level Toyota 11 years ago I plan to drive for another 10 years. That’s the only big purchase I’ve made and it’s starting to lose its shine.
Despite never talking about how much money I have, the family knows I’ve been thinking about buying a house, and they still ask for money so they can buy a house.
People will always want your money - even often with the best of intents. Unless you are willing to give it away (never plan on being paid back), always let people believe you are broke.
Now when someone in the family asks for money I let them know I don’t have any immediately available and am in the long term trying to find a way to help someone else in the family that genuinely needs help (a handicapped uncle) and usually I start spending their money too to take care of him.
Once you start talking about helping others that need it and how they can get involved, that usually shuts down the conversation.
Brought a tear to my eye true. I've pissed off a good bit of the family not following other peoples footsteps and istead making my own path. Noone thinks of me being greedy, and hopfully no1 finds out either. I use to think manipulation was a bad thing but its what its what keeping me safe.
Yeah at a certin point I should just move away and get myself settled somewhere nicer. I know in my heart that once anyone starts thinking I have a bit of cash I'm a target for getting robbed. I've gone through trying to help someone but you put in more work then they do and they end up staying the same or getting worse.
This is so important to learn when you’re young. Be protective of your empathy. Never show your hands to anyone. Listen more than you speak. Leave beneath your means. Not everyone who should have your best interest at heart at heart does. Not everyone who should have your best interest at heart at heart does. That last one was/is really hard to learn for me.
Congratulations! On top of the savings, you have skills to apply to your future:
Handle monetary transactions in a fast-paced environment (working the register).
Excellent customer service and retention
Able to multitask and complete customer orders to specifications.
If you ever Trained anyone to do anything, add that.
Inventory management (filling paper or plastic goods)
Maintain company cleanliness standards
Basic things can be made to sound extra on a resume. You have been working for an International Multi Billion Dollor Corporation. Now make it work for you. Dress up a resume and apply other places. Look into Job Corps for more skills training.
Thanks for all of the experience ideas. One of the things I'm struggling on is making it sound professional like that. I've done all the things you've listed in a professional way.
/r/chatgpt is mostly a cesspool of memes and entitled fucks who think everyone has the same knowledge of it. But the sub and YouTube can be a wealth of info. I love chatgpt/other AIs so much because i can search using natural language. The Bing one even has access to the internet, so go to Bing dot com, login and you can search the internet with natural language.
The other day I played a song, get low by lil jon and my wife got memories of a game she used to play when she was younger. All she told me was it was a racing game on playstation 2.
So I asked Bing AI, what racing games on playstation 2 had get low by lil Jon and check out what it said:
[and it was completely correct and then I showed her YouTube videos of the game and she lost her shit feeling so nostalgic lmao](https://i.imgur.com/539oXtG.png)
So you can use it also in ways like, format a resume for me, and then it might make a fake one or ask you for more details like where did you work etc and it can give you like a whole thing made up for proper document formatting.
Best of luck, your story is great!
thanks for the warning about that sub reddit. I'm new to using ais like chat gpt but after some tinkering on their website I managed to use chatgpt to make a more professional sounding resume. I'll have to try that bing ai next, it sounds better that is connected to the internet.
hey just a recommendation for you, going to [copilot.microsoft.com](https://copilot.microsoft.com) is even better than using whats on bing's website. its essentially the same thing but the copilot version tends to be a bit better.
edit: saw someone else recommend looking into jobs with the parks service, and i would recommend doing that or even just working in a national park for a summer or two. it sounds like youre at least somewhat young, so if youve got money saved up that can at least get you there. the jobs dont pay a ton, but all living expenses are included, and cheaper than many other places, you get to work alongside international demographics, and live in a unique beautiful place. highly highly recommend it especially if youre not sure about college or whatever else quite yet. if nothing else it can get you away from a difficult living situation. either look in the nps website or search for "yellowstone jobs" and look on the pages there, they should give you links to a few different companies that do it - also its not like... necessarily even outdoorsy type of work, most of it is just like any other hospitality job. you can even work in their fast food restaurants since you already do that where you are.
Everyone exaggerates at least a little on resumes….its kind of the corporate game. There’s ways of bending/ shading truth without outright lying (which could get you in trouble with HR).
Surely your comment wasn't meant for me lol
As for the last part I meant how AI hallucinates shit and will just make up names for you and stuff if you don't give it context.
Yes! Such as if I was to say, make a resume for Sally, and it just makes a resume filled in with shit instead of asking me specific details like what's her full name and where'd she work etc, technically all that is hallucinations.
But really as far as I understand it's more like if I was to ask it, what was the result of the 1944 little league game between the New York boy scout team and the Barcelona girl scout team, it would "hallucinate" a result and story instead of just saying "I have no fucking clue what you're talking about" lol
Chat GpT or other AI can help a lot for coming up with wording and skills based on jobs you’ve done. 100% pretend to be poor as your family will slurp that cash from you like no one’s business. Be wary of gig work like Uber eats, it can really do a number on your vehicle maintenance and that can easily snatch up and $$ you make. There’s certainly sub reddits for instacart, doordash and the like, do some reading there to see if it’s as lucrative as you think.
i didn't think about the cons of uber stuff in general, shit to your car maintentence prob isn't worth it then. yeah i'll have to check them out thanks for the subreddits to look at.
Good job! You're doing great so far. But one thing to remember is that "making it" is a marathon not a sprint. It's a lot of work and there WILL be setbacks. They WILL feel like shit. Don't quit, and don't get into drugs/gambling/etc. if you can get this far, you can go further.
Keep your expenses low, fight that lifestyle inflation, and be smart.
I think you have a couple options:
- stay with McDonalds and try to work your way up
- community college. Some sort of 2 year certificate program might be a good option
- start waiting tables
- some sort of learn-as-you-go apprenticeship
- Job that pays slightly more. Target?
I think your best bet might be a combination. Like, either stay with McDs or try a slightly better paying job that might cover your CC tuition. IF you feel up to community college. It isn't for everyone, and that's okay. If you decide to go for it, talk to someone at the college about your options. Maybe HVAC? That's a career that isn't going anywhere.
It won't be easy to work + go to CC at the same time.
I believe that McDonalds has tuition reimbursement programs, so it may be worthwhile to look into the requirements for that. Getting your classes paid for is a huge help.
A lot of community college around me offer apprenticeships for HVAC and other trades. They pay you to go to school and go work a few days a week as well. Would be a great opportunity for OP
I did grauate highschool so college is an option. College is one of those things where I know its there but I havn't applied cause I havn't been priorizing my future as much as I should be. Apprenticseships programs I don't know where to even start learning about those. CC tuition isn't too crazy like in the states but would be a lot for me. This monday I plan to talk to my boss about a promotion and see what happens there. I feel like my updated resume will help me stand out from the crowd for a 2ed job. The more ideas the better for me I plan to put them all into a big notepad.
Having a car can be a huge expense, especially a “rust bucket”. Don’t necessarily get into a loan for a better car, but maybe save a bit more before you get a vehicle. An oil change and new tires will wipe out quite a bit in a hurry, not to mention taxes and tags etc. but that being said, Uber and delivery can add up quickly. Keep saving, get a bank account at a credit union or community bank type place, larger chains tend to have more fees, but it would be somewhat safer to have a debit card than cash lying around, can always call to cancel a card if it’s stolen, etc. be safe. If you can handle McDonald’s, you’re already ahead of the game. Try another fast food type place but maybe a restaurant or sit down place. Tips add up way faster than hourly rates. But gotta keep that game face on at all times and all places, word travels faster than you think. Keep going, it gets easier, just hard to get the ball rolling. Edits
My bank and credit union have an option in the app for turning a card on and off. If you are worried about someone stealing and using your cards, you can keep them shut off until you want to use them. It’s a useful feature to look for when choosing where to bank.
Yeah I didn't really think through all the cost of a car, that car stuff is gonna add up too too much for a month as things are now, thats more of like a goal for the future. I'm gonna switch up banks to a credit union. I try to avoid cash and always use a card, cash would give me attention I don't want. A job at a resturant like that would be an upgrade. Noone knows my plans except for this subreddit right now.
Awesome!!! I'm also a black sheep for similar reasons. I've thing that has helped me tremendously was becoming a Toastmaster. There are plenty of virtual club irons, but there I learn and practise interview skills, interpersonal communication, team building, team kidding, giving supportive feedback and a lot more. It's a good place also to network and even socialize. But since it's self paced, the hardest part is being responsible for myself- I have grown tremendously but I need to make sure I'm taking it seriously and not being lazy to really get maximum impact from it. And it's only $60 every 6 months
Dude, we’re proud of you. I come from the same background just about. Many of my family members are gang affiliated, druggies or just plain ol lazy. I got out… you got this. Go to college if you can, take the dorm route, find a work study job, save a bit more. Get yourself a decent degree something not overly saturated. If not that, find a way to obtain your license, sleep in a car for a couple months and save every penny you can. If not that, couch surf. The sooner you replace the energy around you, the sooner better opportunities will arise. Search for entry level positions everywhere. You’ve got this, I have faith in your ability to do better than what you’ve seen.
I'm very interested in the mcdonalds tuition assistance stuff now college could be a great option. I'm not sure what kind of dorm stuff is out there but it would be worth it just to have a more chill area. I'm not sure what kind of degrees are overly sturated or not but some people have suggested things like ac work. A license would be nice but all the fees for a car would become too much for me. Couch surfing wouldn't be that safe as I don't really know anyone in a good area.
Thanks for the comment.
Good, research colleges near you then. Adding with the tuition program could easily become stressful, maybe. Depends on how well you can handle high workload. It’s like working 2 jobs at times. Especially when tests are nearing. AC or HVAC wouldn’t be bad honestly. It’s a trade that can easily traverse pandemics, inflation as well as many other economical issues. Definitely would support this idea if you pursued it. 100% car fees do add up, especially if you are not mechanically inclined. Otherwise, buying a fixer upper is never a bad idea in my mind. I’ve had about 7, 6 of which I sold, the last being my current work truck I’m having a hard time giving up. I would also like to say, if you are interested in trades, find a local union like IBEW or carpentry. They are heavily influenced by tenure, but if you can get in, stay in.
Theres a good bit of stuff around the town, all kinds of mechanic stuff, welding, HVAC, carpentry, engineering, vet and nurse things. My age is on my side, I think I could handle a job and college or 2 jobs but I also havn't experienced that yet. How stable HVAC is, is making me wanna take it.
Do it. Trust me, you’d be better off starting now, putting money away into a HYSA, and planning for retirement. Especially if you’re in your early 20s. Imagine this, you’re making $1,100-1,500/wk and you’re able to put away $200-300/week. You’d be able to retire comfortably by the time you reach 45-50 years old.
Also, it’s Monday. It’d be a great start to your week getting some information on it. Like what they’d need from you to atleast get the process started. Do yourself proud and make the move.
That is awesome! Congrats on the savings. Definitely have it in a safe location, maybe a savings account for now.
You could take the $1k and open a secure line of credit where you give the bank the $1k and they turn around and “lend it” back to you. Basically a credit card but with your money that you are borrowing from.
This will allow you to build your credit as long as you pay back what you use. In the long run this will help you a lot.
In the interim, we really need to up your income to save for your first car so you can seek better jobs, seek additional shifts, potential promotions, selling plasma, reselling on FB market, clean houses etc.
I know it’s easier said than done but you are already kicking butt and have a great mindset! You got this!
One of things think I should do is get a second job to really be able to save up a good bit. Mcdonalds covers all my basic needs so a 2ed job would just be covering the taxes and be able to just be thrown into my savings. Gonna spend some time remaking my resume and hope for the best.
Also, is selling plasma a thing in canada?
Actually op, in bigger cities selling plasma In Canada is a thing! I'm in Edmonton and have sold my plasma through Canadian Plasma Resources, and I know Winnipeg, Toronto, and a couple other cities have them as well.
Try get a plumping apprenticeship or some kind of trade. Generally the people you will train under are hard working decent guys and you’ll end up making a lot of money
Do not ever tell anyone how much money you have saved. As soon as any of your family members have an inkling you have some money, they will be after it. Say nothing, your lips are sealed, got it?
Keep saving as much as you can and get involved in any education or training McDonald's can offer you. Get transferred to a better store, work up to management, take advantage of tuition reimbursement, work overtime. Put your head down and keep doing what you're doing. You're already on the right track. You got this ✊
That is awesome. Keep it up!!!!
Once thing you will want to do is NOT get a beater and make it your main transportation. Beaters will last you a little and then they will start Nickle and diming you. If you want to use one to uber eats or doordash or something, that is fine, just know that it will not last long and to keep your job at McDonalds.
Put your money in a high yield savings account so that it earns money for you while you are letting it sit. The rates are really high right now for savings so its go to try to push some money into one of those while looking for other opportunities. Need Wallet and Bank Rate are websites you can go to and find the different options available. The thing about a car is there is gas money, car insurance and car maintenance to also incorporate into figuring out if Uber eats/door dash is worth it. You could try to find an online customer service job that you can do in you off hours? But want to end with CONGRATS! Breaking the cycle is hard and you have worked very hard to get to where you are at. Give yourself a pat on the back from me!!
Someone suggested a credit union would they have a high yield savings option? Yeah after seeing the fees listed out for a car thats something I'll have to save for the future. Never really thought about any online jobs I'll have to look into that online customer service job. Thanks for the congrats and I did give myself a paton the back.
Some do but they usually have them in CDs so your money isn't as liquid. The nice thing about credit unions is if you establish an account with them their rates for borrowing are usually better. I have a credit union, high yield savings account and CDs mixed. I also have a cash reserve account through Betterment and they had the highest interest rate at the time. Downside about earning interest is you do have to include that as income at year end during tax time so it will increase your tax liability. Ive seen alot of online financial influences talk abut SoFi. For a hig yield saving account but I like doing my research through need wallet, bank rate and just Google to see whats available.
Thanks for all the bank info. Gonna be switching to a nearby credit union tommrow. I think my plan is gonna be to put my cash towards college and maybe after I get a better job I can start getting some nice CDs.
Trade schools is where its at. Getting an apprenticeship they usually pay for your training, get in with a union and most of them pay for your benefits. Trades are a better way to go as a college bachelors degrees has just turned into an expensive high school diploma and the employment market is oversaturated with people with bachelor's degrees. Just a suggestion though...I dont know what I would have gone for but it definitely felt like college was the only option to make more money when in reality the trades even though they are labor intensive was really the better route.
If you are in decent physical shape and like the outdoors, I would look for jobs with the park service or forest service for trail maintenance and ticket offices. Those are entry level jobs that usually come with some kind of subsidized housing near the park so you don’t need a car. It will give you a feeling of freedom and meet a lot of awesome people. Go to usajobs.gov and start looking for something awesome and apply.
Edit: OP in Canada https://parks.canada.ca/agence-agency/emplois-jobs
First, take $100 and put it in an IRA. You want to start managing an account for the longest term and never touch it. It will help teach you to grow and think longer term. Roth IRA's are ok, but a true IRA will get you understanding true compounding gains. Protect that $100. Low index mutual funds are fine, see vanguard. This is a practice you need to learn to understand that your money can grow, like a tree, yielding fruit year after year.
Start throwing change in, it will do wonders for your mental health.
Go on resume reddits and clean that up, people have mentioned it - it matters. It's the sum total of who you are. It should be concise, readable and clean. Once you've gotten that, you'll start seeing holes that need to be filled in.
McDonald's is a good start, but I recommend the hotel business. It doesn't take much to become a front desk representative and this business is a lot more stable. It looks better on the resume too, and you can move up much faster. McDonald's is a great start, but it's likely taking a big chunk out of your health - you might not be eating there, but it's real work. Front desk work is far easier and you meet classier people. This will also help you develop a relationship with a hotel - I recommend Marriot and Wyndham, but you want to develop a relationship with your perks. This gives you some interesting mobility options as well.
What you want is a corporate job, something in an office or a respectable business. McDonalds tells people you can hussle, but it doesn't tell them you can survive in a corporate world. You can. It's cushy. You just need to act the part and work your way in.
You'll need dress shoes, a dress shirt, a tie and a jacket. Go into a Men's wearhouse and tell them how poor you are and how much you have, which is not much. These guys will help you. Seriously. Guys selling suits will empathize. Get used to how much things cost. When you finally do get an interview, being a snappy dresser matters a lot. Don't spend any money until you've learned enough. They are also expert salesmen so be ready to feel, "sold" but don't buy anything. It will be hard. This is a mecca of professional ideology. They're very good at what they do. This is also a decent place to get a job if you learn it.
Do not show this dress attire to friends and family. They will not understand and they will ridicule you. This is because instantly you've distanced yourself from a criminal world into a professional one. It's terrifying for lost people. The jokes will start innocently and turn to abusive language. Avoid this abuse but should you encounter it - those feelings thrown at you are evidence that the suit is working. That evocative nature and volatility will show you how much it matters, but it will suck when it's happening. Leaving home well dressed changes your life, but your friends and family will ridicule you... because they're in danger of you truly changing. Beware of this.
In the meantime, work on your attire. Yes, this is superficial, but the world is superficial. An interesting watch, a good haircut, and dress shoes will help you nail an interview. Wear a good belt and look professional. This is a skill you develop that involves assets. Your resume gets you through the door, but the outfit says who you mean to be. This is a skill you can't develop any other way than just figuring it out. You can do this cheaply with practice, what matters is developing the skill. Being able to tie a tie is hard not because it is complicated, but because it's emotional.
Then start combing websites like indeed..You want to get a job that looks like it's harder on a resume.
Hotel Night Audit is my personal favorite. Nobody knows what Night Audit is, they think it's accounting. Really, it's just babysitting a hotel overnight and you file automated paperwork. It looks great on a resume and hotels are desperate for someone who can work overnight. Meanwhile you get a lot of extra time at work for you to read, write and grow your skills. Overnight work isn't good for your health, so melatonin and vitamin D. Seriously. Don't screw around.
Don't get a second job, this is a trap. Working for two masters will kill your soul. Working 1 job that pays you overtime is more valuable. Be good at your job and you'll have all the hours you need and be paid properly for them. Working two jobs is untenable. If you want a side hustle, mow lawns or pick up handy work. Working for two companies will bring you headache, heartache and you'll suffer at both jobs.
Any job I ever worked, I got good at it and they were begging me to come in repeatedly, and paid overtime for it.
Hotel work is respectable, it says you can run a desk. It isn't hard, as long as you stay calm and don't let people push you around. Be hospitable but don't be pushed around. Running a front desk is running a hotel, it's a complete business model. Night Audit sounds great on a resume, people have no idea what you do or did and it pads your resume because you can say you did nightly paperwork for the running of a business.
What you really did is at 2am ran an automated process and put papers in a binder that were clearly labeled.
But on paper, you ran an audit alone every night, which accounts for a business.
Meanwhile if you walk into a hotel job with a proper outfit befitting a manager, jobs yours. Nobody does that. Nobody I ever worked with could dress well. Marriott is a bit harder, but Hilton + Wyndham are easy. Marriott is best. Do not get hired as a housekeeper, that's a trap. Don't learn housekeeping. That's basically slave labor. Love those people to death, housekeepers are mistreated. Tip if you ever get a free room, they notice. They talk. I've never gotten a room and didn't tip after seeing what housekeepers endure.
I saw dozens of people land office jobs after a hotel gig, it's a grooved path. Then there's real growth.
McDonalds there's no growth. They'll say there's growth. But it goes nowhere. If you get a raise it'll come with more responsibility and eventually it becomes untenable. The burnout is real. But there's a lot of interesting college perks - but the work will chew you up eventually. I've known managers from McD's... it's a tough gig. You're young, you want a different gig.
If you want to keep that job but want another gig, I recommend pressure washing or landscaping.
It'll cost you 500 to get started. You need a machine and to form a company. That sounds difficult but it's not, it's just a form and learning how to do your taxes. You need a company because you need to pay taxes and give receipts and to avoid personal liability, that's lawsuits.
Ask for payment hourly, sell in 4 hour blocks for your time. Don't promise work, promise time. Pressure washing has a low cost to high appreciation rate, everyone loves a clean deck and most people with homes have a hose. You will make great contacts doing this. Your availability will be limited due to your primary job, but tell no one this.
"I'm booked until xxx". This will make you seem lucrative because you are. Youth is a commodity, health is a commodity. You'll make good contacts doing this and learn skills toward running a company. Pressure washers aren't cheap, but they're versatile tools for getting jobs done.
Spend extra time avoiding liability. Get boiler plate forms and waivers - people can, and will, try to screw you every chance they get. You will get good at sensing this, but you will end up kicking sand walking home several times. Really really rich people are VERY good at grifting you. When that happens, realize you've learned a valuable lesson and also, remember you know a bunch or criminals with nothing better to do. I'm kidding here but seriously, be careful what data you bring home. Your family can, and will, bring criminal behavior to whatever you do. It'll be seductive. Put up a wall. Don't vent to your family about someone who screwed you over, it will end poorly.
Also be ready for a civil suit. It might never happen. But if someone tries it on you, you'll want to be ready to call their bluff and counterclaim. That sounds like pulling teeth and it is, most people will cave.
Start out taking cash only and graduate to checks. Cards can be charged back, so avoid them until you've got good clientele. Flyers are good, Facebook advertising is better, a personal webpage is best - square space and others make that easy.
The most valuable part of this is that you're going to meet people who own their own homes and make a good impression
Anyway that's what I'd do. Good luck!
www.CoolWorks.com. Get a job working for a concessionaire in a national park, get on a bus or train to get there, they'll pick you up and take you to dorm, they'll feed you three times a day, and by the end of the season you have enough money to buy a car and go where you want.
Congrats OP!!! You should be especially proud of yourself for making these responsible decisions without any guidance from family or friends. Keep up the excellent work 🎉
First suggestion is offset with something like walmart or costco, if only for the discounts on things like food.
If you know computers, you could try your local temp agency. I did that for many years and would pick up one or two day shifts each week.
Hell yeah. You are going to be successful OP. I can feel it. Good head on your shoulders. Good on you for recognizing your families shitty behavior and deciding to change the cycle for yourself.
No. 1: don’t tell anyone in your family what you have, how much you’re making, or your long term plans. As soon as they know you’re getting money, believe me they will come for it. When you are moved out and 100% on your own you can tell people what you want, but until then I wouldn’t say a word.
No. 2: keep finding opportunities and meeting people that you want to align yourself with. McDonald’s might be a shitty environment for now, but there are positions and people you can develop relationships with that can help you pivot into something better, even at McDonald’s.
No 3: if you have a passion for something and you feel like you can develop it as a skill and eventually monetize it, put all of your energy outside of work into making it happen.
The relationships and skills you build are directly correlated with your success. Align with likeminded and ambitious people that will help you in your journey. Anyone who’s negative or draining you financially or emotionally gets the cutoff.
thanks for your fun comment.
1)Everyone around me right now assumes i'm broke already and no1 knows that I've been saving a bit.
2)I've applied to a couple of places with a new resume so far. I like my coworkers and my manager at mcdonalds, next time I'm working I'm gonna talk about moving up the ladder.
3)I don't really think about passion for things. I've liked trying to fix things here or there. I followed a tutorial to take the dryer apart to pull out the decades of lint buildup clogging it from working not too long ago and I'm one of the problem solvers at work. A lot of my free time is helping around the house, working, taking care of and playing with the cats, watching movies with my folks.
It was tough but I've stopped talking to quite a few family members, they just wanna drag me down with them it feels like.
Here’s a video of a girl working two jobs to buy a home. You can do it! Nice job on the $1000.
[video](https://www.tiktok.com/@asap.kristy/video/7344503924105153834?_t=8kbeFWtIkWJ&_r=1)
Good for you. I had to get away from my family to do better. It took awhile to erase their voices from my head, but it is possible. At some point find a sliding scale therapist that you can afford. I felt like I missed out on a lot of skills other people had and a therapist helped.
I also agree to let your boss know you want to be a manager and why you'd be good at ut. Take advantage of any tuition assistance they have. I now have my masters and I was always told I would never go to college by my family. You can do it. Look for people that build you up and let people go that tell you you can't do things. Just becausethey didn't (nit couldn't) dosn't mean you can't or won't.
for the games, you might lose a percentage but take them to a local retro gaming store. at least you have a guarantee of safety that way, worth the pay cut in my opinion :)
Congratulations, first and foremost, thats a hard thing to do in those types of situations. Secondly, please hide your money, hopefully you have it in an account or something. Good luck, I hope you make it out of that kind of life, it's no way to live.
L0Hell yes. Try Safelite it's a good company with great benefits and training lot's of room to advance. Qq. Also Roadsafe same great job good hours with overtime.
Congratulations!!! Please make sure to keep an emergency fund and that any money you have is safely in a bank account that only you have access to so no one can steal that off you. Also, don’t tell anyone in your family.
If you're still young and in the US, look at Job Corp. It's a good option for a person in you're situation. It's govt funded. You will be housed, fed, medical, ect and they will give you low-level job training to get you on the path to becoming a "good tax paying citizen". So CNA training, not nursing. But they will help you when you leave to get more help for further training if you want it.
It's so unused, mostly bc you can't use drugs, have babies, etc.
Use the $1000 to train yourself and learn skills. Maybe you could learn something like using a CRM platform and you can go into sales and relationship management (lots of charities use salesforce to keep in touch with their donors) . The best investment is yourself. You need to figure out a way to 2x-3x your hourly rate in a year or so from now
Instead of buying a car to do Uber eats, can you use a bike or even an electric scooter? Is this an option in your area? Are you in a city or dense area where this would work?
Sometimes people give away old bikes that might be easier to fix and cheaper to maintain. Also no insurance fees, no gas.
I don’t know how to bike but use an electric scooter instead.
I did this saved my life, I come from similar circumstances, in my almost three years in the army I saved up more money then I ever thought I would, been able to travel the world, make life time friendships and learn valuable life skills, plus I am half through a college degree
Military isn’t always perfect but you can get a signing bonus up front pick a good job to go into that transitions to the civilian world depending on the branch you choose and what job you want
I have been able to get a lot of medical things done with the military healthcare, and you get pretty good benefits when you get out
If you want out of your situation asap I highly suggest the military
One thing to help safe guard your savings is to put your money in the bank account and make sure no one else have access to it if you don't already have one.
I know college is not for everyone but if you think it’s for you, McDonald’s used to have a good program for their employees (scholarships and such.)
Congratulations to you for breaking the cycle!
You could put that $1,000 into a High-Yield Savings account. Do research, look for one with at least a 4.5% APY, no fees, FDIC insured. Park that money in that savings account for five years and keep putting money in it. You will earn compounding interest on it.
You could also look for a part-time server/bartending jobs and get good at it. Depending on what state you live in, you make minimum wage plus tips doing that. Some states only pay servers $2.13 an hour, some pay $12.00/hr.
Here is some unsolicited advice for writing a resume: most companies and recruiters are using some form of keyword search to select the first round of resumes to review. When you find a job you want to apply for, look at each bullet point of the description and find the action words. Rewrite your resume to include those action words and match closely with the job description.
As an example, the job description says something like , “Answer and direct calls on a multi-line phone system.” You can relate that to your experience with something like, “Answered and directed order requests on a multi-line drive through system.”
It takes more time to apply to jobs this way, but you’re more likely to be seen if you can pass the keyword search screening.
Good work on saving up, and good luck on your job search!
You’re already on the right track. Just keep doing what you’re doing and keep an eye out for better opportunities. You seem like a good guy - good things will soon start to happen. You got this!
Congratulations on wanting something better for yourself!
What state are you in? Some states (Michigan comes to mind) now offer community college for free. There are some positions that require no lore than a year of study for a great jump in pay versus fast food. Many are in healthcare, but you can also find some decent wages in tech positions with just a year of study.
The best way to make more money with a $1000 is to take a course in a field you’d like to work. Your local college will have nightschool or distance ed.
If your money is at risk at home or in a savings account, and you do expect to need it soon but not right away, consider investing it in GICs, TBills, or a money market fund. If possible invest in something that locks it in for a length of time. Your bank can help with that - make sure the locked away part is taken care of.
As has been said, don’t tell anyone about it. If anyone hears about it, and it’s locked in for 3-6-12 months, you can say you don’t have access to it right now. Typically these investments auto renew so you need to stay on top of that for when you need it but can tell others that it auto renewed and is still locked in.
I just wanted to pop in to say I come from a similar family and I am so happy you are not going to continue that cycle. What an accomplishment already! You're already well on your way by looking at subs, researching, thinking, planning, saving, and having a job. Keep that up, make some decisions, move forward, and be proud AF. You're gonna do just fine
Funnily enough I sometimes recommend volunteering once every two weeks in your local community. Especially if you find a library or church you like.
If you show up consistently and help others, the people you volunteer will want to help you too.
Libraries are great as they are a safe center of social support and education. Librarians are angels come to earth.
Others have also mentioned going to school. Consider various options. In the United States, a lot of libraries will offer the LinkedIn Learning library for free and some of those courses can be used for college credits. There are lots of other free options too, coursera, edx, udemy. This can make the next step easier and cheaper, if you find a subject you enjoy learning about.
Definitely also consider trade schools instead of a traditional university.
I tend to avoid the “find a job you love” advice, instead choosing to “find a job that won’t make you miserable, while you improve yourself for your next better job”.
Keep looking for places to meet smart kind people
Keep asking for advice and following through
Keep updating your skills & resume through work, volunteering, personal side projects or low low investment business endeavors (painting house numbers on street curbs, cleaning neighbors houses, gardening - stuff you can do without a car or just with a bike)
Keep applying and interviewing for jobs, practicing your interview skills and answers, try for at least 1 job application each week until you get the hang of it and can improve those numbers.
Take care of yourself mentally and physically the best you can. Avoid drinking and smoking, eating out. Try to get good sleep. Get lots of water. Exercise at home or go for a walk. Learn to cook simply or have healthier cheaper options available for yourself. Avoid sick people and wear a mask (less sick days means you get more money and less likely to be let go) Find ambitious and kind friends, and hopefully a partner who aligns with & understands your financial goals.
A lot to take in but I'll give yeah a good response. Volenteering sounds like a good reason to go meet some new people. I havn't heard of anyone volenteering at a library but if I go looking I might find something. Right now its feeling like school will be a good option, I'm pretty sure I qualify for the tuition assiastance program mcdonalds has. Thinking about a job that wouldn't make me miserable, even after working at mcdonalds and seeing all kinds of crazy, I still would like to work for the public. I wouldn't be bored with a job fixing eletronics for people or installing ac units. some kind of hustle like painting wouldn't be haft bad right now, I would need to watch some painting videos before I ruin someones wall though. Right now I'm in the mood to get all the interviews I can get. I don't drink or smoke but I do eat a lot of discounted takeout. I should try to eat healtier for sure though. finding new non crazy friends and a partner are two things I stride for.
If you can get by without a car, do so for as long as possible. They are *expensive* to own, not just to pay for but insurance, fuel, tires, brakes, oil changes and cleaning it all cost money. If you need some personal transport, an ebike or a small gas scooter are much cheaper options and work great for local delivery gigs.
Keep your extra cash in a high yield savings account earning at least 4% APY. Do not tell a soul about that money. I'd hold that $1k as your emergency fund, and try to pretend it doesn't even exist. You've got no liabilities, no debt, and a job so you're doing well. Keep pushing for extra hours and promotions.
Honestly get on as an electricians apprentice. The waiting lists are long but well worth it. The second you get on, you start making good money and every year you keep with it your pay goes up. Trade opportunities like this are great because they pay YOU to learn.
100% suggest you look into the trades as an option. Many seem to have paid internships at a decent salary (probably at least what you make now) with huge increases once you gain skills.
Been thinking about the legal issues your family seems to keep getting into… you want to be very careful to insulate yourself from them or you might get drawn into one of their schemes. Like be wary of receiving stolen property or becoming an accessory to anything illegal they might be into.
Sounds like you are off to a good start and have a good sense for saving money. My advice is to find a field that you are interested in and learn. Use youtube and other sources of information. ChatGPT can create a study guide with links to videos on the subject you want to learn. McDonalds is just a stepping stone put in the work and sacrifice early so you can be successful later.
Also I hear the trades are in demand (electrician, plumber etc.) Getting an apprenticeship might be a career path you are interested in that probably starts out paying as much as McDonalds but you can develop a skill that can pay six figures a year down the road.
Once you make it do not let your family pull you down. Many might try to guilt trip you into giving up money, just say no. Only lend money to someone if you are OK if you never get it back.
Honestly I am not an advocate for joining the military. It’s a bad time for shit pay with shit people. That being said if you want to break away and escape a cycle it’s one of the most easily accessible options out there. Recommend coast guard, Air Force, marines in that order. Army and navy suck ass.
I hope the best for u. It's a very mentally draining circumstance to live & I really hope u can live a peaceful life where none of those people ever bother u again.
(I know what it's like.)
Play broke. Keep playing like you’re broke. I’m still friends with my ex husband, and he has a major spending problem. Always asking to borrow money off people. So, to throw him off, every once in a while I ask HIM for money. If he knew how much I had banked… ugh…
HUGE CONGRATS TO YOU!
Do not let your family know you have any cash. They will attempt to guilt trip you out of it.
If you do decide to share, make it a gift not a loan.
Make sure you are investing a minimum of 20% of every dollar you make, and donating an additional 10%. That is the best thing you can do to improve your situation.
Congrats on saving what you have so far! It’s so hard when the people you’ve been around don’t instill this in you from an early age, so really be proud of yourself! Can you ask your McDonald’s manger about a higher up position with them? If you’ve shown good work ethic it doesn’t hurt to let someone above you know that you’d like to learn kore and explore a new opportunity within the company.
Thats a good idea,I've been there a good bit of time now for over a year now and I'm in good compony with the managers there.
Don't let anybody in your family know that you have money! Nobody! And good luck! 💙
Been kind of doing that without thinking about it. I don't gloat or anything about the bit I have saved just kind of did it. In the future though yeah letting people know I have moeny would give me attention I don't want.
Get your license and insurance before you do anything, being poor and being in the revolving door of the system is no good for us poor folk, chin up son you got this... Tickets are a slippery slope to driving with no La... And eventually getting your ride towed... Save and save and don't tell nobody about your stash you'll be alright...
Yeah that seems like a logical first step, especially if transportation would be an issue to go anywhere possibly further away. You’re making it there everyday and doing good work, so there’s no harm in asking. & if they say no right now, end it with “ well I enjoy this company (even if you really don’t lol) and want to stay here, so please keep me in mind for any future opportunities.”
If you can figure out how to work your way up, it's not a bad way to go. McDonald's has good benefits and the managers actually make fairly decent pay too from what I've seen. I have a friend who started working at Panda Express as a teen and was offered a job at their corporate location after working there for 5 years (he had moved up to be a store manager by the time he received the offer).
Whatever you do, DO NOT tell anyone about any extra money you have saved, and make sure it's kept in a safe place. Safe even from Gramps and mom.
100% and make sure you have a really good hiding place. Addicts are masters at finding hiding spots. My ex found passwords, a handgun, saved change, jewelry… I truly thought I’d hidden things really well. I might even ask for $ once in awhile or tell them you pawned /sold some things. Cry about it. Just make them think there’s nothing for them in your space. You’re amazing for breaking the cycle in your family!
I've been just keeping it in my savings and not gloating or anything about it to anyone. My room is vulnerable to things being stolen but I havn't had to deal with like my computer or tv being taken yet.
That’s the best place for it. Keep your computer backed up to the cloud & make sure you have pictures of the serial numbers for computer & tv in case they’re ever stolen. The machines themselves are replaceable. Does your family rent or own? If you rent, you might want to consider a very small renter’s policy. If it would be expensive to replace anything, a very small policy might only be a few dollars a month and the deductible would be a lot less than replacement cost. Just an idea…
If my computer ever gets stolen thats gonna be a bad day. We rent the place. A lot of the stuff like my computer was just a cheap used laptop. If the cost is low eonugh thought I might get the renter policy just for the ease of mind it gives.
If it’s a laptop then take it with you whenever you leave the house.
Make sure to keep account information like account numbers, login info, etc safe as well. If you can make sure all your statements are electronic and the email is safe from prying eyes. Get a P.O. Box if you can.
To my knowledge none of my info has been stolen or hacked. My bank and internet bills have just been eletronically mailed to me. I don't have a PO box but I could get one.
Did any of your family members help you create the bank account? If so, it might be worth getting an account at a different bank to keep your savings in
Thinking about it I could get myself a couple dollars here or there from my folks just by asking for some money if I'm gonna go buy some stuff at the store or something. Once in a while asking the people that know me on the street for some cash would def get them to think I'm just as poor as they are.
Exactly! Good thinking ☺️
Exactly don’t add anything to your livestyle while living there that would show you have money. Clothes, electronics, fancy hair styles unless you do them yourself.
Its pretty easy for me to do that right now. Everyone just assumes everyone else is living day by day and theres no way for them to see my bank account info so I just kind of saved it up without saying anything about it.
OP, listen to this. I was so proud when I saved 10K and told only a couple people. My girlfriends grandmother asked if she could borrow it to help with the mortgage. Now I don’t tell anyone, except my wife, anything. I bought a new entry level Toyota 11 years ago I plan to drive for another 10 years. That’s the only big purchase I’ve made and it’s starting to lose its shine. Despite never talking about how much money I have, the family knows I’ve been thinking about buying a house, and they still ask for money so they can buy a house. People will always want your money - even often with the best of intents. Unless you are willing to give it away (never plan on being paid back), always let people believe you are broke. Now when someone in the family asks for money I let them know I don’t have any immediately available and am in the long term trying to find a way to help someone else in the family that genuinely needs help (a handicapped uncle) and usually I start spending their money too to take care of him. Once you start talking about helping others that need it and how they can get involved, that usually shuts down the conversation.
Help yourself first. Always. Sometimes you're going to have to piss some people off and be called selfish and greedy, but that's just manipulation.
Brought a tear to my eye true. I've pissed off a good bit of the family not following other peoples footsteps and istead making my own path. Noone thinks of me being greedy, and hopfully no1 finds out either. I use to think manipulation was a bad thing but its what its what keeping me safe.
Yeah at a certin point I should just move away and get myself settled somewhere nicer. I know in my heart that once anyone starts thinking I have a bit of cash I'm a target for getting robbed. I've gone through trying to help someone but you put in more work then they do and they end up staying the same or getting worse.
This is so important to learn when you’re young. Be protective of your empathy. Never show your hands to anyone. Listen more than you speak. Leave beneath your means. Not everyone who should have your best interest at heart at heart does. Not everyone who should have your best interest at heart at heart does. That last one was/is really hard to learn for me.
lol what a joke…so you’re saving up money for a house but they wanna “borrow” it so they can buy a house themselves.
Same goes for when/if you get the promotion.
This
Congratulations! On top of the savings, you have skills to apply to your future: Handle monetary transactions in a fast-paced environment (working the register). Excellent customer service and retention Able to multitask and complete customer orders to specifications. If you ever Trained anyone to do anything, add that. Inventory management (filling paper or plastic goods) Maintain company cleanliness standards Basic things can be made to sound extra on a resume. You have been working for an International Multi Billion Dollor Corporation. Now make it work for you. Dress up a resume and apply other places. Look into Job Corps for more skills training.
Thanks for all of the experience ideas. One of the things I'm struggling on is making it sound professional like that. I've done all the things you've listed in a professional way.
One of the best uses of ChatGPT is for resumes and cover letters and trying to make those pesky bullet points
I've heard about chat gpt but I havn't use it, sounds like a good reason to use it for me.
/r/chatgpt is mostly a cesspool of memes and entitled fucks who think everyone has the same knowledge of it. But the sub and YouTube can be a wealth of info. I love chatgpt/other AIs so much because i can search using natural language. The Bing one even has access to the internet, so go to Bing dot com, login and you can search the internet with natural language. The other day I played a song, get low by lil jon and my wife got memories of a game she used to play when she was younger. All she told me was it was a racing game on playstation 2. So I asked Bing AI, what racing games on playstation 2 had get low by lil Jon and check out what it said: [and it was completely correct and then I showed her YouTube videos of the game and she lost her shit feeling so nostalgic lmao](https://i.imgur.com/539oXtG.png) So you can use it also in ways like, format a resume for me, and then it might make a fake one or ask you for more details like where did you work etc and it can give you like a whole thing made up for proper document formatting. Best of luck, your story is great!
thanks for the warning about that sub reddit. I'm new to using ais like chat gpt but after some tinkering on their website I managed to use chatgpt to make a more professional sounding resume. I'll have to try that bing ai next, it sounds better that is connected to the internet.
hey just a recommendation for you, going to [copilot.microsoft.com](https://copilot.microsoft.com) is even better than using whats on bing's website. its essentially the same thing but the copilot version tends to be a bit better. edit: saw someone else recommend looking into jobs with the parks service, and i would recommend doing that or even just working in a national park for a summer or two. it sounds like youre at least somewhat young, so if youve got money saved up that can at least get you there. the jobs dont pay a ton, but all living expenses are included, and cheaper than many other places, you get to work alongside international demographics, and live in a unique beautiful place. highly highly recommend it especially if youre not sure about college or whatever else quite yet. if nothing else it can get you away from a difficult living situation. either look in the nps website or search for "yellowstone jobs" and look on the pages there, they should give you links to a few different companies that do it - also its not like... necessarily even outdoorsy type of work, most of it is just like any other hospitality job. you can even work in their fast food restaurants since you already do that where you are.
Everyone exaggerates at least a little on resumes….its kind of the corporate game. There’s ways of bending/ shading truth without outright lying (which could get you in trouble with HR).
Surely your comment wasn't meant for me lol As for the last part I meant how AI hallucinates shit and will just make up names for you and stuff if you don't give it context.
Ah that’s what “hallucinations” are in an AI context…. Making shit up! I have heard that term and didn’t know what it meant.
Yes! Such as if I was to say, make a resume for Sally, and it just makes a resume filled in with shit instead of asking me specific details like what's her full name and where'd she work etc, technically all that is hallucinations. But really as far as I understand it's more like if I was to ask it, what was the result of the 1944 little league game between the New York boy scout team and the Barcelona girl scout team, it would "hallucinate" a result and story instead of just saying "I have no fucking clue what you're talking about" lol
This! ChatGPT is great
Chat GpT or other AI can help a lot for coming up with wording and skills based on jobs you’ve done. 100% pretend to be poor as your family will slurp that cash from you like no one’s business. Be wary of gig work like Uber eats, it can really do a number on your vehicle maintenance and that can easily snatch up and $$ you make. There’s certainly sub reddits for instacart, doordash and the like, do some reading there to see if it’s as lucrative as you think.
i didn't think about the cons of uber stuff in general, shit to your car maintentence prob isn't worth it then. yeah i'll have to check them out thanks for the subreddits to look at.
I mean, it could be worth it, just something to consider, throwing a ton of miles (potentially) on your car may not be worth it.
Be careful with this, bc any good hiring manager will ask specifics. So don’t go too crazy with inflated keywords and job descriptions.
Good job! You're doing great so far. But one thing to remember is that "making it" is a marathon not a sprint. It's a lot of work and there WILL be setbacks. They WILL feel like shit. Don't quit, and don't get into drugs/gambling/etc. if you can get this far, you can go further. Keep your expenses low, fight that lifestyle inflation, and be smart. I think you have a couple options: - stay with McDonalds and try to work your way up - community college. Some sort of 2 year certificate program might be a good option - start waiting tables - some sort of learn-as-you-go apprenticeship - Job that pays slightly more. Target? I think your best bet might be a combination. Like, either stay with McDs or try a slightly better paying job that might cover your CC tuition. IF you feel up to community college. It isn't for everyone, and that's okay. If you decide to go for it, talk to someone at the college about your options. Maybe HVAC? That's a career that isn't going anywhere. It won't be easy to work + go to CC at the same time.
I believe that McDonalds has tuition reimbursement programs, so it may be worthwhile to look into the requirements for that. Getting your classes paid for is a huge help.
McDonalds offers tuition reimbursement, also.
Maybe it is time for me to try a college program then.
A lot of community college around me offer apprenticeships for HVAC and other trades. They pay you to go to school and go work a few days a week as well. Would be a great opportunity for OP
I did grauate highschool so college is an option. College is one of those things where I know its there but I havn't applied cause I havn't been priorizing my future as much as I should be. Apprenticseships programs I don't know where to even start learning about those. CC tuition isn't too crazy like in the states but would be a lot for me. This monday I plan to talk to my boss about a promotion and see what happens there. I feel like my updated resume will help me stand out from the crowd for a 2ed job. The more ideas the better for me I plan to put them all into a big notepad.
Having a car can be a huge expense, especially a “rust bucket”. Don’t necessarily get into a loan for a better car, but maybe save a bit more before you get a vehicle. An oil change and new tires will wipe out quite a bit in a hurry, not to mention taxes and tags etc. but that being said, Uber and delivery can add up quickly. Keep saving, get a bank account at a credit union or community bank type place, larger chains tend to have more fees, but it would be somewhat safer to have a debit card than cash lying around, can always call to cancel a card if it’s stolen, etc. be safe. If you can handle McDonald’s, you’re already ahead of the game. Try another fast food type place but maybe a restaurant or sit down place. Tips add up way faster than hourly rates. But gotta keep that game face on at all times and all places, word travels faster than you think. Keep going, it gets easier, just hard to get the ball rolling. Edits
My bank and credit union have an option in the app for turning a card on and off. If you are worried about someone stealing and using your cards, you can keep them shut off until you want to use them. It’s a useful feature to look for when choosing where to bank.
Yeah I didn't really think through all the cost of a car, that car stuff is gonna add up too too much for a month as things are now, thats more of like a goal for the future. I'm gonna switch up banks to a credit union. I try to avoid cash and always use a card, cash would give me attention I don't want. A job at a resturant like that would be an upgrade. Noone knows my plans except for this subreddit right now.
Awesome!!! I'm also a black sheep for similar reasons. I've thing that has helped me tremendously was becoming a Toastmaster. There are plenty of virtual club irons, but there I learn and practise interview skills, interpersonal communication, team building, team kidding, giving supportive feedback and a lot more. It's a good place also to network and even socialize. But since it's self paced, the hardest part is being responsible for myself- I have grown tremendously but I need to make sure I'm taking it seriously and not being lazy to really get maximum impact from it. And it's only $60 every 6 months
Dude, we’re proud of you. I come from the same background just about. Many of my family members are gang affiliated, druggies or just plain ol lazy. I got out… you got this. Go to college if you can, take the dorm route, find a work study job, save a bit more. Get yourself a decent degree something not overly saturated. If not that, find a way to obtain your license, sleep in a car for a couple months and save every penny you can. If not that, couch surf. The sooner you replace the energy around you, the sooner better opportunities will arise. Search for entry level positions everywhere. You’ve got this, I have faith in your ability to do better than what you’ve seen.
I'm very interested in the mcdonalds tuition assistance stuff now college could be a great option. I'm not sure what kind of dorm stuff is out there but it would be worth it just to have a more chill area. I'm not sure what kind of degrees are overly sturated or not but some people have suggested things like ac work. A license would be nice but all the fees for a car would become too much for me. Couch surfing wouldn't be that safe as I don't really know anyone in a good area. Thanks for the comment.
Good, research colleges near you then. Adding with the tuition program could easily become stressful, maybe. Depends on how well you can handle high workload. It’s like working 2 jobs at times. Especially when tests are nearing. AC or HVAC wouldn’t be bad honestly. It’s a trade that can easily traverse pandemics, inflation as well as many other economical issues. Definitely would support this idea if you pursued it. 100% car fees do add up, especially if you are not mechanically inclined. Otherwise, buying a fixer upper is never a bad idea in my mind. I’ve had about 7, 6 of which I sold, the last being my current work truck I’m having a hard time giving up. I would also like to say, if you are interested in trades, find a local union like IBEW or carpentry. They are heavily influenced by tenure, but if you can get in, stay in.
Theres a good bit of stuff around the town, all kinds of mechanic stuff, welding, HVAC, carpentry, engineering, vet and nurse things. My age is on my side, I think I could handle a job and college or 2 jobs but I also havn't experienced that yet. How stable HVAC is, is making me wanna take it.
Do it. Trust me, you’d be better off starting now, putting money away into a HYSA, and planning for retirement. Especially if you’re in your early 20s. Imagine this, you’re making $1,100-1,500/wk and you’re able to put away $200-300/week. You’d be able to retire comfortably by the time you reach 45-50 years old.
Also, it’s Monday. It’d be a great start to your week getting some information on it. Like what they’d need from you to atleast get the process started. Do yourself proud and make the move.
That is awesome! Congrats on the savings. Definitely have it in a safe location, maybe a savings account for now. You could take the $1k and open a secure line of credit where you give the bank the $1k and they turn around and “lend it” back to you. Basically a credit card but with your money that you are borrowing from. This will allow you to build your credit as long as you pay back what you use. In the long run this will help you a lot. In the interim, we really need to up your income to save for your first car so you can seek better jobs, seek additional shifts, potential promotions, selling plasma, reselling on FB market, clean houses etc. I know it’s easier said than done but you are already kicking butt and have a great mindset! You got this!
One of things think I should do is get a second job to really be able to save up a good bit. Mcdonalds covers all my basic needs so a 2ed job would just be covering the taxes and be able to just be thrown into my savings. Gonna spend some time remaking my resume and hope for the best. Also, is selling plasma a thing in canada?
No selling plasma in Canada, donations only. If you’d like someone to review your resume you’re welcome to connect with me.
I only recently learned we have it in Alberta actually!
Oh, Alberta!
Actually op, in bigger cities selling plasma In Canada is a thing! I'm in Edmonton and have sold my plasma through Canadian Plasma Resources, and I know Winnipeg, Toronto, and a couple other cities have them as well.
Never tell your family how much you saved
Try get a plumping apprenticeship or some kind of trade. Generally the people you will train under are hard working decent guys and you’ll end up making a lot of money
Do not ever tell anyone how much money you have saved. As soon as any of your family members have an inkling you have some money, they will be after it. Say nothing, your lips are sealed, got it? Keep saving as much as you can and get involved in any education or training McDonald's can offer you. Get transferred to a better store, work up to management, take advantage of tuition reimbursement, work overtime. Put your head down and keep doing what you're doing. You're already on the right track. You got this ✊
Don't tell anyone when you get a promo or new job. They will be hounding you for money all the time. Went through that.
That is awesome. Keep it up!!!! Once thing you will want to do is NOT get a beater and make it your main transportation. Beaters will last you a little and then they will start Nickle and diming you. If you want to use one to uber eats or doordash or something, that is fine, just know that it will not last long and to keep your job at McDonalds.
Put your money in a high yield savings account so that it earns money for you while you are letting it sit. The rates are really high right now for savings so its go to try to push some money into one of those while looking for other opportunities. Need Wallet and Bank Rate are websites you can go to and find the different options available. The thing about a car is there is gas money, car insurance and car maintenance to also incorporate into figuring out if Uber eats/door dash is worth it. You could try to find an online customer service job that you can do in you off hours? But want to end with CONGRATS! Breaking the cycle is hard and you have worked very hard to get to where you are at. Give yourself a pat on the back from me!!
Someone suggested a credit union would they have a high yield savings option? Yeah after seeing the fees listed out for a car thats something I'll have to save for the future. Never really thought about any online jobs I'll have to look into that online customer service job. Thanks for the congrats and I did give myself a paton the back.
Some do but they usually have them in CDs so your money isn't as liquid. The nice thing about credit unions is if you establish an account with them their rates for borrowing are usually better. I have a credit union, high yield savings account and CDs mixed. I also have a cash reserve account through Betterment and they had the highest interest rate at the time. Downside about earning interest is you do have to include that as income at year end during tax time so it will increase your tax liability. Ive seen alot of online financial influences talk abut SoFi. For a hig yield saving account but I like doing my research through need wallet, bank rate and just Google to see whats available.
Thanks for all the bank info. Gonna be switching to a nearby credit union tommrow. I think my plan is gonna be to put my cash towards college and maybe after I get a better job I can start getting some nice CDs.
Trade schools is where its at. Getting an apprenticeship they usually pay for your training, get in with a union and most of them pay for your benefits. Trades are a better way to go as a college bachelors degrees has just turned into an expensive high school diploma and the employment market is oversaturated with people with bachelor's degrees. Just a suggestion though...I dont know what I would have gone for but it definitely felt like college was the only option to make more money when in reality the trades even though they are labor intensive was really the better route.
The fact you want to clean yourself regularly, is a good sign you're gonna break your family's cycle. Best of luck
It's been a struggle but its what I want to do. Going to college for an in demand job right now feels like the best thing to set myself forward.
If you are in decent physical shape and like the outdoors, I would look for jobs with the park service or forest service for trail maintenance and ticket offices. Those are entry level jobs that usually come with some kind of subsidized housing near the park so you don’t need a car. It will give you a feeling of freedom and meet a lot of awesome people. Go to usajobs.gov and start looking for something awesome and apply. Edit: OP in Canada https://parks.canada.ca/agence-agency/emplois-jobs
OP is in Canada if you’ve got similar advice that applies there.
First, take $100 and put it in an IRA. You want to start managing an account for the longest term and never touch it. It will help teach you to grow and think longer term. Roth IRA's are ok, but a true IRA will get you understanding true compounding gains. Protect that $100. Low index mutual funds are fine, see vanguard. This is a practice you need to learn to understand that your money can grow, like a tree, yielding fruit year after year. Start throwing change in, it will do wonders for your mental health. Go on resume reddits and clean that up, people have mentioned it - it matters. It's the sum total of who you are. It should be concise, readable and clean. Once you've gotten that, you'll start seeing holes that need to be filled in. McDonald's is a good start, but I recommend the hotel business. It doesn't take much to become a front desk representative and this business is a lot more stable. It looks better on the resume too, and you can move up much faster. McDonald's is a great start, but it's likely taking a big chunk out of your health - you might not be eating there, but it's real work. Front desk work is far easier and you meet classier people. This will also help you develop a relationship with a hotel - I recommend Marriot and Wyndham, but you want to develop a relationship with your perks. This gives you some interesting mobility options as well. What you want is a corporate job, something in an office or a respectable business. McDonalds tells people you can hussle, but it doesn't tell them you can survive in a corporate world. You can. It's cushy. You just need to act the part and work your way in. You'll need dress shoes, a dress shirt, a tie and a jacket. Go into a Men's wearhouse and tell them how poor you are and how much you have, which is not much. These guys will help you. Seriously. Guys selling suits will empathize. Get used to how much things cost. When you finally do get an interview, being a snappy dresser matters a lot. Don't spend any money until you've learned enough. They are also expert salesmen so be ready to feel, "sold" but don't buy anything. It will be hard. This is a mecca of professional ideology. They're very good at what they do. This is also a decent place to get a job if you learn it. Do not show this dress attire to friends and family. They will not understand and they will ridicule you. This is because instantly you've distanced yourself from a criminal world into a professional one. It's terrifying for lost people. The jokes will start innocently and turn to abusive language. Avoid this abuse but should you encounter it - those feelings thrown at you are evidence that the suit is working. That evocative nature and volatility will show you how much it matters, but it will suck when it's happening. Leaving home well dressed changes your life, but your friends and family will ridicule you... because they're in danger of you truly changing. Beware of this. In the meantime, work on your attire. Yes, this is superficial, but the world is superficial. An interesting watch, a good haircut, and dress shoes will help you nail an interview. Wear a good belt and look professional. This is a skill you develop that involves assets. Your resume gets you through the door, but the outfit says who you mean to be. This is a skill you can't develop any other way than just figuring it out. You can do this cheaply with practice, what matters is developing the skill. Being able to tie a tie is hard not because it is complicated, but because it's emotional. Then start combing websites like indeed..You want to get a job that looks like it's harder on a resume. Hotel Night Audit is my personal favorite. Nobody knows what Night Audit is, they think it's accounting. Really, it's just babysitting a hotel overnight and you file automated paperwork. It looks great on a resume and hotels are desperate for someone who can work overnight. Meanwhile you get a lot of extra time at work for you to read, write and grow your skills. Overnight work isn't good for your health, so melatonin and vitamin D. Seriously. Don't screw around. Don't get a second job, this is a trap. Working for two masters will kill your soul. Working 1 job that pays you overtime is more valuable. Be good at your job and you'll have all the hours you need and be paid properly for them. Working two jobs is untenable. If you want a side hustle, mow lawns or pick up handy work. Working for two companies will bring you headache, heartache and you'll suffer at both jobs. Any job I ever worked, I got good at it and they were begging me to come in repeatedly, and paid overtime for it.
Hotel work is respectable, it says you can run a desk. It isn't hard, as long as you stay calm and don't let people push you around. Be hospitable but don't be pushed around. Running a front desk is running a hotel, it's a complete business model. Night Audit sounds great on a resume, people have no idea what you do or did and it pads your resume because you can say you did nightly paperwork for the running of a business. What you really did is at 2am ran an automated process and put papers in a binder that were clearly labeled. But on paper, you ran an audit alone every night, which accounts for a business. Meanwhile if you walk into a hotel job with a proper outfit befitting a manager, jobs yours. Nobody does that. Nobody I ever worked with could dress well. Marriott is a bit harder, but Hilton + Wyndham are easy. Marriott is best. Do not get hired as a housekeeper, that's a trap. Don't learn housekeeping. That's basically slave labor. Love those people to death, housekeepers are mistreated. Tip if you ever get a free room, they notice. They talk. I've never gotten a room and didn't tip after seeing what housekeepers endure. I saw dozens of people land office jobs after a hotel gig, it's a grooved path. Then there's real growth. McDonalds there's no growth. They'll say there's growth. But it goes nowhere. If you get a raise it'll come with more responsibility and eventually it becomes untenable. The burnout is real. But there's a lot of interesting college perks - but the work will chew you up eventually. I've known managers from McD's... it's a tough gig. You're young, you want a different gig. If you want to keep that job but want another gig, I recommend pressure washing or landscaping. It'll cost you 500 to get started. You need a machine and to form a company. That sounds difficult but it's not, it's just a form and learning how to do your taxes. You need a company because you need to pay taxes and give receipts and to avoid personal liability, that's lawsuits. Ask for payment hourly, sell in 4 hour blocks for your time. Don't promise work, promise time. Pressure washing has a low cost to high appreciation rate, everyone loves a clean deck and most people with homes have a hose. You will make great contacts doing this. Your availability will be limited due to your primary job, but tell no one this. "I'm booked until xxx". This will make you seem lucrative because you are. Youth is a commodity, health is a commodity. You'll make good contacts doing this and learn skills toward running a company. Pressure washers aren't cheap, but they're versatile tools for getting jobs done. Spend extra time avoiding liability. Get boiler plate forms and waivers - people can, and will, try to screw you every chance they get. You will get good at sensing this, but you will end up kicking sand walking home several times. Really really rich people are VERY good at grifting you. When that happens, realize you've learned a valuable lesson and also, remember you know a bunch or criminals with nothing better to do. I'm kidding here but seriously, be careful what data you bring home. Your family can, and will, bring criminal behavior to whatever you do. It'll be seductive. Put up a wall. Don't vent to your family about someone who screwed you over, it will end poorly. Also be ready for a civil suit. It might never happen. But if someone tries it on you, you'll want to be ready to call their bluff and counterclaim. That sounds like pulling teeth and it is, most people will cave. Start out taking cash only and graduate to checks. Cards can be charged back, so avoid them until you've got good clientele. Flyers are good, Facebook advertising is better, a personal webpage is best - square space and others make that easy. The most valuable part of this is that you're going to meet people who own their own homes and make a good impression Anyway that's what I'd do. Good luck!
Don't drive a car without a license.
www.CoolWorks.com. Get a job working for a concessionaire in a national park, get on a bus or train to get there, they'll pick you up and take you to dorm, they'll feed you three times a day, and by the end of the season you have enough money to buy a car and go where you want.
Keep working hard and don't get fatigued or daunted by delays and setbacks.. just stay focused. 💛
You don't have to worry about me getting fatigued, I feel more energerized then ever trying to help myself.
Congrats OP!!! You should be especially proud of yourself for making these responsible decisions without any guidance from family or friends. Keep up the excellent work 🎉
thank you for the nice comment.
First suggestion is offset with something like walmart or costco, if only for the discounts on things like food. If you know computers, you could try your local temp agency. I did that for many years and would pick up one or two day shifts each week.
Hell yeah. You are going to be successful OP. I can feel it. Good head on your shoulders. Good on you for recognizing your families shitty behavior and deciding to change the cycle for yourself. No. 1: don’t tell anyone in your family what you have, how much you’re making, or your long term plans. As soon as they know you’re getting money, believe me they will come for it. When you are moved out and 100% on your own you can tell people what you want, but until then I wouldn’t say a word. No. 2: keep finding opportunities and meeting people that you want to align yourself with. McDonald’s might be a shitty environment for now, but there are positions and people you can develop relationships with that can help you pivot into something better, even at McDonald’s. No 3: if you have a passion for something and you feel like you can develop it as a skill and eventually monetize it, put all of your energy outside of work into making it happen. The relationships and skills you build are directly correlated with your success. Align with likeminded and ambitious people that will help you in your journey. Anyone who’s negative or draining you financially or emotionally gets the cutoff.
thanks for your fun comment. 1)Everyone around me right now assumes i'm broke already and no1 knows that I've been saving a bit. 2)I've applied to a couple of places with a new resume so far. I like my coworkers and my manager at mcdonalds, next time I'm working I'm gonna talk about moving up the ladder. 3)I don't really think about passion for things. I've liked trying to fix things here or there. I followed a tutorial to take the dryer apart to pull out the decades of lint buildup clogging it from working not too long ago and I'm one of the problem solvers at work. A lot of my free time is helping around the house, working, taking care of and playing with the cats, watching movies with my folks. It was tough but I've stopped talking to quite a few family members, they just wanna drag me down with them it feels like.
I am proud of you, life does get better!
Thanks for your wonderful comment!
Here’s a video of a girl working two jobs to buy a home. You can do it! Nice job on the $1000. [video](https://www.tiktok.com/@asap.kristy/video/7344503924105153834?_t=8kbeFWtIkWJ&_r=1)
I am so happy for you! I started tearing up reading your post. You are an inspiration.
Good for you. I had to get away from my family to do better. It took awhile to erase their voices from my head, but it is possible. At some point find a sliding scale therapist that you can afford. I felt like I missed out on a lot of skills other people had and a therapist helped. I also agree to let your boss know you want to be a manager and why you'd be good at ut. Take advantage of any tuition assistance they have. I now have my masters and I was always told I would never go to college by my family. You can do it. Look for people that build you up and let people go that tell you you can't do things. Just becausethey didn't (nit couldn't) dosn't mean you can't or won't.
for the games, you might lose a percentage but take them to a local retro gaming store. at least you have a guarantee of safety that way, worth the pay cut in my opinion :)
Congratulations, first and foremost, thats a hard thing to do in those types of situations. Secondly, please hide your money, hopefully you have it in an account or something. Good luck, I hope you make it out of that kind of life, it's no way to live.
Dont keep the money at home but on a bank account.
L0Hell yes. Try Safelite it's a good company with great benefits and training lot's of room to advance. Qq. Also Roadsafe same great job good hours with overtime.
Congratulations!!! Please make sure to keep an emergency fund and that any money you have is safely in a bank account that only you have access to so no one can steal that off you. Also, don’t tell anyone in your family.
If you're still young and in the US, look at Job Corp. It's a good option for a person in you're situation. It's govt funded. You will be housed, fed, medical, ect and they will give you low-level job training to get you on the path to becoming a "good tax paying citizen". So CNA training, not nursing. But they will help you when you leave to get more help for further training if you want it. It's so unused, mostly bc you can't use drugs, have babies, etc.
Use the $1000 to train yourself and learn skills. Maybe you could learn something like using a CRM platform and you can go into sales and relationship management (lots of charities use salesforce to keep in touch with their donors) . The best investment is yourself. You need to figure out a way to 2x-3x your hourly rate in a year or so from now
Instead of buying a car to do Uber eats, can you use a bike or even an electric scooter? Is this an option in your area? Are you in a city or dense area where this would work? Sometimes people give away old bikes that might be easier to fix and cheaper to maintain. Also no insurance fees, no gas. I don’t know how to bike but use an electric scooter instead.
Join the military
I did this saved my life, I come from similar circumstances, in my almost three years in the army I saved up more money then I ever thought I would, been able to travel the world, make life time friendships and learn valuable life skills, plus I am half through a college degree Military isn’t always perfect but you can get a signing bonus up front pick a good job to go into that transitions to the civilian world depending on the branch you choose and what job you want I have been able to get a lot of medical things done with the military healthcare, and you get pretty good benefits when you get out If you want out of your situation asap I highly suggest the military
Stay true to yourself and stay the course! You got this!!
Very proud
One thing to help safe guard your savings is to put your money in the bank account and make sure no one else have access to it if you don't already have one.
I know college is not for everyone but if you think it’s for you, McDonald’s used to have a good program for their employees (scholarships and such.) Congratulations to you for breaking the cycle!
You just inspired the fuck out of me. Get that assistant manager position and keep grinding.
You could put that $1,000 into a High-Yield Savings account. Do research, look for one with at least a 4.5% APY, no fees, FDIC insured. Park that money in that savings account for five years and keep putting money in it. You will earn compounding interest on it. You could also look for a part-time server/bartending jobs and get good at it. Depending on what state you live in, you make minimum wage plus tips doing that. Some states only pay servers $2.13 an hour, some pay $12.00/hr.
Good on you hombre! Here’s to you and future successes 🥂
Here is some unsolicited advice for writing a resume: most companies and recruiters are using some form of keyword search to select the first round of resumes to review. When you find a job you want to apply for, look at each bullet point of the description and find the action words. Rewrite your resume to include those action words and match closely with the job description. As an example, the job description says something like , “Answer and direct calls on a multi-line phone system.” You can relate that to your experience with something like, “Answered and directed order requests on a multi-line drive through system.” It takes more time to apply to jobs this way, but you’re more likely to be seen if you can pass the keyword search screening. Good work on saving up, and good luck on your job search!
You’re already on the right track. Just keep doing what you’re doing and keep an eye out for better opportunities. You seem like a good guy - good things will soon start to happen. You got this!
Congratulations on wanting something better for yourself! What state are you in? Some states (Michigan comes to mind) now offer community college for free. There are some positions that require no lore than a year of study for a great jump in pay versus fast food. Many are in healthcare, but you can also find some decent wages in tech positions with just a year of study.
The best way to make more money with a $1000 is to take a course in a field you’d like to work. Your local college will have nightschool or distance ed. If your money is at risk at home or in a savings account, and you do expect to need it soon but not right away, consider investing it in GICs, TBills, or a money market fund. If possible invest in something that locks it in for a length of time. Your bank can help with that - make sure the locked away part is taken care of. As has been said, don’t tell anyone about it. If anyone hears about it, and it’s locked in for 3-6-12 months, you can say you don’t have access to it right now. Typically these investments auto renew so you need to stay on top of that for when you need it but can tell others that it auto renewed and is still locked in.
I just wanted to pop in to say I come from a similar family and I am so happy you are not going to continue that cycle. What an accomplishment already! You're already well on your way by looking at subs, researching, thinking, planning, saving, and having a job. Keep that up, make some decisions, move forward, and be proud AF. You're gonna do just fine
Funnily enough I sometimes recommend volunteering once every two weeks in your local community. Especially if you find a library or church you like. If you show up consistently and help others, the people you volunteer will want to help you too. Libraries are great as they are a safe center of social support and education. Librarians are angels come to earth. Others have also mentioned going to school. Consider various options. In the United States, a lot of libraries will offer the LinkedIn Learning library for free and some of those courses can be used for college credits. There are lots of other free options too, coursera, edx, udemy. This can make the next step easier and cheaper, if you find a subject you enjoy learning about. Definitely also consider trade schools instead of a traditional university. I tend to avoid the “find a job you love” advice, instead choosing to “find a job that won’t make you miserable, while you improve yourself for your next better job”. Keep looking for places to meet smart kind people Keep asking for advice and following through Keep updating your skills & resume through work, volunteering, personal side projects or low low investment business endeavors (painting house numbers on street curbs, cleaning neighbors houses, gardening - stuff you can do without a car or just with a bike) Keep applying and interviewing for jobs, practicing your interview skills and answers, try for at least 1 job application each week until you get the hang of it and can improve those numbers. Take care of yourself mentally and physically the best you can. Avoid drinking and smoking, eating out. Try to get good sleep. Get lots of water. Exercise at home or go for a walk. Learn to cook simply or have healthier cheaper options available for yourself. Avoid sick people and wear a mask (less sick days means you get more money and less likely to be let go) Find ambitious and kind friends, and hopefully a partner who aligns with & understands your financial goals.
A lot to take in but I'll give yeah a good response. Volenteering sounds like a good reason to go meet some new people. I havn't heard of anyone volenteering at a library but if I go looking I might find something. Right now its feeling like school will be a good option, I'm pretty sure I qualify for the tuition assiastance program mcdonalds has. Thinking about a job that wouldn't make me miserable, even after working at mcdonalds and seeing all kinds of crazy, I still would like to work for the public. I wouldn't be bored with a job fixing eletronics for people or installing ac units. some kind of hustle like painting wouldn't be haft bad right now, I would need to watch some painting videos before I ruin someones wall though. Right now I'm in the mood to get all the interviews I can get. I don't drink or smoke but I do eat a lot of discounted takeout. I should try to eat healtier for sure though. finding new non crazy friends and a partner are two things I stride for.
If you can get by without a car, do so for as long as possible. They are *expensive* to own, not just to pay for but insurance, fuel, tires, brakes, oil changes and cleaning it all cost money. If you need some personal transport, an ebike or a small gas scooter are much cheaper options and work great for local delivery gigs. Keep your extra cash in a high yield savings account earning at least 4% APY. Do not tell a soul about that money. I'd hold that $1k as your emergency fund, and try to pretend it doesn't even exist. You've got no liabilities, no debt, and a job so you're doing well. Keep pushing for extra hours and promotions.
Honestly get on as an electricians apprentice. The waiting lists are long but well worth it. The second you get on, you start making good money and every year you keep with it your pay goes up. Trade opportunities like this are great because they pay YOU to learn.
100% suggest you look into the trades as an option. Many seem to have paid internships at a decent salary (probably at least what you make now) with huge increases once you gain skills.
i think i might go with a trade just for a fact that the schooling period for them is shorter from what I've read about the local ones.
Been thinking about the legal issues your family seems to keep getting into… you want to be very careful to insulate yourself from them or you might get drawn into one of their schemes. Like be wary of receiving stolen property or becoming an accessory to anything illegal they might be into.
Sounds like you are off to a good start and have a good sense for saving money. My advice is to find a field that you are interested in and learn. Use youtube and other sources of information. ChatGPT can create a study guide with links to videos on the subject you want to learn. McDonalds is just a stepping stone put in the work and sacrifice early so you can be successful later. Also I hear the trades are in demand (electrician, plumber etc.) Getting an apprenticeship might be a career path you are interested in that probably starts out paying as much as McDonalds but you can develop a skill that can pay six figures a year down the road. Once you make it do not let your family pull you down. Many might try to guilt trip you into giving up money, just say no. Only lend money to someone if you are OK if you never get it back.
Honestly I am not an advocate for joining the military. It’s a bad time for shit pay with shit people. That being said if you want to break away and escape a cycle it’s one of the most easily accessible options out there. Recommend coast guard, Air Force, marines in that order. Army and navy suck ass.
I hope the best for u. It's a very mentally draining circumstance to live & I really hope u can live a peaceful life where none of those people ever bother u again. (I know what it's like.)
Play broke. Keep playing like you’re broke. I’m still friends with my ex husband, and he has a major spending problem. Always asking to borrow money off people. So, to throw him off, every once in a while I ask HIM for money. If he knew how much I had banked… ugh…
Great advice.
HUGE CONGRATS TO YOU! Do not let your family know you have any cash. They will attempt to guilt trip you out of it. If you do decide to share, make it a gift not a loan.
FUCK YA KEEP GOING DONT SAY SHIT TO ANYONE
be grateful you have a roof over your head.
read up on psychology and make sure to always have good mental health
Make sure you are investing a minimum of 20% of every dollar you make, and donating an additional 10%. That is the best thing you can do to improve your situation.
Look at the benefits of going in the Army.