Let’s face it, in 2024 the economy kinda sucks. But beyond that, the economy hasn’t been kind to women. Worse yet, you can actually prove that if you’re a woman of size or a woman of color (so, basically anything other than a gorgeous white gal), you’re gonna be paid less than a white dude no matter how mediocre he is. The obesity pay gap adds to it.
Que the Scandal quote: you have to be twice as good to get half as much.
I’m educated. Both a bachelors and a masters in engineering. Working as an engineer in my specific type of engineering had its really rewarding moments and remains something I’m passionate about, but I had to choose: have a job with benefits to protect my family, or have an engineering job and no family. There weren’t engineering jobs available in my type of engineering where my husband’s business was, so if I was going to be an engineer I’d have to go it alone and pay on the side for any benefits. And I wasn’t at a point in my career that striking out alone seemed like a smart idea. It seemed best to protect the family first. Since my husband is very active in his job it felt beyond important to make sure we had health insurance.
Anyways, the problem was that my pay took basically a 50% cut when I left my career. Once we had Oldest, it was a stretch to pay for daycare, but with a little help we had it covered. Then Youngest came along post pandemic, and it became impossible to afford daycare. Unless you took your chances with unlicensed and uninspected moms, it was hard to find anything with open spots, much less anything remotely affordable.
While I have gotten raises along the way, at times often they were just equal to the cost of living. I do like my job, don’t get me wrong. But I was originally hired there as admin staff, and even though I’m a purchaser now, it’s a task that does not require my degrees. I find working for others motivating, and team environments can be entertaining or aggravating depending on the day. And so, for the moment, until I see something that I’m certain would make me happier my intention is to stay. I know that staying home would ultimately make me miserable.
Now, this isn’t to say that everyone around me is to blame for my income. It doesn’t help, but it’s only half the story. The other half of the story is how I do use the money that comes to me. And personally, I know I can do better. I’m not always perfect about living within my means, and there are times where I ignore my feelings and impulse shop instead of dealing with my feelings. I also used to be terrified of credit cards, and frankly, I wish I still was.
Regardless of how I got here, I still gotta figure out how to get out. I feel like it’s got two parts: the debt part, and the lack of income part.
So far as the debt, it’s predominantly credit cards. I don’t get bonuses, or if they are they happen near Christmas and are only $100 to $200. Along the way I’ve fallen into a very obvious trap of having to use my credit card to cover things like the holidays and birthdays, trip-related expenses, and anything I wanted for myself. Sometimes I get it paid down to a smaller amount. Other times it balloons. With the economy, you guessed it, we’re in balloon mode. Ugh. I’ve been researching ways to get farther with less in terms of paying this down.
So far as the lack of income, I’m not afraid of hard work, but I’d prefer to find passive income. That way, when life gets wild, as it does, any side hustle I’m involved in can continue on autopilot. This is easier said than done, and so for now I’m researching what is out there and how it works.
I’ll let you know as I start to institute some solutions, but for the moment, we’re in research mode.