I currently make $42,000 a year in the DC area, I used to make 50,000 a year until June 2015 when my company decided to make a paycut because of a business decision which I will not discuss. A few months before that our rent at our apartment went up by $100 dollars, on April 2015 effective June 2015. About six months before then my mom lost her job because they wanted to have two younger people who will work for less. And on June 2015 she ran out of unemployment and has been unsuccessful in seeking new employment, primarily because either in the eyes of employers she's too "old" (She's 50 despite being skilled, no one wants to hire her)
We eventually had to move to another cheaper neighborhood in the MD area. I basically pay the lions share of the 1700 per month rent (1400)
I'm the only person in my family (I live with my mom and my autistic brother) working and half of what I earn goes towards rent, electric, and gas. My autistic brother gets SSI. And since then despite 5 years of experience in information technology and government knowledge no company that would give me higher pay is interested in hiring me except for contract jobs I don't want that are way outside my living area or insurance agencies. Me having an autistic spectrum disorder does not help either at all, no matter what platitudes they give out to me.
>>16563382
And there is no help or charity that can help us except unsolicited platitudes and useless advice. Section 8 is either full or waitlisted in my area and in most of parts of the US and funding has not been increased nor incomes eligibility. And no politician in the DC/MD/VA area is interested or addressed the crisis or our plight. I not allowed any savings because my mom is unemployed and I pay most of the rent so I live off of 1412 a month. Both my mom and I get into some sort of financial argument once every week. And each month our situation gets worse and worse: I'm already saddled with student loan debt I will never pay back, my credit rating is shot because I had to support my mom in moving and living, and my mental health has deteriorated to just existing. And any little mental energy I have left is used not to mentally breakdown at work or not to scream at my mom out of rage as I'm at the end of my rope. At times, I'm very close to walking out from my mom and brother.
It's a good chance I will never move out of my parents and be truly financially independent at all. And yeah, last month was the anniversary of my moms unemployment. I'm sad to say that she may be permanently unemployed and no one has helped her at all. Our job networks are worthless as they are unhelpful despite years of experience.
Yeah, everyone else might be in the same boat, but no one is rescuing us. They're hoping we just "disappear".
I don't want fucking platitudes, I want real help.
Sounds like you gotta cut off some fat.
If you're unwilling to do that, you either try and start a business or be willing to do some shady shit.
Sorry anon.
>>16563619
This. You need to do what you have to do to help your family, a la Breaking Bad.
Good luck senpai
>>16563619
I can't abandon her, but I can't support her anymore. She going have to eventually consider roommates, in the event I lose my job.
>>16563642
I'm not going risk going to prison.
look for a job that pays you 42k someplace you could live on that. 1700/month rent is not good
Shit is hard for everyone. There's too many people and not enough jobs, there's ridiculous requirements for even cheap jobs, and most of them don't pay enough to even live off of.
You do realize that you make more money than the majority of Americans? You do realize that there is tons of people who work 40 hours a week, and only make around $9 an hour, which equates to about $18,000-$20,000 a year.
You live in a place with a very high cost of living, but where exactly are you living? 3500 a month plus your brother's disability checks?
You might have to move somewhere else. Is there really no 3 bedroom place you can find for $1000-$1500 rent? With $1500 rent, you still have tons of money to spend on food/utilities/gas, and still have money left over.
>>16563850
You move someplace else, there won't be any good jobs available in that cheap place. Even if I move someplace else and not my family I can't afford paying my own room and my mom's rent unless she get's roommates.
>>16563382
Welcome to reality. Choose one or more - probably more - of the following
Move someplace cheaper
Get a better paying job
Get a moonlighting second job
Make your mother get even a part-time job to contribute.
Look around you at things you may consider necessities but are actually luxuries you can live without - wifi, video games, cigarettes, beer, restaurant meals, two cars
>my company decided to make a paycut because of a business decision which I will not discuss
You mean, you're a shitty performer?
>>16563387
If you can swing it with your commute, move to PA. I live in MD, but my parents live in PA. You could find a 3 bedroom mobile home for rent for probably half of what you're paying now around York. Maybe less.
>>16564674
>You move someplace else, there won't be any good jobs available in that cheap place.
you spent your whole life in one area and have no idea what you're talking about.
You needed to get your mothered remarried.
I'm from Maryland(dmv) too and honestly the cost of living here or in DC is ridiculous. My entire family has moved down to the carolinas living like kings now. I hate the south so I haven't given in yet but I barely make it by here and it's tempting. If you have to support your entire family then maybe you should consider the move.
>>16563382
Does your business have another branch you could be transferred too? even a small change in area could change things like your sales tax and general price of gas. You don't have to move far to change things quite a bit.
You really need to move and commute. And in the meantime look for a better position at another place of employment. Sounds like your mother is tired between working and raising two special needs children. DC has a great transit system, so there's no reason for you to be able to commute to work, unless you're spoiled and set in your ways. I get it that you're on the spectrum, but in order to make your situation better things have to change. Like get rid of cable, move further away from the city if you have to or Virginia near the trains/ transit system or park n rides kinda things.. And find a cheaper place to live. You have to understand that you are the man of the family and these are the things that they do. Currently with your brother's ssdi which has be around $750 a month which is about $9000 a year with your salary is a gross of $51,000 a year. That's not to bad. If there's two cars get rid of one. Make lunch instead buying lunch, you know.. You can make $50+K work for 3 people..
>>16564816
Oh god so much bullshit in this. I've trying to get a better job bit five years experience in highly skilled IT and Linux mean nothing to employers dicking around. I can't afford to move because we just moved from an apartment to a house and a relatively shit neighborhood. I can't moonlight because 7am to 7pm is basically worktime from commute to work to commute. My mom is practically unemployable and even part time jobs won't accept her. As for luxuries we don't buy much of them , only internet, I still have to go outside because "it keeps you busy" as they say but if I don't I look like a prisoner.
>>16564839
You really want to know? They told me that my performance review was decent, but they have to cut my pay from 50,000 to 42,000 because I was told I'm in a different job pay schedule (which they did not told me, when I was asked to be transfered from my Linux job to my current position in the same company , I assumed all pay schedules were the same). They told me some bullshit about government contracts and it would not be fair to other workers. Even the program manger knew that it would be difficult but HR refused to budge and allow a pay increase.
>>16564849
I work in southern Maryland and commute to northern Virginia to work. Moving to PA will not do any good because I can't afford and unable to learn drive a car.
>>16564915
My whole family is black, the Southern states are off limits to us. Not to mention it would be too much work to transfer or set up services for my autistic brother. And the Southern states might be cheap, but there are less government services.
>>16565080
Some of your suggestions are already addressed in this post. We only have one car and my mom is the only person who has a drivers license. My mom knows I'm ready to move out, but she's unemployed and dependent on my income.
Getting rid of cable and internet is not an option because my brother will have a fit and will nag for internet.
And I understand I have to provide for my family and such and be the man of the house bit I've been playing that role in some form or another for 10 years because her relative that could help her are shitty people. I've been babysitting my autistic brother, help my mom with constant household favors, helping her with stupid computer help she can easy solve herself, I even sacrificed 2 months of college to watch my brother because one of my mom's relatives walked out. I'm simply fucking tired and there are times that I want to scream NO to her face and walk out the door.
By the way, I'm 27. My mom is in her 50s, and my brother is in his late 10s. My brother gets ssi but he gets 635 bucks.
