Hey there, I’m a 37-year-old living in Montana, making a modest $55,000 a year. The average house price in my town is a whopping $500,000, and my job requires all us low-level IT folks to live within a 30-minute radius of the IT center for emergencies. I’ve been overlooked for a promotion multiple times, which would have allowed me to work remotely permanently. But the high-level IT managers and my boss won’t even consider helping me gain more experience or training to move up in the company.
I’m stuck with just basic IT certifications, which my job deems worthless, and there’s no opportunity for advancement without further training. Going back to college for a second Bachelor’s degree seems unattainable financially, especially since I initially studied history, dreaming of uncovering ancient relics and working in museums. Yeah, I admit I was pretty naive back then.
Without a car, I walk to and from work – not because I can’t afford one, but because my apartment lacks parking. I don’t have any friends or family to crash with to save money, and my one-bedroom apartment is already the cheapest option before downsizing to a studio.
I used an affordability calculator and found I could only afford a house priced at $175,000. Scanning through Zillow, all I could find in that range were old trailers needing costly repairs and hefty lot fees that are essentially rent in disguise. It’s hitting me hard that homeownership is now out of reach. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and I have no one to blame but myself.
Reflecting back, I regret not pursuing a career as an accountant or a computer science pro during my college years in the early 2010s. Maybe I should have focused more on academics instead of indulging in video games and anime. Renting seems like the only option for the foreseeable future. If I can’t serve as a positive example, at least I can be a cautionary tale for others.