I dont know what to do. I feel like I'm going to be poor and never get anywhere.?

Question

I'm 25 I live at home with my dad, My mom and brother died in the last 4 years. I take care of all of my dad's financial stuff for him and do grocery shopping and pay his bills. (with his own money) He can not handle doing that type of stuff on his own. I work at K-mart and make 10.00 an hour. I have a b/f who has no money saved up, however i do have about 5k because my dad makes me pay no bills but I have my own, like car & credit cards etc. My dad is real deprssed because of our family members dyeing, so i dont want to move out nor do I think I will make it on my own. I have high school education. Will I ever be happy? It seems like i will only be happy if i win the lottery!

Answer 1

You already won the lottery. You have your dad. Family is the most important thing in life. I took care of my dad for 5 years and I don't regret any time that we had together. I lost my dad a few years ago and lost my mom about 15 years ago. Don't feel like life is passing you by because it goes by so fast. What I wouldn't give to still have my parents with me.
Money is not as important as you think. Make do with what you have and be thankful for your health and the great heart that you have to be taking care of your DAD.

Answer 2

It sounds like your dad is not the only depressed one. You are both obviously going through a really tough time.
First of all, you both need make sure that you deal with the grief you've experienced. See a counsellor or a natural healer ( whatever makes you comfortable). Find free/cheap things that your dad and you can do (seperately or together) that will get you out of the rut you're in. Try regular exercise, join an interest group (often advertised in the paper) or enrol in further education (evening or correspondence course).
I've been poor, I know how it feels. Winning lottery is a fantastic dream. It's easy to forget your troubles when you're able to buy everything you want and do anything you want. But the money will run out if you spend wildly and you'll end up feeling even worse.
The true answer to happiness is this. Find pleasure in what you have. Live the best life you can with what you have. Take every opportunity to improve your situation and skills. Work hard, spend sensibly and keep saving. Keep being good to your dad (he's lucky to have such a nice daughter) and look after your health. Treat people the way you would want to be treated.
I know this all sounds very boring and cliched but please believe me it's your best chance of true happiness.
You never know, one day you may win lottery and by then you won't need the money to make you happy. So you won't go wild, spend it all in a year and end up broke and miserable all over again.

Answer 3

I don't think I am qualified to answer your question, but I will try. First, I must say I do admire your ability to fight against such adversity and to shoulder the responsibilities that you have.
Second, I know you are not going to be poor or never get anywhere.

1. Cut expenses. Therefore do not move out. Save on rental expenses by staying at home. This also includes not spending on things you do not need (and deep down you know what you need and what are luxury items).

2. Get a college education. Sign up for night school at a local community college and get an AA. Then head for your Bachelor's, look into student loans. It sounds intimidating but as a college and graduate student I met many who came back to school after and got their college degrees.

3. If your boyfriend is not financially mature then you need to watch out that he does not unduly influence you to spend.

4. Do not buy the lottery. Put that money into a savings account. Even better is to put some savings that you do not need into a mutual fund.

Its a long uphill hike for you I am afraid. However, from reading your message I think you are far more capable than you give yourself credit for. Your life experiences are far more than what most 25 year olds have, and they will only help you as you build your future career and life. Good luck.

Answer 4

Keep your K-mart job for now, but go out and try to find a better job when you are not working. Start with trying to get paid more, but also learning useful skills too. Unless you're moving fast up the management chain at K-mart, which it doesn't sound like it being paid $10/hr, it's a dead end job. Find two jobs, three jobs if you have to. I recommend something in sales or customer service, so you can get paid better based on your performance. example would be like tips for being a good waitress. Marketing or sales rep for some company. Bartending.
Don't worry about having only a high school education. Self education and knowing how to relate to people is what really matters, everything else can be learned on the job, hardest part is getting your foot in the door, that's why you need to start building your skills from job to job.

For better advice, read good finanancial self help books from people who have been down a similar road or worse. Authors like Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman. Go to your local library or the bookstore, sit, read, write down notes, and do something about it

Answer 5

Poor is a state of mind!!!!!

Poor is failing to see your potential and staying in the poverty life style.

I am never poor, i might be cash tight,between income sources,
restructuring my budget, or just temporarly low on funds.

1. Education.......the richest were the brokest students,do all you can to complete your education and obtain a degree.
Any degree shows you are educatable.

2. K-mart????? oh yeah well if you want to stay poor make sure you surround your self with
minimum skilled workers,low end consumers and low pay.
find a job at a place you will more likley come in contact with a higher income and more educated clientel.
do phones, law office,small firms,insurance co,retail
now you have a job record go to the places you want to be

set goals and no matter what strive for them, if you focus on your goals you will not fail to reach above.Think about them
constantly imagine your self there vocalize your desires and make all the unthinkable out of reach foolish mistakes to get there cause along the way you will have built a road of things that worked and probably be farther than you reached

Stay at home,who needs to pay for a place when there's free rent
Help mom and dad, remember their struggles and make sure you develop and practice better life skills
Join a club sports something you need to have alone time without the family pressures

Answer 6

If you have saved 5K, you have saved enough to look into some night classes for a high demand career with better pay. A two year degree in many fields is very marketable. Don't take on your boyfirend's debt, keep helping out your Dad till he begins to heal, and look into careers that require little training--LPN, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapy assistant, medical assistant, IT, etc. Good luck!

Answer 7

While it might seem like "happiness" is out of reach to you right now (and who could blame you?), by expressing this feeling out loud you have already taken a step in the right direction.

Invest your $5,000 in a good growth mutual fund and forget you even had it. It won't make you "rich", but by the time you retire it could easily grow to be half-a-million or more. A million plus if you add one hour's wage ($10) a week to it.

Then at least you won't have to worry about YOUR retirement...

Next you need to stop believing money will make you happy, it certainly CAN, but if you can't be happy without it, having lots of it won't help!

Ask yourself what is that you really want to do...then just go do it!

Best wishes...

Answer 8

I think you are doing pretty darn good with the finances. But happyness has to come from the heart. Winning the lottery is not the answer.
To learn the true meaning of happyness you need to reach down into your heart to find it. You cant measure happyness by possessions or anything else.

Answer 9

As long as you consider "Will I every be happy?" a FINANCIAL question, the answer is NO. If you decide happiness has little to do with money, you could be happy tomorrow.

Answer 10

Thank God that you accepted your situation which is the beginning of mercy and compassion from God. Therefore, trust in God for He will not leave you alone. Don't lost hope rather leave it in the hands of God. Continue your work and pray. Continue your help and care for your father because "he who loves and serve his own father will obtain graces and length of days."