There are a lot of contributing factors to why I'm leaving Seattle. One of the biggest reasons is money. This was a sad reality since I use to be so brutally enamored with my work that the money didn't matter. The job gave me happiness and the money was just a bonus. But after 5 years in the field, I have moments of burn-out and fatigue, and although there a are shining moments of enamored bliss, my relationship with my job is just that. A relationship. Like my mother or father or sister, I can love them, but I don't have to always like them. It all depends on the context. My relationship with student affairs is now more tried and true. I don't go to work every day thrilled to be having hard conversations about a student employee's behavior or how we spend our money, but I come out the other side usually satisfied with how the conversation went. I'm a learner and if something tough helped me be a better professional, I'm all for that. Quite frankly, I think it's healthier this way. I've begun to create boundaries. I actually go home by 5 or 5:30, and I don't fool myself into going in on Saturdays just because "it's quieter."
What this has also made me realize is money doesn't buy me happiness, but it does buy me ease (i.e. I'm not there for the money, I'm there for the students, but yes, the money pays the bills). In actuality, this entire post is about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Didn't realize I was going to get theory specific in this, but here we are!
What this has also made me realize is money doesn't buy me happiness, but it does buy me ease (i.e. I'm not there for the money, I'm there for the students, but yes, the money pays the bills). In actuality, this entire post is about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Didn't realize I was going to get theory specific in this, but here we are!
In addition to working a very taxing job, my salary for the past 2 years has been approximately $35,000. Now with that comes dental and medical insurance plus a retirement fund so I am eternally grateful for those benefits. Without them, I would've been royally screwed since I have several chronic health issues. BUT that also means that the money that goes towards my bills is less than $30,000. In a city that has skyrocketing rent and where minimum wage is $15, I pay $800 for a place. It's definitely on the way cheaper end, but total, me and my roommate are paying $1600. It's a steal (in Seattle) and a place that I've loved living in, but that's my biggest expense and the one that sometimes gives me major anxiety. My other bills and expenses add up to a little over $1,100. So I'll repeat it again: money doesn't buy me happiness, but it does buy me ease.
I've been crunching the numbers and using the app, Every Dollar. It's been super helpful and getting me back on track to better spending habits, and while it sets my mind at ease for a hot second, it gets my mind a'reelin' about my mental stability. Wouldn't my depression and anxiety be better managed if I wasn't distraught about living pay check to pay check with the credentials and a Masters degree to show for it?
That's something that I actually hear all the time, "You have a Masters degree. Shouldn't you be making more?" You would think, but folks, our system is broken. There's been some milestones for me certainly. As a first-generation college student who came from a working class family, the loans from my Bachelors degree were minimal- approximately $10,000. It was also a big deal that I moved out here on my own and bought a car. Granted, I had to take another loan out for the car, but at 25, I drove it off the lot new. I've also been extremely money conscious since the age of 16. Just this year, I realized what a privilege it was to be taught how to balance my check book that young. My parents were great that way. They really instilled in me the importance of never going in the red but knowing when you're close. And I've been fortunate to never be in that situation. I didn't even get a credit card until I was 24. All this to say, the spending and debt racks up over time, and the anxiety I have about work shouldn't be compounded with the anxiety I have about financially supporting myself.
Of course, moving back to Kansas isn't going to erase my debt, and I'll still be making roughly the same amount of money, but the cost of living will be significantly less. Here are my financial goals for the next 3 years:
Money doesn't buy me happiness, but it does buy me ease. For myself in the present and for the family I hope to have in the future.
That's something that I actually hear all the time, "You have a Masters degree. Shouldn't you be making more?" You would think, but folks, our system is broken. There's been some milestones for me certainly. As a first-generation college student who came from a working class family, the loans from my Bachelors degree were minimal- approximately $10,000. It was also a big deal that I moved out here on my own and bought a car. Granted, I had to take another loan out for the car, but at 25, I drove it off the lot new. I've also been extremely money conscious since the age of 16. Just this year, I realized what a privilege it was to be taught how to balance my check book that young. My parents were great that way. They really instilled in me the importance of never going in the red but knowing when you're close. And I've been fortunate to never be in that situation. I didn't even get a credit card until I was 24. All this to say, the spending and debt racks up over time, and the anxiety I have about work shouldn't be compounded with the anxiety I have about financially supporting myself.
Of course, moving back to Kansas isn't going to erase my debt, and I'll still be making roughly the same amount of money, but the cost of living will be significantly less. Here are my financial goals for the next 3 years:
- rent my own apartment (which I've never been able to do in Seattle)
- make a major dent in my loans
- travel more
- start saving up for either IVF or adoption
- get promoted and hit the salary range of $40,000-$45,000
Money doesn't buy me happiness, but it does buy me ease. For myself in the present and for the family I hope to have in the future.
