Living paycheck to paycheck

DextersDisciple, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2019

I’m so sorry you’re going through this but know you are not alone! I think I need a little more detail to truly give you helpful advice. How many years of experience do you have? What exactly is .8? Is your hourly wage comparable to other facilities? What area of the country do you live in? Cost of living varies state to state.

Mariah2019 · Mar 2, 2019

I been a RN for 5 years now and I work 32 hours a week and most nursing home facilities pay about the same. I make about 3k/month and every penny goes to my bills. I live in Minnesota.

DextersDisciple, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2019

5 minutes ago, Mariah2019 said:
I been a RN for 5 years now and I work 32 hours a week and most nursing home facilities pay about the same. I make about 3k/month and every penny goes to my bills. I live in Minnesota.

Hmm. Is there anyway you could pick up OT? I’m not sure if it would be considered OT though since you only work 32 hours. Do you pay for childcare? I would look into budgeting programs for your utility bills. For example, my gas company and I believe electric too provide discounted rates for people making less than a certain amount of money.

If you have student loans you could have them reviews to see if you could have a lower monthly payment. Find out if your payments are income driven- that could be hurting you or helping you depending on how much you pay monthly. I made over $72K NOT including OT. If my payments were based on how much money I earned I would pay a lot more monthly.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Mar 2, 2019

This is not a question for nurses. Please consult a financial advisor. The advice is free .. and it's priceless.

alexiaj, LPN · Mar 2, 2019

Same here. I had to look into cutting back on some things paying on time so I’m not paying late fees and unfortunately a prn job which I’m there consistently to make ends meet.

Tron8622 · Mar 4, 2019

Oh yes nursing pays , but the irs and bills take it back . Nursing will pay the rent and that’s it . I always say you know you picked a good career if all the employees drive sports cars . Sadly nurses and even docs have zero to zilch in savings compared to lawyers other professionals I’m getting out due no real take home income . It all goes to taxes

Trauma Columnist · Mar 4, 2019

3K in Minnesota doesn't go very far. What about assistance programs for day care?

Asystole RN · Mar 4, 2019

6 hours ago, Tron8622 said:
Oh yes nursing pays , but the irs and bills take it back . Nursing will pay the rent and that’s it . I always say you know you picked a good career if all the employees drive sports cars . Sadly nurses and even docs have zero to zilch in savings compared to lawyers other professionals I’m getting out due no real take home income . It all goes to taxes

Ah yes, survivorship bias. Always better on the other side of the fence. The fact we are able to pay bills is a significant blessing.

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2019

Fortunately for me, I have help from my family when it comes to a place to stay. If not, things would be tight for me. I am saving like crazy so I can buy a house and not have to make a single payment on it. I do know a lot of struggling nurses and I feel for them because we work so hard and when you can barely afford your bills it can make you feel pretty depressed.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2019

Can you get a roommate? Live with family or friends?

Use a food pantry? get help from charitable organizations and churches?

Get another job? Etc.

sell whatever you can get rid of.

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Mar 5, 2019

Are you tracking expenses? Like can you tell me exactly how much you spent on food or cleaning supplies or clothes last month? That’s the first thing you should do when trying to figure out how to live on what you’ve got. If they don’t track, most people spend way more than they think they do.