Anyone else feeling completely discouraged?
I (27f) live in the United States and I've been really struggling to accept my life is not going to look how I've always planned. I've always wanted and house and children, but right now that seems so financially impossible it's not even on the horizon. Over the last year I've significantly improved my financial situation- I previously had all of my credit cards maxed, I was using paycheck advance apps, etc.- it was really bad. I've since stopped using the paycheck advances, paid off a significant portion of the credit cards, and have built up a small amount of savings. My spending habits are under control and I am budgeting and managing my money well really for the first time in my life. But still, it never seems to be enough, and that feels incredibly discouraging considering how hard I've been working to get myself to a better place financially. I make a decent amount of money, I worked my way up at an office job for the last 8 years, I have good benefits and about $20k in retirement savings. But with student loan payments, rent, bills, and the general cost of existing I can't manage to save enough that I won't be wiped out completely the second an inevitable emergency vet bill or car repair arises. I have no idea how people who make far less than me are even surviving.
I guess all this to say, I'm realizing I may never own a home or have children and that's been a tough pill for me to swallow. Is anyone else feeling this way and how do you cope with the feeling that you'll be working away the rest of your life with nothing to show for it?