Anyone else having hard realizations after using YNAB for a few years?
Context: I never budgeted and always had a "winging it" attitude with money. I tried unsuccessfully to use YNAB for 3 to 4 years (I would use it for one month then get overwhelmed and avoidant and then stop). Two years ago, I finally committed to using it month after month, and I then finally got it. Things started clicking, and I felt like I had a clear picture of my finances for the first time in my life.
In those two years, my expenses (e.g. rent, medical expenses) have gone up and my income has gone down (i.e. I took a pay cut to pursue a different job within my field). My budget is very tight month-to-month, and I have stopped being able to save 10 to 20% of my paycheck, like I used to do when I was younger. I don't have any debt, but still, not saving doesn't feel good. (I do contribute to my 401k, but ideally, I'd like be able put away more money month-to-month.)
Some months, I am effectively *paying* to work in my field, because I have to dip into my savings to support myself. (I work in news/media, which is competitive and has consolidated a lot over the last decade plus, basically the entire time I've been working.) For the first time in my life, I have been seriously considering leaving the profession I've dedicated most of my adult life to, or leaving the city where I've live. I'm single and a renter, and while I know I could be partnered in near/mid-term future, I prefer to focus on things I can directly control right now.
Maybe I am thinking about this all wrong, but I feel like I have cut my expenses almost everywhere I could, barring leaving the city where I live (rent is my biggest expense). I know that I am in an OK place, in the sense that I *did* save for many years, and I have both a cushion and retirement savings. But I want to be able to plan for the future (i.e. have kids one day), and the path to do that seems to involve some really hard decisions. I'm just wondering if anyone can relate to this, or has gone through a similar experience. If you've read this far, thank you.
tldr: I've been using YNAB for 2 years and realized my expenses almost always outweigh my income. I am seriously considering moving to a cheaper city, or leaving my field to support myself. feeling discouraged, and wondering if anyone can relate.