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I switched from working 35 hours a week to 40 hours a week back in November.

I had no idea how much that added to my annual salary, but it was like a huge raise back in November. Same hourly rate, they just forced everyone in the company to work 40 hours or lose your benefits if you wanted to stay at 35 hours.

Then yesterday I got my annual raise.

Holy s**t. Holy. s**t. between the two I am now making 10k more than last year.

I don't...I don't know what to do with myself. My debt will be knocked out in a few months. Then I start saving. Then...I don't know.

At one point in my life while unemployed I was so low, so depressed and defeated that I actually believed that I wasn't good enough to even have a minimum wage job. I thought I wasn't good enough to have ANY job like a 'normal person.' I remember one afternoon I broke down crying while watching Spongebob Squarepants at home because I realized, "Even Spongebob Squarepants has a ******** job."

I'm trying not to brag, I really am. I'm sorry guys, and I know it is bragging just by even bringing this up. But I am just so ******** happy right now. I honestly thought I'd end up loveless, jobless and living off my mother, begging for spending money well into my 40's. I never thought I would ******** amount to anything and I have.

This isn't going to solve a lot of the problems I am having. Money can't solve depression or weight and health issues, but god dammit, it solves a big chunk of my debt problem and frees up a lot of mental real estate so I CAN focus on stuff like helping my depression, weight and health problems.

That's great to hear!

Honestly this gives me a lot of hope and strength because I'm 27, barely making more than minimum wage and I feel like I'm in quicksand

I'm so happy for you and it's so amazing to see people able to get out and not have to ******** worry about money. oh my god. heart

Congrats! Owning your own place feels awesome. I've already paid off a little over $25k of the loan on my house. After my credit cards are done and I stash some money in savings,. I am going to start shoveling heaps of money at the house. I hope to pay off my mortgage in the next 10 years. I also have some repairs I wanna make, like new windows (sorely needed) a new roof (needs to be done in a few years) and power washing and painting the siding.

At 27, I was in less debt than I am now, but it was soul crushing because I couldn't afford it. The $$$ was less but I was also making much less. I would be standing at the train station, silently begging that the charge for the train fare would go through because all my cards were maxed out and I had no cash in checking or savings. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get to work that week.



To everyone else, thank you so much. Brandon and I are talking more and more seriously about getting married either this year or next so this will also help pay for that. I am still heart-set on having a tacky but sweet Vegas wedding.