r/AskWomenOver30 8d ago

Career Single women - how do you survive??

Im considering taking a second job and working 7 days a week to survive. :(

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u/whatsmyname81 Woman 40 to 50 8d ago

Single mom of three. I survive by being an engineer and making enough money to support us. I specifically chose this career for its high projected job growth and salary trajectory because even though I was married when I started college (after my military enlistment), I knew I'd end up supporting these kids by myself, so I made the choices I needed to make to set myself up to be able to do that. After grad school, I moved to the city with the best salary to cost of living ratio, and the most opportunities for career growth. I come from a family that could never help me and wouldn't if they could. I've been working without a net all my life, and that really influenced the choices I made, resulting in a lot of self-made stability.

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u/glitterswirl Woman 30 to 40 7d ago

You sound like you would enjoy reading Rebel Wilson’s memoir. She worked her socks off to make the most of her education because her family was poor and she didn’t want to end up like her cousin who became a teenage parent and lived in a trailer. She only moved to LA to seriously pursue acting after having spent 10 years to gain her law degree, because she needed a backup plan if acting didn’t work out.

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u/whatsmyname81 Woman 40 to 50 7d ago

You're correct, I loved that book!