[acureau]

23m, 2 YoE software engineer, live in Louisiana. I take home around $1100 weekly after tax. My monthly bills total ~$2500. I put ~$600 into my personal IRA, being a contractor. What remains either sits in savings, put towards to developing another source of income, or spent on games and beer.

I am fairly lucky in that I can do most things I want to. I can buy things that I want with a little saving. I can eat out with the family. I can't travel too much, though I'd like to. The only "normal life" expense I can't afford is buying a home. It seems a long way off.

I think the path forward will be moving states or working remote, as there are few jobs in software near me. At least at my experience level. For now I cannot complain. My quality of life is higher than most I know. Off topic, but I think about this a lot.