Stuck in a rut at 24

Thatsthespirit

Apologies if this is in the wrong section or complete wrong forum but thought I'd try and get some advice from the great people of MSE.

I never thought I'd feel the way I do at my age (turned 24 last week) but I genuinely feel like I've hit a brick wall and I can't get anywhere.

I changed job last year which included a huge paycut. I couldn't stand working shifts any longer and found working in a factory was impacting my health and giving me constant migraines. So I got out and got a job working outside which also offers opportunities a few years down the line for better income etc. However, I've given it almost a year now and I've learnt it really isn't for me. Not only that, but the wage drop has hit me hard. I've had to get rid of my car and I never thought how much I'd miss it. I feel imprisoned sometimes. I thought I'd be able to ride it out until I got a pay rise but this isn't happening any time soon and I can't cope being there anyway. I hate the job.

This brings me onto my next point. I have a mortgage. It was my only option at the time (3 years ago) and at the time I moved in with my then girlfriend and everything was dandy. However, things have changed and now I'm on my own. The place isn't big enough for a lodger so in the end I put it on the market with no REAL plan. I'm using travelling as an excuse to get out both this flat/horrible area and my job. But deep down, I know it isn't the answer.

I wake up every morning feeling like quitting. I remember 5 years ago when everything was perfect, now I've been dealt the card of 'the real world' I'm finding it really difficult. Every aspect. And the funny thing is, some people would lose their left arm to be in my position.

Not sure what to do

Thatsthespirit

jackson_boll0ck wrote: »

how do you get a mortgage when you're still in your early 20s and only working dead end jobs??

htb.......

[Deleted User]

"People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full, miss the point, the glass is always refillable"

My brother physically lost his legs 9 months ago, he felt imprisioned for a little while, only his strength of mind kept him going, sometimes don't get it but like to think his snap life changing accident easily shown me to be grateful for what I have and be selective of prolonging the most miserable situations, not the ideal outcome I'd like for mustering positive vibes, but if you can think of yours as a fixable mistake experience that you don't have to remake and can only go to strength from, life can change in a heart beat x

sweetilemon

Jackson_Boll0ck wrote: »

How do you get a mortgage when you're still in your early 20s and only working dead end jobs??

It is possible to save for a disposit and choose a small affordable property. Min wage at full time hours, permanent job, however dead end would give a wage for a mortgage. When the news reports young people are unable to afford a mortgage it often transpires they are attempting to buy a house at £150k+ not a small flat at £50k+. Also area dependant.

Anyway, hopefully you can sell up if that's your aim (I bought when I was 19 but unfortunately the market crashed and are unable to sell for a reasonable loss).
Why don't you apply for other jobs while you still have one if it's not for you? Sometimes life doesn't work out how we'd like, it isn't healthy to wallow in self pitty however good to work towards what you'd like to change if that's possible. If you'd like to find a partner, join clubs that interest you or somewhere like match. If you get a new job or second job hopefully you can get a new car.

Make a list of changes you'd like to make and a list of actions to try to change things. Date it and look back in a few years, I'm sure you will have moved ahead in your life.

bugslet

Good ideas from sweetilemon there.

I haven't much to add beyond saying that although it doesn't feel like it now, this is just a phase, everyone goes through them and it will get better.

I did spend some money on seeing a careers coach, did one of those tests that determine your strengths and weaknesses and it really clarified what I would be good at and what would naturally appeal to me. Might be worth looking at if you think you are likely to drift otherwise.

Primrose

Why have you put your flat on the market with no fixed plan? In my view that's not sensible. If you get a buyer you could find yourself potentially homeless with nowhere particularly to go and still no life plan. And any equity you have in the property would just get frittered away.

And travelling is really no answer really, is it? It,s just taking your doubts with you which will still be there when you come back.

What qualifications do you have? And how flexibly can you use them to move into a different type of career? What savings do you have, if any?
The economy is about to go into a very unsettled period while Brexit is being negotiated. My own advice would be to take your house off the market, do some serious thinking about how you start a different career, possibly getting an additional qualification and hang onto your bricks and mortar asset, even though it has a mortgage.

Talk to friends who know you and your skills. Do they have any suggestions where you might be able to build a new career. Does your County Council have have any free careers advisory services? Look for careers information and recommended training options in your local library. Use this time of personal uncertainty to try and research alternative options. Meanwhile hang in there with the job you've got to at least avoid getting yourself into debt.

Whilst you may not have space for a permanent lodger, could you make a little income offering occasional bed &breakfast via one of those websites which offer occasional "doss down" sleeping accommodation? This might help you accumulate some money , and meet some interesting new people who might even give you some inspiration for a new career option.

pickledonionspaceraider

Consider 100 years ago, what the young men your age were doing in the battle of the somme.

You really do have an exceptionally privileged life

[Deleted User]

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

Consider 100 years ago, what the young men your age were doing in the battle of the somme.

You really do have an exceptionally privileged life

And in a few hundred years we may look back at our silly ancestors who worked for a living, rather than let the robot superconcious look after our every needs.

We're in the here and now. Lets deal with that rather than compare generations.

If you are stuck in a rut then only a big change is going to 'un-rut' you.

Whats holding you back? What are your options?

Primrose

Trying to be practical here. There is a book residing on our bookshelf called "The 1994 What Color is your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles. There's probably a later edition available if you search on Amazon. Buy it or get your library to order a copy for you and read it from cover to cover. (Libraries are free to use by the way) It's a practical manual for job hunters, career changers and the unemployed. . Absolutely full of useful advice, questionnaires, decision- making charts, quides which take you through your likes, dislikes and aptitudes for a possible different career.. It was written for the American market but don't let that put you off. The same problems and dilemmas affect people across the globe so you will still find the content very valuable in hopefully widening your thinking process about how you move forward. Good Luck.

peachyprice

Is there any equity in the property?If there is enough make your 'travel' excuse a reality. You have a job you hate, no ties, go live a little, you might discover there is something you do want to do.

It drives me mad this British obsession of home ownership, there's a whole world out there to discover but our young spend 18-25 saving for a damn house doing little but work and scrimp, then they get the house and spend the next 15 years working and scrimping to pay of the mortgage, life in the meantime having passed them by.

Newdirections

given the fact that your job is unsecure, I really wouldn't let go of your property. As others have suggested, it Is rare for someone of your age to even get approved for a mortgage, and I remember before getting my first property, I felt trapped and doomed (in much the same way you do without a car). Why not rent it out, and go on a working holiday somewhere? (Australia, Europe).