What about your student loan?

Who cares about your credit score? The last thing you need to do is borrow money...

vast majority would make more money delivering pizza, or working a a quickie mart

Maybe, but OP said he has some physical disabilities.There's a ton of online marketing work out there where he could work from home. It just takes ambition to make it happen.

So you've got excuses for why you can't do all of the things that would actually make you money. Got it.

Well the good thing is that it sounds like you may be mobile if you just have 30,000 in student loan debt and don't have mortgages, credit card, or car loan debt.  As long as you have reliable transportation and no responsibilities keeping you in one location, you could go anywhere in the country.

Have you thought about some sort of sales or state or federal government job?  The type of college degree you have may not be as important if you have an outgoing personality and are willing to go into sales.  A government job may be a good opportunity too for health insurance, retirement, and learning a skill.

You're fine.  You've said you don't want to move.  So that limits your options to local jobs or telecommute jobs.  At your age, find a way to turn a hobby you like in to an additional income stream - building/making something or teaching/tutoring/guiding other people in doing so.  

What do you do in your spare time for fun?  How can that be monetized?

FPNI.

You chose.....poorly.

Go to Japan and 1. teach Engrish and 2. bang Japanese women

Can you cummute to md?  Should be able to find a much better paying job there.

OP, I see you are in WV.

I am in state right now for work. The oilfield is going strong up here right now. Hire on somewhere driving a truck or swinging a hammer.

Pay will be 4 times what you make now, minimum. Just be prepared to sweat a little and work some hours.

I normally get 40-60 hours doing my job in Houston, came up here a few weeks ago to help out and racked up 236 hours in 2 weeks. It goes a long ways towards savings.

my $0.02

How do you plan on paying off he $30,000?

Like so many others in your state I suggest hopping on the SSIDI gravy train. Not only do you get more dinero to stay at home but you can also get a placard for your car that gets you VIP parking at Walmart.

#1. Prepare to have no social life.
#2. drive to the following address:
Killion and Sons Well service
2453 W Pike St, Houston, PA 15342
#3. Fill out application.

I've only had 1 day off in the last 30 days but im clearing over 5k a month. No experience needed, they will train you. Not a heavy manual labor job. Downfall is it is all night shift work unless you want to be a roustabout which involves weed control and greasing. The oilfield is ramping up after a couple of rough years and EVERYONE is hiring. Lots of money to be made.

ETA: look into security firms that do oilfield work and sit in a guard shack for 40k a year.. There are a lot of jobs out there that will put you in a better place financially. If youre motivated and have a good work ethic there is no reason you cant better yourself.

You worked 17hr days for 2 weeks?  

Well OP, not to steal your gloom, but...

I'm 47, currently "between jobs" after 20 years of dedicated service to a small commercial job shop, and trying to sell my house to finance part 2 of my life while relocating out of state and starting completely over.

Here's to it!

A.W.D.

That can't be true, I'm on ar15.com in GD

That works in your 20s and early 30s if you're in shape.

Can a mid-40s guy really do it?

Take out some more loans; buy a crotch-rocket and a wingsuit.  Retirement issue solved.  

20k?



Fuck man, the lowest of low can get you better paid than that here.


Can you manage people and work on machines?

Want to move to Kentucky ?

I don't know about WV labor laws but in PA we're required to take a day off after 100 hrs.. 16-17 hour days definitely happen in the oilfield but not on a day to day basis.

I'm curious where your money goes. If you have no debt other than a student loan what exactly are you spending it all on?

My only advice is to work more and get a second job.That or go back and apply some of your college credit towards a nursing degree. Somebody around you should offer an accelerated program that can get you said degree in two years. Sure it will be more loan debt but at least you can get a decent paying job with it even in West Virginia.  At 43 your options are kind of limited now.

16 hours a day to be up here. Anything over is added on top.

I probably actually worked 90-100 hours a week, the rest is just for being away from home

Is there anyone that can take over giving care to your Mom for a couple of years? What are your physical/medical limitations?

You need time alone. I don't know why, but being about 400 miles away from home (and looking for the SO) was something essential to give me the right amount of attitude adjustment.

Or, put it all on 26 black.

Have you thought about teaching history at a private school where maybe you don't need a teaching license?  Or finding out what it takes to teach history in a public school and get the teacher retirement?

I didn't know you were close to oil field jobs.  Are there any natural gas jobs around there?  That may be opportunity too.  What about if you are not wanting to relocate local electricians, plumbers, HVAC guys that need helpers?  That is a good skill that people need help with everywhere.  If you are in a small town, and far from a bigger town, that can be harder to find job opportunities but something can turn up.

You're really not in a bad spot with only 30K in debt.  It is good that you've been helping take care of your mother.  Maybe you can find something that works well for both of you

You cant save if you dont have the income. So you can either get a job that pays what a college degree'ed job should, which IMO is atleast 60,000. Or you have to get a second job. Alternative is to retire poor and ration with social security.

There are 4 and 5 semester long BS/BA to BSN programs out there.  But that takes effort, hard work, and $40,000.  I'm not sure OP has it in him.

Not screwed at all.  Actually, you are better off than more than 1/2 the country.  Figure out how to make more $$, don't go into debt, and you will be fine.

First post nailed it

I read some more.  Yeah I'd look at maybe local, state, or federal government office type jobs.  Even if it was an office helper type job, you would be able to get in on some type of retirement program and health insurance benefits.  You'd probably get a lot of time off from work too.  Once you are in long enough you could switch into another job but stay in your government retirement program.

Paid for house and car and you are used to living on $20k per year?  Get at better paying job, don't increase your lifestyle, save the difference, and you are golden.  Shouldn't be hard if $20k is your starting point but then again I know nothing about West Virginia.

Nursing is not the desirable job it once was.  20 years ago, you could wear your wallet out carrying around all that nursing money.  Now, every everyone has heard that nursing is a stable and good-paying field, and their is no shortage of nursing wanna-bes.  

Not saying you couldn't still make a go of it, but I don't know that I'd be recommend it today.

Honestly, you're better off than 50% of the country.

I disagree, there is some difference there...

I would sell the house, pay off the student loans and move into a cheaper home, or....

I would get a second job and put ever cent of that into a ROTH IRA or....

Get a better paying job. You have an income problem right now or.....

Get a better paying job or jobs, put every penny towards a Roth IRA, and look at renting out a room in your house if possible. Put that money towards extra payments on the student loans.

Can't you get a job as a teacher? What are you doing for $20grand a year? WORK MORE and smarter.

OR

Talk to a financial planner. You have 20-30 years to plan for your retirement. You are really behind the curve right now.

I would recommend the DAVE RAMSEY program and books. You need the help. Listen to his show on the radio for free or over the internet. Take his books out of the library.

Yeah that.

20k a year?

Part time door greeter at Walmart?

The federal prison in WV starts it's officers in the mid 40's.

You could maybe retire by age 60, full pension at 65.

I would do that if I were you.

Why wouldn't you want to do this?

Whew, man I thought I was the only one. We must be twins... literally identical.  except I'm 35 & make about 40k.

I need. 401k like a mother fucker, & fast.

I've know a few that have done it. Given his income level he might qualify for some financial aid.

How much risk are you willing to take?

Take the equity from your house/sell it.

Invest it all or use it to leverage to start a company.

Or just work until you die/use the equity to retire.

He'd still double his wages at the least.

Did she die?

Yeah pretty much. Learn a trade. At least then when shtf you might be valuable enough to keep around instead of going in "the pit" with all the other scholarly folk that will serve no purpose.

Why would you? I look forward to the day I no longer have to get up at 05:00 and haul my ass into work.

What else am I going to do?

Maybe you should find a job you like.

More than 30K for a History degree. You have been paying on it, right..?
What did you think would happen..?

To all the posters giving this guy shit and talking down to the OP you should walk a mile in the shoes of some of these folks that live in WV and other depressed rural areas. A lot of the people in these regions have been to hell and back and are true salt of the earth folks. The Gov sold them out sending most reasonable paying factory jobs to Mexico and China over the last 20+ years, then they went after the last good paying coal and NG jobs while turning a blind eye to a flood of opioids that have all but destroyed what is left of the social stability in these communities. I'm not defending bad life choices, but this issue is is not all the fault of the locals in these regions. We will spend trillions in Iraq and AFG with out batting an eye supporting people that hate our guts, but outside addictive welfare programs we won't lift a finger to help our own people, it's a freaking disgrace.

This guy was honorable enough to take care of his sick mother, that's is worth a lot in my eyes. He owns a car and house outright, that probably better of then 70% of the US today. I see these $30K millionaires everyday, not two cents to rub together but mortgaged up to their eyeballs in over priced homes, $20K UTVs, $70K boats and $100K+ of auto debt while being just a few paychecks away from complete bankruptcy. A huge percentage of the current US economy is just an illusion built on a mountain of unsustainable debt and one financial scam or another.  

With a little age usually comes some wisdom, I learned a long time ago not to make fun of people in bad financial or life situations, unless you are independently wealthy, any of us could end up on the wrong side of life in an instant, especially with the fraudulent cost of medical treatments and the predatory tax laws we have today. If you think a big nut roll in a 401K makes you superior or insulates you from hard times, you might want to reevaluate that attitude a bit. One major terror attack, Gov reorg, bad election or another financial crisis like we had in 08 and it can be gone in the blink of an eye. We are 20 trillion in debt and growing while spending 1.2 trill above what we take in in taxes, how do you think that will eventually play out ?

i bet some rural areas, where there is much needed demand for nurses, can make $30+/hr