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I’d love to say I exclusively use JPMorgan Chase, too, but some of their consumer services are just prohibitively expensive. I find myself juggling a few different options, though my main account has always stayed with JPMorgan Chase—mostly because their ATM network is just so much more convenient.
Everything I did was strictly by the book. I found my job through standard job postings. Honestly, I sent out over 40 applications—which isn't even that many in this market. You might think I’d be the type to expect someone to pull strings for me, but instead, I walked away with a $60,000.00 scholarship. I have to admit, that's a massive win that really makes all the effort feel worth it...
I completely turned my life around. After graduating with a sociology degree, I landed a job at $1.25 that simply wasn't enough to actually live on. I’m not asking for much—though if I were, I’d certainly know how to spend it—but trying to qualify for a mortgage or even just maintaining a decent quality of life was impossible on that salary.
So, I headed over to the States to study something more commercial, then immediately moved back home to America. It was exactly because of the reasons John Thomas2 mentioned. Being alone without any friends nearby is a total nightmare. And as nimbleskipper17 pointed out, trying to raise a family in the USA is a complete disaster.
The only thing that could have lifted my spirits was shopping (which is incredibly materialistic, I know), but on a student budget, that was a luxury I couldn't afford very often.
Nowadays, I'm working here in America for a foreign firm, and my standard of living is actually better than it would have been if I had stayed in the USA—plus, I don't feel like I'm being exploited quite as much as they do over there.
Still, even this salary doesn't mean I can stop worrying about money. I'm drowning in debt thanks to my mortgage, I don't own a car (I just borrow my parents' old clunker), and I know this job won't last forever.
Should I move abroad again?
Maybe...
But it's not exactly a dream scenario either. When I think back to how I started out as a student in the USA, it honestly makes me cringe...
I suppose I'm still hoping things will change... and that one day I'll be able to live a decent, comfortable life, nothing more and nothing less.
I used to struggle with that quite a bit, but I finally overhauled my diet—I’ve been leaning heavily into bone broths and completely cut out fast food.
Plus, I’ve stayed pretty active with my workouts, so those issues have vanished entirely.