The opposite side of that coin is that if I can cut my expenses by $50/month. That’s $1000 a year less that I need to make ends meet. Currently I make far above my local market income [1], but with my current skillset, this is the only job that I could get making that. I’m focusing over the next couple of years to pay off as much debt as possible to decrease my monthly expenses by paying off stuff and increase my (non existent) non retirement savings.
Every penny of my signing bonus (paid over 2 years) and RSUs are going toward “increasing net worth”. Just in case I have to get a job making local market salaries we will be okay.
[1]. This isn’t a humble brag. I’m 45 years old making about what a college grad 2-3 years out of school could make working at $BigTech.
If you don't mind sharing (and I understand if you don't want to), why not? Often when feeling stuck just having some spare cash so you 'could' escape can really help, even if you never use it.