And then the student loan payment hits.

Graduated in 2004 (right after the dotcom crash) with $70K in debt, mostly private loans. I didn't get that usurious gorilla off my back until 2014. In hindsight I was dramatically underpaid the first 5 years, but still.

I made that financial decision at 18. First in my family to graduate college. Nobody knew better to tell me not to do that.

A lot of other people are in the same boat.