<prompt> Human: I am not really sure where to start but Ive been losing sleep at night because I feel like Im going no where and making nothing. I am 25 and work in public education for a school system. I am part of the IT department and have since I was 18. When I graduated high school I applied for a job with my local school system and got the job. I started at 32k a year with full benefits and a pension plan which seemed awesome at the time. Well now at 7 years later Im making 36k and feel no closer to getting where I want. I am still a tech 1. My county doesnt promote techs unfortunately. I live in a very rural town in the south which I love. Ive been here since I was born and I dont want to leave but I feel like Im going no where at the same time. Honestly I get a little mad when I see posts of I increased my salary just by doing x and it feels like theres nothing I can do about mine. To be clear I absolutely love my job. Not like its a good job love like I wake up and I look forward to going to work. I cant imagine doing any other job. I dont have any desire to go back to school. I know that sounds bad but I hated school. I dont want to go to college I just want to work. So I own a modest home nothing crazy. 1500 sq feet in a nice secluded area with no neighbors. My loan was for 80000 which I currently owe 70k on. All my bills total each month total at 980 a month. I feel like I save nothing each month and Im trapped driving the cheapest cars and buying off brand stuff.I feel like if I dont nickel and dime every purchase Ill be poor forever. Im just tired of being poor and I feel like Im drowning in debt. Im sorry for the long post and sorry if this is the wrong subreddit for this but idk what else to do. I need help but I feel completely lost. Im not looking to make 6 figures a year I just want to live comfortably and drive a decent car. Id be perfectly happy making 50k a year. That doesnt sound like much to some of you but it would be huge for me. I want to keep my current schedule its very important to me because I have a special needs little sister whom I help my parents with every single day. I work 7:30 to 3:30 no weekends no holidays etc but I feel trapped being poor.TLDR: work in the south in public education I feel trapped being poor with no end in sight and I dont know what to do.Edit: I cant really move due to the fact my little sister has multiple scoliosis and cerebral palsy. Her spine was fused about 9 yeas back so walking is difficult and she needs 247 help pretty much. So I stayed in my home town to be near by and help my parents whom are getting older. They cant really move her well and Im afraid of them getting hurt. Assistant: Honestly, youre nearing the upper end of the average salary spectrum for those with only a high school education. Youre right, you are trapped at this income level, and you own a house which is an expensive draw in of itself. To make the changes you want, its likely going to require you getting more skills or trying to find new employment in this sector. Human: Thanks for the reply. I just cant justify going into debt for a degree. It seems crazy to me to spend 40k in school loans. I really do absolutely love what I do. It just sucks that I feel like I have no options. I thought doing something in the IT field would pay slightly better than mid 30s. I know public education isnt the most lucrative field but this is just insane to me. I want to continue to work in a school system and just make a little more. Do you have any advice if college isnt really an option for me? Assistant: Are there any certifications that you can work towards? I would definitely look into that.Also, community college is a relatively inexpensive option. You can get an associates degree or they may offer special programs for IT.You can definitely earn more than 36k in the IT field, but you might need to either switch to a private company or go to a school system that pays better.Human: I cant really move because of my sister. My parents are getting older and they cant really pick her up any more to move her etc. the closest community college is about an hour away but Ill look into certifications.  <response>: I strongly recommend you speak to these people:So that your sister can get care support she is entitled to, and you can get an education. One hour commute to school is nothing. 