Retirement calculators suggest I need to be saving 75% of my current annual income to be prepared for retirement. That’s not remotely possible at my income level.

A minimum wage worker with full time hours in my situation would need to save 42% of their income. Someone making the living wage for my area would need to save 22% of their income. A median wage worker in my area would need to save 21% of their income.

Given that a living wage doesn’t leave room for retirement or any other kinds of savings, let alone debt payments, and that many people don’t even make a living wage, it’s no wonder most Americans are utterly fucked when it comes to retirement.

What really bites is that if I’d been able to take all the money that I paid (and am still paying) for school and my health over the last 12 years or so and stick it in a retirement account, I’d never have to save another penny.