Anonymous wrote:OP, ignore all these crazies who are telling you that you don't need to make more money and shouldn't invest in furthering your education. You sound like you are ambitious, know where you want to get financially, and are realistic about the expenses/challenges your new child is going to present. GOOD FOR YOU!

OP is trying to figure out how to provide the absolute best for her child and have a generous safety net in case of illness or unemployment. She is going to spend more money on childcare (esp. in the first few years) and that is a huge expense.

I would find a company with health and education benefits, that allows flexibility (work at home, no set start/end time). Let them help you pay for a Master's. Don't worry about paying for a name school. You have valuable experience-- nobody is going to care about where you went to school, they are just going to want to see the credential.

I agree that if you are good at the hustle (and good looking) sales may be a great option-- no need to get an advanced degree.

My cousin who has an MBA from Oxford and two masters degrees in Economics and Anthropology from the London school of economics is living the good life clearing $300K a year. I will never ever ever ever downplay furthering my education. I do agree that some of these people are nuts. I love how people are calling me the TROLL and they in fact are the Trolls, posting shitty responses to get a rise. I am going to get a project management certification and hopefully that will get me in the door at Hilton. I can pay for the course out right with no debt. If I can get in the door...more than likely at a lower salary I will just move back home for a short spell. I am still going to buy in Tampa because not matter what if everything works out financially here I can move my mother there and have the place for my own retirement. All of these people on this board are replying with slightly macabre stories about law school. I can't imagine that it is all that bad. I am just thinking they had grandiose ideas for their career that never came to fruition leaving them scarred. I am way better than I thought I would ever be right now in my life coming from two drug addicted parents one of which died from AIDS in 1988. I want more, and I am capable of more. I just will skip law school. It was, like someone else said, just something to do for more money...Not my passion.

I don't think law school is per se a bad idea. I think it's a bad idea for a single mother who has a reasonably successful career in sales and marketing and hasn't articulated any real desire to be a lawyer other than a possible salary increase.

PP here - I agree with you completely. Just struck by the borderline despair coming from some of the lawyers.

Anonymous wrote:I gotta say, reading this as a non-attorney is bordering on "deja vu all over again." I've no opinion on going to law school, but when smart people who are involved in or close to any industry that's been beaten into the ground with a cricket bat start throwing in the towel and warning others away, that's usually the time to buy in. Not saying the bottom is in for lawyers (because I don't know), but the sun will rise again. Always does.

I don't think law school is per se a bad idea. I think it's a bad idea for a single mother who has a reasonably successful career in sales and marketing and hasn't articulated any real desire to be a lawyer other than a possible salary increase.

I gotta say, reading this as a non-attorney is bordering on "deja vu all over again." I've no opinion on going to law school, but when smart people who are involved in or close to any industry that's been beaten into the ground with a cricket bat start throwing in the towel and warning others away, that's usually the time to buy in. Not saying the bottom is in for lawyers (because I don't know), but the sun will rise again. Always does.

Anonymous wrote:OP, ignore all these crazies who are telling you that you don't need to make more money and shouldn't invest in furthering your education. You sound like you are ambitious, know where you want to get financially, and are realistic about the expenses/challenges your new child is going to present. GOOD FOR YOU!

OP is trying to figure out how to provide the absolute best for her child and have a generous safety net in case of illness or unemployment. She is going to spend more money on childcare (esp. in the first few years) and that is a huge expense.

I would find a company with health and education benefits, that allows flexibility (work at home, no set start/end time). Let them help you pay for a Master's. Don't worry about paying for a name school. You have valuable experience-- nobody is going to care about where you went to school, they are just going to want to see the credential.

I agree that if you are good at the hustle (and good looking) sales may be a great option-- no need to get an advanced degree.

I hope OP is also smart enough to file for child support. She owes that to her child too. And perhaps a relationship with the father? Might want to take that into consideration when planning where to live.
How did we get to page 3 before anyone mentioned this? OP's increased salary does not guarantee her child the things that really matter.