I dropped out of college and now earn $159,000 as a software engineer. Lifestyle creep left me $30,000 in debt.
A Brooklyn-based software engineer shares his experience of overcoming lifestyle creep and debt after reaching a six-figure salary. The essay highlights the challenges of managing high living costs in New York City while maintaining financial stability.
Why it matters
The story illustrates common financial pitfalls faced by young professionals in high-cost urban environments.
Devonte Duncan, 27, is a software engineer based in Brooklyn, NYC. Business Insider A Brooklyn-based software engineer shares his journey from college dropout to earning six figures. Living in NYC, he faces rising costs, managing rent with his fiancée, and budgeting carefully. He faced lifestyle creep and debt, but now saves strategically for financial stability and growth. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation for our Cost of Living video series with Devonte Duncan, 27, a software engineer living in Brooklyn, New York City. It has been edited for length and clarity. Watch the full Cost of Living video here. When I started making six figures , I remember my friends and I would go out to eat, and the first thing I would do was say, "guys, I got it." I would put my card down and pay for like 10 people.
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