Someone in a thread mentioned that it’s hard to invest in continuing ed and training when they are just struggling to put food on the table. I offered this comment:
I totally understand. For most of my life, the occupations I have chosen have been quite low income. The main way I have gotten some kind of leeway is by cutting something. A lot of the expenses I have cut, other people might not have been willing to cut.
Big ones for me have been: sharing housing; choosing not to own a car; cutting out all but a tiny amount of electricity consumption.
Each person varies in what they are willing to cut. For me, I have been willing to cut just about anything in order to be able to free up the money (and time) to take care of my mental health and further my education. (Not only permaculture / ecology classroom education but also land based apprenticeships etc.)
Another thing that helps is if you can pursue certifications that can somehow be connected to your main occupation, therefore could potentially be a tax deduction or even credit.
For example, I just saw a friend’s picture of walking in a forest, and it reminded me that “forest bathing” is a certification now. A professional who gets people out into forest immersion. This could be connected to occupations such as yoga instructor, therapist, etc.