I am very familiar with low salary and pay cuts and freezes for teachers but even with all that 42k after 7 years is extremely low salary. I had to read it twice. Are you in public school? Private? It’s extremely low. And you want to go to 28k? It’s not livable wages where I am at. You’d get better pay in fast food joint.

If you cannot teach, I am not sure how you can sell cars. You have to be coherent and mobile at all times and you can’t be absent a lot. And it’s likely very stressful

Does your state offer pension plan? Many sadly don’t.

Are you single? If you have someone to share bills, you could possibly work at the school part time?