I agree with your assessment that Job #3 would be a waste of my time, talent, and intelligence. Knowing that I applied for the admin role posting on Indeed and yet my recruiter submitted me as a temp to the same role. They won't hire me permanently if they can keep me as a temp, until they hire someone else. I've been on that rollercoaster too many times to count and it's wearing on my soul. I HATE being a temp job that I applied for the full-time position for, knowing that they rejected my full-time application yet are ok with me as their temp istead and then they hire someone else. Horrible.

In my state, you can't opt out of 401K's. I've tried. I tried to end my 401K when I stopped substitute teaching and couldn't. I still can't end it. It's a retirement 401K so they REFUSE to let me end that 401K although I have proof that I don't work for any district as a substitute teacher. It's infuriating. I have another 401K from a previous teaching job that ended in 2005 that I can't get the funds for, either since the human resources person at the community college left their role and I don't have the access code etc. or the name of the company that has that 401K either.

I hate 401Ks b/c I'm in my 50s so all it will do is take a huge CHUNK of money every month out of my paycheck that I need, and wont' be able to earn any interest on. If I were in my 20s and had a 401K for 30 years that would be different. 401K's are a money scam in my opinion. I can't retire on pennies. I'll be on public assistance for the rest of my life anyway.

Job #1 and Job #2's insurance plans are another money evil. As a single person, I will likely pay $7-10K over the year for the 80/20 coverage, out of my bi-monthly paychecks. I'll never be able to quit rideshare driving with a salary under $50K for that reason.

So, if I take Job #1, I will be more financially poor than I am now being on state and county healthcare and food support. That $40K salary with the 401K that I can't opt out of since its a retirement fund, and the company's health insurance plan that I also can't refuse (my $40K will exceed income guidelines for the state and county healthcare and food support programs, so I'll lose those two supports), will make my finances worse, esp. now that I have student loans, a car payment, car insurance, rent, utilities, food, gas, kitten food/litter expense and kitten healthcare (free clinics for the time being) not to mention the cost of transportation to/from that job since its located downtown: bus pass is $96 a year and a car parking lot permit is $300 a month.

While it may offer a better career path on the surface, I would be a fool to accept that lowball offer of $40K for Job #1.

Job #2 may be a a boring job with no career path, but the pay is better. I still face the same dilemma though; either $96/year bus pass or $300/month car parking lot permit, rent, car payment, car insurance, utilities, food, gas, kittens food/litter and kitten healthcare, student loan repayment. Deduct the retirement 401K, the monthly health insurance plan premium, and my life is financially ruined despite the $48K salary.

To keep my head about water, I either continue temping and receive state and county food and healthcare benefits for free, or I only accept job offers of $50K minimum.

It's so painful but that's something I have to address. I rideshare drive to make ends meet without the salary, while I temp. After I spend a tank of gas to fill up on gas every day, I rideshare drive 6-8 hours and net less than $180 (deducting the cost of what I spent to fill up my gas tank).

So, while I could technically rideshare drive every weekend and collectively at 12 months of doing that, have saved close to $11K, it's still wear and tear on my car. I put 20K miles on my car since July rideshare driving.

So, a $50K salary is what would help me. If I'm being financially wise. I don't qualify for loans either (I have student loan debt and a very low credit score). I tried applying for a loan and was rejected. So that option is out.

There are gov't grants I can apply for, but each of those has their own "boxes" that I'd need to "fit." And I don't.