I have never made money as a writer to speak of, you have and it's amazing. I have worked as a server in a restaurant, among other jobs so that I could write and create art. What you told me, in essence, is that it is OK to have these kinds of jobs. And, unless you have bought a house and have your retirement covered, you have no idea how expensive life is. $1500 a month is nothing. My HOA is $400. You cannot rely on rent staying the same. In 2002, rent was $550. Now it is $3000. That's 5.4 times as expensive.