TIFU by calculating my inflation adjusted raises

Today I fucked up by using an inflation calculator to check my salary growth. It started as a random curiosity—I'd been at my job since 2015 and recently got a promotion. I thought it'd be interesting to see how my salary has kept up with inflation over the years, especially since I felt pretty good about that promotion. Spoiler: it was not interesting; it was soul-crushing.

So, I punched in the numbers—my starting salary in 2015 and my current salary after nine long years of loyalty, hard work, and one big promotion. I was expecting a decent difference, something to justify all those late nights, skipped vacations, and “doing more with less” speeches. But when the inflation-adjusted numbers popped up on the screen, I had to do a double-take. The difference? A measly 3.24%. That’s it. After nearly a decade, my salary has only increased by 3.24% when adjusted for inflation.

I stared at the screen in disbelief, feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and, honestly, a sense of betrayal. I’ve always been the “loyal employee” type, the one who sticks it out because things will eventually get better, right? But this? This felt like a slap in the face from the universe telling me that my loyalty was worth next to nothing.

To add salt to the wound, I started thinking about all the opportunities I passed up, the job offers I didn’t pursue because I was comfortable—or so I thought. I was playing it safe, believing that sticking with my company would pay off in the long run. But now, it’s clear that I’ve been shortchanging myself, literally. I could have pushed harder to move up or moved on to somewhere that would have valued my experience and contributions more.

But instead, I let myself get complacent, and now I’m facing the harsh reality that my “promotion” barely kept pace with inflation. I can’t help but feel like I really fucked up by not trying harder to get out of here sooner. Now I’m left wondering how to pick up the pieces and make up for lost time. I guess the moral of the story is, don’t let loyalty blind you to the fact that sometimes, you’re just not getting what you’re worth.

TLDR: Today I fucked up by using an inflation calculator entering my salary from when I first got hired (2015) and comparing it to the salary I have today. The difference after 9 years and one promotion is 3.24%. I’m very depressed about how bad I fucked up by not trying harder to get out of here before.