I've tried to do things right but apparently failed. Tales of turning things around at 40 very welcome today!
After a poor and turbulent childhood I met a man I thought was stable and sensible. We got married and had a child but it turned out he was a covert narcissist and was emotionally and financially abusive. He managed to suck all money i'd ever had off me so I left penniless at 32. I was advised by solicitors he'd been clever so I couldn't fight for much in the divorce, all I managed was him agreeing to pay the debts he'd run up in my name.
So, I started to graft and in 7yrs went from a zero hours contract at a pub to earning 80k. Unfortunately that 80k was an FTC and due to the economy I can't see myself continuing this, I have burnt through all but 3k trying to find work for a year (and no jobs lower down the chain will hire me as im overqualified, even though I dumb it down as much as possible, once you get to the reference-checking phase, it falls apart).
The problem is, I bought a house. I bought at the peak of the market just before the truss budget. It needed work, modernisation, which I did. Put all my spare money in. Now I am told it's only worth pretty much what I paid for it. I do believe what I am told on that front; the market is shit, and apparently especially so in my area. But, it does mean every spare penny from the last 7yrs has gone up in a puff of smoke. I have to sell and try to move to where the work is, with fuel and interest prices I can't afford to live here anymore.
So, I am left with the realisation that I have absolutely nothing to show for myself at the age of 40. I've got no meaningful pension. 3k in savings left which will have to go on a rental deposit and moving. Wow. Back to square 1.