Yes, Ubuntu 20 isn’t EOL yet. A lot of those downloads are probably IT staff or developers that are running Ubuntu servers or developing on those versions.

ETA: We still have some RHEL 7 and clones at my day job

Cass, you idjit! You have been on earth from how long and still don’t know how humans work! They are just going to think the OP is delusional!

After doing WFH for several years, I’ll only take a job on site as a last resort or for like double my pay. Then I would cut my time until FIRE roughly in half. I don’t hate doing work. I hate having a huge chunk of my time taken up by having to work 40 hours.

If work weeks were cut to 24 or even 32 hours, I might even reconsider the FIRE path.

I’m assuming you are in the US. The problem with being broke is it is stressful. Stress impacts decision making, causing a cycle. The US is a capitalist society that educated people to behave as socialists with regards to business, career management, and employment.

The people that REALLY need financial planning advice can’t afford it. Those that can use it to go from rich to richer.

The best thing you can do is get some help going through your expenses to see what you can optimize. Once you start getting a little bit of a breather, you will feel a lot better.

I’ve been following the FIRE community for close to a decade, so if you want, I can probably help you find some fat to trim.