u/Assorted_Nugget

Did really good last year and currently have $45K liquid savings in my Bank Account. Recently broke up so I am focusing on bettering myself like cutting out alcohol (1 month sober as of now) and really setting myself up to be as financially stable as possible.

I work remote within the tech sector. My last jobs were around $65-$70/hr

My remaining car balance is $34121.77 (651.85 monthly)

401k is doing well and rather not disclose since I'm never gonna touch it anyways

I know I can pay my car, but my current job contract ends now in May, so I don't want to end with only $10k in savings due to how crazy the job market is even though i have some interviews in the horizon. So maybe I pay off $20K of the car and when I save up $10k more pay it off then again? (by the time my contract ends this month I'll have acquired $16.8k more as well but I'm only looking at what I currently have)

My currently calculated avg monthly expenses are at about $3k, and even though I am going to heavily tighten that budget, I'd preferably like to keep at least $24k to account for 6 months at $4k.

I also already have $3k in a trading account I have as I have been studying options trading and want to give it a go slow and easy but see how far I can take those $3k.

So, with the remaining $45k in my account, what can I do/where can I put my money so that it grows rather than do nothing in my bank account? All advice is welcome, in particular how much to put into the car.

As title states, I got hit by 5 recruiters for a contract in a company I did contract work with before (i know the hiring manager and have actually been in touch with them). The first recruiter gave me the whole speil of $60/hr was the absolute max non negotiable and that was with the No benefits offer, if i wanted benefits it dropped to $55 AND i had to sign a RTR.... I held off and by the next day was reached out to by 3 more recruiters, all of which are offering a range of $80-$90, and which the hiring manager told me made way more sense for the role.

Obviously I went with one of the other recruiters and when cheapo kept nagging me, I told him I'd accepted to go with the other, told him he was the lowest offer by $20/hr which is huge and that I signed an RTR already. He then comes back that he talked to his manager and that he can offer me $85 and that I don't need to sign an RTR. I politely and professionally told him to f off, but it is just wild to me how much money they were trying to take from me.

How does this work, can recruiters just put whatever price they want so that they can pocket the difference? Also, what is it with 98% of recruiters all being Indian? Has that career just been almost completely outsourced?