I'm not getting enough in order to take the steps in my life, outside of research, that I have been able to take. I do not believe that my funding would have been sufficient for me to take steps such as purchasing a home—or an engagement ring for that matter.
I do believe that my second job has been purely a necessity in order for me to take those steps in my life. I think that the graduate funding that I'm receiving is significantly shorter than what I require in order to live solely based on that.