part time hours worth it when you factor in the cost of keeping up certifications?

working part time has been pretty good for my schedule overall but lately i keep doing the math on what it actually costs to stay current and it starts to feel a little tight. renewal fees, continuing ed requirements, keeping my CPR cert up to date, it all adds up faster than i expected when you're only pulling part time hours to begin with.

curious if anyone else here is navigating this. like is there a point where the hours you're working barely cover what it takes to stay qualified to work those hours. i know that sounds a little dramatic but i genuinely sat down with my budget last month and had a moment.

i'm in idaho so i'm going off what applies here, not sure if other states are worse or more reasonable with CE requirements. just wondering how people handle it, whether there's a cheaper route for some of the continuing ed stuff that's actually worth the time, or if most people just absorb it as a cost of the job and move on. the clinical side i genuinely enjoy, that part's not the question, it's more the behind the scenes financial reality of staying part time long term.