Would you work less/give up high paying job to be happier?

[BriarRose]

oh and Misskitty

 

I know not everyone who is broke is living above their means. I didn,t mean for it to come accross that way

 

I'm aware that some people just make really small salaries and many are underpaid

 

what I meant was more along the lines of the people who could avoid being broke but choose to live above their means. I don't wanna be one of those people... life is too short... and I have dreams of doing other things with my time than working ta my current job... I'd like to voulunteer in a particualr area for one. and I don't wanna spend my time being so stressed and my current job stresses me out quite a bit.

 

I understand now. No, I would never live above my means. It probably comes from having had to be so frugal all of my life, that if I ever came into money or landed a great paying job, my lifestyle would change little.

[stella74]

Yes, I've worked less and taken lower paying jobs to be happier. I've always valued living simply. Yet I also know I'm happier when I'm living life to its fullest without worrying about money. So I guess you'd need to define "work", because there's work that I've done in order to provide me with a good income to enjoy life (such as traveling, going to movies & museums, eating out, taking classes, etc.), and then there's work that I've done that has been my true passion (creative work) that has paid very little or nothing at all. In between those have been jobs that have allowed me to maintain somewhat of a balance between the two, such as teaching because I had summers off and the stability and security of a good job with benefits.

 

On a couple of occasions, I took high salaried jobs and then after 6 months of proving myself, I offered to work less. This benefited both me and the employer. I had more time to spend doing the things I loved that paid little or nothing, and my employer saved money. I always negotiated it so that I kept all my benefits.

 

Nowadays, I don't think this would be possible. First, many employers now want people who will work more for less money...and they don't want to pay benefits for workers who will only work part time. Secondly, I doubt I could afford to live on the lower salary anymore because of the rise in the cost of living. Also I'm not willing to do without certain things that I gave up when I was younger. For example, in my 20s I gave up having a car and instead took public transportation and rode a bike. I also lived with roommates, and I wouldn't want to do that now. I like living by myself in an apartment. Even though I'd love to own a home someday, it's not something I absolutely need. I don't need a lot of material goods to be happy (other than a nice computer!).

 

So, if I could live simply and comfortably, then I'd definitely work less at any job, unless I absolutely loved it. A lot of my female friends are choosing to work less in order to spend more time with their kids. They'd rather earn less, have less stress, and enjoy precious time with their families.

[Philos]

Two goals in life: Finding a job you like, and finding love.

 

Everything else is trivial.