Would you take a pay cut to get your life back?

[RedvGreen]

The dilemma facing many folk!

Salary is not everything. What matters to me is:

1. Location
2. Work duties
3. Work environment (workplace and colleagues)
4. Professional/personal development
5. Work satisfaction

Salary is currently helping me erase my student debt and also provide some semblance of enjoyment through the odd treat here and there. But my student debt is a huge weight i'm carrying (£17k student loan company, 3 x credit cards, and 2 x overdrafts).

I've got it down to £12k student loan comp and 1 x credit card now. After that, i'll save up and get some cash behind me. The thing is, work is fairly enjoyable and the salary is reasonable. I could go work for private sector, but work pressure, commute and environment is very harsh and cut-throat in this field, so it would be more cash but more stress too.

 

[wickfut]

I don't know, why don't you just maybe move closer to work ?

 

[Amleto]

work to live, not live to work!

 

[Pestilence]

work to live, not live to work!

This does apply when things appear to get out of hand.

When it comes to happiness, you really do need to balance money and free time. You can work all day and night to make a huge amount, but if you're not actually getting enough free time in there to enjoy life, it's meaningless. You'll be dead before you can truly enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Finding that sweet spot is hard.

 

[Edrof]

Happiness>Money.

I have many well-off friends and acquaintances that are empty and miserable. Their Mercs are superficial substitutes.

 

[Camalot]

I've just done the same thing, although the pay cut is only around £700 a year but the real bonus is I'll be doing 300-350 miles a month instead of 1,000, no brainer really.

More free time and more money when you factor in the save in petrol, win!

 

[ndaar]

Happiness>Money.

I have many well-off friends and acquaintances that are empty and miserable. Their Mercs are superficial substitutes.

LOL I bought a Merc, it was a short term pick me up. I hate my job....hence why I keep buying something to tide me over.

Only problem been I just cant move currently as Im self employed and have to tidy up this business before I can move on

Next week im buying a tv LOL that's my next pick me up.

 

[Bennah]

I had a similar predicament and chose the closer to home option. Work is 3-4mins walking distance. 6am - 2.30pm / 3.00pm, 5 days a week. Its great. Being so close to home, I can have dinner, take our dog for a walk, wait in for deliveries etc. Save an awful lot in commuting expenses. Even when a normal day turns into a 12 hour day, it doesn't feel that long as I'm back home within 5 minutes of finishing.

 

[sigma]

Whilst I agree with the "work to live, don't live to work" I think the best half-way house is to try to do something which you (mostly) enjoy. I don't see work as work, I see it as a way to gain skills and improve as a person - have all jobs been this way? Not all, but most of them, in some respect. But then it's about what decisions you make along the way to improve things, such the one as this very thread is about.

.....Of course I am talking with hindsight & have lost 15 people that were very close & dear to me over the last 20 years so my experience may be different to your own but Trust me on this - When you lose somebody that is dear to you & you see the World just carry on past your window like nothing has happened you will understand just how precious Youth, Good Health Free time & being with your loved ones is......

I think this a good post and I do agree with it. Clearly it varies from person to person but striking a balance is key, obviously everyone has a different balance. I don't think less of anyone whose life revolves around work if they're happy with that and nobody else is being harmed in the process.

 

[airwave99]

I'd also argue that if you have a short commute, you're likely to be fresher and perform better at work, which could also help your long term career development.

 

[gonda]

Take the pay cut, I did a similar thing recently that enabled me to move back to the midlands from working in London. The pay cut was significant but now I get to drive to work, have my evenings back and get to see lots more of family and friends. As others have said, there's way more to life than a couple of hundred quid extra a month.

 

[robgmun]

I don't know, why don't you just maybe move closer to work ?

I was about to suggest this but he mentioned his partner was a nurse at the local hospital. So the if he moved the pain of travelling would move from him to her. Which is a little unfair.

 

[Adam]

Everybody should work for the minimum amount of hours they can get away with financially.
Nothing in this World is more important that the time you spend doing what you want to do with the people you love & care about. You should also bare in mind that there is no guarantee that you will live to an old age or even a middle age so don't waste your Youth good health & fitness chasing cash that doesn't effect the way you are or feel inside.
Of course I am talking with hindsight & have lost 15 people that were very close & dear to me over the last 20 years so my experience may be different to your own but Trust me on this - When you lose somebody that is dear to you & you see the World just carry on past your window like nothing has happened you will understand just how precious Youth, Good Health Free time & being with your loved ones is.

On top of this the benefits to society would be wonderful, Fathers spending quality time with there kids relieving Mothers of the burden of bringing up kids 24/7. Much more activity in local parks & communitys bringing us all together unstressed & happy.
Most of all though think of all the work hours it frees up for the unemployed to fill. Nobody has to do 50 60 hours a week we could all do 25 - 30 hours all be working & all be spending time with each other our familys & those dearest to us.

If you believe in my rhetoric then please contact me via Trust to join my Campaign for Presidency.

You missed out one word, ambition.

I work long hours and earn a wage which is a multiple of the average wage. I rarely see my 16 month old son on a weekday but I make sure I spend a lot of time with him on the weekends and my holidays.

Why do I do it? Because I want him to have nice things, give him opportunities and bring him up in a nice house. Exactly the same as my dad did for me so my mum didn't have to work.

You want nice things and luxuries in life then you have to work for it. A tiny proportion of the working population would earn enough to support their families working 25 hours a week. Your suggestion that people work less hours to give unemployed people a chance is ridiculous.

 

[Freefaller]

Life is too short to waste it working. For 6k I'd take the easier route.

we are on earth to live not work for someone else's profit. Of course we need money to live but whether its 24k or 18 I'd take the easier route.

Nailed it in this post.

Not contest. You're probably spending close to that in fuel, and 645 to 9pm is far too long, you need a social life and be able to have a bit of down time and the ability to do some hobbies.

Sure it's a 25% cut but is it really? You'll claw some life back, and money back from your commute - is that worth 6k? I'd say so.

 

[chaparral]

Life is too short to waste it working. For 6k I'd take the easier route.

we are on earth to live not work for someone else's profit. Of course we need money to live but whether its 24k or 18 I'd take the easier route.

Problem for me is that if I took a 6k pay cut then that pay cut would then hit my social life...
As I would have to stay in most nights and live on a much tighter budget due to less cash income..

As 6k per year (£115 per week) is a lot of money out of what you have left after paying tax,rent,bills,food etc out your weekly/monthy wage

 

[4T5]

You missed out one word, ambition.

I work long hours and earn a wage which is a multiple of the average wage. I rarely see my 16 month old son on a weekday but I make sure I spend a lot of time with him on the weekends and my holidays.

Why do I do it? Because I want him to have nice things, give him opportunities and bring him up in a nice house. Exactly the same as my dad did for me so my mum didn't have to work.

You want nice things and luxuries in life then you have to work for it. A tiny proportion of the working population would earn enough to support their families working 25 hours a week. Your suggestion that people work less hours to give unemployed people a chance is ridiculous.

I knew people like you, I say knew because they are dead now, I have to keep reminding there kids what there Dad was like as a Mate a Bloke & a person.
Nobody is guaranteed a long life, Why would you miss out on precious time you can spend with your child now ?

Also my idea about everybody working 25 hour weeks would work as both parents would do 25 hours so the house would still get the 50 hours, On top of that I would expect everybody to lower there expectations of material junk they feel they need & concentrate on time with there loved ones whilst they have it.

Finally... I hope I am wrong about you & your wife & kids & you do have a long happy healthy life together as those things you think are important will mean nothing if you don't.

 

[AJK]

Generally I'd say take the job that improves your quality of life - as long as you can afford the pay cut. But...

i currently work in design and photography, dont get me wrong its awesome [...] the new job will be working in the office for a building supply company

So what are you hoping the next step in your career will be? If you want to stay in design and photography I don't think this is a great move... if not then maybe the additional time for hobbies and extra activities will outweigh that. Your call on that one!

 

[LizardKing]

Took a huge pay cut 5 years back to avoid 6 day weeks and split shifts, the best thing i ever did, current job now pays far more than it did back then so not only financially better off but have more free time!
Do it, you work to live not live to work

You missed out one word, ambition.

I work long hours and earn a wage which is a multiple of the average wage. I rarely see my 16 month old son on a weekday but I make sure I spend a lot of time with him on the weekends and my holidays.

You see your children grow up once, I'd not miss that for the world no matter what the wage was! as long as your comfortable every thing else is a luxury, a luxury that brings little to life!

 

[jamiehavok]

it sounds like you don't like your old job, get out while you still can. before you know it life will pass you by.

 

[Haggisman]

You missed out one word, ambition.

I work long hours and earn a wage which is a multiple of the average wage. I rarely see my 16 month old son on a weekday but I make sure I spend a lot of time with him on the weekends and my holidays.

Why do I do it? Because I want him to have nice things, give him opportunities and bring him up in a nice house. Exactly the same as my dad did for me so my mum didn't have to work.

Maybe not relevant at the moment, but when he's 4-5 years old, do you think your son would rather have that new video game, or a few hours every night to play with his dad?