Save. Spend. Splurge.

Stop hating on work. It’s okay to say you love your job.

I only just started reading FI blogs (Financial Independence), and the running theme is how much they hate their jobs.

My partner is sort of in that realm. He is working like a mofo to reach FI (comfortably) so he will never have to wake up and deal with these people again.

Me? I’m not so much into that.

I guess I just want to say that maybe I am in the minority out there, but my mother and I, both LOVE OUR JOBS.

We love being smart at work, we love going to work, we like feeling and being useful, and I like being organized and getting things done by helping companies thrive.

I just want to say…

It is OKAY TO LOVE YOUR JOB.

You don’t need to pretend you hate to work. I don’t.

My manager talks all the time about hating his job and wanting to retire. And so does almost every colleague I meet.

Me? I’m not like that. I say: “Well.. I love what I do. It’s really fun. It’s interesting…” but I guess no one sees it like that, it is more a chore to get over with, so they can save for retirement and go eff off in their Florida abode, drinking maitais on the beach.

I guess it’s the reason why I am not really into saving like some crazy person. I save a good chunk, I enjoy life.. I spend a little here and there.. but it is all because of a few factors:

1. I AM STILL YOUNG

I have a good 30+ years to go before I retire at a regular age.

I have lots of time left to work. Why rush to work and save all this money only to wait around and be bored in my 40s or 50s?

2. I LOVE MY CAREER

I am good at it, and I enjoy going to work even early in the morning.

I am challenged (mentally), I like working with a good team and trust me, my team is AWESOME here, the best I have worked with thus far.

I also like a little flexibility and free time and this particular contract is well-located (the commute is ridiculous, it is so great without traffic), and the flexibility to work from home is not ideal (I could work from home… but am encouraged NOT TO), but I can sort of come in and leave almost any time I want.

3. MY CAREER GIVES ME SOMETHING TO DO WITH ALL THAT TIME

I mean 40 hours a week is a lot of time. I stayed at home with Little Bun and was literally climbing the walls.

A nice compromise would be maybe a part-time job. 20 hours a week, 20 hours left to do what I want…

I suspect that is what I really want.

4. I ALREADY DO WHAT I WANT TO DO

I cannot figure out what I’d do if I retired.

I’d .. cook more? Eat more? I have no idea because I really.. don’t know what I want to do that I don’t already do.

Travel more perhaps. Read..?

Aside from that, there is only so much I can read and do to relax. I’m one of those types that has to fill her day with THINGS TO DO and ACTIVITIES.

Plus, blogging I guess would get more time if I were retired, as we all saw when I was off with Little Bun, but I already blog as much as I want while working.

What’s the difference?

Maybe more sleep. Yeah. I’d get more sleep. I’d nap more.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

18 Comments

  • Karen

    With the exception of my most recent 9 to 5 job (I ended getting let go due to some restructuring after my company was bought by a larger company), I’ve hated most of my full-time jobs. I was constantly changing jobs because none of them felt like a good fit. I felt like Goldilocks for the past 8 years. I think now I’m in a place where I actually enjoy what I do. They are three separate gigs but I enjoy each one of them.

    • Sherry of Save. Spend. Splurge.

      They fulfill you in different ways, right? That’s the way I see blogging – low income compared to the hours spent, but I enjoy it so much, and then my day job is high stress and pressure filled but exciting..

  • Heidi P.

    I love what I do. I learn something every day. I interact with all different kinds of people. I’m good at what I do. I don’t always like my employer, but I don’t plan on leaving any time soon. I have no desire to retire. I work a very part time job in the same field so when I do finally stop working full time, I can still have something to do that keeps my skills sharp. i don’t know what I’d do if I did retire.

  • Domonique of She's The IT Guy

    I love this post. I love what I do every day! I get to help people and see an immediate impact based on my efforts. It’s very fulfilling.

    I actually look forward to work on Monday when I’m home on the weekends and frequently think about working overtime, even though I can’t. My boys drive me crazy when they’re home too long and I love having “adult time” away from them because it reminds me I’m more than just their Mom. I’m a smart, ambitious woman with a functioning brain, not just the finder of missing homework books who also wipes boogers away!

    I did stay home between contracts for 8 months and I was ready to send everyone to boarding school. Even the baby. So, I feel you on that one.

    20 hours a week would be a great mix for me as well since I just started freelancing again. More time to work on my business, but stilling bringing home a paycheck until I can swing it on my own (childcare is NOT cheap in the US).

    Great post!

    – Domonique

  • mia

    I think children are happier and develop a better attitude toward work and going to school if they see their parents enjoying going off to work and sharing positive things about their day.

  • SP

    I really like my job. Still, I absolutely could keep myself busy and productive without it. It wouldn’t be a problem. That said, it is far more efficient to do things that PAY me to be busy and productive, especially since I enjoy it.

    I think in an ideal life would be working about 20-30 hours per week – enough to have the job and enjoy the parts of it I enjoy, but still even more free time.

    I do want to achieve FI, but only because I like to have as many options as possible.

  • Jamie

    I like what I do and I’m good at it. I find I want more flexibility. If I can get my work done in a few hours then I should be able to leave the office and come back (or work from home) if there is something else to work on. Sometimes I’m sitting here surfing the internet because I’m done my work but I have to put in my 8 hours (and they have IM so they know when you are in and when you are not). They don’t offer part-time and work from home only in emergency (family type or illness) situations so I’m stuck here some days when I could be at home doing almost anything else.

  • liteadventurer

    I like my job (love is way too strong a word), but I like it even more as I inch gradually closer to financial independence. The bigger the asset pile gets the less stressful my job becomes. Over the last couple of years, I’ve cut back my hours at the office and stopped doing procedures that I don’t want to do; all of those get referred elsewhere now. I simply don’t need the extra money anymore in relation to the time and stress required to obtain it. It’s a great feeling when no one has any power over you whatsoever and you can say no to anyone without fear of financial ruin.

  • Sense

    Me too! I am glad you said this. What on EARTH would I do with all my free time if I didn’t have a job? I would want to do what I do now for work, quite honestly.

    My sweet spot was when I was at 0.8 FTE (full time equivalent): 4 days a week working, 3 days free. I made enough $$ to live off of very comfortably plus save, and had plenty of time to enjoy life too.

    I am now at 0.5 FTE (but with no reduction in responsibilities since I was at 0.8 FTE…nay, my responsibilities have only GROWN!) and 0.5 FTE PhD (which is realistically a more than a full time job because you NEVER STOP THNKING ABOUT IT). My life/work balance blows now but the time I spend doing my job is still SUCH a joy! I am so lucky that my passion is a job and vice versa.

  • Financial Orchid

    I’ve been thinking about that lately too.
    Also on the 20 hour work week boat but probably will leave corporate for that type of working hour. Maybe something in human services. My personality isn’t really fit for corporate though I’ve been in it for almost 10 years now. Thankfully having passive income to supplement is a great relief. I’m those people rather than the make more money from my job people and climb up the corporate pyramid that gets tighter and tighter up top. Maybe I’m just realistic in my abilities after working so long.

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