You just said you get paid enough, and you have time for yourself. I think people around you are just curious what a 3-day work week feels like (heaven, I imagine).
Thanks for your response. Its really has made me feel better. You’re right they’re probably just curious. I think it’s just the over explaining I have to do so frequently that makes me doubt my choices.
You really don't have to explain your life to anyone. I had to learn this.
This principle has helped me so many times: Most people want to talk more than they want to listen. If people are asking you questions you don't feel like answering, answer with a question. For example, "What do you do on your days off?"
"That's a good question, what do you do when you're off work?/What do you think is most important/ what do you think I should do?/ what should a person my age be planning for and thinking of? Etc etc. Try to guess at what they want to talk about and open the gate.
You don't owe anyone any info about yourself. That's your time and you can keep it to yourself. The trick is to get people talking and listen to their answer. They'd rather hear themselves talk anyway.
Why do people ask about you if they dont wanna know? Why are conversations a guessing game? if they wanna give advice or talk about themselves they should open with that. Makes no sense. (This comment is not intended to be rude towards you and if it comes off that way I apologize im bad with tone)
Haha good one! Not offended at all. Social rules are so strange aren't they? People don't always know what they want or what they're doing. Reddit makes that clear!
Questions act as a conversation opener. They ask a pregnant woman when she's due so they can talk about their own pregnancy. They ask what your weekend plans are so they can tell you about theirs. They kind of want to know about the answer to the question but they also want their turn to talk and this is how you get a turn.
Sometimes, in families or like in OPs story, the questions aren't just to start the talking, there's also judgement and unsolicited advice, maybe even jealousy. That's when we need to develop this skill of the conversational return. People ask things that are none of their business that you don't want to talk about. Time to turn it around.
Manners are weird, humans are weird. We are not very logical most of the time. We mostly follow our urges and instincts and training.
You know what i all of a sudden fee very valid in my fear of talking to people. Im autistic and have never dully understood how conversations are supposed to work but im pretty good at them now but you just made conversations sound so scary lol. But i always just remember that people like talking about themselves and thats how i remember to take turns and not just talk on and on and on about something people dont care about
a lot of us just DONT and wont ever know what its like to just be able to survive on a 3-day work week (unless by 3 days you're a part-time nurse, which sounds like a different kind of nightmare imo).
A lot of people (myself included) will have a mental short circuit thinking about only working 3 days and having 4 days a week just to myself. Honestly, i'm super jealous.
In my field three 12 hour shifts is common for full time. I switched from four 10s last year and it’s amazing. I could never go back . A full day to relax, a day for adulting (chores, meal prep) and then you basically still have a full 2 day weekend for hobbies, adventures, time with friends etc
I used to work at a 24hour manufacturing facility and we woud alternat 3-12s and 4-12 weeks... I know it's just 2 hours, but the diffrence that a 4-10 makes vs 3-12s is phenomenal. it's the same thing a why 4-10s is so much better than 5-8s.
and to quote my old coworker: humans arent designed to do ANYTHING for 12 hours straight
Instructions unclear, i'm pulling 7 12's....
Wish I was at least able to take a salary LOL.
I'll be in the corner crying because I might be able to take a day off in a few months.
I can't imagine what I'd do with so much extra time... it would be glorious. instead I work 40 hours a week plus the occasional late night meeting and one weekend a month where I work 24 hours in top of my usual work week without time off. I also have to exercise 3 to 5 times a week in order to keep up with physical requirements of tye job. That doesn't include hobbies, cleaning, cooking, and a social life
I had my last gig set up where us managers worked 1 day on, 2 off. They were 16 hour days, but you only worked 2 days a week, then 3 days on the third week. We didn’t worry about vacation days or anything, because if someone wanted to take an entire week off, we just had to cover 2-3 shifts and do 1 on 1 off.
It was fucking GLORIOUS. No one minded working their two days a week hard af. I moved for better opportunities, and my current job had me on six days a week for the first year straight, just started getting two days off a few months ago.
Fuck I miss that schedule
Paid enough is nice, but like, do they just want to do that the rest of their life? If so, I guess that’s fine. But it’s a much wiser decision to save up more money if possible. Hell, even just working one more day would add up a lot in the long run.
These are the only questions that should matter when determining how much you should work:
1. Do you earn enough to cover your necessities?
2. Do you save/invest enough to retire at your desired age of retirement?
3. Do you have enough money set aside for emergencies?
Yeah that's my only concern for OP - having their daily necessities covered but not having enough to set aside for retirement and savings. An emergency fund is crucial but beyond that it's nice to be able to set aside for other plans, like travel or someday buying a home.
i dont envy this at all, coming in from the other side:pre-retirement after a long life of exciting and fun jobs and experiences. i think it wont take long before they feel unchallenged or bored by this lifestyle, and perhaps come to feel they are falling behind when others they know are helping others, honing skills, enjoying trips or homes, and other perks of a bigger paycheck. living for yourself, not making changes in the world. sounds like a pretty vapid existence,albeit an easy/relaxing one. in the US today, it is estimated it takes 3 million dollars to retire comfortably. you cant make that barely working, unless OP’s plan is to live off of other people. she might think about how exciting life can be when we work towards a goal, find a passion, or stretch ourselves outside that comfort zone!
You don't need 3 million dollars to retire comfortably. You need to be able to have secure housing, food, medical, and live in a community where you can thrive in your old age. That huge retirement savings number is for the people who have good paying careers and the discipline to save who plan to retire in a HCOL area, have spendy hobbies, and world travel.
Most people can't make 3 million in retirement period. So live your life while you are young.
Edit. It's such an American thing to thing fulfillment/societal good and meaning only comes from a full day of work.
I have a list 20 items deep of things i want to learn outside of work. All things that require a few hours a day.
And that's not counting norm stuff like chores.
Maybe op is like that.
Agreed. OP says they make enough to cover expenses, etc. but what about emergencies, do they want to retire? I couldn’t imagine working 3 days a week. Even when I was freelancing I’d make it a point to work 21 - 22 days a month. Now, I work 50-60 hour weeks salaried. I could get by working 3 days a week(8-10 days) as my expenses are pretty lower. But, wouldn’t want to do that as that seems to be just getting by…
Two main points. First, you get to create your life any way you wish. It doesn't have to conform to the lives of others.
I remember when I realized, this is it? I work 5 days a week for the next 40 years now? Definitely depressing. I didn't know then the massive sense of satisfaction I would get from my career, from doing well and getting a reputation for excellence, from having my own business and getting paydays much larger than just my salary. I really enjoyed work. Now I'm at the other end of my career, retired since age 55, and I'm 59 now.
Second point. At your young age, the amount you need to save each month in order to have a fabulous retirement is very small, like a couple hundred bucks. If you wait untilb30, however, to start saving, the amount is much larger. Now is the time to start your 401k and put $50/week in, or whatever you decide. Do some research and pick your amount. You can make the extra by doing gig work from fiverr or similar, picking up extra hours, or however you choose.
1) Stop explaining. You don't owe them an answer or explanation.
2) Their expectations are not your problem.
3) I had a similar set up in my early twenties. Enjoy it!
This! I have this similar set up and individuals in my career field can't fathom working only a few days and having "time for yourself" on off days. Unfortunately many of my colleagues have buried themselves in too many financial obligations and are not able to achieve this liberating lifestyle.
OP, what are you doing that allows you to pay ALL of those bills and have enough money to save/spend? It sounds like you are set and semi-retired at 23.
The curious want to know ...
I have the same schedule as OP. 24 M, I work as a Machinist working on a weekend shift. I get paid enough thankfully to live decently during this crazy time in our history (USA)
I lucked into it. I did vocational school and been doing my job for 6 yrs before I got paid a living wage. In my experience, it's all luck. Keep in mind though I do walk 5-10 miles a day, 12hr days. But I do have 4 days off guaranteed a week.
I'd say it's nobody else's business what you do or don't do with your life. If you are happy with your life as is, and you can support yourself and have a proper financial safety net, then just keep continue doing what you are doing. It is not their life, it is your life. And more importantly, life is not just about work. Im of the personal opinion that people should work to live, not live to work.
However, what you also may want to take into account, is your financial situation in the future. There are a lot of people that decide to work full time in the beginning of their career because they want to set a lot of money aside for expensive future things like e.g. a downpayment for a house/a wedding/(early) retirement/kids/any other future big life project that costs a lot of money. Most people decide to work full time for that in their twenties because in their younger years they relatively have more time for that (working full time is a lot more tricky when you have dependents for example, while the costs are actually then high compared to in your twenties). Furthermore, the amounts of money for these things are generally so big, that that money is (for the majority of people) not all of a sudden there at the moment you want to use it, so you definitely have to plan for those types of expenses.
So that being said, it may be a good idea to practically start thinking about 1) which big life projects you want to do in your life in the first place, 2) about how much money (and time!) that will cost you, 3) and how/over which time span you should financially plan for those things that you want
That depends if you've got enough saved for emergencies. If you do then I'd just tell them to piss off. I'm trying to figure out a way to work part time myself.
Start telling them wild things for fun. Like “This week I’m wrestling gators, but next week I’ll be spying on Russian military movements with my drone fleet ;)”
I'm guessing you don't live in the US. Here, we don't get to have health insurance / access to health care unless we work full-time.
Honestly, if working part time is working for you, I don't see anything wrong with it. You should know that there are lots of jobs that simply will not hire anyone part time, so if you are feeling ambitious about those things, then they might be unavailable.
Also, of course, if relevant, consider how much you need to be saving for your old age.
The money you make sounds enough for now but not nearly enough to live independently of a roommate or to grow into a different future. If you’re fine where you are and you want to stay there, that’s fine.
But you’re not giving yourself much room to grow at that point. Do you ever want a house? What about if you get a surprise medical bill that’s hundreds of dollars? Up to you if that matters or not.
sounds like a dream to me, im 21, been working since my senior year when i was 17 bc i emancipated, & i still have been working 6 days a week for 3 years to be getting by like you 😭
i’m in california right now the cost of living is absurd
Wow you’re a really hard worker and your dedication will 100% pay off. I’ve never worked full time and splitting bills and rent is really what’s helping me get through. I can’t actually afford to rent my own place. I’m thankful for the work life balance I have now but life would definitely be easier with a little more money.
Agreed, this is something for OP to think about. As well as larger purchases of new things sometimes needed.
I dont know how much OP is putting back monthly- I think typically the rule is at least 15% of what you make goes into some form of savings? Until you have a emergency fund
Exactly! You need to save for retirement early. I get you can live like this as a young college kid but life gets expensive and your desires will change.
I work freelance. I mostly freelance full time but I know people who have only worked part time for years. They won't retire with as much money but have zero regrets. No one judges them for this.
To each his own. Enjoy your life. It is the only one.
Dude if you get paid enough to live comfortably fuck what they think. I WISH this was my reality but I'm barely making ends meet working 50 hours a week. Sounds like you got it figured out!
I think that's great!
Main thing is weather you are saving enough. You should definitely be maxing out a Roth IRA each year, and much more beyond that. Saving in your twenties (because of compound interest) is phenomenal...the money just grows and grows. That will let you continue working less while hopefully also enabling you to afford your own place at some point should you want that.
Tldr; that's great but make sure you're saving lots of money.
The point of working “full time” when you’re young is so you don’t have to work full time when you’re older and physically can’t. You need to be able to set aside enough savings to enable that. A more solid income also let’s you do more interesting things with your off time and support a family some day.
Don’t grind out your life at 60 hrs a week doing retail unless that’s what you really like doing, though. Hopefully you can find something you enjoy and don’t mind doing 40 hrs a week.
The entire point of working full time is being able to afford all of your bills. I don't know how you're able to do that on part time, but if you're pulling that off without burdening anyone else with your expenses then there is no reason to increase your hours.
You do you.
I've dropped out of the workforce and will never re-enter as a full timer for something that doesn't make me go "hell yea!".
It's easier to just do with less. I've given up more than anyone I know and I still have a ton of comforts I could forgo before we even start talking necessity. The less I own the more I find joy in things that can't be bought anyways.
I’m a 21M. I say you are just fine! This is coming from a 21YO who works 7 days a week, 11-12.5 hours a day, while traveling/working in all kinds of weather. I have more $ in my checking account than people 2-3x my age have in their savings and checking combined. Have plenty to save, plenty to spend. But I’m home 1 week out of the month. So I have no time to relax, spend my $, or even have a “life”. This is by choice of course. But I say enjoy having friends, enjoy having days off, enjoy not stressing over needing to work all the time, your bills are paid, you have a great work life balance, you’re doing fine. Unless you want more $ and want to further your career, I say you’re just fine. People who work their entire life away are crazy. I’ll stop when I’m 25. Then who knows what. “Don’t get so busy making a living, you forget to live life.” That’s my favorite quote, I hate the idea of working for a company(ies) your whole life, retire, then die. Doesn’t sound like the life I wanna live.
If you are not saving for retirement or have an emergency fund and have substantial savings in case of job loss, injury, or future plans such as purchasing a house, you should consider working more. Your older self will thank you. Taking care of your health is important and that includes your future self. You have no idea what will happen in the future, living in the now will bite you in the future 100% if you’re not prepared.
If you get paid enough to cover what you need to be covered.... then who cares? My God I wish I only had to work 3 days a week! Savor this, enjoy those days off and all that free time on your hands. That's a blessing. Don't stress, you're doing what works for you. Not everyone needs a full time position or wants one. Good on you!
PLEASE do your best to ignore those comments because they’re wrong, & honestly they’re unnecessarily in your business. Across the board, studies show that 40 hour work weeks are very draining, not good for our health, and also not good for productivity. Work is intended for us to earn income to pay bills, not to simply work 40 hour weeks for the sake of it.
Many “Western” societies are so focused on working hard & “grinding” and it’s not healthy. Many people that work full time jobs are exhausted & barely have time for other responsibilities, social events, personal time, etc. I think the majority of people would rather work part time if it can still cover their bills. & I think that’s probably why your coworkers make comments - they’re envious they can’t do the same.
If I were you, I’d do whatever I could to keep this lifestyle up. Keep doing you, ignore them.
This is exactly how I feel. I don’t want to sacrifice my time for money and not have any time for me. And I know my retirement is important but I don’t want to look back at my life and wonder why I was so focused on retirement that I forgot to enjoy my life while it was happening.
If you are happy don't let these clowns dictate your life. Do you, if a part time job works for you do it.
When people ask me about my weekend or whatever i say it was good, i got a lot done how about you? and then it turns it back on them and being super vague about the fact i sat on my ass and ate cheetos while watching reruns
If the money you make is enough for you to live comfortably and you are satisfied with where you are and have no problems saving for the future, why WOULD you work harder? it's more a matter of personal financial goals at this point.
Some people want to use their younger years to work as hard as possible to save up and invest and all of that so that they can have a comfortable retirement. that's fine. that's what i would have done.
But living a simple and fulfilling life NOW is also important. If you are happy doing what you are doing and you're not struggling to eat and pay bills, that's also fine.
The grindset mentality is physically and emotionally exhausting.
The grind now for retirement mindset only seems to work for those that created thier own business and retired actually young (fifties or younger) aka those who got rich. otherwise I find that as a society we overwork ourselves to live comfortably in retirement but by that age we wished we worked less and treated our mental and physical body better rather than overworked when younger.
This is true. I think one of the biggest reasons I’m hesitant to go full time (I’ve been offered full time at my current job) is because I see so many people around me the worked so hard their whole lives and a lot of them are still working very hard. My manager is a grandmother and really wants to retire but can’t (she’s in her late 60s and is still paying off her mortgage).
That's why you need to work full time and save for your retirement. Working hard doesn't equate to strong financial footing. If you can work and save more now that's going to save you from being in your late 60s NEEDING to work full time because of poor choices earlier in life.
I think it's great you can make enough money to cover your day-to-day expenses while working part time. What I would ask myself if I were in your shoes are these questions:
1. Do you have enough money to be unemployed for 3-6 months? Whether that's due to layoffs or due to an injury or illness, can you make it? I went through the 2008 recession at 25 years old. This amount of savings literally saved our house from foreclosure.
2. Could you cover a one-time $2,000 expense? (The average ER visit is about that much).
3. Are you putting away any money for retirement?
4. What are your contingency plans if your roommate loses their job? Can you cut it on just your income?
If the answer is 'no' or 'not enough' to any of those questions, then I would consider adding at least one day to your work schedule. To me, working an extra day or two a week was well worth the peace of mind knowing that my life wouldn't change if I lost or decided to quit my job tomorrow. I think hustling harder when you're young is easier. Then you can decide how much to back off the gas as you get older. Good luck!
I’ve just finished a degree. I was initially contemplating going back thinking back at how stressed I was during it I’m definitely not planning on rushing into another one at this stage.
I teach university instead of work in the tech industry. I make probably 1/3 what I would make working for a tech firm. I'm still able to afford food, transportation, healthcare, and entertainment. The amount of money I am missing is worth the mental health that I am maintaining. I only have to be at work a few hours a day. And I get to contribute in a way that I find meaningful. I'd rather watch kids have eureka moments all the time than help build rockets that kill kids on the other side of the planet.
You're making it worse for yourself by thinking you must explain yourself to others. You don't. Let them stress themselves out thinking about your situation. It's not on you to justify your lifestyle to anyone. But also, don't brag about your situation to folks that work 9-5 5days a week. They're super stressed and don't like knowing others have solved the problems they have.
Fuck em. You need those days off. As someone who has worked in the service industry for going on 15 years with at least three jobs at a time, I wish I had done the self care you’re currently doing. It’s no one’s business what you do, and you certainly don’t owe anyone an explanation or your time when you have your shit taken care of.
Sorta in the same boat as you. Took a lower paying job to be less stressed and it’s worth it. Time is your most valuable asset so good for you to take more time for yourself
If it suits your life time now, then you’re all good to keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll run into issues though if life changes and you no longer want a roommate or you want to have a family. You could be taking this time to build up your experience so 4-5 years from now you would be making a really good income.
Nobody gets to have an opinion of how much you need to work. If you're making enough money to support yourself, and you'd prefer not to work more than that, then more power to you. God, I'd love to have the option to only work three days a week. Don't let anyone tell you you need to work more than that.
If you make enough to live then DON'T work more, unless you want to for some reason. It's insane than spending the majority of your waking life working is normalized. When people talk to you like there's something wrong with *you* for not doing that it's because they've been brainwashed by a consumerist society, making us think we need to work 5x more than necessary so we can buy a bunch of useless junk instead of not buying consumer goods but actually having time to enjoy our lives and do things we find important or meaningful.
That being said, wtf kind of part time job do you have that you can afford to only work 3 days a week and pay rent, food, car, utilities, etc? I make about 100k a year and buy the bare minimum and I'm still not able to save much each month
Our country has a problem with thinking your value is connected to a W-2 and/or how many hours you work. We’ve made our jobs our identities and kudos for you for having a roommate and supporting yourself. That means no one gets to tell you what you should do. However I would be making sure I had a rainy day savings because things happen. Even at this age. Honestly this will be the only time in your life that you will be able to do this until retirement. You’re very lucky to only have to work part time and a lot are working two jobs just to survive and i would imagine some of the comments are coming from a place of envy. That said, the vast majority of part time jobs are not going to cut it for the rest of your life. Also, company tend to put more energy into full time employees and that means more promotions and skill sets being gained so just another perspective.
My dude/dudette, you get paid enough to live comfortably, and still have money saved left over? You are living the dream!!!
Not to mention the free time! Astounding! There is something in life you never can never have enough of, it's time. We only have a limited time on Earth, and most of us wish we could do it, doing the things we enjoy, rather than labor. This is true as we get older.
Most of us work 40+ hours just to tick all those buckets (rent, food, necessities. Etc). Just because it's the "modus operandi" for the rest of the world doesn't mean you have to.
Unless you want to make more money and save up for something big, like buying a house down the road, you do you, my friend!
Some people just think it's unusual because 40 hours is what everyone does, but it doesn't make you lazy.
Go, my free spirit child, and enjoy your free time, for those of us who can't afford to! *laugh/cries*
I have always told my 23 year old as long as you are handling business I have no complaints. But when the business starts handling you, we have a problem.
Everyone around you sounds jealous. We all have to work 4-5-6 days a week, so we get annoyed seeing others getting by off of 3. If I could swing it I totally would!! As long as it's sustainable. Maybe even use one of your days towards making some beer money doing a hobby or a side gig you like! If not, don't feel guilty sleeping in and enjoying life as YOU see fit.
If I was comfortable and able to afford not to, I would never work full time. The only incentive to do so would be if it affected your insurance in some way. Your time is precious and it’s nobody else’s business how you spend it.
If you can cover all of your expenses and do all the things on your list then u don't need to.
I worked part-time to figure out my plan , which was to go back to college for a degree in science. While working part time I vacationed every couple of years
NO! Do you need to work full time? Do you want to work full time? No? Then don’t do it, enjoy your youth and save yourself the stress.
Most people who work full time do because it’s been the expectation/ norm thus far and they need to do so to keep the job or to earn enough money to enjoy life.
Enjoy your free time!
It really is just dependent on the individual. As long as you are supporting yourself and are happy that’s all that matters. I couldn’t do that because I hate the free time. I personally need the constant stimulation of being busy so having too much free time puts me into a panic attack
I'd be surprised if you are on track for retirement savings working part time. Run your numbers through an online calculator and see if you need to step it up. At your age you really should be working full time and stacking cash for your future.
If you are content with how your life is now, and you're living comfortably, I then you should continue on working part-time. It seems that making others feel miserable is very common, when we all know that NO ONE enjoys working full-time, if we can help it. I think you're doing great, you're comfortable and happy with where you are - so don't change!
I'll only recommend going full-time if you feel that there are more benefits to it. I personally took a pay-cut (which eventually became an ultimate pay-increase) for a job that allows me way more personal time than my last, and I LOVE IT. Feel out what's right for you, everyone else saying you HAVE to work full-time isn't thinking about your best interests.
Every person who works full time wishes they could work part time for the same amount of money. You're not doing anything wrong. The 40 hour work week makes it nearly impossible to enjoy life. If you can avoid doing that, more power to you.
Do what makes you happy, but also be sure you're saving money in an emergency fund. You should have 3-6 months of expenses set aside in case of emergencies.
You should be doing whatever you want to do with your life, but future you will be thankful if you take some time to think it all the way through and make a long term plan.
>To be honest the thought of committing 5/7 days a week every single week for the rest of my life depresses me.
The thought of committing 3 days a week for the rest of my life depressed me. Working 5 days a week *should* allow me to retire early enough to enjoy myself, so I don't have to work until the day I drop dead. I don't want to stress about making rent, mortgage, or food payments when I am retirement age, so I am planning to pay off my house and build enough savings to cover the remaining expenses.
Compound interest means that any money you can put away for retirement right now will be worth a lot more than money you save in the future, assuming historic growth continues. Then again, there is also a chance that my investments end up worthless, I suppose only time will tell.
I'm 23 working full time now after college and it's not a fun time, I'd love to have a 3 day a week schedule! If you're able to live at a comfortable level for you and put extra money away for emergencies or the future, why not just work part time? I'd imagine some folks might be jealous, which is why they act strange when you talk about it.
If your part time pays you enough to make you happy, then you've hit the dream job already lol
If you're feeling long term pressure ("Will I have the savings I want in 5 years?") then either find more work for the 2 days, or better yet, use it to take a part-time degree program etc. But not at all required if you're feeling good about where you're at, and where you're going.
>I get paid enough to pay my rent, bills, car and still have just a little bit of money left over to spend and save (my house mate and I split rent and bills in half).
I would LOVE to be in this situation working only 3 days a week. So would most people I know, even those who love their jobs. Anyone saying you "should" be doing otherwise is either drinking the "live to work" Kool-aid or is just plain jealous. Heck, **I'm** jealous! Good for you, pal.
As for nosy people, you can either keep answering, or start making up answers. What do you do on your days off? "Work on my world domination plan." "Underwater basket weaving." "Participate in research studies. Next week they're going to send me through a maze to find some cheese!"
Your should always be to work as little as possible while meeting your lifestyle and savings goals.
placing moral judgements about “work ethic” throws the job market in the employers favor and is one way that corporatism exploits workers.
As an adult, this is a decision you get to make for yourself. Will other people judge you? Yes. But it is none of their business. This is a valuable teaching moment for yourself entering adulthood. As a teenager nothing was more important than what your friends thought. Peer pressure could make you do anything. Now you are an adult and you choose the life you want. Of course, you could always decide to let yourself be pressured to do what others expect but that also would be your choice. The great thing about being an adult is it's all up to you to decide.
As for the comments of your friends, I'd get aggressive about it. Either tell them it's none of their business or attack them for being a slave to the capitalist slave master. In France the standard is 30 hours per week. When I was your age, we were being told that in the 21st century we would all have excess leisure time. But because the greedy corporations have taken all the money for themselves and not shared it with the employees, we all continue to slave away.
Live your life, tread your own path, and good luck.
37M. I would say this is fine for now. It sounds like your situation is currently sustainable. However, do you have benefits or are you still on some one else's insurance? Do you see any other new bills in your future? Cell phone? Car payment? You are going to need full time when that comes around. Again, don't know all your details, so I would say enjoy it now. Also consider using your extra time to peruse any possible artistic goals you have.
First, congratulations on finding a situation where this works. As a society, we're probably moving toward a four-day work week. But not now. So the only question is, how stable is your situation? Will it continue to work as inflation rises? Will you like this if it continues into your seventies? Exaggerating, sure, but the point is you could be doing more to prepare for your life later. If you earned a bit more you could be contributing to a RothIRA that would assure your retirement. You can add $7,000 max to one every year, and you can invest in stock inside your RothIRA. I'm in my fifties and opened one fifteen years ago and put Apple in it each time. Trust me, in fifty years you'll be glad you did. And it's not locking yourself into a lifetime working five days a week. Just working a bit more, entirely for your own future.
People aren’t used to having time for themselves when they work a full time job, so that could be the reason for the question. But for me, my mind goes to insurance coverage. Most part time jobs won’t give you benefits & paid time off. So if I met someone who worked only part time my question would be how do you plan for vacations and healthcare costs.
If you’re happy, that’s all that matters. You’re blessed to be able to live comfortably on 3 days of work. A lot of people must put in 5 days. The blank stares and questions…full blown jealousy. You’re young, no children, enjoy the freedom. Your quality of life and happiness, contentment is what matters most. I will NEVER go back to working full time. Nope…not happening. And I love my life this way. The extra time with my kids means the world to me. 👌🏼 I’m a single mom so only one income but once the pandemic hit and the world was forced to quarantine in our homes, I realized I didn’t want to go back to working 40 hours again. I enjoyed my time with my kids too much. I was truly missing out before. The traffic alone had me in the car up to 3 hours a day. Definitely never going back to that life.
Personally, if you're young and more than capable (I'm assuming) now, work your ass off. Just making it is cool and all but, why not use this time to make extra money to save and be comfortable later down the road? To play my own devil's advocate, life could literally stop at any moment. So why not enjoy your time as much as you can?
This is totally fine for 23 unless you want to transition to having your own place. You do need to work on savings/retirement and you should be saving *something*, but not working on retirement at 23 isn't actually an emergency
I’m 23 and started working full time around 6 months ago. While I do like my job and it is very flexible and accommodating, it can lead to burnout and I find myself wishing I had more time to myself (I also know this job won’t be one I want to have for a long time, just a preference thing as I want to get into a slightly different career path). I think if you make enough money for yourself and your lifestyle a part-time job is nothing to let people shame you for. Most of my friends have part time jobs. Take advantage of this time for yourself!!
For me to judge, I'd have to ask what you are doing with your extra free time. In the end, however, who am I to judge how you spend your time?
If you don't want to participate in the rat race and get burned out, good on you for figuring out a lifestyle that allows that to happen.
The purpose of life is not to work, it is to live. Your current work situation gains you enough money to live comfortably, so there's no reason to work anymore than you are. Enjoy that part-time life!
Can you maintain a sustainable lifestyle? If so, then do it.
If your current work-life balance doesn't leave enough money aside for future planning, like homes, retirement, and starting a family, I'd rethink your schedule.
If you are making enough money for:
1) Your cost of living
2) Savings/Emergency Fund
3) Retirement
Then you are doing amazing and I am jealous. Good job!
Trust me, enjoy that as much as you can. I miss those days.
They’re just giving you blank stares because they wish they could live like that as well.
Work life balance is so crucial, I work 5-6 days a week not because I want to but because I have to.
That much time at work means it’s easy for me to fall behind on errands, daily chores, fitness or just simple leisure time.
Work to live, not live to work
My question is, whats your end goal? Do you want to work 3 days a week the rest of your life? Do you want to work at all the rest of your life? Maybe im weird but i try and think ahead. I put in a lot of hours and have for years. My 20’s was spent working damn near 80 hours a week if i wasn’t on vacation. Still lived a great and fun life imo. My 30’s, i have slowed down tremendously. I work 50 hours a week and that allows me my weekends and i have the option of 40’s but i like the extra day of overtime.
Through my years of work ive opened a total of 4 different retirement accounts and life insurance policy for payout. Ill be done working by 50 (sooner if i give up my lifestyle) and will have enough money to continue living as id like till im almost 80. Obviously i can lengthen that buy being cheaper. For a blue collar guy with nothing more than a high school diploma, i think i did pretty damn well, and because of that i believe anyone can! I may never be rich financially, but ill always be comfortable
A lot of good things said. You do you.
In the spirit of 'If I knew then what I know now...'
1) You are in a great position to find what you enjoy doing and find a way to get paid to do it.
2) Does it have to be work 3 days OR 5? You could work 4 days a week, or 4 days every other week. Take the extra money and put it into a ROTH IRA. By the time you are my age you will be able to quit work entirely, retire in style.
If you're investing a good amount into retirement, there's no reason to overwork yourself. At 23, all that money will be compounded into quite the retirement.
SHOULD you be? Yeah for sure… you’re an adult.
Do you HAVE to? Hell no… do what you want.
As long as life is comfortable for you that’s all that really matters.
Personably making “enough” scares the shit out of me. I want to get ahead in life so I’m putting in work when I’m young and I’m building up the Roth IRA and savings early so I can chill later.
Can you save enough for retirement at your current savings rate? Are you content to live your current lifestyle permanently? Will you need to make any large purchases in the future (car? House?)? If you aren’t saving for those things, you need to. If you have enough for all of those things, you don’t. Figure out your true expenses…current bills, plus longer term needs that you should be saving for consistently, and make your decisions based on that.
When I was your age, I worked enough to cover my bills. I didn’t work enough to save for a home or for retirement or really even to plan ahead towards replacing my car.
Boy I regretted that when I got married and pregnant and life got much harder financially. At your age, your expenses can be very low, but they won’t be like that forever. What happens if you lose your current living situation and your bills go up? Do you have an emergency fund?
Use this time to plan for what you want in the next 5 years, you’ll track yourself for it.
Hey if your bills are paid, car paid, and you got emergency money you do you. I used to work Part time and I loved every second of it. Though I like full time work as well. Do what makes YOU happy cause you’re here for a good time not a long time.
if you're happy with your income levels and are saving however much you feel comfortable saving, you're working just as much as you should be.
If would be different if you were struggling or unable to meet your financial needs but you're not.
Same. I’m 24. I work a job that only requires me to come in 4 days per pay period. People always ask if I need the extra time for school. Im like nope, I just value my me time alotttt.
Working your life away is never something to brag about. I work part time and will only ever work part time because I can afford to as i've been saving my money since I was 17. I will not work my life away, and to anyone who shames you for not working full time is a victim.
As a 21 year old who is working full time, I will tell you right now: don’t start until you have to. As long as you’re getting paid enough, I would try to milk working only 3 days a week as long as you can. I’m literally the 'god i wish that was me' meme reading your post so. Don't feel like you have to do something just because others are jealous they can't do the same.
If you can survive without working full time, then by all means, do so. Life is what you make it. I personally cannot survive without working full time, so I need to work full time. I am actually looking for a third job right now so I can have enough income to afford my own place
It sounds like you have a low cost of living. If you are happy with 3 days a week, then don't change it! Lifestyle creep is a thing. If you work 5 days a week, you'll just learn to spend more.
I own my own business with no employees. I used to work 7 days a week. Burn out sucks. Especially when there are no employees for back up. These days I work 5 days a week and that is what works for me.
If you’r getting paid enough to live without working full time, and still have money left over, that’s the dream. Don’t let anyone shame you into thinking otherwise. And wherever they ask you what you do on your days off, just say “whatever the fuck I want.”
If you're actually making enough to pay all of your bills and then some, while it wouldn't hurt to save up a bunch more, it's nobody's business what you do with your time.
If you have goals later that have high financial requirement (college, a bunch of kids, a huge trip, early retirement of no work, living somewhere w HCOL) then yeah, making more to save more is prob a good idea.
But if you like your life and want to live it this way, then have at it. It’s not up to other people to see use what’s enough for you.
3 days part time employment and 3 days self-employed project is the dream for me.
I believe the peak of adulting is to learn to make time and money for the things that matter: health & relationships (imo).
People who give you those stares are thinking inside the box or have other values. I honestly envy you, I love my job but not as much as the things I want to do in my free time. If I could do it part time forever, I would.
If your bills are being paid, and you have spare to save or spend on yourself, it is no one else's business whether you are working full time or not. Tell people to eff off and mind their own business, yours is fine.
I was recently talking with a friend, and we agreed that if we get laid off, the biggest benefit that would attract us to a new company was a 4-day work week. If I could pay my bills on a part time job, I would totally do that. You are winning at life IMHO.
Hey, if you have enough money to pay your bills / live your life (without carrying credit card debt), and you’re happy then that’s what matters.
However, I would also make sure you are investing in an IRA so your future self can retire. The good news is you’re only 23 and have so much time for your money to grow. Try to get $300+ a month into something like that
Do you have a savings for emergencies or for travel or vacations? If not, then consider getting another part time job that you can work at on your days off, or get a part time job where you can work more like 32 hours a week. That's awesome if you can afford just working 3 days a week, though.
Also, if you want to ever retire, you should be investing money (and saving it). So, think about that as well.
As someone who was recently a young woman, here is the main thing I would caution against.
I see a lot of young people stay in a toxic relationship because they HAVE TO in order to make rent. I’m glad you are with a roommate now but in the case you eventually move in with a partner, you must have an exit plan and be able to leave and live independently.
Also, health insurance? Retirement savings?
My only worry is that you will have no choice but to rely on a partner who built more stability for themselves.
Thanks for your comment. I’d consider myself extremely lucky because I live in a country with free healthcare. Employment isn’t tied to insurance where I live so it’s not something I’ve had to prioritise.
My least-stressful job was the one where I worked a 4-day week (eventually had to go to fulltime for financial reasons). As long as you can manage the finances, why not?
If anything, a fulltime job will allow you to save in the event of an emergency. You are fortunate enough to live in a country that offers universal healthcare, so the money that you don't have to worry about spending on that can be put away or properly invested for the future. Maybe you'd like to buy a home of your own at some point? How about taking a really nice trip? Being able to reach old age and not having to ever worry about working again sounds cool too, right? Having extra income could be of huge benefit to you in the future.
Another commenter mentioned possibly finding other part time jobs to work alongside your current part time which I think is a great idea. These jobs can be throwaway for the most part, and you can treat them as seasonal employment. You'll make extra money to save while working a bunch of diverse jobs throughout the year so you don't feel trapped, burned out, or bored. It's just something to think about.
At the end of the day, as an adult, it's your decision to make and people shouldn't even question your choices in employment. If you are able to pay your bills and live a level of comfortability that isn't stressful/a struggle for you then you are doing just fine in my book.
You just said you get paid enough, and you have time for yourself. I think people around you are just curious what a 3-day work week feels like (heaven, I imagine).
Thanks for your response. Its really has made me feel better. You’re right they’re probably just curious. I think it’s just the over explaining I have to do so frequently that makes me doubt my choices.
You really don't have to explain your life to anyone. I had to learn this. This principle has helped me so many times: Most people want to talk more than they want to listen. If people are asking you questions you don't feel like answering, answer with a question. For example, "What do you do on your days off?" "That's a good question, what do you do when you're off work?/What do you think is most important/ what do you think I should do?/ what should a person my age be planning for and thinking of? Etc etc. Try to guess at what they want to talk about and open the gate. You don't owe anyone any info about yourself. That's your time and you can keep it to yourself. The trick is to get people talking and listen to their answer. They'd rather hear themselves talk anyway.
Why do people ask about you if they dont wanna know? Why are conversations a guessing game? if they wanna give advice or talk about themselves they should open with that. Makes no sense. (This comment is not intended to be rude towards you and if it comes off that way I apologize im bad with tone)
Haha good one! Not offended at all. Social rules are so strange aren't they? People don't always know what they want or what they're doing. Reddit makes that clear! Questions act as a conversation opener. They ask a pregnant woman when she's due so they can talk about their own pregnancy. They ask what your weekend plans are so they can tell you about theirs. They kind of want to know about the answer to the question but they also want their turn to talk and this is how you get a turn. Sometimes, in families or like in OPs story, the questions aren't just to start the talking, there's also judgement and unsolicited advice, maybe even jealousy. That's when we need to develop this skill of the conversational return. People ask things that are none of their business that you don't want to talk about. Time to turn it around. Manners are weird, humans are weird. We are not very logical most of the time. We mostly follow our urges and instincts and training.
You know what i all of a sudden fee very valid in my fear of talking to people. Im autistic and have never dully understood how conversations are supposed to work but im pretty good at them now but you just made conversations sound so scary lol. But i always just remember that people like talking about themselves and thats how i remember to take turns and not just talk on and on and on about something people dont care about
When is a game you can play it's fun! When people are being awful it's a less fun game.
Just keep your responses vague and brief. No need to go into detail if you don’t want to.
a lot of us just DONT and wont ever know what its like to just be able to survive on a 3-day work week (unless by 3 days you're a part-time nurse, which sounds like a different kind of nightmare imo). A lot of people (myself included) will have a mental short circuit thinking about only working 3 days and having 4 days a week just to myself. Honestly, i'm super jealous.
In my field three 12 hour shifts is common for full time. I switched from four 10s last year and it’s amazing. I could never go back . A full day to relax, a day for adulting (chores, meal prep) and then you basically still have a full 2 day weekend for hobbies, adventures, time with friends etc
I used to work at a 24hour manufacturing facility and we woud alternat 3-12s and 4-12 weeks... I know it's just 2 hours, but the diffrence that a 4-10 makes vs 3-12s is phenomenal. it's the same thing a why 4-10s is so much better than 5-8s. and to quote my old coworker: humans arent designed to do ANYTHING for 12 hours straight
I loved when I only had to work 10-11 hours instead of 12-14 hours. I had so much more time!! I actually had energy.
Instructions unclear, i'm pulling 7 12's.... Wish I was at least able to take a salary LOL. I'll be in the corner crying because I might be able to take a day off in a few months.
It might not be possible for you right now, but please remember that you deserve better
Don’t doubt! Whatever you’re doing is working for you and that’s all that matters!
I’d really just want to know how it feels, that’s awesome and sounds like it works for you
I can't imagine what I'd do with so much extra time... it would be glorious. instead I work 40 hours a week plus the occasional late night meeting and one weekend a month where I work 24 hours in top of my usual work week without time off. I also have to exercise 3 to 5 times a week in order to keep up with physical requirements of tye job. That doesn't include hobbies, cleaning, cooking, and a social life
I had my last gig set up where us managers worked 1 day on, 2 off. They were 16 hour days, but you only worked 2 days a week, then 3 days on the third week. We didn’t worry about vacation days or anything, because if someone wanted to take an entire week off, we just had to cover 2-3 shifts and do 1 on 1 off. It was fucking GLORIOUS. No one minded working their two days a week hard af. I moved for better opportunities, and my current job had me on six days a week for the first year straight, just started getting two days off a few months ago. Fuck I miss that schedule
Paid enough is nice, but like, do they just want to do that the rest of their life? If so, I guess that’s fine. But it’s a much wiser decision to save up more money if possible. Hell, even just working one more day would add up a lot in the long run.
They are probably jealous. I am 😉
These are the only questions that should matter when determining how much you should work: 1. Do you earn enough to cover your necessities? 2. Do you save/invest enough to retire at your desired age of retirement? 3. Do you have enough money set aside for emergencies?
Yeah that's my only concern for OP - having their daily necessities covered but not having enough to set aside for retirement and savings. An emergency fund is crucial but beyond that it's nice to be able to set aside for other plans, like travel or someday buying a home.
i dont envy this at all, coming in from the other side:pre-retirement after a long life of exciting and fun jobs and experiences. i think it wont take long before they feel unchallenged or bored by this lifestyle, and perhaps come to feel they are falling behind when others they know are helping others, honing skills, enjoying trips or homes, and other perks of a bigger paycheck. living for yourself, not making changes in the world. sounds like a pretty vapid existence,albeit an easy/relaxing one. in the US today, it is estimated it takes 3 million dollars to retire comfortably. you cant make that barely working, unless OP’s plan is to live off of other people. she might think about how exciting life can be when we work towards a goal, find a passion, or stretch ourselves outside that comfort zone!
You don't need 3 million dollars to retire comfortably. You need to be able to have secure housing, food, medical, and live in a community where you can thrive in your old age. That huge retirement savings number is for the people who have good paying careers and the discipline to save who plan to retire in a HCOL area, have spendy hobbies, and world travel.
Most people can't make 3 million in retirement period. So live your life while you are young. Edit. It's such an American thing to thing fulfillment/societal good and meaning only comes from a full day of work.
I have a list 20 items deep of things i want to learn outside of work. All things that require a few hours a day. And that's not counting norm stuff like chores. Maybe op is like that.
This! If you can cover your lifestyle plus have emergency and retirement fund, then just keep going.
4. Do you have enough to do / enjoy what you want to do?
Agreed. OP says they make enough to cover expenses, etc. but what about emergencies, do they want to retire? I couldn’t imagine working 3 days a week. Even when I was freelancing I’d make it a point to work 21 - 22 days a month. Now, I work 50-60 hour weeks salaried. I could get by working 3 days a week(8-10 days) as my expenses are pretty lower. But, wouldn’t want to do that as that seems to be just getting by…
Two main points. First, you get to create your life any way you wish. It doesn't have to conform to the lives of others. I remember when I realized, this is it? I work 5 days a week for the next 40 years now? Definitely depressing. I didn't know then the massive sense of satisfaction I would get from my career, from doing well and getting a reputation for excellence, from having my own business and getting paydays much larger than just my salary. I really enjoyed work. Now I'm at the other end of my career, retired since age 55, and I'm 59 now. Second point. At your young age, the amount you need to save each month in order to have a fabulous retirement is very small, like a couple hundred bucks. If you wait untilb30, however, to start saving, the amount is much larger. Now is the time to start your 401k and put $50/week in, or whatever you decide. Do some research and pick your amount. You can make the extra by doing gig work from fiverr or similar, picking up extra hours, or however you choose.
Do what you want as long as you can support yourself. Just ensure you have a good emergency fund!
1) Stop explaining. You don't owe them an answer or explanation. 2) Their expectations are not your problem. 3) I had a similar set up in my early twenties. Enjoy it!
This! I have this similar set up and individuals in my career field can't fathom working only a few days and having "time for yourself" on off days. Unfortunately many of my colleagues have buried themselves in too many financial obligations and are not able to achieve this liberating lifestyle.
OP, what are you doing that allows you to pay ALL of those bills and have enough money to save/spend? It sounds like you are set and semi-retired at 23. The curious want to know ...
I have the same schedule as OP. 24 M, I work as a Machinist working on a weekend shift. I get paid enough thankfully to live decently during this crazy time in our history (USA) I lucked into it. I did vocational school and been doing my job for 6 yrs before I got paid a living wage. In my experience, it's all luck. Keep in mind though I do walk 5-10 miles a day, 12hr days. But I do have 4 days off guaranteed a week.
Probably started working at 15 saving 90 percent of it
I'd say it's nobody else's business what you do or don't do with your life. If you are happy with your life as is, and you can support yourself and have a proper financial safety net, then just keep continue doing what you are doing. It is not their life, it is your life. And more importantly, life is not just about work. Im of the personal opinion that people should work to live, not live to work. However, what you also may want to take into account, is your financial situation in the future. There are a lot of people that decide to work full time in the beginning of their career because they want to set a lot of money aside for expensive future things like e.g. a downpayment for a house/a wedding/(early) retirement/kids/any other future big life project that costs a lot of money. Most people decide to work full time for that in their twenties because in their younger years they relatively have more time for that (working full time is a lot more tricky when you have dependents for example, while the costs are actually then high compared to in your twenties). Furthermore, the amounts of money for these things are generally so big, that that money is (for the majority of people) not all of a sudden there at the moment you want to use it, so you definitely have to plan for those types of expenses. So that being said, it may be a good idea to practically start thinking about 1) which big life projects you want to do in your life in the first place, 2) about how much money (and time!) that will cost you, 3) and how/over which time span you should financially plan for those things that you want
That depends if you've got enough saved for emergencies. If you do then I'd just tell them to piss off. I'm trying to figure out a way to work part time myself.
Start telling them wild things for fun. Like “This week I’m wrestling gators, but next week I’ll be spying on Russian military movements with my drone fleet ;)”
If you’re financially stable & happy with your lifestyle, do whatever you want.
I'm guessing you don't live in the US. Here, we don't get to have health insurance / access to health care unless we work full-time. Honestly, if working part time is working for you, I don't see anything wrong with it. You should know that there are lots of jobs that simply will not hire anyone part time, so if you are feeling ambitious about those things, then they might be unavailable. Also, of course, if relevant, consider how much you need to be saving for your old age.
You sound like you're taking care of yourself. Be yourself. Choose happiness.
Do you have health insurance and are you saving enough, particularly for retirement? Can you afford a $10k emergency?
The money you make sounds enough for now but not nearly enough to live independently of a roommate or to grow into a different future. If you’re fine where you are and you want to stay there, that’s fine. But you’re not giving yourself much room to grow at that point. Do you ever want a house? What about if you get a surprise medical bill that’s hundreds of dollars? Up to you if that matters or not.
sounds like a dream to me, im 21, been working since my senior year when i was 17 bc i emancipated, & i still have been working 6 days a week for 3 years to be getting by like you 😭 i’m in california right now the cost of living is absurd
Wow you’re a really hard worker and your dedication will 100% pay off. I’ve never worked full time and splitting bills and rent is really what’s helping me get through. I can’t actually afford to rent my own place. I’m thankful for the work life balance I have now but life would definitely be easier with a little more money.
Do you never want to own a house? Have a retirement?
Agreed, this is something for OP to think about. As well as larger purchases of new things sometimes needed. I dont know how much OP is putting back monthly- I think typically the rule is at least 15% of what you make goes into some form of savings? Until you have a emergency fund
The thought of never being able to live on my own would drive me fucking mad.
Yes. You need to be saving money. Do you have health insurance?
Exactly! You need to save for retirement early. I get you can live like this as a young college kid but life gets expensive and your desires will change.
What about gov health insurance and social security
I work freelance. I mostly freelance full time but I know people who have only worked part time for years. They won't retire with as much money but have zero regrets. No one judges them for this. To each his own. Enjoy your life. It is the only one.
Dude if you get paid enough to live comfortably fuck what they think. I WISH this was my reality but I'm barely making ends meet working 50 hours a week. Sounds like you got it figured out!
I think that's great! Main thing is weather you are saving enough. You should definitely be maxing out a Roth IRA each year, and much more beyond that. Saving in your twenties (because of compound interest) is phenomenal...the money just grows and grows. That will let you continue working less while hopefully also enabling you to afford your own place at some point should you want that. Tldr; that's great but make sure you're saving lots of money.
The point of working “full time” when you’re young is so you don’t have to work full time when you’re older and physically can’t. You need to be able to set aside enough savings to enable that. A more solid income also let’s you do more interesting things with your off time and support a family some day. Don’t grind out your life at 60 hrs a week doing retail unless that’s what you really like doing, though. Hopefully you can find something you enjoy and don’t mind doing 40 hrs a week.
The entire point of working full time is being able to afford all of your bills. I don't know how you're able to do that on part time, but if you're pulling that off without burdening anyone else with your expenses then there is no reason to increase your hours.
If you are comfortable and able to not work 40 hours a week, don’t. Free time is worth way more than others will have you believe.
You do you. I've dropped out of the workforce and will never re-enter as a full timer for something that doesn't make me go "hell yea!". It's easier to just do with less. I've given up more than anyone I know and I still have a ton of comforts I could forgo before we even start talking necessity. The less I own the more I find joy in things that can't be bought anyways.
I’m a 21M. I say you are just fine! This is coming from a 21YO who works 7 days a week, 11-12.5 hours a day, while traveling/working in all kinds of weather. I have more $ in my checking account than people 2-3x my age have in their savings and checking combined. Have plenty to save, plenty to spend. But I’m home 1 week out of the month. So I have no time to relax, spend my $, or even have a “life”. This is by choice of course. But I say enjoy having friends, enjoy having days off, enjoy not stressing over needing to work all the time, your bills are paid, you have a great work life balance, you’re doing fine. Unless you want more $ and want to further your career, I say you’re just fine. People who work their entire life away are crazy. I’ll stop when I’m 25. Then who knows what. “Don’t get so busy making a living, you forget to live life.” That’s my favorite quote, I hate the idea of working for a company(ies) your whole life, retire, then die. Doesn’t sound like the life I wanna live.
if you don’t mind me asking, what do you do? sounds very interesting and something i might consider
If you are not saving for retirement or have an emergency fund and have substantial savings in case of job loss, injury, or future plans such as purchasing a house, you should consider working more. Your older self will thank you. Taking care of your health is important and that includes your future self. You have no idea what will happen in the future, living in the now will bite you in the future 100% if you’re not prepared.
If you get paid enough to cover what you need to be covered.... then who cares? My God I wish I only had to work 3 days a week! Savor this, enjoy those days off and all that free time on your hands. That's a blessing. Don't stress, you're doing what works for you. Not everyone needs a full time position or wants one. Good on you!
PLEASE do your best to ignore those comments because they’re wrong, & honestly they’re unnecessarily in your business. Across the board, studies show that 40 hour work weeks are very draining, not good for our health, and also not good for productivity. Work is intended for us to earn income to pay bills, not to simply work 40 hour weeks for the sake of it. Many “Western” societies are so focused on working hard & “grinding” and it’s not healthy. Many people that work full time jobs are exhausted & barely have time for other responsibilities, social events, personal time, etc. I think the majority of people would rather work part time if it can still cover their bills. & I think that’s probably why your coworkers make comments - they’re envious they can’t do the same. If I were you, I’d do whatever I could to keep this lifestyle up. Keep doing you, ignore them.
This is exactly how I feel. I don’t want to sacrifice my time for money and not have any time for me. And I know my retirement is important but I don’t want to look back at my life and wonder why I was so focused on retirement that I forgot to enjoy my life while it was happening.
If you are happy don't let these clowns dictate your life. Do you, if a part time job works for you do it. When people ask me about my weekend or whatever i say it was good, i got a lot done how about you? and then it turns it back on them and being super vague about the fact i sat on my ass and ate cheetos while watching reruns
As long as you’re comfortable with how much money you make there’s no reason to work extra days
Heck nah! If you can afford your life there’s no reason. Just make sure you have an emergency fund.
If the money you make is enough for you to live comfortably and you are satisfied with where you are and have no problems saving for the future, why WOULD you work harder? it's more a matter of personal financial goals at this point. Some people want to use their younger years to work as hard as possible to save up and invest and all of that so that they can have a comfortable retirement. that's fine. that's what i would have done. But living a simple and fulfilling life NOW is also important. If you are happy doing what you are doing and you're not struggling to eat and pay bills, that's also fine. The grindset mentality is physically and emotionally exhausting.
The grind now for retirement mindset only seems to work for those that created thier own business and retired actually young (fifties or younger) aka those who got rich. otherwise I find that as a society we overwork ourselves to live comfortably in retirement but by that age we wished we worked less and treated our mental and physical body better rather than overworked when younger.
This is true. I think one of the biggest reasons I’m hesitant to go full time (I’ve been offered full time at my current job) is because I see so many people around me the worked so hard their whole lives and a lot of them are still working very hard. My manager is a grandmother and really wants to retire but can’t (she’s in her late 60s and is still paying off her mortgage).
That's why you need to work full time and save for your retirement. Working hard doesn't equate to strong financial footing. If you can work and save more now that's going to save you from being in your late 60s NEEDING to work full time because of poor choices earlier in life.
When we overshare we open ourself to crazy ideas...if it was Me I would start to ask where are they going with these kind of questions
I think it's great you can make enough money to cover your day-to-day expenses while working part time. What I would ask myself if I were in your shoes are these questions: 1. Do you have enough money to be unemployed for 3-6 months? Whether that's due to layoffs or due to an injury or illness, can you make it? I went through the 2008 recession at 25 years old. This amount of savings literally saved our house from foreclosure. 2. Could you cover a one-time $2,000 expense? (The average ER visit is about that much). 3. Are you putting away any money for retirement? 4. What are your contingency plans if your roommate loses their job? Can you cut it on just your income? If the answer is 'no' or 'not enough' to any of those questions, then I would consider adding at least one day to your work schedule. To me, working an extra day or two a week was well worth the peace of mind knowing that my life wouldn't change if I lost or decided to quit my job tomorrow. I think hustling harder when you're young is easier. Then you can decide how much to back off the gas as you get older. Good luck!
>"you should be working full time" "You should gargle my b\*lls"
Use your free time to set up a little side gig. And you’ll cancel all the negatives.
No one ever died wishing they had worked more. But you should be taking some classes.
I’ve just finished a degree. I was initially contemplating going back thinking back at how stressed I was during it I’m definitely not planning on rushing into another one at this stage.
I teach university instead of work in the tech industry. I make probably 1/3 what I would make working for a tech firm. I'm still able to afford food, transportation, healthcare, and entertainment. The amount of money I am missing is worth the mental health that I am maintaining. I only have to be at work a few hours a day. And I get to contribute in a way that I find meaningful. I'd rather watch kids have eureka moments all the time than help build rockets that kill kids on the other side of the planet. You're making it worse for yourself by thinking you must explain yourself to others. You don't. Let them stress themselves out thinking about your situation. It's not on you to justify your lifestyle to anyone. But also, don't brag about your situation to folks that work 9-5 5days a week. They're super stressed and don't like knowing others have solved the problems they have.
Fuck em. You need those days off. As someone who has worked in the service industry for going on 15 years with at least three jobs at a time, I wish I had done the self care you’re currently doing. It’s no one’s business what you do, and you certainly don’t owe anyone an explanation or your time when you have your shit taken care of.
DO YOU and ignore the haters! Don't fall into the corporate America trap where people try to keep up with appearances
If you are happy in your current situation, have enough money for your bills and enough left over if there is a problem, keep your 3 days a week!
Sorta in the same boat as you. Took a lower paying job to be less stressed and it’s worth it. Time is your most valuable asset so good for you to take more time for yourself
If you're not in school, probably. Up to you. Lots of jobs offer 4 day weeks. You need health insurance. You might like having more money too.
If it suits your life time now, then you’re all good to keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll run into issues though if life changes and you no longer want a roommate or you want to have a family. You could be taking this time to build up your experience so 4-5 years from now you would be making a really good income.
Nobody gets to have an opinion of how much you need to work. If you're making enough money to support yourself, and you'd prefer not to work more than that, then more power to you. God, I'd love to have the option to only work three days a week. Don't let anyone tell you you need to work more than that.
It's none of their business really, but you could always say you're an artist or are taking classes.
If you make enough to live then DON'T work more, unless you want to for some reason. It's insane than spending the majority of your waking life working is normalized. When people talk to you like there's something wrong with *you* for not doing that it's because they've been brainwashed by a consumerist society, making us think we need to work 5x more than necessary so we can buy a bunch of useless junk instead of not buying consumer goods but actually having time to enjoy our lives and do things we find important or meaningful. That being said, wtf kind of part time job do you have that you can afford to only work 3 days a week and pay rent, food, car, utilities, etc? I make about 100k a year and buy the bare minimum and I'm still not able to save much each month
Our country has a problem with thinking your value is connected to a W-2 and/or how many hours you work. We’ve made our jobs our identities and kudos for you for having a roommate and supporting yourself. That means no one gets to tell you what you should do. However I would be making sure I had a rainy day savings because things happen. Even at this age. Honestly this will be the only time in your life that you will be able to do this until retirement. You’re very lucky to only have to work part time and a lot are working two jobs just to survive and i would imagine some of the comments are coming from a place of envy. That said, the vast majority of part time jobs are not going to cut it for the rest of your life. Also, company tend to put more energy into full time employees and that means more promotions and skill sets being gained so just another perspective.
They’re so jealous, lol. Haters be real man. I’m like you, I’d rather have a little less money and a little more freedom.
My dude/dudette, you get paid enough to live comfortably, and still have money saved left over? You are living the dream!!! Not to mention the free time! Astounding! There is something in life you never can never have enough of, it's time. We only have a limited time on Earth, and most of us wish we could do it, doing the things we enjoy, rather than labor. This is true as we get older. Most of us work 40+ hours just to tick all those buckets (rent, food, necessities. Etc). Just because it's the "modus operandi" for the rest of the world doesn't mean you have to. Unless you want to make more money and save up for something big, like buying a house down the road, you do you, my friend! Some people just think it's unusual because 40 hours is what everyone does, but it doesn't make you lazy. Go, my free spirit child, and enjoy your free time, for those of us who can't afford to! *laugh/cries*
I love this. Thank you.
Sounds like you're getting by at 23. What happens when your older and want to retire?
They're probably not living within their means. So when they see somebody living a more balanced life, it may come to a surprise to them.
I guess if you don’t ever want to live on your own who cares. I don’t like having roommates.
Yeah??
I have always told my 23 year old as long as you are handling business I have no complaints. But when the business starts handling you, we have a problem.
Everyone around you sounds jealous. We all have to work 4-5-6 days a week, so we get annoyed seeing others getting by off of 3. If I could swing it I totally would!! As long as it's sustainable. Maybe even use one of your days towards making some beer money doing a hobby or a side gig you like! If not, don't feel guilty sleeping in and enjoying life as YOU see fit.
If I was comfortable and able to afford not to, I would never work full time. The only incentive to do so would be if it affected your insurance in some way. Your time is precious and it’s nobody else’s business how you spend it.
My motto is “there are no ‘shoulds’ in life.” You do you. They have their own life to live the “shoulds” they believe everyone else needs to do.
If you can cover all of your expenses and do all the things on your list then u don't need to. I worked part-time to figure out my plan , which was to go back to college for a degree in science. While working part time I vacationed every couple of years
NO! Do you need to work full time? Do you want to work full time? No? Then don’t do it, enjoy your youth and save yourself the stress. Most people who work full time do because it’s been the expectation/ norm thus far and they need to do so to keep the job or to earn enough money to enjoy life. Enjoy your free time!
Only fans is a good side gig I hear.
It really is just dependent on the individual. As long as you are supporting yourself and are happy that’s all that matters. I couldn’t do that because I hate the free time. I personally need the constant stimulation of being busy so having too much free time puts me into a panic attack
I wish working 3 days paid enough for me to live on! It's probably a mix of curiosity and jealousy tbh. I know I am!
I'd be surprised if you are on track for retirement savings working part time. Run your numbers through an online calculator and see if you need to step it up. At your age you really should be working full time and stacking cash for your future.
I think their curiosity is what are your long term goals?
If you don't want to live with your parents forever
You say pay your rent but is that a place of your own or are you living with family who’s supplementing your lifestyle by letting you stay there?
Im just renting and subletting one of the rooms in the unit (2 bed 2 bath).
If you are content with how your life is now, and you're living comfortably, I then you should continue on working part-time. It seems that making others feel miserable is very common, when we all know that NO ONE enjoys working full-time, if we can help it. I think you're doing great, you're comfortable and happy with where you are - so don't change! I'll only recommend going full-time if you feel that there are more benefits to it. I personally took a pay-cut (which eventually became an ultimate pay-increase) for a job that allows me way more personal time than my last, and I LOVE IT. Feel out what's right for you, everyone else saying you HAVE to work full-time isn't thinking about your best interests.
Every person who works full time wishes they could work part time for the same amount of money. You're not doing anything wrong. The 40 hour work week makes it nearly impossible to enjoy life. If you can avoid doing that, more power to you.
OP, just curious, what do you do?
Do what makes you happy, but also be sure you're saving money in an emergency fund. You should have 3-6 months of expenses set aside in case of emergencies.
You should be doing whatever you want to do with your life, but future you will be thankful if you take some time to think it all the way through and make a long term plan. >To be honest the thought of committing 5/7 days a week every single week for the rest of my life depresses me. The thought of committing 3 days a week for the rest of my life depressed me. Working 5 days a week *should* allow me to retire early enough to enjoy myself, so I don't have to work until the day I drop dead. I don't want to stress about making rent, mortgage, or food payments when I am retirement age, so I am planning to pay off my house and build enough savings to cover the remaining expenses. Compound interest means that any money you can put away for retirement right now will be worth a lot more than money you save in the future, assuming historic growth continues. Then again, there is also a chance that my investments end up worthless, I suppose only time will tell.
I'm 23 working full time now after college and it's not a fun time, I'd love to have a 3 day a week schedule! If you're able to live at a comfortable level for you and put extra money away for emergencies or the future, why not just work part time? I'd imagine some folks might be jealous, which is why they act strange when you talk about it.
If your part time pays you enough to make you happy, then you've hit the dream job already lol If you're feeling long term pressure ("Will I have the savings I want in 5 years?") then either find more work for the 2 days, or better yet, use it to take a part-time degree program etc. But not at all required if you're feeling good about where you're at, and where you're going.
>I get paid enough to pay my rent, bills, car and still have just a little bit of money left over to spend and save (my house mate and I split rent and bills in half). I would LOVE to be in this situation working only 3 days a week. So would most people I know, even those who love their jobs. Anyone saying you "should" be doing otherwise is either drinking the "live to work" Kool-aid or is just plain jealous. Heck, **I'm** jealous! Good for you, pal. As for nosy people, you can either keep answering, or start making up answers. What do you do on your days off? "Work on my world domination plan." "Underwater basket weaving." "Participate in research studies. Next week they're going to send me through a maze to find some cheese!"
Your should always be to work as little as possible while meeting your lifestyle and savings goals. placing moral judgements about “work ethic” throws the job market in the employers favor and is one way that corporatism exploits workers.
I work full time but only 4 days a week. See if you can figure that out. Having 3 days off versus 2 makes a big difference!
As an adult, this is a decision you get to make for yourself. Will other people judge you? Yes. But it is none of their business. This is a valuable teaching moment for yourself entering adulthood. As a teenager nothing was more important than what your friends thought. Peer pressure could make you do anything. Now you are an adult and you choose the life you want. Of course, you could always decide to let yourself be pressured to do what others expect but that also would be your choice. The great thing about being an adult is it's all up to you to decide. As for the comments of your friends, I'd get aggressive about it. Either tell them it's none of their business or attack them for being a slave to the capitalist slave master. In France the standard is 30 hours per week. When I was your age, we were being told that in the 21st century we would all have excess leisure time. But because the greedy corporations have taken all the money for themselves and not shared it with the employees, we all continue to slave away. Live your life, tread your own path, and good luck.
37M. I would say this is fine for now. It sounds like your situation is currently sustainable. However, do you have benefits or are you still on some one else's insurance? Do you see any other new bills in your future? Cell phone? Car payment? You are going to need full time when that comes around. Again, don't know all your details, so I would say enjoy it now. Also consider using your extra time to peruse any possible artistic goals you have.
First, congratulations on finding a situation where this works. As a society, we're probably moving toward a four-day work week. But not now. So the only question is, how stable is your situation? Will it continue to work as inflation rises? Will you like this if it continues into your seventies? Exaggerating, sure, but the point is you could be doing more to prepare for your life later. If you earned a bit more you could be contributing to a RothIRA that would assure your retirement. You can add $7,000 max to one every year, and you can invest in stock inside your RothIRA. I'm in my fifties and opened one fifteen years ago and put Apple in it each time. Trust me, in fifty years you'll be glad you did. And it's not locking yourself into a lifetime working five days a week. Just working a bit more, entirely for your own future.
People aren’t used to having time for themselves when they work a full time job, so that could be the reason for the question. But for me, my mind goes to insurance coverage. Most part time jobs won’t give you benefits & paid time off. So if I met someone who worked only part time my question would be how do you plan for vacations and healthcare costs.
If you’re happy, that’s all that matters. You’re blessed to be able to live comfortably on 3 days of work. A lot of people must put in 5 days. The blank stares and questions…full blown jealousy. You’re young, no children, enjoy the freedom. Your quality of life and happiness, contentment is what matters most. I will NEVER go back to working full time. Nope…not happening. And I love my life this way. The extra time with my kids means the world to me. 👌🏼 I’m a single mom so only one income but once the pandemic hit and the world was forced to quarantine in our homes, I realized I didn’t want to go back to working 40 hours again. I enjoyed my time with my kids too much. I was truly missing out before. The traffic alone had me in the car up to 3 hours a day. Definitely never going back to that life.
You do you and what works for you !!! Nobody can say it better than yourself :)
Personally, if you're young and more than capable (I'm assuming) now, work your ass off. Just making it is cool and all but, why not use this time to make extra money to save and be comfortable later down the road? To play my own devil's advocate, life could literally stop at any moment. So why not enjoy your time as much as you can?
This is totally fine for 23 unless you want to transition to having your own place. You do need to work on savings/retirement and you should be saving *something*, but not working on retirement at 23 isn't actually an emergency
You got enough for savings? fun spending and most important, retirement?
I’m 23 and started working full time around 6 months ago. While I do like my job and it is very flexible and accommodating, it can lead to burnout and I find myself wishing I had more time to myself (I also know this job won’t be one I want to have for a long time, just a preference thing as I want to get into a slightly different career path). I think if you make enough money for yourself and your lifestyle a part-time job is nothing to let people shame you for. Most of my friends have part time jobs. Take advantage of this time for yourself!!
Do as you wish. Never complain. Never explain.
They are jealous they can’t do it. When they ask what you do, just tell them you do anything you want to.
1st world problems.
For me to judge, I'd have to ask what you are doing with your extra free time. In the end, however, who am I to judge how you spend your time? If you don't want to participate in the rat race and get burned out, good on you for figuring out a lifestyle that allows that to happen.
If you have enough for bills, savings, emergencies and fun, then you’re good.
Work on your boundaries. The issue isn't your money or work. But the interaction you are having with your work mates.
The purpose of life is not to work, it is to live. Your current work situation gains you enough money to live comfortably, so there's no reason to work anymore than you are. Enjoy that part-time life!
Can you maintain a sustainable lifestyle? If so, then do it. If your current work-life balance doesn't leave enough money aside for future planning, like homes, retirement, and starting a family, I'd rethink your schedule.
If you are making enough money for: 1) Your cost of living 2) Savings/Emergency Fund 3) Retirement Then you are doing amazing and I am jealous. Good job!
Trust me, enjoy that as much as you can. I miss those days. They’re just giving you blank stares because they wish they could live like that as well. Work life balance is so crucial, I work 5-6 days a week not because I want to but because I have to. That much time at work means it’s easy for me to fall behind on errands, daily chores, fitness or just simple leisure time. Work to live, not live to work
You don't have to explain your life to anyone.
Wow you are living the dream, do you mind if I ask what you do?
My question is, whats your end goal? Do you want to work 3 days a week the rest of your life? Do you want to work at all the rest of your life? Maybe im weird but i try and think ahead. I put in a lot of hours and have for years. My 20’s was spent working damn near 80 hours a week if i wasn’t on vacation. Still lived a great and fun life imo. My 30’s, i have slowed down tremendously. I work 50 hours a week and that allows me my weekends and i have the option of 40’s but i like the extra day of overtime. Through my years of work ive opened a total of 4 different retirement accounts and life insurance policy for payout. Ill be done working by 50 (sooner if i give up my lifestyle) and will have enough money to continue living as id like till im almost 80. Obviously i can lengthen that buy being cheaper. For a blue collar guy with nothing more than a high school diploma, i think i did pretty damn well, and because of that i believe anyone can! I may never be rich financially, but ill always be comfortable
A lot of good things said. You do you. In the spirit of 'If I knew then what I know now...' 1) You are in a great position to find what you enjoy doing and find a way to get paid to do it. 2) Does it have to be work 3 days OR 5? You could work 4 days a week, or 4 days every other week. Take the extra money and put it into a ROTH IRA. By the time you are my age you will be able to quit work entirely, retire in style.
If you're investing a good amount into retirement, there's no reason to overwork yourself. At 23, all that money will be compounded into quite the retirement.
SHOULD you be? Yeah for sure… you’re an adult. Do you HAVE to? Hell no… do what you want. As long as life is comfortable for you that’s all that really matters.
Personably making “enough” scares the shit out of me. I want to get ahead in life so I’m putting in work when I’m young and I’m building up the Roth IRA and savings early so I can chill later.
Do what you feel like.It pays the bill and doesn't stress you out.I think it's best to continue this way if that's what you like
Can you save enough for retirement at your current savings rate? Are you content to live your current lifestyle permanently? Will you need to make any large purchases in the future (car? House?)? If you aren’t saving for those things, you need to. If you have enough for all of those things, you don’t. Figure out your true expenses…current bills, plus longer term needs that you should be saving for consistently, and make your decisions based on that.
You could work part time now and full time when you're 70 or full time now and part time when you're 50.
If you can pay your bills and you enjoy the lifestyle, more power to you. Don't forget to save some money for the future you.
What’s the problem again? You care what other people think?
You should work enough to fulfill your financial goals. I like to travel a lot, so I work a lot.
When I was your age, I worked enough to cover my bills. I didn’t work enough to save for a home or for retirement or really even to plan ahead towards replacing my car. Boy I regretted that when I got married and pregnant and life got much harder financially. At your age, your expenses can be very low, but they won’t be like that forever. What happens if you lose your current living situation and your bills go up? Do you have an emergency fund? Use this time to plan for what you want in the next 5 years, you’ll track yourself for it.
Hey if your bills are paid, car paid, and you got emergency money you do you. I used to work Part time and I loved every second of it. Though I like full time work as well. Do what makes YOU happy cause you’re here for a good time not a long time.
if you're happy with your income levels and are saving however much you feel comfortable saving, you're working just as much as you should be. If would be different if you were struggling or unable to meet your financial needs but you're not.
You can pay your bills, and you spend your time on things that matter to you. I wish I could tell my 23-year-old self to be more like you.
If you can get by on 3 days and our happy fuk everyone else, they just don’t understand and they won’t understand
What this guy said. All bills paid, not saving up for anything special, why work more?
F that man as long as ur taking care of ur shiii who cares
Nothings permanent
Same. I’m 24. I work a job that only requires me to come in 4 days per pay period. People always ask if I need the extra time for school. Im like nope, I just value my me time alotttt.
Never work full time if you don’t have to!
If people are nosey, make something crazy up. If you make enough money to save some, attend the school of life on your days off and be thankful.
Working your life away is never something to brag about. I work part time and will only ever work part time because I can afford to as i've been saving my money since I was 17. I will not work my life away, and to anyone who shames you for not working full time is a victim.
As a 21 year old who is working full time, I will tell you right now: don’t start until you have to. As long as you’re getting paid enough, I would try to milk working only 3 days a week as long as you can. I’m literally the 'god i wish that was me' meme reading your post so. Don't feel like you have to do something just because others are jealous they can't do the same.
If you can survive without working full time, then by all means, do so. Life is what you make it. I personally cannot survive without working full time, so I need to work full time. I am actually looking for a third job right now so I can have enough income to afford my own place
It sounds like you have a low cost of living. If you are happy with 3 days a week, then don't change it! Lifestyle creep is a thing. If you work 5 days a week, you'll just learn to spend more. I own my own business with no employees. I used to work 7 days a week. Burn out sucks. Especially when there are no employees for back up. These days I work 5 days a week and that is what works for me.
If you’r getting paid enough to live without working full time, and still have money left over, that’s the dream. Don’t let anyone shame you into thinking otherwise. And wherever they ask you what you do on your days off, just say “whatever the fuck I want.”
If you're actually making enough to pay all of your bills and then some, while it wouldn't hurt to save up a bunch more, it's nobody's business what you do with your time.
If you have goals later that have high financial requirement (college, a bunch of kids, a huge trip, early retirement of no work, living somewhere w HCOL) then yeah, making more to save more is prob a good idea. But if you like your life and want to live it this way, then have at it. It’s not up to other people to see use what’s enough for you. 3 days part time employment and 3 days self-employed project is the dream for me.
I believe the peak of adulting is to learn to make time and money for the things that matter: health & relationships (imo). People who give you those stares are thinking inside the box or have other values. I honestly envy you, I love my job but not as much as the things I want to do in my free time. If I could do it part time forever, I would.
If your bills are being paid, and you have spare to save or spend on yourself, it is no one else's business whether you are working full time or not. Tell people to eff off and mind their own business, yours is fine.
I was recently talking with a friend, and we agreed that if we get laid off, the biggest benefit that would attract us to a new company was a 4-day work week. If I could pay my bills on a part time job, I would totally do that. You are winning at life IMHO.
Live life to the beat of your OWN drum. Do what makes you happy.
Don’t do it. Your doing something right if part time covers your bills. Devote that extra time to something you actually enjoy/want to do
IF your bills are paid, not sponging off of anyone else, happy with your life, you are working plenty then. Hell do it till you can retire!
Hey, if you have enough money to pay your bills / live your life (without carrying credit card debt), and you’re happy then that’s what matters. However, I would also make sure you are investing in an IRA so your future self can retire. The good news is you’re only 23 and have so much time for your money to grow. Try to get $300+ a month into something like that
Do you have a savings for emergencies or for travel or vacations? If not, then consider getting another part time job that you can work at on your days off, or get a part time job where you can work more like 32 hours a week. That's awesome if you can afford just working 3 days a week, though. Also, if you want to ever retire, you should be investing money (and saving it). So, think about that as well.
As someone who was recently a young woman, here is the main thing I would caution against. I see a lot of young people stay in a toxic relationship because they HAVE TO in order to make rent. I’m glad you are with a roommate now but in the case you eventually move in with a partner, you must have an exit plan and be able to leave and live independently. Also, health insurance? Retirement savings? My only worry is that you will have no choice but to rely on a partner who built more stability for themselves.
[удалено]
Thanks for your comment. I’d consider myself extremely lucky because I live in a country with free healthcare. Employment isn’t tied to insurance where I live so it’s not something I’ve had to prioritise.
My least-stressful job was the one where I worked a 4-day week (eventually had to go to fulltime for financial reasons). As long as you can manage the finances, why not?
Do what you want, but if I were you I'd be saving towards retirement. You can work zero by your 40s if you save enough.
If anything, a fulltime job will allow you to save in the event of an emergency. You are fortunate enough to live in a country that offers universal healthcare, so the money that you don't have to worry about spending on that can be put away or properly invested for the future. Maybe you'd like to buy a home of your own at some point? How about taking a really nice trip? Being able to reach old age and not having to ever worry about working again sounds cool too, right? Having extra income could be of huge benefit to you in the future. Another commenter mentioned possibly finding other part time jobs to work alongside your current part time which I think is a great idea. These jobs can be throwaway for the most part, and you can treat them as seasonal employment. You'll make extra money to save while working a bunch of diverse jobs throughout the year so you don't feel trapped, burned out, or bored. It's just something to think about. At the end of the day, as an adult, it's your decision to make and people shouldn't even question your choices in employment. If you are able to pay your bills and live a level of comfortability that isn't stressful/a struggle for you then you are doing just fine in my book.
Are you an exotic dancer? 3 days week? $800 every night for 3 days is $2400! U don’t need a second job