Quote Originally Posted by CA_in_NC View Post
I'm right there with you. DH and I are fine. We could live on one salary or the other. I did have lots of student loans (Duke + law school), but I've paid off almost all of those. I have a small loan payment, a small car payment and a house payment. That's it. No credit cards, etc. And we're a long ways towards saving for retirement.

But....I'm decidedly unhappy with my job. It's giving me headaches, high blood pressure and my Dr. has repeatedly told me to quit. I have little to no time for me. DH supports my leaving. And somehow, I'm having trouble giving it up because "we might need the $$". Or worse, my parents (divorced, 1 remarried) might need the $$. (neither can manage $$, both buy whatever they want and expect someone else to pay for it - I can't support them in good conscience - and haven't, but still feel like I should be able to just in case...) I don't even have a good relationship with them. *sigh* I was a whole lot happier when I had no money, and didn't feel like I had to be responsible for everyone's problems *sigh*

I can relate to this! I was stuck in a job I hated that I was afraid to leave because it paid well. I read "The Art of Happiness" (an interview with the Dalai Lama) and left within months of reading it, the day after my 12th work anniversay to be exact. It was the best decision I could have made. I'm so much happier now, living in a different city without the stress I used to have. Oh, and I earn about half what I used to make, and have a lifestyle like the rich and famous (only slightly kidding). It's better than say Gary Coleman's, but not as lavish as Marie Osmond's .

My father, who never won dad of the year, recently asked me for a $6,000 loan to pay off his credit card debt. He and my stepmother always make fun of me for buying used stuff, driving 10+ year old cars, living in tiny places. They are gluttonous in their consumption of crap (they have 4 computers and 4 tvs in a 2 bedroom condo that's loaded to the rafters with STUFF). Even knowing that this loan would unlikely be repaid (dad is 80, which is less of a factor than his status as a bit of a deadbeat who occassionally works a grift) still made it hard to say no. Instead, I told them to send me all their financial records, and I would look at them before making an decison, but probably it would be a no. That stopped the process. They didn't expect me to make decison based on anything like their ability to pay me back.

You don't need to pay for your parent's mistakes.

And Brandi, stop worrying and enjoy yourself. You've done good.