OT: Quitting the Rat Race

[li10up]

I've had 5 different jobs in the past 22 years without any days off between starting new jobs. So, actually, I've been very fortunate to always have work. But even though I have a good job and would be considered successful by today's standards I hate having to "punch a clock" every day. It doesn't help that I'm on call a lot too. It's nice to be able to afford to buy my "toys" when I want but I'm beginning to feel more and more enslaved by my job. Maybe it's just a mid-life crisis???

Have any of you quit the rat race and learned to live a more simple life? How did you do it? How did you learn to live with less? Do you regret doing it?

[tulip]

I'm thinking about it and planning for it...I'll post more later (gotta get back to the rat race now!)

[li10up]

Glad to see one reply. Looking for your response later. It almost makes me sad to think nobody has escaped the rat race.

I'd be interested in hearing from those of you who somehow managed to retire early too.

[DDH]

I quit my job 5 or 6 years ago when my son started school. My husband makes a moderate income, nothing extravegant by any means. He works a lot of overtime for us to be able to have extras and we have learned to live with less. I know in some ways his life is more stressed because he is the sole income provider, but in other ways, there is less stress in our lives. He does not have to worry about anything at home because I take care of it all. I take care of shoppping, bills, cleaning, mowing, cooking, laundry, just everything. Once in a while, he helps me mow, and he takes care of all the stuff with the vehicles including washing them. I take care of his 82yr old mom as far as shopping, and drs. appts. and such for her. I take care of things for my mother also.
Do I have regrets? I am not sure if I would call them regrets. I do have moments where I want to throw up my hands and tell everyone to kiss my well booty to put it nicely. Sometimes I want to go back to work so I can get a break.
The problem with being a SAHM, is that everyone thinks you have all the time in the world, and that your life is so easy, yada, yada, yada. Well, this is the hardest job I have ever had. Also the most under appreciated job!!
You know that new comercial they have with the invisible mom. Thats how I feel a lot of times. However, when I think about getting back into the rat race of a job, having to answer to someone elses hours, and routine. I change back again. It would put a huge burden back on my husband with taking care of his mom, if I went back to work right now. Plus my son just now started middle school and he wouldn't know what to do with me not home. He in Kindergarden when I quit, so he doesn't really remember the days of daycare, and someone else taking care of him.
There are pluses and minuses to both. Being at home, I pretty much get things done as I see fit and have time for. I mean obviously, you are going to have a set schedule on some things, and dr's appts and such will be at certain times that you have to make time for, but everything else, I do when I have time or see fit to do them. If the house is dirty and my DH is off, it stays dirty and we spend time together. Summer is the worst time, because someone is always home and under foot, so I have decided that summer is the time to do the have to's and the extras like cleaning on top of the fridge and dusting the ceiling fan, and cleaning carpets are not done.
Once school is back in and I have several days to get things done without anyone under foot, then I start back on my schedule of the extras.
Anyway, for the most part I love being at home for everyone, but trust me, like anything else, there are downfalls. Sometimes I am very frustrated though and want to make a living again.

[Veronica]

My husband took the summer off with me last year.

We knew in 2001 that his company was having trouble and started saving since a teacher's salary is not enough to live on in CA if you have a house. And we didn't know how long he'd be unemployed.

When the company was acquired last year, he got a good severance package that we used to play all summer and never had to touch the savings. Oh and he had a job offer before summer even started...

He's back in the rat race now... but we're already plotting how to do that again next summer.

V.

[farrellcollie]

You might want to read a book called "Your Money or Your Life" by Joe Dominguez. It is quite interesting.

[KnottedYet]

I worked in high school, and worked my way through college (paid for it all myself, which i don't think kids can do these days as tuition has gone up so much).

When my son was born I stayed home for a couple years. THAT was HARD WORK! SAHM is the most intense job I've ever done. Oh, man...

Later I went back to work, and then back to college again. I pour too much of myself into my jobs, get burned out, and start wanting to switch careers entirely.

Right now I want to go to school AGAIN. But this time back to something I've already done and know I like, or into something related to what I do now.

I don't think I could leave the rat-race. I was unemployed for about 4 months after I graduated, there were NO jobs in my field and it darn near killed me.

[mimitabby]

we're still in the rat race but plotting our way out.
hey, i figured out that it costs less for me to go to work than it does to stay home (and heat the house all day in the winter and keep the lights on)
my job is pretty low stress.

[li10up]

I don't think I could leave the rat-race. I was unemployed for about 4 months after I graduated, there were NO jobs in my field and it darn near killed me.

What was killing you? The decrease in income or not having "anything" to do? Were you bored those 4 months?

[laughlaugh18]

Glad to see one reply. Looking for your response later. It almost makes me sad to think nobody has escaped the rat race.
.

I suspect that there will be lots of responses by the end of the day! This is a topic near and dear to my heart, but it's going to take me some time, which I don't have now, to get my thoughts down coherently. I suspect folks want to think before they write.

Long story short, I did leave the rat race about 10 years ago (partner at large law firm and company general counsel to independent contracting attorney who works part time). I'm very happy I did it, but I also think you really have to understand what you're getting and what you're giving up.

More later tonight (after the Italian class I now have time to take ).

[Geonz]

Whoo Hoo!!! I was going to point to this page anyway - because there are some neat essays on *exactly* this simplification thing - but hey! My "Drafting Story" gets me a T-shirt... (they're only in huge sizes but hey, the whole bike club can share).
http://minuscar.blogspot.com/

Mine is I think the only silly essay.

Right now I have a very nicely fitting non-rat-race job in education... with health insurance (tho' thankfully that's not an issue at this time and it's really just true "insurance" against sudden accidents).

My bicycle really moved me forward in the "cut back and simplify" direction.

There are lot sof other things I just don't spend on (makeup... MP3s)... but I do have a weakness for music and blenders :-)

[KnottedYet]

What was killing you? The decrease in income or not having "anything" to do? Were you bored those 4 months?

All of the above. DPITA supported me, so I had food and a place to live. But no money of my own. I couldn't stand not being useful. I got kind of depressed and just sat around all day moping. I didn't even watch TV. I kept trying to find jobs, but the market was glutted and folks with more experience were hired over me. And that was discouraging.

[mlove]

I will be quitting the rat race in November, but my solution--retirement--will not be of much help to most of you. With a job at a university, at least I have had some flexibility to help cope with the job stress (I am not faculty and don't have the summers off). But I am looking forward to turning my desk over to someone else so I have more time to ride.

If you are into simplifying your life, there are a lot of websites that you can check out for tips and tricks. And Joe Dominguez's book is really helpful.

[Bikingmomof3]

I was until I had children and then became a SAHM (different sort of rat race )
I tried going baack to work once the boys were in school, yet I always felt as though it was the wrong choice for me. I wanted to be the one to raise them, not strangers (again-my choice, it is not right for everyone).

Very long story short- I would not do much differently. I would still have my college degrees, Etc., The only thing I would do differently would be to have never gone back to work. My boys still recall hating day care (and it was a nice one).

With only one income, things get tight. DH's job and the boys come first and foremost. I do not have the top designer clothing, my spending is very limited, and I rely heavily on used items for myself. Because we are 1 income by choice, and teens are expensive by nature, I cannot just pick up a book, even a used one for myself any time I would like-but it is the trade-off. Yet, I would not do anything differently.

[Geonz]

I think to quit the rat race and not go into a swamp you have to join something else ... not be outside looking in at the rat race. I guess you have to join the kiwi race or somehting :-) Or maybe join the rat co-op instead of race?

I hadn't thought of it, but ... bicycling was an important thing that gave me a chance to channel my energies into something when I was out of the loop. the other thing I did was build a website (I'm a pretty serious introvert, gregarious as I am) about learning disabilities, put together some book-type stuff and stay active on discussion groups. I"m not sure, but I think the bicycle really helped enable me to stay productive and not just put things off.

Of course, you can end up wallowing online for ... [heading off now to prevent that...]