Going part-time in your mid-30s?
Discussion
NickCQ said:
snorkel sucker said:
learning another skill that will eventually allow me to replace my current income, work remotely, independently and for probably a handful of hours a week. (Forex Trading).
might as well take up scratchcards
designforlife said:
I would kill for this... do it.
+1I work 50-51 weeks a year. For half the year I work 6 days a week, the other half 5.
The only saving grace is hopefully I can retire pretty early but if I could do 3 days a week I would crawl over hot coals to do so.
Money is of no relevance IMHO, so long as you have enough to do what you need to do. Just ensure you plan for the future.
My main worry about FIRE is a lot of people seem to know about it now, 3-4 years ago it was almost unheard of but every 30 something you talk to now seems to want to stop work. So will the government try and restrict people doing this? Who knows but its defiantly a risk.
Its been brought in at our place perhaps 12 months ago. No one that I know of has applied for part time work yet, lots of people have gone for flexible working and compressed hours (which came in at the same time ). So popular that people have been turned down because there's not enough people in on Fridays now.
red_slr said:
+1
I work 50-51 weeks a year. For half the year I work 6 days a week, the other half 5.
The only saving grace is hopefully I can retire pretty early but if I could do 3 days a week I would crawl over hot coals to do so.
Money is of no relevance IMHO, so long as you have enough to do what you need to do. Just ensure you plan for the future.
My main worry about FIRE is a lot of people seem to know about it now, 3-4 years ago it was almost unheard of but every 30 something you talk to now seems to want to stop work. So will the government try and restrict people doing this? Who knows but its defiantly a risk.
You only get 1-2 weeks of holiday a year? I work 50-51 weeks a year. For half the year I work 6 days a week, the other half 5.
The only saving grace is hopefully I can retire pretty early but if I could do 3 days a week I would crawl over hot coals to do so.
Money is of no relevance IMHO, so long as you have enough to do what you need to do. Just ensure you plan for the future.
My main worry about FIRE is a lot of people seem to know about it now, 3-4 years ago it was almost unheard of but every 30 something you talk to now seems to want to stop work. So will the government try and restrict people doing this? Who knows but its defiantly a risk.
RDMcG said:
I do not need the money at all, but I need the feeling of being useful in a senior capacity.
I get this 100%. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, "Self-Actualisation" is at the very top. But what actualisation actually means can be entirely different to different people. For some it's being a decision maker within a business and working hard within that, for others their job is a means to an end and they want to make music or paint or do something else with their time. Not exactly part time, but my job is shift based doing 12 hour shifts, including overnights and weekends. I work 37 hours a week, same as everyone else, but work less than 50% of the year. Everything outside of my contracted hours is paid overtime - for a professional job on the sort of salary we get (not huge, but reasonable) overtime is unusual.
Edited by Condi on Friday 6th December 11:38
Do it. You can always go back to being full time.
I'm a contractor, so it's easier for me, but I've played around with being part time and doing stretches full time with months off in between. I prefer working full on / full off splits but part time is definitely better than full time if you can afford it. Just try not to waste the downtime.
I'm a contractor, so it's easier for me, but I've played around with being part time and doing stretches full time with months off in between. I prefer working full on / full off splits but part time is definitely better than full time if you can afford it. Just try not to waste the downtime.
Some people have to work all the hours available to pay for just basics. Others earn a lot more but get tempted by consumer crap which doesn't really add to the value of life.
Many also have plans for retirement but end up either not reaching it or too infirm/ill to realise those plans.
Mid 30s sounds early to be winding down but if you can do it and can get quality of life from the time it releases, don't worry about the negatives.
Many also have plans for retirement but end up either not reaching it or too infirm/ill to realise those plans.
Mid 30s sounds early to be winding down but if you can do it and can get quality of life from the time it releases, don't worry about the negatives.
borcy said:
red_slr said:
+1
I work 50-51 weeks a year. For half the year I work 6 days a week, the other half 5.
The only saving grace is hopefully I can retire pretty early but if I could do 3 days a week I would crawl over hot coals to do so.
Money is of no relevance IMHO, so long as you have enough to do what you need to do. Just ensure you plan for the future.
My main worry about FIRE is a lot of people seem to know about it now, 3-4 years ago it was almost unheard of but every 30 something you talk to now seems to want to stop work. So will the government try and restrict people doing this? Who knows but its defiantly a risk.
You only get 1-2 weeks of holiday a year? I work 50-51 weeks a year. For half the year I work 6 days a week, the other half 5.
The only saving grace is hopefully I can retire pretty early but if I could do 3 days a week I would crawl over hot coals to do so.
Money is of no relevance IMHO, so long as you have enough to do what you need to do. Just ensure you plan for the future.
My main worry about FIRE is a lot of people seem to know about it now, 3-4 years ago it was almost unheard of but every 30 something you talk to now seems to want to stop work. So will the government try and restrict people doing this? Who knows but its defiantly a risk.
44 (just) and thinking about stopping completely when I'm 45 - basically this time next year.
I'm pretty sure I've got enough invested to maintain a good enough lifestyle. Going part time for a couple of years first would be great, can't see it being an option in my current role but I do plan to investigate it further. If you can afford it, go for it, you're a long time dead and we work to live, not the other way around.
I'm pretty sure I've got enough invested to maintain a good enough lifestyle. Going part time for a couple of years first would be great, can't see it being an option in my current role but I do plan to investigate it further. If you can afford it, go for it, you're a long time dead and we work to live, not the other way around.
UpTheIron said:
44 (just) and thinking about stopping completely when I'm 45 - basically this time next year.
I'm pretty sure I've got enough invested to maintain a good enough lifestyle. Going part time for a couple of years first would be great, can't see it being an option in my current role but I do plan to investigate it further. If you can afford it, go for it, you're a long time dead and we work to live, not the other way around.
Hi,I'm pretty sure I've got enough invested to maintain a good enough lifestyle. Going part time for a couple of years first would be great, can't see it being an option in my current role but I do plan to investigate it further. If you can afford it, go for it, you're a long time dead and we work to live, not the other way around.
I’m pretty much your age and have just stopped working - have been running at 100mph for ages and definitely needed a break.
What plans have you made? How are you planning to fill your days? Would be really interested to hear, was going to start a thread about it.
Thanks
red_slr said:
Correct, the pleasures of being self employed and having customers who expect you to be open all the time. Normally close down for 1 week over Christmas but depending how it lands maybe 2 weeks. This year its probably going to be 2 weeks, maybe the same next year but after that when Xmas falls at the weekend it will just be a week again.
And then, you're dead...I went part-time (4 days a week) about 6 years ago in my early 40s. There was a noticeable hit to salary but I’ve always earned more than I’ve spent so it wasn’t really a problem once I’d adjusted mentally to the idea.
The huge benefit was more time with my kids when they were growing up. Doing the school run, getting the chores done on a Friday while they were at school, some volunteering with a charity, then the weekend was good quality family time rather than running around trying to do too many things. I felt much more part of life than spending long hours every day commuting and working.
Unfortunately, I started a new job earlier this year and am currently full time again (and long hours too) - really noticing the negative impact on my personal life. But, once I’ve got my role more structured, I’m intending to drop to 4 days a week again.
If you can work part-time and still pay for all the essentials, then do it. If you look at your expenditure and realise that last slice of your income is paying for pointless gadgets and toys, they are easy to cut out. Now I’m full-time again, I’m paying for various things I didn’t need to before (like a gardener) so the net extra money from working that additional day is less than it might first seem.
The huge benefit was more time with my kids when they were growing up. Doing the school run, getting the chores done on a Friday while they were at school, some volunteering with a charity, then the weekend was good quality family time rather than running around trying to do too many things. I felt much more part of life than spending long hours every day commuting and working.
Unfortunately, I started a new job earlier this year and am currently full time again (and long hours too) - really noticing the negative impact on my personal life. But, once I’ve got my role more structured, I’m intending to drop to 4 days a week again.
If you can work part-time and still pay for all the essentials, then do it. If you look at your expenditure and realise that last slice of your income is paying for pointless gadgets and toys, they are easy to cut out. Now I’m full-time again, I’m paying for various things I didn’t need to before (like a gardener) so the net extra money from working that additional day is less than it might first seem.
red_slr said:
+1
I work 50-51 weeks a year. For half the year I work 6 days a week, the other half 5.
The only saving grace is hopefully I can retire pretty early but if I could do 3 days a week I would crawl over hot coals to do so.
Money is of no relevance IMHO, so long as you have enough to do what you need to do. Just ensure you plan for the future.
My main worry about FIRE is a lot of people seem to know about it now, 3-4 years ago it was almost unheard of but every 30 something you talk to now seems to want to stop work. So will the government try and restrict people doing this? Who knows but its defiantly a risk.
Not sure I get the above, you say that money has no relevance but are working 51 weeks a year ?I work 50-51 weeks a year. For half the year I work 6 days a week, the other half 5.
The only saving grace is hopefully I can retire pretty early but if I could do 3 days a week I would crawl over hot coals to do so.
Money is of no relevance IMHO, so long as you have enough to do what you need to do. Just ensure you plan for the future.
My main worry about FIRE is a lot of people seem to know about it now, 3-4 years ago it was almost unheard of but every 30 something you talk to now seems to want to stop work. So will the government try and restrict people doing this? Who knows but its defiantly a risk.
What is it you do that you can mentally /physically work 51 weeks a year with 6 days a week for half the year.
Just interested, is this planning for an early retirement as that sounds terrible work life balance if money is of no relevance.
Good on you though as the job must be great and very enjoyable.
I’m 31.
I work 4 days a week, I’ve got a good job in terms of pay / benefits at a management level, (health care, bonus, profit share, flexi-time, DB pension, etc). In terms of holidays I get 26+BH then I buy an additional 5 as it is tax efficient and I’d rather be on holiday with less money than in work!
People don’t seem to realise how fast life passes by, I do 35 hours per week, 07:00/07:15-16:00/16:30 each day. I see people who do 45/50+ hours per week due to their own self inflated importance, my boss for example was in our office Mon-Wed last week, he left home at 06:00 Monday, was away two nights, yet emailing at 23:00 Wednesday and again on Sunday night, he has 3 kids under 5?!
I work the absolute minimum amount of hours, I get to work and get my job done, I don’t waste time sitting around idly talking ****!
I’m at the top of my pay scale so will probably get pushed to the next level within 2/3 years, no problem with that, but the business expects more ‘time’ from you with a max 8% pay rise and back to 5 days a week which I am not prepared to do.
Life is too short to spend it doing what other people want, I’m also using the time for hobbies and to start a little business that I hope can supplement an income.
I work 4 days a week, I’ve got a good job in terms of pay / benefits at a management level, (health care, bonus, profit share, flexi-time, DB pension, etc). In terms of holidays I get 26+BH then I buy an additional 5 as it is tax efficient and I’d rather be on holiday with less money than in work!
People don’t seem to realise how fast life passes by, I do 35 hours per week, 07:00/07:15-16:00/16:30 each day. I see people who do 45/50+ hours per week due to their own self inflated importance, my boss for example was in our office Mon-Wed last week, he left home at 06:00 Monday, was away two nights, yet emailing at 23:00 Wednesday and again on Sunday night, he has 3 kids under 5?!
I work the absolute minimum amount of hours, I get to work and get my job done, I don’t waste time sitting around idly talking ****!
I’m at the top of my pay scale so will probably get pushed to the next level within 2/3 years, no problem with that, but the business expects more ‘time’ from you with a max 8% pay rise and back to 5 days a week which I am not prepared to do.
Life is too short to spend it doing what other people want, I’m also using the time for hobbies and to start a little business that I hope can supplement an income.
Edited by Lord.Vader on Saturday 7th December 08:51
I am 39 and have about 25 years left on my mortgage 
i work 6 days a week generally and sometimes long hours.
But......
I almost love working! I love what i do (paving and landscaping) the back pain and aches and pains and working outside when its cold and wet are fairly grim but i think i have brainwashed myself into it being ok
Unless i had an endless supply of money i would not go part time or give up. I have a laugh at work and now i have built a decent reputation i dont really have to worry too much about winning work so much nowadays (touching a piece of wood here). I know what I'm doing to the extent of it being easy and we do some awesome enjoyable jobs.
If i worked in an office or some sort of properly structured environment though i dont think i could manage a day let alone a lifetime!
i work 6 days a week generally and sometimes long hours.
But......
I almost love working! I love what i do (paving and landscaping) the back pain and aches and pains and working outside when its cold and wet are fairly grim but i think i have brainwashed myself into it being ok
Unless i had an endless supply of money i would not go part time or give up. I have a laugh at work and now i have built a decent reputation i dont really have to worry too much about winning work so much nowadays (touching a piece of wood here). I know what I'm doing to the extent of it being easy and we do some awesome enjoyable jobs.
If i worked in an office or some sort of properly structured environment though i dont think i could manage a day let alone a lifetime!
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