life contentment, chasing the money....

[anonymous-user]

cloggy said:

Lazy Dutch bds.

Is it accurate do you think cloggy? Not The lazy bit but the much lower number of people working less hours?

[Cotty]

Get a sex change and work less hours?

Is that why there is a pay gap?

[cloggy]

El stovey said:

cloggy said:

Lazy Dutch bds.

Is it accurate do you think cloggy? Not The lazy bit but the much lower number of people working less hours?

Don't know really I have been in the UK for 36 years now.
What I do know that most companies are sticklers for rules so if you have to work to 17.00 pm that is what they do.

[havoc]

I'd be more interested in the split of how many are paid-by-hour / get overtime, and how many are salaried.

i.e. if you're choosing to work longer as you earn more money, vs if you're just some poor sap being taken advantage of...

[WestyCarl]

El stovey said:

Possibly some interesting data.

I work for a Japanese company with a Head Office in Holland and can confirm that's about right.

However don't confuse working hours per week (being in the office) with productivity.

[TheAngryDog]

dazwalsh said:

I was never really content with any of my jobs from 17-25, could work my nuts off and go places within organisations but the thought of one day the company just going bust and being out on my arse at the bottom of the pecking order got to me. Was never really happy no matter what wage slip said. I told myself even if it had a zero on the end I would still feel that way.

Made a change at 26 and and started out on my own, no more PAYE, ttish management or lining the pockets of some other person. It was liberating. Now I love my work, and feel very fortunate that after several years of graft I am now able to dial up or down the amount of work I chose to do.

I wouldn't mind being self employed, though I have a lot to risk now. Also my line of work is getting cut back on the contract side of things / isn't financially worth it at my level.

[okgo]

Pretty sure I do not really work any harder or tax my brain more now on decent money than I did when I was on st money 8 years ago in the same industry. I do work slightly longer hours, but we're talking maybe an hour a day. London based also.

Edited by okgo on Thursday 18th January 16:47

[TheAngryDog]

okgo said:

Pretty sure I do not really work any harder or tax my brain more now on decent money than I did when I was on st money 8 years ago in the same industry. I do work slightly longer hours, but we're talking maybe an hour a day. London based also.

Edited by okgo on Thursday 18th January 16:47

I guess it depends on your occupation. I am a Systems Admin and these jobs aren't massively well paid. I think I am well paid considering.

[TameRacingDriver]

TheAngryDog said:

I wouldn't mind being self employed, though I have a lot to risk now. Also my line of work is getting cut back on the contract side of things / isn't financially worth it at my level.

Same here, there is the small matter of also coming up with a business idea likely to make money. I am not very good at coming up with unique ideas (too thick/unimaginative), so that would be a non-starter for me in all likelihood.

[GetCarter]

TameRacingDriver said:

TheAngryDog said:

I wouldn't mind being self employed, though I have a lot to risk now. Also my line of work is getting cut back on the contract side of things / isn't financially worth it at my level.

Same here, there is the small matter of also coming up with a business idea likely to make money. I am not very good at coming up with unique ideas (too thick/unimaginative), so that would be a non-starter for me in all likelihood.

Just need to spot a hole in the market. It’s not simple, but it shouts out when it comes.

Good luck.

[TurboHatchback]

Time is much more important to me than money. I'm not a PH company director with a fancy watch collection, I'm on ~£40k but I work 37hrs a week (and not a minute longer) with flexitime, have a <20 minute commute and live by the sea in Dorset. I wouldn't mind more money but I wouldn't take a job in London for £150k if I was offered it, frankly I have enough money and there's no point earning all the money in the world if you can't enjoy it.

The one sticking point is property. I will never inherit a dime and buying a house anywhere I'd want to live is more or less out of reach without rich parents. More money would help there but I don't see the point of living like a miser or flogging yourself all the hours of the day for 25yrs to own a house, I could be dead by then for all I know.

[lauda]

El stovey said:

cloggy said:

Lazy Dutch bds.

Is it accurate do you think cloggy? Not The lazy bit but the much lower number of people working less hours?

The Dutch do seem to work fewer hours than their British counterparts in my experience. I was doing some work out at a Dutch branch of the the Bank of New York Mellon a few years ago and was based in one of their client meeting rooms. When I packed up my stuff to leave at about 6:30pm, they’d locked the front doors on reception and I couldn’t find a soul anywhere to let me out!

I ended up having to climb over the reception desk to get past the security door I didn’t have access to and wonder the upper floors of the building to find the one person still there who showed me the out of hours exit!

But back on topic, I’ve just gone part time at work (down to four days a week) so that I can spend more time with my kids (a four year old and a nearly one year old). Best decision I ever made. I’ll have to spend less money on watches and bikes but I could never buy anything as important as the time with them.

[vsonix]

TameRacingDriver said:

TheAngryDog said:

I wouldn't mind being self employed, though I have a lot to risk now. Also my line of work is getting cut back on the contract side of things / isn't financially worth it at my level.

Same here, there is the small matter of also coming up with a business idea likely to make money. I am not very good at coming up with unique ideas (too thick/unimaginative), so that would be a non-starter for me in all likelihood.

Unique ideas aren't always necessary though. You could run a franchise business or simply provide a service that you saw working well somewhere else but that has yet to catch on where you live. Or something will just pop along - I don't rely on any single job for income, I like to have a few irons in the fire at any one time - I'm only doing what I am doing at the moment (helping people overseas buy cars and parts in the UK, store them, arrange loading onto transporters or deliver to ports etc) because an overseas friend of mine wanted me to assist him, then he referred me to a family member who then referred me to two friends.
It's not a revolutionary idea by any stretch of the imagination, it just takes basic interpersonal and organisational skills combined with having a few contacts in the trade and enough basic car knowledge to be able to suggest purchases to my clients or tell them if something they've seen is a worthy purchase or an old nail. Plus it helps to have a flexible enough timetable to be able to drop any other tasks I'm doing in order to be able to drive a 300 mile round trip to go snaffle a bargain. However so far it has actually worked out in my favour as I've normally been able to combine going to buy something with going to see friends or get some parts for myself etc etc

Edited by vsonix on Thursday 18th January 18:00

[Testaburger]

As El Stovey eloquently explained, I'm a firm believer that mindset is the biggest factor in contentment/happiness. I'd caveat that with 'within limits'.

We're all wired differently, I appreciate that; but in my experience of various jobs within my industry over the years, I can't say one has made me happier overall than another.

I've had rubbish jobs for rubbish money, great jobs for rubbish money, rubbish jobs for great money etc, and although each one creates or removes stressors and personal/professional challenges, my overall happiness hasn't changed as a result.

Consequently, I made a choice on lifestyle (note, not happiness) when it came to my job. It's decently paid, affords me lots of time off and is compatible with my personal life. It has a suitable degree of challenge, and I work with great folks. I may as well continue my professional status-quo, but, regardless of the breezy nature of my work/life balance, it hasn't had a material effect on my happiness - nor did the rubbish jobs I've had.

What makes us happy is very personal, but I believe we all feel a very real benefit from love, friendship, kindness in both directions, and health. I've got a roof over my head and food on the table, so that's the main points covered - but without my very close marriage, or without a couple of beers with friends, laughter, being kind and a positive mindset; my job can piss up a rope.

[CHARLESBERG]

mcg_ said:

counterofbeans said:

thainy77 said:

Yipper said:

It's linked to responsibility and fireability.

When you're on 30k and someone is handing you work on a plate and you do 40hrs and nobody sacks you if something goes wrong, it's (on the whole) a lower-stress role. But cash is not great.

When you're on 300k and you have to bring in profit from a blank page and 100 staff are acting like babies and you do 80hrs and you may get sacked if you miss this quarter's target by 5%, then it's (on the whole) a higher stress role.

The 50k jobs tend to be in-between and offer a nice balance between reasonable money (for most people) and reasonable responsibility / status.

Ah yes, i forgot, every job at 30k requires no responsibility or accountability, may as well get monkeys in eh?

Can i ask what you do? are you on a six figure salary?

He doesn't do anything, he lives at home with his mum and never comes out of his bedroom.

The post sort of proves some of the points on this thread. If Yipper (or anyone else) does live like that and is happy, should it really bother anyone else?

[mcg_]

CHARLESBERG said:

The post sort of proves some of the points on this thread. If Yipper (or anyone else) does live like that and is happy, should it really bother anyone else?

FYI Yipper is a bit of a numpty

[FocusRS3]

Testaburger said:

As El Stovey eloquently explained, I'm a firm believer that mindset is the biggest factor in contentment/happiness. I'd caveat that with 'within limits'.

We're all wired differently, I appreciate that; but in my experience of various jobs within my industry over the years, I can't say one has made me happier overall than another.

I've had rubbish jobs for rubbish money, great jobs for rubbish money, rubbish jobs for great money etc, and although each one creates or removes stressors and personal/professional challenges, my overall happiness hasn't changed as a result.

Consequently, I made a choice on lifestyle (note, not happiness) when it came to my job. It's decently paid, affords me lots of time off and is compatible with my personal life. It has a suitable degree of challenge, and I work with great folks. I may as well continue my professional status-quo, but, regardless of the breezy nature of my work/life balance, it hasn't had a material effect on my happiness - nor did the rubbish jobs I've had.

What makes us happy is very personal, but I believe we all feel a very real benefit from love, friendship, kindness in both directions, and health. I've got a roof over my head and food on the table, so that's the main points covered - but without my very close marriage, or without a couple of beers with friends, laughter, being kind and a positive mindset; my job can piss up a rope.

Great post .
I’ve had some great jobs with great people for st money and big pay working with insecure coonts .
All That matters now is my family and I don’t miss the toys . You get bored of them anyhow

[MOBB]

mcg_ said:

CHARLESBERG said:

The post sort of proves some of the points on this thread. If Yipper (or anyone else) does live like that and is happy, should it really bother anyone else?

FYI Yipper is a bit of a numpty

A BIT?

[TheAngryDog]

FocusRS3 said:

Testaburger said:

As El Stovey eloquently explained, I'm a firm believer that mindset is the biggest factor in contentment/happiness. I'd caveat that with 'within limits'.

We're all wired differently, I appreciate that; but in my experience of various jobs within my industry over the years, I can't say one has made me happier overall than another.

I've had rubbish jobs for rubbish money, great jobs for rubbish money, rubbish jobs for great money etc, and although each one creates or removes stressors and personal/professional challenges, my overall happiness hasn't changed as a result.

Consequently, I made a choice on lifestyle (note, not happiness) when it came to my job. It's decently paid, affords me lots of time off and is compatible with my personal life. It has a suitable degree of challenge, and I work with great folks. I may as well continue my professional status-quo, but, regardless of the breezy nature of my work/life balance, it hasn't had a material effect on my happiness - nor did the rubbish jobs I've had.

What makes us happy is very personal, but I believe we all feel a very real benefit from love, friendship, kindness in both directions, and health. I've got a roof over my head and food on the table, so that's the main points covered - but without my very close marriage, or without a couple of beers with friends, laughter, being kind and a positive mindset; my job can piss up a rope.

Great post .
I’ve had some great jobs with great people for st money and big pay working with insecure coonts .
All That matters now is my family and I don’t miss the toys . You get bored of them anyhow

I have pretty much all I need, though some toys would be nice

[RTB]

The Stoic school of philosophy had some good things to say about just this sort of thing. Essentially, happiness (or rather a well adjusted outlook) is not something you can get from external factors (things, money, relationships, reputation etc etc), if you rely on those things to bring you any sort of happiness then you're going to spend a lot of time being miserable.

The Stoics would see money as a preferable indifferent, if you have the good fortune to have it or the opportunity to acquire it, then fine, have it spend it enjoy it. If the acquisition of money (or status, or power) becomes the over-riding aim in life at the expense of your contentment in the present then it probably better to be happy with what you have.