Dropped salary? Any regrets?

[BedraggledBlitz]

Have you ever intentionally taken a big hit on your salary? Any regrets?

I'm miserable at work. Been there too long and it's just not fulfilling anymore. I'm rushing round like a mad woman, not enjoying colleagues, plus the office environment is stressful. I just hate being there.

BUT salary is decent for the type of work I'm doing, plus it's flexible meaning I can do school run and attend school activities. I'm a single parent so the flexibility is especially valuable as no back-up care.

In my heart i want to leave and I've seen jobs with similar part time hours but at 25% less income. I could probably manage but part of me wonders if I'll regret it.

I wish I could find a way to enjoy the job, but I'm in such a low about it. Any advice appreciated.

Bumping for you OP

Husband did, around 900 quid a month lost. I see less of him and he wishes he hadn't money wise.

I did a similar thing at the start of the year. My previous job was running me into the ground. I’d like to have the money back because it would make life much easier but I don’t regret the change one bit and wouldn’t swap back just for the money

No personal experience but a single parent with a good wage and flexible working, I cannot fathom why you would change that.

I have but the trade off for me was that dropping my salary led to a huge increase in flexibility so it was worth it. I don’t see why you’d change tbh if you’re not gaining from the move in tangible terms. I’d look more closely about how existing job could be improved, unless the other jobs were willing to increase

I did but at the same time DH started to get salary increases so it kind of balanced out in the end. We only pay house bills jointly and our money is then our own, I do regret it sometimes but I wouldnt take back my old job for twice the salary!

I would be a bit more cautious though in your situation, how much less are you thinkng about and what does that mean in terms of how you live?

I changed from a highly charged unsecure job that was well paid to a much less stressful ,secure job with a short commute. THis was 10 years ago.
The wage drop was about 9,000.00 a year at the time so not inconsiderable but the change to my work/life balance is immeasurable.
Im still in the job I changed to -it is more stressful now than it was then -but maybe thats they way of things now. The short commute is what swings it for me though. After the worlds shittiest day I can leave my desk and be in the pub garden with a cold glass of something within 30 minutes. Priceless to me of the old days.

I did. At a time when my husbands business was just taking off, so it was a bit of a stretch but I was not in a good place mentally. Luckily, it's grown year on year. I have gone back to the workplace, albeit in a very part time, very junior role. But it suits us down to the ground.

Sorry I've got no advice but a few years ago my husband left a extremely high paying job for one that pays a pittance in comparison (still fairly well paid) due to the pressure and

Oops posted too soon...

Left due to the pressure and stress he was under. He actually took a 6 week break and went to a retreat in India for a few weeks to de-stress as he was totally burnt out. We have less disposable income but he's much happier and has zero stress in his current job.

Thanks for the bump and replies.

I think I probably need to work at making the best of my current job. I'm definitely someone who always finds a part of my life to be negative about - job is my current focus.

I went from a part time nursing role (3 days a week) to a full time teaching support role. Lost about £400 a month. It certainly stings! We have had to sacrifice a lot of extras, saving for home improvements for longer etc.
But on the other side of the coin, minimal childcare costs, minimal workload, job satisfaction is greater and I get weekends and school holidays off.

I took a drop of £20k a few years ago so I could get my life (and my health) back. I was well paid but worked ridiculous hours, often 18 hours a day Mon-Fri (plus some of the weekend) in a very stressful, high pressure role. My hair was falling out from stress and my immune system was shot. I raised my excessive hours with my employer and they did nothing. This continued for a further 6 months until I was driving home from work at 9pm on Fri night and as I drove through a long tunnel, I realised the only way this would ever stop would be if I drove my car into the wall of the tunnel. That was a wake-up call for me. That Sunday I emailed my boss and HR and signed myself off with stress. I ended up raising a grievance and negotiating a deal out of there. I took a £20k pay cut in my next job but my hourly rate went up massively. I had evenings back. I had time to go to the gym before work. I was actively encouraged to take a lunch break away from my desk. It was amazing and did me the world of good.

I have. Dropped about £550 a month. Money is now tight - my house is shabby, I rarely buy new clothes and shoes, and holidays are limited. Shopping us done in Aldi and Lidl.
But on the other hand, my stress levels have dropped as well - I no longer need a mouth guard at night and I see a LOT more of friends and family.
Last night I had a couple of friends over (who don't seem to mind the general shabbiness) and we shared a couple of bottles of wine and cheap snacks. Not what I'd have done this time last year - but it was great!!! Calm, chilled, cheap and fun.