To ask if anyone here is part-time as a lifestyle choice?

[bodgersmash]

I recently reduced my hours at work and went temporarily part time due some difficult personal issues.

Those are largely resolved for now, but I simply don't want to go back to working full time! I'm less stressed, evidenced by my heart rate tracker, have much more free time and I think I could cope with the drop in income, although things will undoubtably be tight now and then.

I don't expect my DP to support me - I'll continue paying 50% of the bills as it's my choice.

But it just feels a bit like people will judge me for being lazy! Perhaps I'm judging myself. Is there anyone who works full time despite not really needing to from a childcare perspective? Do you regret it?

I work mon-fri but short 4 hour shifts. I miss the ft money but I'm in no hurry to put my hours up.

Yes and I love it! Gone from full time, very intense managerial role to 2.5 days a week in a much less pressurised position. Yes financially I’ve had to make a few cutbacks but the rewards in terms of my mental and physical health are immeasurable and priceless. If anyone is considering it, do it!

I do 3 days but dp is blind to housework/family concerns so I need it for my sanity

I work 4 days, I did it initially for childcare reasons but I have no desire to increase to 5. I think it provides a better work life balance and if people think that’s lazy they can crack on

I did after having children and further when my kids having probs due to sen. I'm expecting as they get older that hopefully I can up hours again. BUT I don't know if I want too.

Do not give it a second thought!

You get one life. Do you think you'd look back feeling happy with going back full-time, simply to avoid (imagined but non-existent) judgment?

Sounds to me like you've got a great balance of work and your other life with part-time work. Enjoy :-)

Before I had my daughter I dropped down to 4 days because I just couldn’t take the stress and needed some time to myself. DH was fine with it. I don’t care if anyone thought I was lazy- I could afford it so we did.

I’m on mat leave at the moment but when I go back it will be 3 days a week which I’m looking forward to. Best of both.

For people going on about pensions. I'm 55 and have already lost 2 friends this year, 3 last year. I'm still sad about it all. They worked and had pensions but didn't make it to 65.

I can't guarantee I will be here at pension age. I do know working part time absolutely suits the life and experiences I want to live NOW. I refuse to get caught up in worrying about pensions.

I don't live beyond my means. I'm happy with my life. Time was always more important to me than money. When DCs were young I was self-employed a few hours a week alongside working part time. They're grown up now. I've done my bit.

I'm meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow. She went part time and now takes in student lodgers short - term, all arranged via University local to us. So she's had no drop in income, in fact is just as well off now . I may consider doing same one day , as I have the space.

People find ways to maximise their income or deal with what they have. That's life.

Have you done the sums to see what dropping a day would do calmdownpacino? If you have reasonably substantial childcare and/or commuting costs, and you're not an especially high earner which it sounds like you're not, often you're making very little from the 5th day at work. If anything at all. You will be earning quite a bit less than 20% of your take home from that 5th day, because of the way the tax system works.

I do 4 days a week, compressed hours. Still on a shit salary but my life has improved immeasurably. Sometimes I feel guilty for not being in on a Friday then I think, what am I going to think about when I’m old? Hours and hours spent at my desk at work, or on a packed commuter train, or hours spent in the sun with my loved ones, walking my dog, reading my favourite books and catching up on TV, meeting friends for coffee and catch ups, painting, going to the cinema? 2 day weekends are NOT enough and people have to work far too much. Life is short.

I work 4 10.5 hour days per week, in my field it’s very very common. I was doing 5 11+ hour days per week and it was too much. Im not going to go above 4 days a week now if I can avoid it. I do some evenings of overtime when I can and I make do. It’s a stretch as I rent alone but I make it work mostly!!

I plan to never work full time again if I can help it. I’ve done it and was so stressed and rushing all the time. Is it a UK thing where couples have separate money?

Separate finances is a very divisive topic on here, with wildly divergent views and experiences. There are dozens of 1000 post threads on the subject!

Before I retired I had no choice but to work ridiculous hours just to stay afloat, Dh is self-employed and his salary fluctuated.
I ended up burnt out and with serious heart problems. If I could live my working life again it would be very different, part-time and more conscious of my needs

I work 22.5 hours over 4 days. No kids. I do it for health reasons so sadly don't make much of my time off as am mostly resting but to be honest I dont think I'd want to do much more even if I was well. Theres plenty of free/cheap hobbies I could be doing and just having more headspace is really helpful.

I work 4 days a week DS is now 12. I enjoy the balance although vaguely thinking of going back to 5 days as most of my non working days activities are dictated by the dog I did not want us to get.

I'm late 40s and have no desire to retire before 60 which some of my contemporaries are talking about a) because I now earn a decent salary and b) because I do a 4 day week I don't feel burnt out.

People keep asking why I don't do compressed rather than reduced - knowing me I'd just end up working longer hours and come in on the non work day anyway so not getting paid for it helps me to not do that. Also tax wise if I was full time would nudge me into higher rate tax ( am in Scotland) so not a lot of point working more hours for little financial benefit.

Yes. I have one child who is 6 and at school. I work 3 days- Tuesday- Thursday.
I have 2 days off in term time. I do a Pilates class, do our supermarket shopping, batch cooking, washing, a bit of ironing (DH does most of it), a bit of cleaning, tidying and sorting (we have a fortnightly cleaner). I do some work stuff- admin and e learning. I see friends and my parents and sometimes I have a nap!
I have anxiety and this work life balance works for me.
I have a relatively well paid job so earn enough doing the days I do.
DH is happy with what I do and I intend to stay PT until retirement. I’m 41 now and reckon 3 days until early 50s, then 2 days until I retire.

I do three days and also have school holidays off. I would hate to lose my free time.

I’m self employed, my husband and I own a garage. I go in about 10-3 on average to do the admin and do a bit of driving. I could do FT hours, but in all honesty, I’m lazy! So yes, that’s a lifestyle choice.

As part of a restructure/redundancy, there's a chance of going for a new position with fewer hours. IF I get it, I'm going to try for compressing the hours into three days a week in preference to working every day for a shorter duration.

It's not ideal from a financial viewpoint, but IF we can make it work financially, I'll be a lot healthier physically and mentally, as I'm completely burned out - there wouldn't be anymore compulsory overtime/working until 10pm like I've just done, no more 'Oh, you're needed to come in on your week off for a day, you don't mind taking time off in lieu for that, do you?' (well, actually, yes I fucking do mind, as that knackers any chance we had of visiting family or going on holiday), for a start.

If you can afford it, go for it.