To work 1-2 years in a job just to earn a flat deposit?

[Zentaa]

I am in a position where once I qualify in my job, I should be able to save around £50k a year after living expenses. The job itself will be 9am-9pm most days and not that nice.

My plan is to do this job for 1-2 years to get a flat deposit and then get the f out of London.

If you're single with no kids and there's no knock on effect on anyone else then do it

Yes. But living in London is expensive. We escaped as found all money went on rent and expenses and we couldn't save anything. However if you can save go for it and get out of London after you got the money. London is amazing city to explore and lots of things to do free.

If your life means you can work those hours and deal with probably being knackered, then of course you’re not being unreasonable. You sound like you might be younger and at the start of your career - in which these are the years that you are more free to do jobs like this in order to achieve exactly your goal.

Good luck.

Go for it. Be very focused on your savings

Why would it he unreasonable?

It might not suit every personality and every circumstance but anything is doable if you have a purpose and can see an end to it.

9-9 plus travel time doing something you don't like? No?

I'd take a lower paid job doing something you don't mind with less hours.

It may take you 2-4 years but better for your MH.

Great plan, go for it.

Young free and able bodied do it!

Yes do it but save religiously.

Many of us have had to do similar hours in crap jobs for a fraction of the pay.

Goodness yes. Be tactical about your leave so you have time off to look forward to (even if you're not going anywhere) and stay focused on your goal.

I couldn't do it because of the long hours and not enjoying it, I know I wouldn't be able to cope because two years is still a long time. However, it's worth doing if you have enough energy and can tolerate it.

I did it. Worked seven days a week for a year in the West Ebd abd then bought in the West Midlands

Do you feel mentally and emotionally able to do it? Two years isn't long but it can feel verrrrry long in a job you don't like and when you're drained from working long hours.

Will you get a decent amount of annual leave? Breaks of a couple of weeks during the year will help.

Watch out for tendency to pay more eg for ready meals/takeaways/booze to cope with the long hours, those will eat into savings.

I'm at the end of my career and in a job I don't like, with long hours, but pays really well. I'm doing it to:
help niblings' university costs
pay off a car loan
travel in my holidays
save a lump sum to make retirement more fun

I reckon I can stick it for three years, which will cover the first two on the list, but that's with regular holidays.

The only think I'd suggest is to pay into your pension, the earlier you start the better. And use all the tax free savings available, including a LISA if that's still around.

I did similar. A couple years of 70 hours weeks to get my deposit. I loved my job though, I think not liking your job would make it really hard but certainly doable

Once you've saved your deposit and bought your flat, you'll have to pay the mortgage, so it's worth giving a bit of thought to how you'll do that.

Will you do something in the same industry but less high pressure, or will you be wanting to start again in something completely different? Are you sure that job, the one you're planning to do once you've bought your flat, is something you'll want to do in the long term?

You'll need to resist buying a flat that needs a mortgage which is only affordable on the salary you get from a job you need to do for 12 hours a day and don't enjoy, as otherwise you'll be trapped in the golden handcuffs for the long term.

In principle unless you think you aren't allowed to save or move out of London why is this a question? Is it the armed services or some kind of job you aren't allowed to leave? Isn't the obvious thing to do to suck it and see? You havent mentioned children or caring responsibilities, why would you not?

Single with no kids, no health conditions, no caring duties and no mental health issues go for it. If you're dealing with anything that might mean working this full could cause a breakdown of you're mental or physical then I'd think long and hard if this was worth it.

If you are single, no kids, and younger than 26, I would say 100% do it.

Law, out of interest? I know a fair few people who moved to US firms in London on qualification to make ££££ and then cashed out after a few years and left for firms with a better work/life balance (whether in London or elsewhere). If you're young, fit and well and you understand what you're signing up to and have a clear exit strategy then I'd say go for it - but do make sure you know when you'll be calling it and don't let lifestyle inflation creep in, as it's all too easy to end up in golden handcuffs otherwise.

ETA: obviously no dependents or caring responsibilities is also important, and ideally no romantic relationships on the go either - seen my fair share of relationship breakdowns because one party was working so much that they had no time to be a partner.

I was also going to ask if it was a US law firm. So long as you're disciplined and don't end up spending lots of extra money to make it bearable, I'd do it.