If you were guaranteed 1,200 a month income…

[Tja1]

Would you give up full time work and a stressful job for something low key with minimal pay and minimal responsibility?

I’m 43. I’ve been a single parent for several years. It’s been a struggle. I have income guaranteed of 1,200 a month. My mortgage is 980 so this income only really covers that and council tax.

I have around 2k spare a month at the moment that I can put away after all expenses but my mental health and general health is very bad due to the pressures of the job. I am seriously considering just throwing the towel in and getting a job two days a week doing something basic (I can’t go part time in my current industry), just something that pays the extra bills and a bit of spending money.

has anyone done this? Is it crazy? I’m so depleted and I’ve exhausted all other options including sick leave, annual leave and therapy. I just want to get off the treadmill.

To all those saying they have done it and it was great, did you also have a mortgage? I can’t see how OP can pass the affordability check the next time it’s due to be renewed. Only do this if you are prepared to lose your home/downsize. An income of £700-800 wont be enough for a mortgage that costs £900+ a month.

I would be very tempted.

Life is short. And modern life is hard. If possible I would like to be less time-poor, even if it meant being more cash-poor.

However, the main issue here is the static £1,200. Are you sure it's not going to rise with inflation?

Because depending on your age, £1200 a month could end up being very little.

Equally, your mortgage may reduce then be gone over time, which would offset this somewhat.

Basically, more info and figures and number crunching needed, but in theory, yes, I'd be very tempted.

If you can use the guaranteed income to cover your mortgage & council tax, and earn enough to live on comfortably and less stressfully by getting a part-time job elsewhere, then yes. Do it. Quality of life is important.

Unfortunately I honestly I think long term you will struggle on this & then struggling financially could also affect your mental health.
£1.2k is a great figure to have to support yourself (plus part time salary) & if you had this figure without a mortgage then it might be workable.
Can you take some time to find a new work direction?
When I was widowed & I had a guaranteed income & savings - I switched to being self employed, the income meant I had time to let my business grow or retrain. Would this be something that you would consider?

Please just do it. It took me 5 years to get over burnout and I’m still struggling I had 6 months off work in 2 chunks. I still had enough though but a lot better. I have a partner who’s good and helps, you need to be well to look after kids. I’m sure you could claim universal credit everyone else seems too. You will get another job I’m sure and prob better paid than you think. It’s not easy looking for another job when you feeling like this working and with kids. Give your self the headspace you need and resign, good luck

I have done something like this- I was in a very well paid job, but very stressful and worked around 60 hours a week. I took some of the money I made (I didn't have time to spend it whilst working) retrained to do something I loved and did it on a free lance basis, probably working around the equivalent of 5 months a year- my partner had a steady income and that paid the bills. We lived frugally I was less stressed, when I had work I used around 3/4 of it to pay off the mortgage in chunks-by the time I was 40 I'd paid it off. It was a much more balanced , healthier, and happier life than when I was earning 5 times more working 60 hours a week.

I am 61 this year and have stepped down just like this for exactly the same reasons! I have become burnt out and depleted and decided that my mental and physical health were more important than my career.

I'd look at getting a different full time job. One that is less stressful.

I'd get to the doctors and see if you are peri-menopausal as if you are (as average age is 43) then that may explain feelings of lethargy and brain fog and anxiety and HRT may be worth exploring.

If you make any changes seriously plan how it will effect your pension and mortgages etc.

Speak to work maybe you could drop a day to work 4 days a week to give you headspace.

Can you go to your GP and get signed off for stress? It may push your employer to offer alternative working hours.

I think it's a good idea in the short term. In the longer term, if you have been in a mentally challenging job, you might start to feel bored with something basic. It's easy to think how amazing a routine admin type job might be when you are exploding with stress over complex demands, but you then overlook that some jobs can be mind-numbingly boring, which is stressful in its own way.

My approach would be - find a basic job while you recover, but look around for something you might enjoy more, perhaps a role that could be done part-time/jobshare.

My worry would be that low pay and responsibility does not always equal low stress. With higher responsibility jobs, you often get a level of autonomy which is valuable on its own.

You don't want to swap to a low paying job that you hate, just because it's the easiest way out of a high paying job that you hate. I'd take the opportunity to retrain for a job you will genuinely love.

As others have said part time low pay doesn’t necessarily ensure low stress. Definitely seek out a job you like the look of first.

Would you need to pay for any holiday clubs etc with the new role? How old are the kids?

Do make a change to make yourself more happy though, life is to short. I had an ex-colleague who told me that they were drinking alcohol each night in order to sleep due to work stress. She’s now applying for new jobs.

Just to add to add to my previous comment about the ex-colleague suffering with stress & overwork as she is the lowest paid of the group she was working with and often picking up and carrying others work so definitely don’t equate lower rungs on the ladder as less stressful.

Hi op,

speak with a financial advisor and organise it. Yes it is possible but when is the question…

Be wise. You don’t want to just pass on the stress to your kid not wanting to be bothered now…

Good luck 🌺

For context, I am a single parent and my income is around the same as you're projecting for myself and 2DC. £1200 take home salary (I can only work part time due to care needs of youngest DC, there's only one childminder who covers their school, and she won't take them any more. Moving schools not an option due to the autism provision within their current school), and around £800 UC support.

We manage because I watch every penny that I spend. It covers bills, DS does hockey (£3 per week) and drumming lessons (paid for by the local council due to pupil premium), DD goes to choir (£21 a month). We have a couple of UK overnight trips a year. I manage the extras because I coupon, buy things when they are on offer, meal plan and batch cook where I can, utilise Too Good To Go and the Community Supermarket to keep our food shopping to around £200 a month, even accounting for DS's ARFID.

I scour social media in the run up to half terms and we utilise as many of the free activities as possible as soon as bookings open, we're also lucky that every Saturday there's a library in walking distance with a free Lego club, so we do that and get new books every week.

I have apps on my phone and the family computer that give us points for playing games which I trade in for gift vouchers, as well as running all of my online purchases through Top Cashback, which also gives vouchers; these cover a significant chunk of Christmas/birthday gifts, as well as pay for tickets to Disney on Ice every year, meaning that trip only costs me our train fair, for which I have a rail card, which again I bought when it was on sale for a 3 year card.

I keep an eye on sales and buy the next size up of clothes for DC as and when I see them cheaply and stash them in the cupboard for when they are needed.

It's doable, but there is no room for impulse buys, I need to plan every penny, and wring as much out of my money as I can. When unexpected expenses happen, it can be a challenge depending on what the expense is, as I have no savings. I could have a small amount to be fair, but I choose to prioritise the trips at summer and Easter, as my DC will only be little once. I have a reasonable credit score, so I can get appliances on interest free finance if needed, and I do have a credit cars with £1000 limit which I only use for the grocery shop then pay off in full to build my credit score further. It was through the floor from debt acquired when I was still with my ex.

It depends on what quality of life you want. Is the constant worry of watching every penny and never being able to spend without shopping around for the best price or finding a coupon going to just be a different kind of stress to your current job?

It's a good top up to salary but in itself isn't very much. It couldn't replace a job but may help if one of a pair wanted time out to help with childcare/ elderly relatives.