I hate working

[Greens0172]

I hate working. Im 35. Thats it thats the thread

Have you ever had a job you've been truly passionate about? I think a lot of people who think they "hate working" just haven't found their 'thing' yet. I find my job fascinating and would keep doing it if I won the lottery. But I've had jobs I haven't enjoyed or cared about in the past and found it pretty soul destroying.

I've worked consistently since I left Uni without any breaks (except one 10 month maternity leave with a sick and non-sleeping bundle of screaming horror), so just my 25 days annual holiday and whatever bank holidays there are. I don't hate my job per se but I do hate the monotony of going to work and dream of jacking it in and homesteading or travelling. In reality though I like my home comforts and my spening money so I trundle on. Am 48 this month so am starting to consider how long I need to work for until I can realistically retire (would likely be able to work freelance then part time or as needed). Am considering 60 as my stopping age (finances permitting) and it's starting to sound do-able without a mental implosion. Just 12 more years to go! I can do this :)

You sound similar to me but I am 45. I've been modelling various scenarios with Chat GPT and concluded I can go part time at 55 then retire at 60 as long as I save aggressively between now and 55 and pay my mortgage off by the time I am 60. It's made me feel a bit better about the slog.

It's interesting to play around with the numbers and see what you think you could live on. I reckon £50k a year to cover both DH and I would mean I could enjoy retirement.

I'm 33 due to pay off mortgage by 42. Currently keeping myself in this job by reminding myself daily that I'd struggle to find a job with this salary without similar stress. If I can get my debt paid off in next 18 months, I can maybe chuck extra at the mortgage to reduce the term and treat myself to a nicer job which will probably mean a pay hit once my expenses are a bit lower in a few years

I retired by 50 & it’s great! Save whatever you can to fund early retirement. You can retire whenever you want as long as you have the money to live.

I might downsize at some point to allow me to pay off the mortgage sooner. It's stamp duty that's the killer though, would be a big sunk cost and I do love my house!

DH and I are on track to pay off the mortgage in the next 18 months.

Then I'm taking a years sabbatical to rest, cook, volunteer, garden, draw, sew, etc.. I'm going to (hopefully) pick up a bit of work but time will definitely be weighted higher than money. At the moment I'm doing a few courses to keep me motivated and will hopefully help me earn some cash during my glorious year off!

I'm going to use it as practice for living on a reduced income in retirement and see if I could bear to go down to 2 or 3 days when I go back to work.

If i manage to retire early I'm absolutely up for doing some voluntary work. My dad helped children at the local primary school with extra reading and writing when he retired from his full-time job at 55 (he always had a small self employed income), until he was about 80. The school named it's library after him after he died.

I'm trying to do the same, I have a self employment along side my full-time job, which is going towards my retire early fund. I'm probably more up for helping teenagers at the local youth club, than primary kids though.

You don’t work though @GreenGully ? You openly admit that you aren’t a SAHM as no children and no desire to, you are in your mid thirties, high earning dh and basically spend your days pottering about and mumsnetting

so seems a little peculiar to have such strident views on…. Working

Hello you. The jealously must stop, you are dripping in it.

You know full well I used to work. I also don't think my views have been particularly 'strident' in any way. Does the fact I don't work now mean I'm not qualified to have an opinion on the matter? Of course not. Can a person not have an opinion potholes just because they don't drive..... or antisemitism if they aren't Jewish....

If anything being in the fortunate position of not having to work I can draw from both experiences and compare the two. I can also sympathise with OP because I remember what it was to feel like she does.

Struck me as strident views from someone who has repeatedly said on mumsnet that they are married to a millionaire; you and your husband both prefer traditional gender roles (whatever the heck that means 🤭) and you don’t work, don’t even intend to have children and spend your days “pottering” and mumsnetting)

but here you are talking about people
being lazy as fuck, and how not liking working doesn’t mean they shouldn’t work 🤷‍♀️

Bracing myself for you barrelling back!

'married to a millionaire' I am.

'you and your husband both prefer traditional gender roles (whatever the heck that means 🤭)' We do. It means exactly what it says. The role of provider and homemaker.

'and you don’t work.' That's right I don't work anymore.

'don’t even intend to have children.' Not sure what that has got to do with the price of fish. You really must stop obsessing over my reproductive choices, it's beyond creepy😮

'and spend your days “pottering” and mumsnetting' Indeed I do on some days. I also maintain an enormous house, gardens and look after my two teen stepsons (your sons) who live here practically FT. But you know all of that already.

'but here you are talking about people being lazy as fuck.' In reference to people who are able to work but choose to live on benefits. I stand by that. They are lazy fucks.

'and how not liking working doesn’t mean they shouldn’t work' Erm I didn't say that. I said having to work doesn't mean you have to like working.

If you fancy an argument L at least come with something better. Poor attempt.

You gave that a lot of thought
🙏

my two teen stepsons (your sons)

well, they aren’t my sons! 😆
I have one teen son and one teen daughter… that’s enough for me!

Not really. It's fairly easy to call out your bullshit. Looks like you have spent the day 'mumsnetting' too.

I have indeed.
broken ankle!

Laura? Is that someone you know?

and you speak as though there’s more than you?

I think the problem we have with working is that there is a lack of choice. We have to do it to pay to live in our society. There is no wriggle room, especially if you are the sole adult earner. And it take up our whole productive life. We only get our freedom back when we are knackered and old (and getting older by time many of us will be able to retire).

I’ve always wanted to be an author. I’ve written novels but once I became a single parent and sole earner my opportunity to earn through writing novels was taken from me as it is difficult to make a regular income from it unless you have already managed to get a publisher. I then lacked the time to do so as I was working full time and caring for children. It is something I may have time to get back to now my children are older but my writing skills are very rusty now.

That is lovely, I would love to do that.

Anyway OP I also hate working and am nowhere near being able to retire. But after a lot of thinking I’ve concluded that I don’t hate working in and of itself, but I hate my current job. So I’m currently going all out to find a job I really like. Had an interview today that I felt good about.

Oh. Shit. Don’t worry @GreenGully i won’t be engaging with you further. Just seen you’re all over mumsnet waxing lyrical about how we should all vote Reform 🤢

Look, it doesn't take Poirot to realise it is you.

You have name changed today. You have somehow come across a thread that I happen to be on and know details of my life (allegedly from reading other posts)
What would possess you to read up all the other posts I have made from what I have written on this thread? Let me see... because you know my username and you know it is me. I don't feel the need to change it daily like you do.

You got very personal and attacked me out of nowhere. No random PP would behave like that.

I can spot you a mile off. The language, the use of emojis etc.

This is getting pathetic. Enjoy your time off work over the summer holidays.

Another irrelevant comment. You're really pushing your luck with me at this point. I kid you not.

I think this is really sound advice - I’ve made this mistake (staying too long in one place).

The trick is to find the balance between jobhopping and overstaying and I think the timeframe suggested by this poster is about right.

Marry rich.
Be clever.
Put yourself first.
Unless born into money, I cannot think about anything better/instant.
But, be clever. Even in 2025, not much has changed.