If you could afford to live by working just 3 days a week…

[Somedreamer]

Would you?

Or would you keep working 5 days and put the money into savings for your future?

Extra context: No huge financial safety net, still have a mortgage and 6 months of expenses as an emergency fund.

Full disclosure: I am considering this but wondering if it’s irresponsible!

depends if I had a passion/hobby that it would allow me to pursue

like writing a novel or training for ultra marathons or learning Korean or getting shredded for bikini body builder comps

but in the financial situation you describe, I wouldn’t put myself in a risky situation to potter around at home and take things at a slower pace

but if it allows you to facilitate a dream…maybe

Would love to do 3 days a week
I do 5 days compressed into 4!

3 standard days would be a total dream!

Couldn't possibly say because depends how old you are, what your pension is like, what your other half's salary is, if they had life insurance, if you've got kids to put through uni etc. If I couldn't manage the mortgage on my own or with life insurance if husband died then no.

It's a bit shortsighted to only think of what you can afford to live on NOW if you are way before pension age. Plenty of people can cut right back and manage on the basics - for now. The question is would you still be happy pottering about taking it easy in 5 years time? Watching as the people around you maybe start having a bit more money to spend on leisure and maybe going on bucket list foreign trips and you're still stuck pottering about the garden and having staycations.And if you realise too late that it's had a majorly detrimental effect on your pension will you be able to easily go back to full time to try to make up for the losses a bit?

Thanks, I agree with your points.

I’m 40, single, no kids or other dependents. Public sector pension.

I have been feeling fed up for a while now. I do enjoy my job but it is stressful and I would love to have more time to myself. Lots of friends work 3 day weeks while childrearing, and I find myself thinking “well I could do that too if I really want to”. But I do worry that it wouldn’t be sensible.

Meh, I'd be more tempted to retire early

What's the soonest you can?

Yes - I've done it since my late twenties and have had a fabulous life. So much time to relax and enjoy my hobbies. I wouldn't have done it if I'd had no financial safety net though.

Depends on age. If I had plenty of time ahead of me to make up savings / pension then I’d consider it. I would love to work three days per week but not if it comes at a cost later down the line.

I work 4 days a week. I love it. I never ever want to work FT again.

I’m dithering this too. I’m 48 but we could very comfortably live on 3 days a week or a much smaller job.
i am looking to go for it. I’d much rather enjoy life now than begrudge now for a future you have no idea about.

I work 3 days a week just now and we live comfortably. I have 6 young children and this gives me the best work/life balance while maintaining my career- it’s let me continue to work on my masters degree and be around for the kids etc.

However- my husband and I have spoken about what things will look like when the kids are older and less reliant on us. It sort of makes sense to up my hours and save more but then, I might have more of a “life” then and appreciate my free time more. I suppose a happy medium for us might be me increasing my hours by one day to let my husband reduce his hours by a day and give us more time together.

OP- I think if you can afford it and pension will be ok then why not.

Given you’re only 40, if I could comfortably afford to live on 60% of my current salary I might drop to 4 days, not 3 and but the extra straight into savings in one form or another - in particular increased retirement pot. Maybe paying off the mortgage. Or just long term investments.

Enjoy the extra day and seeing savings build.

But if you’re feeling a bit burnt out at work cutting days doesn’t sound like it would necessarily make your life better long term. A bit less of the same drudgery is more appealing than more of it, but it’s not exactly inspiring. It might be more prudent to think about how you can make a change so you start enjoying work again. (And drop a day if you can!).

I do, and it's the best thing I ever did.

I do 4 days and love it. If I could afford to do three, I would.

I might as life is for living and you can't take any of it with you. You don't know how long you have on this planet.

If in doubt, I'd probably compromise and work four days.

Life is short. You only need to earn what you really need to live. If you can afford it, why not?

I'm a free lancer and I've been pushed into doing this at work as there's not enough work to keep me busy. I have a lot going on at the moment, I'm struggling mentally and this is an extra financial worry that I could really do without. But if I could afford to do it, it would be absolutely my dream come true. In a couple of months I come into a bit of money so my finances will be better, if I can just manage until then.

Yes definitely, as I would be writing on the other two days. I will be doing this in five years' time when the mortgage is paid off. I worked 3/4 days until a few years ago and three is absolutely ideal.

I work 3 nights a week, 37 1/2 hours.

I might be able to live on 3 days a week salary, but my pension would be badly hit and I think I'd be condemning myself to poverty in old age.

I work 3 days a week but financially im in very good shape - but it depends on how much you need the good things in life.

We both work three days a week and have done for quite a while, for us its a really nice balance and something we aren’t looking to change.

I wouldn't drop to 3 days but I absolutely would reduce to 4 days.

If DC were small, definitely. I'd want more time with them.
If not, I might spend 1/2 a day getting chores done: bedlinen, online shop, basic cleaning and half a day entirely to myself, then a day running a sideline that was enjoyable but also generated income, and set that aside in savings or for holidays.
Or as PP said to pursue a serious passion or dream. But not to potter about. Not if doing so jeopardised a comfortable retirement. I promise you, retirement suddenly races towards you and you realise you could live another 30 years but on what?

I would be thinking about my retirement. A little bit more now so I could have an earlier retirement.

I diid that when I was single and it was great. I felt less tired and more relaxed which is worth more than money.