Does anybody work but not need to?

[coulditbeme2323]

Does anybody work that doesn't need to?

I haven't worked in 8 years, but had a very tentative conversation with an old colleague about there being a part time role.

Now the money I would earn would make no difference to our lives as it's a poorly paid role.

However, I did enjoy it.

Really torn.

I work two days a week. DH has been very highly paid for years (City Law) and we both now have enough savings and investments to live well without working.

But I enjoy my professional role, have a strong sense of professional identity and brilliant colleagues. I enjoy the intellectual stimulation, working with interesting clients and being very well paid for the work I do. I also have a national role representing my profession which I do in my own time. There is no way I’d give it up. I get to be home when the kids are home (only work term time) and there are three days spare for meeting friends, walks, tennis, exercise, Italian lessons and charity trustee and school governor roles.

DH and teens head to work and school, even the dogs go out with their walker three days a week. I’d hate the feeling of being the one left behind at home filing every day as best I can.

Financially I don’t need to work but I enjoy what I do and don’t plan to stop.
I like having the routine and responsibility, the social aspects with my colleagues.
I didn’t work for years when my dc were young, maybe about 10 years. I enjoyed my time and filled it but was itching to get back to work when the youngest eventually started school.

I don't need to work for the money. Our standard of living would not change in the slightest if I didn't. But I need to for my own feelings of self worth, identity and sense of purpose.

I don’t need to work from a financial point of view but I love my job & would feel purposeless without it - especially as my kids will be leaving home in the next couple of years.
I think if you don’t need to work for money you still need something - whether it’s volunteer work or a project that makes you feel fulfilled.

I work and I don't need to - the money makes no difference to our quality of life and the whole salary goes into a pension. I work one day pw in my own business, it's a short day and can be flexible, so I can always do school pickups and take dcs to extracurriculars, and never miss any school events, and I can be around during school holidays. I don't work for any moral reason but I enjoy it and it keeps my status/public profile. I like to have the sense of identity and be able to talk about having a job if I'm asked and I never disclose how many hours I do. I like to have a good number of days for my own interests and wellbeing activities. I would never just be sitting at home waiting for the dcs to come home from school as I don't live in a suburb with nothing to do for miles.

However I would not want my dcs to be in wraparound until 6pm twice a week as they are keen on extracurriculars and do one activity every afternoon, and working that late would reduce the number of activities they could do.

I need to work, and i am in a well-paid part time role, but I'd absolutely love to be a barefoot homeschooling mum like those women on Instagram (in my wildest imagination anyway).
However, i think when you work it changes the tone of the household, and those 2 days when your kids would see you going out to do something meaningful for yourself is really beneficial for their view of the world and women.

Obviously some family dynamics do better with one parents not employed. Men need to value the work done in the home etc for it to work well and everyone feel happy.

The job brings a little bit more respect and perspective both from yourself and other members of the family. So I would say go and do it.

Do it, OP, your children can be really proud of you for getting a job. It will mean a lot to them, IMO.

I’ve had conversations with students about whether they’d work for free if we lived in a dystopian world where AI removed all jobs. Most said they would and I agreed, we’d find something to keep ticking over, some way to inspire / connect with other humans.

I think most humans thrive when they have a sense of purpose and many find that through work. Whether you need the money or not is irrelevant really, it’s something you’d enjoy so go for it.

I don’t need to work from the perspective of household income. I do work though as I enjoy the intellectual stimulation. I have my own very small company set up but I am talking to others about collaborating with them. I’m aiming to work about 2 to 3 days per week.

I don’t agree that it takes away from someone if they don’t work but don’t need to financially, sure isn’t that a lot of people’s dream scenario? Don’t we say if I win the lottery? Surely if you’re not costing the state money it’s nobody’s business! But I think the financial question is if a person needs to as opposed to whether they need to because their partnership needs to (ie dh or dw has money) because if a dh has enough money for you not to work but you’re financially screwed on your own then I think people should work no matter what the dh says as a they could change their mind/ be bitter and b if they leave/ later in life you or ye could financially be stuck

I work 2/3 days per week. I haven't needed to work for many years but DH and I built up our own business and I'm proud of it and love what I do. This balance allows me plenty of time for voluntary work as a Trustee of various charities and my hobbies.

Yes, I found this a bit of a strange one. But some on MN do feel that SAHMs or women that don’t do paid work lack both characteristics.

I gave up paid employment when I met my now DH. I now manage our financial affairs. We have a small business which I run from home.

I gave up work because I do not feel that work is essential to defining who I am. We work because we have to. Enjoying and being well numerated for what you do is a bonus.

Not having to do formal paid employment for a
large period of my adult life has really enhanced my life experience.

I enjoy work and would work regardless of financial need.

If my partner earned enough to support both of us (to be clear he doesn't!!!). I would still need to work, as I could not contemplate being financially dependent on someone else all the time I was a healthy adult who was able to work.