To take a job that I will love but that will pay less?

[HonoriaGlossop]

And the cut in pay will mean we will need to try to manage on a very strict budget.

And if it means that I won't be able to take DS to school anymore (DH will do it instead) and if it means I won't be able to pick him up either - mum/mil will do it (bless them).

I'll be out from 8 - 4 but will have all school holidays off which I don't in current job.

From a personal (selfish?) point of view it will mean getting out of social work (entering breakdown territory if I don't )and getting into a job which I think I will love and be happy in, something I haven't had for YEARS, and also it is permanent and pensionable, something my current post isn't either. Also may lead on to a career change to teaching which would obviously mean more money (comparatively!) in future years.

OK, rip me to shreds - what do you think of this move?

I did it a few years ago now. I was working as a qualified teacher at the top of the scale and went to work in a FE / 6th form College. I took what was about a £6k a year pay cut. It was hard in the first place, but I'm now in my 5th year where I work and I still wake up every day feeling good about work. I still think to myself how happy I am in my job, and have a sense of contentment that I never had when I taught in schools. For me, it was the best decision ever. It was hard in the first few years, but now my salary is rising again, I am happier than I have ever been. I don't earn the same as I did before, but I do think there are more important things in life than money, (if money had been important to me, I would never have gone into teaching!) So, I am now much happier and have absolutely no regrets about taking the pay cut. But, we could survive on the lower wage, it might have been different if the financial sacrifices had been bigger.
Good luck with whatever you decide!

I am one month into a new job, in an area of work that I love, which pays absolutely peanuts.

I can't tell you how much fun it is doing something you really enjoy for a job!

If you think you can make ends meet, I'd say go for it. Money is not everything.

It is good to hear these stories, thank you Elk and Smith.

I actually am having difficulty even imagining loving going into work but I just have a strong hunch that Infant School TA would suit me so well. I have the social skills side from dealing with ALL kinds of people and situations in SW, and I also did an Arts DipHE and am very crafty, and I'm fairly musical - play piano. I think (hope?) I would get a chance to use all these things in a school and would enjoy doing so...

Oh do it, do it, do it. Sorry, that sounds as though I don't see the arguments against, but honestly, I'm about to go back to a job I really dislike (after ML) and it makes me feel sick just thinking about it. In some ways I'm even envious of you because you actually have something you'd love to do, even if it's less money now. As everyone else has pointed out, you're being v. sensible in the long term, and you will be able to cut your coat to fit your cloth, as granny used to say. It certainly looks as though your skillset is perfect for primary teaching, the SW experience must be incredibly relevant. Something I found useful when making a major life decision was the idea that you always regret what you don't do, not what you do. Obviously that's sometimes rubbish but it helped me to do what I really wanted! Very very best of luck...

go for it! I am currently a nursing auxiliary (intending to train as a nurse in 18 months) and earning a quarter of what I did as a software developer. But I am more than 4 times happier at work. I feel I am doing something I fundamentally enjoy which has great prospects once qualified as opposed to having to drag myself through everyday. Yes I miss the money, but life is too short etc., etc., you will find a way of making it work.

HG, what is your social work job? How horrible is it?

Asking for selfish reasons - DD2 is just starting her 3rd year of a Social Work degree; she doesn't know yet what area she will be working in after she qualifies but I was hoping it wouldn't be horrible