Would you work if you didn't have to financially?

[Brighteststars]

Be honest ... would you work if you didn't need to for the money? What else does work bring up your life, aside from money.. or would you stay at home with kids?

No

My work is significantly more interesting than staying home with toddlers.

Hell no ive got more than enough to fill my life with if I gave up work. I wouldn’t want to stay at home while my DH goes to work though because I would feel like if lost my independence but if we could both afford to stay home I’d resign in an instant.

Not a chance!! I may volunteer in a similar field in away that enabled me to dip in and out.... But work full time? Not a chance!!

Yes I’d work, and I’d work FT.I find my work stimulating.im good role model to my dc
My work suits my temperament,it’s interesting,and I find it rewarding
So yes I’d work.id never financially depend upon a man.ever.

No. Dear god no.

Isn't it sad that so many people are forced to spend so many hours doing a job they would quit in a second? I love mine.

No way would I if I didn't have to! I'd probably volunteer at an animal rescue 2 or 3 days a week.

I think it is sad that so many people are so focused on the fact that they only way 'to meet people' or 'be stimuated by adult company' is by being a paid employee .

Surely people have the imagination to find interesting ways to use your time which don't involve 'working' - don't people have hobbies/interests/volunteering opportunities etc? Assuming you are not on the breadline there are thousands of interesting ways to spend your time.

How are you all going to cope when you retire?

I’d give up work very happily if I could

However , I’m in my late 50s , and have been working for a long time

I was a SAHM for a few years when the children were small , which I loved

DH and I run our own business , so all our money is tied up in that
We’re currently planning our so called Exit Strategy

Why is volunteering a better way to spend your time than doing possibly the same thing, and have someone paying you as well? If your hobby and dream is to volunteer to work with animals, you could use this passion to become a vet or pet groomer, set up a petsitting business, shelter etc etc. But getting paid suddenly means your worthy interesting hobby becomes something only people without imagination do..

G5000 I guess if you are volunteering rather than being a paid employee you are likely to have more flexibility - I actually am paid to do a job that could be done voluntarily (I work for a Charity) - I work part time because at the moment I need a part time income. If I didn't need the money, I would probably continue to volunteer in a similar role - but as a volunteer I would have more flexibility to take holidays etc.

A bit on the fence.
I don’t ‘have’ to work at the moment. We could afford to live on DHs salary.
We’d have to tighten our belts, get rid of a car, no meals out and drop to maybe one UK holiday a year.
My (PT) salary pays for nursery fees, a cleaner, and a easier time with things like shopping and ability to pay for pretty much whatever we want for the DC (i’m talking classes and clothes here, not diamond tiaras!)

If I could not work and we’d still have the same lifestyle I’d do it in a shot. I think. Or maybe I’d work so that we could afford nice holidays (would love to be able to both go skiing and have a holiday abroad every year).

If I could have all that without working I wouldn’t work.

I'd get an easier part time of voluntary job.

I am not clever enough to be a vet and can't afford a pay cut, so working with animals is only something I could do if my outgoings weren't so huge.

No I wouldn't work but I'd fill my days with other things. I'd love to have a gym day, spa day, hobby day, social day, learning day... etc etc. Ah if only!

I wouldn't find doing domestic duties and childcare for years on end very fulfilling. So I might stay at home but only if I could afford a full-time nanny. Otherwise I wouldn't.

Nope!

absolutely, maybe not as many hours, but I like my job. Maybe i'd work from home a couple of days a week (I like peace and quiet and sometimes the office gives me just that, sometimes it does not!)

I give up work if I could.
But would need/want to do something worth while with my time, like helping out in school (related to current job), or id help out in hospitals spending time with older patients with no family etc.

Isn't it sad that so many people are forced to spend so many hours doing a job they would quit in a second? I love mine.

Not really I don’t hate my job,in fact most of the time I enjoy it. I don’t enjoy the lack of freedom that goes with a job though. It would be great to wake up and decide hmm I feel like going to the beach today or actually I’d like a Netflix marathon and be able to just do it instead of fittting it around work.

I've always had job I like and spent years in two different careers that I've enjoyed which have enabled me to save up to retire early with DH in a couple of years and do whatever we like.
Simple stuff like going on as many holidays as we like, whenever we want, not having to get up at a set time etc.
Whatever it is work has restrictions, I've done my bit and am now looking forward to freedom.

Yes, I enjoy most of my job and I feel I'm contributing. Sometimes it's pretty exciting and it's mainly stimulating.
Having said that, I will be happy to retire when it's time.

I work part time in a not for profit for personal fufillment. I pay my nanny more than I take home.

I've been on a 3 year career break from a management job and am now actively looking to return to work, doing what I did before as I'm really quite bored of not working now. I did a bit of voluntary work to keep my mind active/ feel like I was contributing something to society, but it was hard to achieve much with it as I've been with 2 kids aged under 5 / pregnant etc in the space of 3 years off work. So i could only spare a few hours a month.

What I've found is that being off work can be quite lonely and a bit soul destroying after a while. It's great to begin with. Feels like a long holiday. You have a lot of freedom and sunny Summer days at home with the kids are lovely. Then the reality of not being useful in society kicks in after about 6 months or so.
You hear friends / family talk about their successes at work, (promotion, going on a course, getting a bonus for a good piece of work etc), then start to feel low because you're not being recognised for the childcare you do for your own kids.

I honestly think it makes you feel a bit lost in the world when you don't work. Hobbies and socialising haven't made me feel like I belong anywhere. I have missed having a job title and an income stream/ cash being paid to me each month for a job well done. £80 child benefit for caring for 2 kids doesn't cut it really!

Society revolves around work / money and what job you do for a living. Most people work rather than not. People don't know what to say to you when they make small talk and ask you where you work and you say you're a SAHM and not currently working. It's an awkward position to be in when most people have some kind of job, however few hours it be.

I would say that a sabattical of a year or 18 months is fantastic to experience, but a longer period of unemployment is no fun at all. I don't think giving up work is all it's cracked up to be. Not unless you know plenty of other people who are like that too.