Would you give up work if you could?

[Dingdong99]

I have a small business and have had an offer for someone to buy it, for an amount that, if I was careful, I could afford not to work again

While my business has been successful, I've been closed since March due to Covid and don't know if things will bounce back when I reopen

If I sold up, I'd be around for my two small kids, be less stressed etc. It sounds quite nice not to work!

But I'm also worried I'd miss doing what I do, and would lose part if my identity, get bored etc

WWYD?

Yes exactly nice legs - I have interests but nothing that id do 50 hours a week

Good idea!

I haven't worked since 2006. Living on one wage (my husband's) has been hard - we have to live a fairly modest life - but we manage.
Walking away from my job gave me an amazing freedom. To finally discover who I am and what I really enjoy and what in life I feel is important. Of course I couldn't do this without my husband. I am very grateful for this life he can give me. He enjoys his job and has always said if we won the lottery he would not necessarily stay in his job but still be a part of it in volunteer form.
I am a sahm. My daughter is my number one priority (she has asd). I would hate to have to be fitting her around a 'job life'. I volunteer and have become very involved in a community based group. I would not be able to be as involved as I like if I was working.
If you can afford to stop working - then stop. You can always go back.
There are things I would be interested in doing as a job so maybe one day. But for now - I don't want to be working if I don't have to.

Yes. In a heartbeat. I used to work for the government. Very high powered job. Very stressfull, but enjoyed it and was extremely motivated, career driven and hungry for promotion. I did well. Was earning 50k 20 years ago. Was in a happy marriage or so I thought. Many expensive holidays a year, drove a fancy car, had a big house. Never thought I would be happy to retire. Always assumed I'd do voluntary work rather than do nothing. Then my Dad retired really early and backpacked round Australia. All of a sudden I felt the need to join him. So I did. Took a month off and toured western Australia. Except i realised that this meant freedom. I realised that the holidays abroad were largely crap even though I stayed at 5 star hotels. I realised I didn't need new clothes every week. I was disgusted at my consumption. Went back to my job, hated being chained to a desk, resigned, started my own food business, got pregnant, sold up, retrained, loved my new job as a Sports Therapist. Then I got osteoarthritis, scaled down the therapy to save my joints. Got a job as a checkout operator in October last year. Hated it, but stuck with it. Then my Mum got cancer. I turned 49 yesterday. I have an 8 year old DD. I just want to spend time with both of them. Work all of a sudden doesn't matter anymore. I went from a workaholic to a person happy to do gardening and feel privileged to have the time to home school my child overnight. Or so it seems. Circumstances can change. We as human beings change. Our needs, our wants. The rat race is not all it's lived up to be.

I've retired recently, and I have to say that I love it! Although I loved my job, I reached a stage where I had simply had enough. It was my choice to leave when I did, so technically I've retired early at 60.

What I've found is that things expand to fill the day.

Firstly, it's an absolute joy not to have my day dictated by my alarm clock, or my calendar.

Second, it's bliss to be able to sit with a cup of coffee and read the paper, do some of the puzzles in it, at my leisure - especially as the weather is so lovely and I can sit outside.

Third, as we also have friends in a similar position, it's been fantastic to be able to go places/see people and not have to restrict ourselves to the weekend.

When I was working, I worked very, very full-time - long days and often worked in the evenings. Lots of travel too, in the UK and internationally, so I was away from home a lot. I was afraid I'd miss being busy - but I absolutely don't!

It may be early days - I may get bored with it. But it's enabled me to focus more on my own health (as well as going to the gym - not that we can now!) I've started running again, and I'm spending more time learning a language. I've been learning Mandarin for years now, but very slowly - now I have the time to actually focus on it and do my homework!

I'm assuming from your post that you're not contemplating retirement yet, but honestly if you can afford to give up work even for a sabbatical, give it a go! You've obviously been successful with your business, so there's nothing to stop you setting up again - or even doing something else.

No . I like work.

God yes. I’m not passionate about my job, I try hard but feel like an imposter and it causes me so much stress. My anxiety has gone away in lockdown.

When you say you could not work again if you were careful I would probably look for a very part time job just so I didn’t have to be quite so careful. But I would snap their hand off.

Yep definitely

I wouldn't never work again. But it doesn't have to be never again.

I'd definitely bite the purchaser's hand off.

You could do charity work in the winter or something seasonal. Or do something very part time.

Yes. I’ve just gone back to work. Hadn’t realised I no longer love my profession as much as I thought until this week.

In your position I would sell the business. I work P/T but more hours than I'd like to because we need the money. I wouldn't give it up completely as it's taken me fifteen years to realise what I want to do and I'm finally doing it, but I would work fewer hours so I could manage life / housework / kids with less stress.

I want to stop working. I'm on maternity leave at the moment. I dont think a childcare solution will be possible by the time my mat leave is over. We're on a low income, though, so I do worry about it.

If I could, I would stop working, do an art degree at home part time and then try and get an etsy thing started. That's the dream.

I have interests but nothing that id do 50 hours a week

Ha! Look back on that in a year's time after you've sold the business and started doing other things. You'll have absolutely no idea how you ever managed to fit days of work in, you'll be so busy with nineteen other things.

Oh God yes. I'm dreading going back. It has been an absolute joy not to be stressed over work, or constantly worrying what my boss is going to moan at me for next. Also no horrible sweaty ill fitting uniforms. Bliss.

Have you made a decision? @Dingdong99

Not yet! Swinging between thinking that wound be lovely, and thinking I'd be miserable!!

Definitely, I could find plenty to do.

A year ago I went back to work after being a sahm for 14 years. While I was in a fortunate financial position that meant I did not have to work, I had become very bored, felt like I wasn't really contributing to society and had few people to hang out with as most other sahms were back working. The first job I got was horrendous. I stuck it out for 6 months, but I should really have left after the first week when it became apparent that I'd made a huge mistake. I'm now back doing what I did before I had kids (fortunately the organisation remembered me and took me back with open arms) and I'm really enjoying it and much prefer it to being at home. It gives me interesting things to think about, companionship and a sense of purpose.

So, I suppose what I'm saying if, it depends. Being at home is great if you're financially secure, have interesting things to do and people to hang out with. Being at work sucks if you're bored to tears for 95% of the day but is great if you live your job.

In your circumstances, I might sell, see how you find it, then either get another job or set up something else if you feel the need.

I'd give up work in a heartbeat.

@dingdong
Which makes you feel sicker - regretting doing it or regretting not?!

Yes and no. I’d give up my main job but would then be able to spend time working on my hobby/very small business. I could never not do anything!

Yes 100% I'd give up. X

I'd give up too,but I would find hobbies to fill my time.

Like Neolara I have been a sahm for a number of years. I would like to return to work for company more than anything but then again I have had some jobs where I was bored but working to pay the bills and I wouldn't like to be stuck in one of those jobs again. I have a hobby which may or may not develop into a very small business plus I'm thinking of doing some voluntary work to bring me into contact with people. My priority is my children but this is based on an emotional response to my mother never being at home because she was working (later I discovered there were other issues re. my mother). This had a massive impact on me and I do feel like I have sacrificed what might have been better for me mentally for the dcs sake. My youngest dc is only 2 and despite attending groups, I have found time spent at home isolating. But, I have very little extended family and not many friends who are in the same boat.

I think it depends on your individual circumstances. Sometimes I regret leaving my last job but then I wouldn't have been around for my dcs and maybe I would have had regrets about that too. I know someone who was in a similar position to you and sold up, but after a year or so, did lots of hobbies and then became bored (but then only wanted to work a couple of days a week), so I don't actually know whether they regretted selling their business (I know they used to work long hours). If this is the issue, you could try scaling back a bit. Tricky dilemma.

Nope. During the lockdown I've swapped 9 hour days at school for a few hours of making work and marking it for my class and some other assorted paperwork.

Compounded by the fact that we can't really go anywhere still, it's really brought home how bored I'd be if I stopped working.

I felt like that in the six week summer last year. The dds are teens and doing their own thing and DH works full time, not in school, so he's not around except evenings and weekends at the moment and it's boring. I can keep myself busy, but I miss people.