If you work out of choice rather than necessity what keeps you doing it?

[lifeatthecoast]

Do you ever want to just pack it in? I've not been fully unemployed since I was 18 and I hated it back then and was bored stiff but I didn't have the money to do anything then. The five days a week I have off at the moment I love, I feel very lucky to be as content as I am. I work two days a week which I've maintained because I wanted to keep some of 'my own' money coming in and not fully live off my husband but it's all family money anyway, we are married with no prenup or anything in place, so when people talk about security, I don't think he could necessarily screw me over anyway even though I don't think he would want to. I liked my job at first but all the people I was close to have left, I'm a lot younger than everyone else there now and it's not very fun or social anymore and I just think what is the point. I'm not sure if I'll regret it as job market is crazy at the moment and I can't be bothered for a million interviews and I'm comfortable at my current place and it's easy enough. Sorry this is a very first world problems sort of post, I am aware!

I spent a lot of time training for what I do. I like it when it's good, it's a lot of pressure though, but I honestly don't know what I would do instead and would be a rubbish SAHM. So I guess because it gives me self worth and challenge.

That's fair enough, and yes I wonder if my self worth would take a slight knock I do cringe a bit sometimes when people ask what I do with my free time. Perhaps the answer is just to look for something else and stay where I am until then.

Because I love my job! (Not day to day but overall)
Because I would be bored as f@#$ not working.
Because I hated being a SAHM.
Because DH would really resent 'keeping me' as we've always been 50/50 in home and work.
Because I would get really lazy without a focus.

I think it depends a bit on how old you are.
Are you talking about not working for another 40 years before you hit retirement, or are you talking about finishing 5 years before your pension kicks in ?

I love my job and find it very rewarding. It really engages my brain and I think I’d be a duller person without it.

Plus I would never voluntarily put myself into a position where I’m not financially independent.

Partly for my mental health - I struggled being at home with DD all the time.

Partly because DH's health isn't the best. He's able to work for now, but if he makes it to retirement age he'll have outlived both his parents by more than a decade.....

Its about financially protecting myself. Because I want to know that if my husband decided to have an affair with his secretary, I’ve got money and a career of my own to rely on. Don’t get me wrong, I love him and trust him, however I’d hate to be unemployed for 30 years and then feel trapped in an unhappy marriage because after that long out of the job market my employment prospects would be terrible

Because I run my own business doing something I love. I get a lot of satisfaction from it and a lot of positive feedback from my clients. I can choose when I work and make sure I have plenty of time for other things too.

I'm 28 I will keep it up but look for something for more fun maybe. I'm band 5 NHS and have prospects so it's silly to give up completely isn't it really.