Would you work full time?

[Moneypanicker]

I don't know whether to go full-time? I work 30 hours currently. We don't need the money. My kids are older and don't need me as much. I just feel weird having a day off, I don't really do much just do the shopping etc. Most of my friends work on my day off so it's not like I can catch up with them. I guess i'm mainly thinking long-term about my pension and how after nearly 20 years of part-time work it would give it a boost.
What would you do?

Could
you do 90% so 4.5 days? Ive recently moved to that and am loving it

I would be boosting pension and doing more hours. If you have a great pension without this, I would still do more hours now and use the extra pension contributions to retire before state retirement pension age. It is a lot easier to do the work now than be working in your mid sixties.

what day do you have off
will you need a day to visit university for instance?

I’m lazy and hate work so would keep the day off, but I have lots I’d like to do other than my paid day job – gardening, painting, writing, reading, an RHS horticulture course, walking, swimming.

I suppose it’s a toss-up between maximising your pension so you can enjoy the time off when you’re older with a decent budget, or enjoying your time off now when you’re near-guaranteed healthy. It’s a cake now or cake later decision.

I went from four days to full time last year as my kids are in secondary school but now I wish I hadn’t. Really feel like my weekends are spent doing chores, food shopping etc and I miss having that catch up day in the week. I’m also finding I’m spending a lot of my leave for the kid’s medical appointments etc when I used to be able to schedule these on my day off.

It's interesting that several women have mentioned that they use their non-working day to...well, still work, just without getting paid. Doing laundry, cleaning the house, running errands - so you have weekends for relaxing. Just like the respective DH, except that he works full time, progresses in his career and grows his pension, and has someone else doing the housework for him.

👏

I have adult children and worked part time for many years.
I'm now menopausal and can't cope with full time. I literally survive because of my day off and only working four days.
If you don't currently need the four day week then yes it would boost your pension but longer term you might miss it so how easy would it be to get it back?

i could do 5 days, although i am not sure my colleagues would appreciate it , big sigh when i suggested it!
but it is helpful to have that day off,

If you don’t need the money (and that’s taking pension into it too), then I would keep the day off! If your pension is really low and you do need that in retirement, then I would start working it and popping all of the extra into your pension.

If you enjoy your job and find the day off a bit boring then why not? I really enjoy my job, and it’s the sort of role that if I went part time I’d just end up with the same amount of work compressed into fewer hours and with less money at the end of it. Going full time and putting that extra 20% straight into your pension would give it a real boost.

If I didn’t need the money I would stay at 30 hours.

I assume you have partner who works full time? Could they look in to dropping a day so you could both have that same day off together each week?

Yes I'd work FT, put the extra money in a pension fund

What do you mean by not needing the money? It’s worth being able to save the extra 20% of your income. That can go towards a buffer for cost of living or a holiday or buying your kid a car or something. I’m fine with working full time then booking a day off as needed. I don’t think I’d need a weekday off every week to the detriment of my income.

This might be the most middle class post I’ve ever read here.

I work full time but in a very flexible hybrid role having worked part time while DC were young, youngest is 15, I don’t need to do it but I’m boosting my pension, savings, Uni funds & it pays for nice holidays. I’m aiming to do it for another couple of years before I either ask to go back part time, leave or having lost all my colleagues to redundancy, maybe it will be my time. I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it if I had to go in to the office everyday or no flexibility and in the fortunate position of jacking it in if it becomes too much.

@Moneypanicker I'm musing exactly the same dilemma. Or possibly a 9 day fortnight (full time hours). I was going to do it last year when dd moved to middle school (y6), but then DM was diagnosed with cancer and my time was spent helping her. I usually see a friend in the morning of my day off, but also do all those boiler service etc type jobs, a bit of housework and cook for the week. The rest of the week goes so much more smoothly if there is a lasagna and a chicken casserole waiting in the fridge.

Thanks all for comments!
I've decided to go for it. I have a plan to retire early. My new DH is older than me and i'd like us to be able to enjoy retirement together so i'm gonna put extra money away so hopefully I can retire when he does.

Could you look into a 9 day fortnight?