WWYD: dream job is not paying enough

[somanythingssolittletime]

I am at a dilemma and would love some outside input.

I left a toxic job 6 months ago and, while still carrying some trauma, I managed to secure a similar role but on a different industry. My dream industry actually. I am so happy in my new role and I believe I am making a difference, it’s a charity so I feel good about the hard work. Unfortunately I had to take a 50% paycut with this job. My mental health and work life balance are finally at a good place, but I am struggling financially. I am now on overdraft at the end of the month and can’t afford to pay off existing debts (apart from minimums).

I am really struggling with the idea of changing my job again. I am actively job hunting but naturally due to my previous experience the majority of the roles I find are from my previous industry, which I absolutely don’t want to go back to. I am focusing on roles in other industries (my skills are transferable) or fully remote roles. I am still interviewing at everything I can find, for experience and so I can keep my options open. But I am struggling with the idea of leaving my current job.

WWYD in my position? I don’t have much time left in the day for side hustles, unless anyone knows anything low effort? I will start selling things on Vinted for some extra cash. Would you leave a job you love because it’s not paying enough? As a charity they don’t have the budget for a pay increase.

Can you make changes elsewhere to afford the new job?? So mainly downsizing / moving area to significantly reduce your bills.

A job you love is a very valuable asset so can you see if there's any give in your outgoings??

If you are financially dependent on your salary to support you, then I don't see any choice but to change jobs and revert to one at a higher salary.

Perhaps you should look at your household budget to work out the minimum salary you need to stay afloat.

i have stripped out all unnecessary spending, my budget is bare essentials and I am still not making it to the end of the month. Unfortunately moving isn’t an option and we live in London with 2 kids who need wraparound care. Life is so bloody expensive I sometimes skip meals to make sure we stick to our monthly food budget (and we never do).

What deficit are you in each month @somanythingssolittletime

What ages are the kids? I'd really try to make it work as the job sounds lovely and it'd be a shame to lost that because life can be, temporarily, really expensive with young children.

If you were just about to move twins from nursery to school, for example, I'd stick with things as they are, life would be about to get a lot cheaper.

Can you work in a more flexible way with DH/DP, so one of you starts early and finishes early enough to collect from school?

Have you spoken to your employer about getting a payrise?

Are you eligible for UC? If you're skipping meals either you're not bringing in enough as a family or you've made choices in regards to outgoings.

Can you say the industries? People might have advice?

Also, if youre both working full time you should be able to afford to a basic lifestyle where you can afford to eat... is there something else like a high mortgage at play? Would you move to cheaper property to keep this job?

Thanks all. To answer a few questions: Yes mortgage is very high, we live in London zone 3 with no option to move. No I’m not eligible for UC. Kids are primary school age but we have to cover wraparound care in an oversubscribed school, so the cost is pretty much same as our mortgage. No option for cheaper childcare in our area, no family around. No flexibility in the hours both me or DH works and WFH is unpredictable so I can’t drop a day off the clubs.

About £500-600, but thats to cover essentials. If I were to overpay on debts I would need at least double

On what basis? She's just started. Employers don't usually give pay rises to new starters for no (related to the job) reason. And they sure as shit aren't doing this as a matter of course in 2025.

Crikey that’s a big difference. Are you able to say your role and the size of the charity ie small/local or medium/large national without outing yourself to get an idea and maybe give you suggestions?
Don’t write off asking for a payrise just because they’re a charity. They’re still a business and can increase salaries to retain good staff and do need to pay similar to equivalent roles in the private sector.
Can you put together a business case for a salary increase for example? Is your role income generating so you could be put on quarterly reviews for income generation vs salary increase so that the increase in salary can be justified to the board.

If they’re a tiny local charity these options may not be possible

This is extremely helpful, thank you. They are a large arts charity, I know the budget for the year has been generated and approved (including budget for headcounts) but I could put the case for me forward, yes my role is income generating and I have made a difference since I joined. I will put together some stats to show this and hope for the best. Although I don’t believe they can match the salaries I am finding in similar roles but other (commercial) industries. It’s a shame really because if I stayed I believe I can make a difference to the charity, they are a cause I strongly believe in and I am struggling morally with going back to making greedy owners richer vs contributing to the success of a good cause.

When you put your case forward be absolutely clear as to why the salary is untenable for you but you have been trying to make it work and thought it could, which is why you applied for the post. In the past 6 months you have achieved X and believe that you can make a further difference of Y if you stayed. That other similar positions within the charity sector pay X and give them screenshots of recent job adverts, and then in the private sector they pay Y and whilst you realise they can’t be exactly matched, this is what you’re up against.
That you’re desperate to stay and make it work, but it isn’t working currently.

Also, don’t do this if you’re still in your probationary period for obvious reasons.

Be clear in your ask and clear that you have thought things through from their perspective, and yours.
Hopefully you’ll get a positive outcome. It’s is difficult to recruit good staff so hopefully they see that and will do what they can to keep you

One final point from me, although budgets have already been approved for the year, boards can make interim changes where there is an absolute need for a quicker decision. Not everything needs to go to the board - the SLT can also make certain decisions without board approval - this may or may not be one of them.

I think you'll have to decide between this property & moving to a cheaper place or cheaper area & your job if they won't raise your pay.

@Wanttobeanonhere thank you so much