Monday, April 27, 2009

I do not know what to do... Is this a time to quit?

As I mentioned in my last post, I have literally - LITERALLY - not had a day off from work since the beginning of January. This is because I have two long-term contract jobs that are in the same field but that come with two entirely different sets of requirements. Keeping up with both of them is a challenge. I have little choice but to chain myself to my computer seven days a week. 

I know. I did this to myself. I chose to take on all this work. Has it been a huge pain? Yes. Has it been financially helpful? Very much yes; we're now quite close to getting rid of the credit card debt altogether.

Last week, when my workload was exceptionally high and we had guests in town for a visit, there were several times when I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. Being the Type A, high-anxiety person I am, I am no stranger to panic attacks. But I try to avoid them. I hate feeling like I can't breathe. I hate feeling all jangly and crazy inside. I found myself thinking, "This is not how a 30-year-old person should feel on a regular basis if she hopes to have a long, happy life."

I am working too much. But the working... is working. It's making the debt go away. It's allowed us to build up some semblance of a savings account for the first time ever. It's making me think, "Hey, maybe we could buy a boat one day..."

Here's the dilemma. I think all of us in this household would feel a lot more relaxed if I quit one of my jobs. It would allow me to spend more time with our son, and it would give Trent more time to get his work done (we don't put our son in daycare, so one of us has to watch him while the other works). I might even get a chance to read a book or paint my nails or get back into running or brush my hair. :-P On the other hand, this would reduce our income by 30-35%. It would put a major damper on savings. And while my other job has been very good to me over the last three years, it is not a guaranteed position. Neither of them are. These are contract gigs. Theoretically, they could go up in smoke, though at this point they're probably some of the most stable gigs out there.

Plus, Suze Orman has yelled at a lot of people on her show for quitting their jobs at a time like this, when the economy is so off kilter. Maybe Suze has some perspective that I don't. Maybe she is right. Maybe I just need to stick it out for the rest of the year, at least.

What would you do? Quit the job and live on a lower income (with the worries that a lower income could bring), or keep the job (for at least a few more months), despite the hassle and stress?




2 comments:

  1. Honestly, I would keep your job for the time being. If you finished paying off your credit card debt, would you be able to afford living on less money? Maybe if you could just stick it out for a few more months, it would be worth it.

    I understand it's hard. But like you said, you might not be able to find another job if you give this one up and it turns out you need one.

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  2. It is very hard to find a good job now. I'd stay with it as long as possible. I've been unemployed since May 2008. I'm doing odd jobs and so is my husband. We are hoping the economy turns around soon. I've never been unemployed this long in over 30 years. This was the first time that I was laid off. I used to make $30 an hour. I'm lucky to be making $60 a day.

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