I may be able to quit my job in the next few weeks.
I wanted to bring you guys into my little secret now because I'm worried about it, and I need some help. We will have to cut out frivolous spending by 75%. I will be selling my car (to pay the remainder of my surgery bill, and Mount Mary expenses). With all my (magical) savings, we would be okay, and still be able to save around 400$ a month. If there was an emergency, we could use that savings money for said issue (read: car problems, etc).
If I was being completely honest with you:
1) I'm scared to death
2) I can't keep going the way that I have been (16 hour days)
3) Marc needs help with Nana
4) My lifestyle needs to change in order to achieve optimum health
This means no more Netflix, Sharing a Car (love how Netflix was before the car), A sense of risk at all times, spending money goes from 200$ to 50$ a month :(, no more cellphones (we'll get tracphones).
So, I'm excited and I'm so so nervous. I feel like we are going to have a lot of bills coming our way but I'm going to rely on student loans, maybe scholarships, maybe oddjobs?!?, maybe a few extra dollars here and there if I monetize this site (and start passing out business cards or something LOL?!)
What are you guys thinking about this HUGE transition in my life. I know I have probably been pretty vague here about how it would work financially but just know I'm a broke college student who is just trying to survive and not jump off a bridge in the meantime.
Source
SourceSo guys what do you think? Am I making the worst decision of my life? Will I be able to pull this off? Any words of wisdom to share?!?
9 comments:
I thought you were going to say you are pregnant! Quitting a job and cutting back will be so much easier than that! I have been making a lot les money babysitting since the kids are both in school now, and I'm figuring come Sept. when they are both in school full-time I shall be unemployed. So now I'm panicking, too, because I have to FIND a job! How I save money: COUPONS!!! minimal dryer usage/ lighting, etc. to keep electricity down, lower the heat (oil was $3.79/gallon today!), we NEVER eat out or do much of anything in the way of entertainment... I have 2 weddings this year and the Ragnar in janueary, right after Christmas!!! UGH!
Thank you so much for your encouragement!!! Thankfully Marc and I don't have to pay housing bills or rent so that helps a lot..actually it's one of the only ways we would be able to handle this.
Changes are scary, but you get used to it all. You just have to live within new means. It's pretty hard but I promise you adjust! We went from us both working full time, to me being a stay at home mom..not to mention leaving work before I thought I was going to have to! Trust me, I miss spending money on a lot of things that I would love to have, but I wouldn't trade my days with her for anything in the world! We are lucky because his work phone is paid for, so I have a boost one for me. We have a computer full of shows and movies, so that is our entertainment, and we have learned to eat VERY cheaply, which won't be easy for you since you're doing the healthy thing. You will enjoy it though, I promise! You will be able to help with nana and solely focus on school, and getting started with your career! Being a one car family sucks, but you get used to that too. lol. I like her saving electricity ideas..try turning off water heater when you're not using it.
I'm still very glad I don't have to pay those bills yet LOL! Thankfully I live in the city so if I have to get somewhere I can take a bus. The computer will be our entertainment, just on the hulu level and not the netflix level. You are so right on the food front, I have started to eat A LOT of salads, and we get some free food from a friend so maybe I can widdle down the bill? I have kept the budget at 400$ monthly for food :)
Congrats! I quit my job of 12 years because it was killing me (& I got inside info it was closing so there was that. LOL). We have various internet side businesses (I sell art and shirts and stuff but it's NOWHERE near the pittance I was making before). I have to admit the Mr makes good money so that's how we were able to come to the decision that I could quit.
However I did insist that when his car is paid off that I get it passed down to me so we that we always just have one car pmt. That would be crazy for me to never go anywhere and pay $300/mo. I don't know if you live in a walkable neighborhood or not but you could get a bike and that would help you get to and fro as well as get ya some exercise.
I have a bike but it's kinda heavy, plus I get all nervous because it's shiny...this is a problem because dumb thieves like shiny things. I'm going to put it on craigslist and get one of those cheapy cheap mountain bikes, which I would have no problem riding around on. That and the bus will probably become my best friends. Thankfully I was able to pay for my car with cash in 2008 so I should be able to get atleast 4000 out of the deal (I hope). We still have the honda payment and insurance but it'll be better for gas, plus I need some up front moola.
I hope it happens for you. I totally know how stressful it can be but I had to quit a job and it turned out to be the best. I prayed that God would open doors for me and He did. I am sending good vibes your way the most precious Czesia!!! you light up so many lives with your beautiful spirit shining through this blog so I know the sun will shine on you now!!
Holly! You are seriously one of the sweetest people I have ever "met"!!!! I love you already (((hugs)))
As someone who has done this before (had one of us quit our jobs), the big thing I can offer as advice is to take nothing for granted. Assume all your income from Marc's job will be less than it actually is, and that your expenses will be more than they are. Don't make sure you can meet them if everything goes perfect. Make sure you can meet them if everything goes WRONG. We failed to do this. We counted on having income from our renters, who decided to move out two months after Jason left his job, which left us $500 short per month and well under where we needed to be. It's sort of like weight loss: the best combination is over-estimatine your food while under-estimating your exercise burn. Leads to better weight loss. If you under-estimate your income while over-estimating your expenses, you can save more over time.
Good luck! If it's a move you're ready to make, go for it! Don't hesitate. And I wish you all the luck in the world!!
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