I never should have followed my dreams (company, pay, benefit)

[ackmondual]

I've been to a panel where people talk about giving up day jobs to pursue their hobby... some of them have become well known internet personalities and were glad they pursued that option. However, they do talk about some of the issues too, including but not limited to:
-giving up a steady income
-giving up insurance

-you can wake up at 1pm in the afternoon... you're your own boss, but those people are still working 8 hour days
-have a support system in place... not just financially, but have friends and family too.

These folks mentioned how they get comments from strangers saying how they quit or are thinking of quitting their jobs inspired by them. The people who have gone through with this cringe at such remarks, as it sounds like some of these folks haven't thought things through.

.

I have a friend who works in the Foreign Service who had a "mid-life crisis" of sorts. I'm not sure what else he could do given his skillset, but mentioned that you have steady work, not to mention government benefits when it's all done. I would not take that lightly. The bigger issue was who he worked with, but since he's going to a new assignment, he'll be working with other people. He's still at it.

[Adrian71]

Originally Posted by raveabouttoast

Yea, that guy's not too bright. Who quits a job without even a potential job lined up? You might see that with an early 20-something, but at 42? Really?

Sometimes you just have to follow your heart. I was 39 when my wife and I left D.C. and packed up for Seattle. We hated D.C. and wanted to be in the Pacific Northwest, so we just did it. We weren't getting any job bites while living in D.C., so we moved without jobs and lived off our savings, crossing our fingers that it would work out. And it did. She got a job, and I started freelancing -- and I'm making more money now than I did as someone else's employee.

The guy took a huge risk, but he has guts. It's easy to sit here and criticize, but how many of us would be that brave to leave our income behind and leap into the unknown?

Yes, sometimes when you take risks, you'll fall flat on your face. But is that really so much worse than never taking the risk in the first place?

[lainie64]

Originally Posted by tone77

I'm proud of the guy. I will be doing something similar this November. I hope to have that same swagger when I give my company 2 weeks notice. Granted, my job is of the low wage, no benefit, no future variety. But I'm 44, my son now grown, so it's to for me to move out of frozen Pennsylvania in on to greener (warmer) pastures. I have no job lined up, understand that I will be living in my car for at least a few months, and still haven't picked a destination. I guess sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.

There is a difference in taking a leap of faith and jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. At any age, this is the wrong move for a 100 reasons. One being that you are setting yourself up to become a victim of "violence". We no longer live in a world where people care about others. There are many that will take you for your last breath, not just your last dime. It is suicidal in my opinion.

[fishbrains]

I did what that guy did. I was 45 and walked away from a 6 figure income with nothing lined up. I hated my job, REALLY hated it, and decided to change careers.

I took a few classes, talked to some people who were doing interesting things, traveled a bit, went on a few select interviews, and generally did some soul searching.

I almost did what runswithscissors did. I had decided that if I did not land a career changing job within 3 months I was going to become a full time dog walker. I had picked up a few clients almost without trying, paying just enough to buy groceries and pay the utilities. I am sure that if I had actually put any real effort into advertising I could have made it quite successful.

When I received a good job offer I was torn. Dog walking was fun, the money was easy, I go some decent excercise, and I had a fair bit of free time. I decided to take the job for the benefits, pension and vacation time.

I am happy with my decision, and do not regret leaving my high stress, long hours, thankless job with nothing lined up.

[sasha77]

All you folks who have stories of quitting and doing something else successfully ... 2 questions:
1. How much did you have saved and how long did you have till it was all gone ?
2. Did you have any kids or other fixed expenses ?
3. If you had little to no money saved, how did you pay your bills ?
4. Did you have any major medical expense when you were out pursuing your dream ? Who paid the bills ?

[lordvader44]

Originally Posted by Nickchick

If he didn't like his job so much then he should have never tried to work there. This is the problem. Plus why does he need to quit his job to pursue his dreams? He can look for what he wants to do when he's not working.

The problem with your statement is that there are not enough jobs out there that people enjoy doing. I think its around 85% of the workforce that say they dislike or hate their jobs. The sad fact of the matter is that most jobs are repetitive and boring, even professional careers.

[fishbrains]

Originally Posted by sasha77

All you folks who have stories of quitting and doing something else successfully ... 2 questions:
1. How much did you have saved and how long did you have till it was all gone ?
2. Did you have any kids or other fixed expenses ?
3. If you had little to no money saved, how did you pay your bills ?
4. Did you have any major medical expense when you were out pursuing your dream ? Who paid the bills ?

Fair questions

I had 6 months of cash in the bank. No kids, but I was paying NY City rent. No major medical expenses.

[RomaniGypsy]

Originally Posted by sasha77

All you folks who have stories of quitting and doing something else successfully ... 2 questions:
1. How much did you have saved and how long did you have till it was all gone ?
2. Did you have any kids or other fixed expenses ?
3. If you had little to no money saved, how did you pay your bills ?
4. Did you have any major medical expense when you were out pursuing your dream ? Who paid the bills ?

2001, when I moved from Jersey to Oregon after college:

1) $2,000, and it was gone in about five months.

2) No kids. Fixed expenses were limited to car insurance, as the student loan payments hadn't kicked in yet.

3) I paid my expenses from my savings.

4) No medical expenses.


2003, when I jettisoned my job to go full-time as a music teacher:

1) No savings at all. All of my income went toward my expenses, bills and student loan.

2) No kids. Fixed expenses were car insurance, cell phone and student loan.

3) I paid the bills from my income, and had a credit line available just in case.

4) No medical expenses. I paid my bills. Of course, my parents provided food because I was living with them at the time... but I gave them money to cover down on my expenses.


2007, when I left my business in Jersey to live in PA with she who is now my ex-wife:

1) No savings at all.

2) No kids. Fixed expenses were car insurance for two people, cell phone for two people, student loans for two people, house mortgage.

3) We paid the bills from our income, and had a credit line available just in case.

4) I had no medical expenses but she who is now my ex was on thyroid medication and birth control. We paid for that from our income.

(This endeavor didn't work out well at all, I must say. But I lament marrying the wrong lady far more than choosing to move to an area where it was nigh unto impossible to make a decent living doing what we were doing at the time.)


2009, when I left my teaching job to go full-time again as a music teacher:

1) No savings at all.

2) No kids. Fixed expenses were the same as above, except "house mortgage" was now "rent". We bought a new car shortly thereafter but since she who is now my ex still had her teaching job, it was a fairly safe bet.

3) We paid the bills from our income.

4) Same as in the previous example.


2013, when my wife and I left our music teaching business to go full-time as touring musical performers:

1) No savings at all.

2) No kids. Fixed expenses were RV insurance, cell phones, and the monthly payment on the RV.

3) We paid the bills from our income.

4) No medical expenses.

[tolovefromANFIELD]

Originally Posted by dbsteel

How many people really go to work skipping and singing. That's why its called a "job". Have other passions on nights and weekends, but don't quit a sure thing.

I would say very few. Therein lies the problem. Employed people spend most of their day at work, and yet are miserable. Some definitely because they have to, but most are there by choice. Life becomes a lot better when majority of your day is spent doing something you love, are good at and can pay the bills.

[jwiley]

Originally Posted by sasha77

All you folks who have stories of quitting and doing something else successfully ... 2 questions:
1. How much did you have saved and how long did you have till it was all gone ?
2. Did you have any kids or other fixed expenses ?
3. If you had little to no money saved, how did you pay your bills ?
4. Did you have any major medical expense when you were out pursuing your dream ? Who paid the bills ?

I never left my career on purpose to go into another career, I have always left to either start my own business or due to medical issues to sale my business and move into temp work while I figured things out.

I have posted the basic story on other threads but will lay out the basics here.

In my early 20s I worked as a car salesman, I moved into being a mortgage broker all on 100% commission. I did not have much money saved, but was also single with no kids, to supplement my income I worked as a bar tender during the weekends, and than when the place I worked on the weekends was sold I moved into doing taxes 3 months out of the year to build my bank account.

When the mortgage company I was working for decided to consolidate their offices and force us to travel about 45 minutes south, a couple of partners and I decided to start our own company, with me holding 50% of the company. Over the years I built it to a successful company and started a venture capital firm on the side, but then the real estate and lending industries collapsed, at the beginning of the collapse my daughter was in the hospital for 8 straight weeks.

While I had insurance, it was not very good insurance and so I decided to sale what was left of my company (the year prior to the start of the collapse my company was valued over $2.5 million, by the time I sold it was worth less than 25% of that) and use what money I had saved to pay off the medical debts, and than pay to move about 60 miles where I was from to start over working for an accountant doing data entry for $10 an hour.

I worked full time for the accounting firm working my way up through the company while also going to college full time, and than during the off season of the accounting firm I would have my hours cut and so I would work a part time job or two to keep my bills paid.

When I was done with college I decided to start my own firm, and my wife took a part time job to supplement our household income, which brought in enough to pay for groceries and her expenses such as fuel and time with her family. I started the firm with about $5000 and took a line of credit for another $5,000, which were both used up within 7 months, but I got to tax season and made enough to cover some expenses for the following year and I worked part time jobs to supplement my income and cover my bills for the next 2 years while I built my firm.

I was raised with a good work ethic, and was willing to do what I needed to do to make it work. I also learned my lessons from my first failures and problems, and I had an understanding wife. I like to think that I would never do it again, but than I know myself well enough to know that if it comes down to it I would go back to doing what I need to do.