I want to reduce the hours I spend at my job.

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In order to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head, I currently work for a housecleaning company. I actually don’t mind the work but the job can be VERY physically stressful (though it does keep me in shape and saves me the expense of a gym membership). I also don’t like the way things in the home office are run (I will not go into details here) or the blatant favoritism I have to deal with constantly (which seems to exist in most service jobs).

The office politics really stresses me out and as with most of the other service jobs I’ve held, I’ve reached a point of burnout where I really dread even going to work anymore. I do not really want to look for yet another crappy service job, and writing jobs in this area are practically nonexistent, unless you have a journalism degree which is required to write for one of the local newspapers. Obviously, I’d rather write for a living. I actually used to, when I lived in the northeast about 20 years ago.

If I could, I would write all day, every day. I want more time than the weekends and evenings to do this (because I’m simply too exhausted sometimes to write as much as I’d like). Sometimes I wind up staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning to catch up on reading and posting, but of course then I’m in no condition to be at my job at 8 in the morning. At my age, trying to get by on 3-4 hours of sleep is very unhealthy and then I go to work feeling like absolute crap.

So until something better comes along, I’m considering going from fulltime to part time–working only 4 days a week instead of 5. The job doesn’t offer health insurance anyway, so I really wouldn’t be losing anything except a day’s pay.

My conundrum is that even working 5 days a week, I barely earn enough to pay my bills. I don’t even have cable TV anymore because I can’t afford it (not that I need it). I never go on vacations, not even weekend getaways. I can’t even afford the movies. I drive a 13 year old car with expired tags because I can’t afford to have the repairs done that would get it to pass inspection. My disposable income is almost nonexistent–it actually qualifies me as “poverty level” according to the national tables. So obviously I really can’t afford to lose a day of work.

On the other hand, why should my life consist of spending most of it doing something I don’t really want to be doing? Our narcissistic Powers That Be would like to keep most of us working like dogs, earning slave wages, and possibly dying an early death due to work-related stress with no health insurance or safety nets at all should we become ill, but dammit, I am sick to death of being one of the sheep that feeds their coffers but gets nothing in return but a bare-survival income that does nothing for me but keeps me from being on the streets.

I need an extra day to relax and write as much as I want, and even start writing a book. It’s hard to squeeze everything I’d like to do into weekends and evenings. But the money situation is worrisome too. So I’d like to get your opinions on what YOU would do if you were in my shoes.

Is “survival money” more important than doing something you love, even if that thing you love pays nothing? Or is it better to take the risk to chase happiness and have faith that somehow, even with less time spent working at a humdrum job, the money you need will still be there?

Please do not suggest I approach my family for help. That is not an option for me.

19 thoughts on “I want to reduce the hours I spend at my job.”

  1. I’m thinking you can try it–working four days a week, for a month and see how it works out financially. If at all possible, leave the option open to return to five days a week. As far as your writing goes, I’m sure it will make a big difference.

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  2. we are twins!!! this is exactly the way I feel!!! no family to back up on, favoritism at work, and I don’t need no gym either…I always have wanted to write but as I bet older it gets harder for me to put my thoughts on paper and my speech is no good either…there’s no easy answers to your primary question; should you give up a day? me, with a vehicle I can do day labor and pick up cans and junk…when I was homeless I didn’t have a place to keep my property (my cans would disappear real quick!!!) but they are around $0.60/lb in my corner…in MI they were $0.10/ea (I think)…how about consumer research? http://www.acop.com/ and there’s tech writing, for example…https://www.freelancer.com/projects/Technical-Writing/Tech-Writers-needed/…but give up the day; you’ll survive…assuming you’re in the US there’s food everywhere…call any church and they will likely send you in the right direction…clothes too…good luck…live long and prosper

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  3. Follow what makes you happy and the money will come. Believe that by taking the step you will be provided for and that you will not be left homeless. I always find the more passionate I am about something the better it works.

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    • There are good signs that this could become income producing eventually and I have faith that God will provide because I feel like writing is doing what he always wanted me to do. But getting past the fear of confronting my boss is another hurdle. :/

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  4. A fellow blogger and friend of mine, started blogging after me, and now she is a stay at home mum, but earning money at home with clients on her books, by writing articles and various books… Her blog is The Bantam Blogger… Maybe she could advise you??? Sorry in not much more help, but I totally understand where you are coming from… I love my job, but there aren’t enough hours in the day to write as much as I like too… My difference is that I DO enjoy my day job….

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  5. I think it’s very wise of you to put your situation out there and ask for ideas and advice. Unfortunately I don’t feel wise enough to offer any suggestions. But I just said a prayer for you to find the right path.

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  6. Ever think of working four 10hour days, thus still giving you “full time” hours but that extra 3rd day off? It sounds rough but I know many that do it and enjoy it immensely. Plus if they need extra cash, they work that 5th day every now and then and still have two days off.

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    • My job doesn’t work that way because it’s commission based. But I think I could risk going to a 4 day week with the option to go back to 5 days later if I need to.

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  7. For me you would have to pry me from the crappy job because money sounds really tight. However now I am on disability and that is even crappier. I can’t work anymore. I wouldn’t do it without the guarantee you can go back to five days if it doesn’t work out.

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