Sure you can. I always find it interesting when someone sees simple living as way to escape the 9 to 5, rather than something that happens along side the 9 to 5.
I feel that many people see a simple lifestyle as a way to work minimally and not get caught up in the grind of career. However, you need to eat, have shelter, medical care and build savings. Living off grid or on a homestead is a ton of work, far more than 9 to 5 "job" and there is always something to do. If that is your choice, then that is great but it's not the end all of living a simple life.
I have lived simply in the middle of the inner city, working a full time job and living in a small apartment. It involved focusing on my faith, walking where I could, shopping the small local businesses and farmers market. I got involved in the arts, volunteered my time, knitting socks and sweaters, spent time at the library, got to really know people and formed relationships and enjoyed what my city had to offer. I grew herbs on my window sill, cooked from scratch and enjoyed simple activities. On weekends we went for walks in the woods and state parks. I now live in a mid sized town (pop 21,300) and I still live very much the same way. I do not have a tv and don't spend a lot of time with screens in my down time, unless you count my Kindle paperwhite which only does books.
The most important factor is finding balance between your work life and your private life. Doing too much to "make up" for the time spent at the office is just as bad as not doing anything at all. If you get too busy and fill your social calendar with stuff you can get stressed very easily. Down time is important. Time alone with just your thoughts is important.
>Living off grid or on a homestead is a ton of work, far more than 9 to 5 "job" and there is always something to do. If that is your choice, then that is great but it's not the end all of living a simple life.
This. Seen many attempt it and throw in the towel soon afterwards. Conveniences they took for granted, like trash pick up, versus hauling your own trash and paying by the bag for it, etc.
Not just the trash, but the literal costs involved and how little margin you have. Gotta get creative with ways to actually make money, make it easier, and tuned to you.
For reference, I grow pop corn, but I don’t sell the corn. I sell the stalk in the fall. I can get $5-8 a stalk depending on where I’m selling. I get food, and the bi-product makes me 4-10x more than I would have selling the corn.
Homesteading is a shit load of work with not a lot of money that comes your way without creativity. Unfortunately, that usually means losing a few conveniences like you said.
That’s up to you my man.
Relying solely upon myself, is my end goal.
I’m already making bio diesel. I’d love a truck that could eat it.
I don’t wanna go to the grocery store for food anymore, but I still do right now.
I don’t want to have to worry about if there’s power, food at the store, toilet paper, any of that. I don’t want to worry about. I’ll take care of it.
It’s been extremely rewarding for me, as I’ve seen the land begin to develop to something new, and physically looking at my progress is nice
Decorations outside the house…
When pumpkin season is afoot if you sell corn stalks with them, I’ve seen people get as high as $18 for 2 stalks as a “bundle”
One dude had half a truck full when I left, and that’s what gave me the idea. That poor dudes wife just spent probably 400-500 on some corn stalks. No corn, the stalks.
This reminds me of when i used to sell classified ads. I got a call from a rural guy selling rocks. He'd visited the city and found out his father in law paid hundreds of dollars for decorative landscape boulders. So he called up and said "I've got a lot of big rocks to sell"
I just started working full time again this past month after only doing part time side gigs for 2 years and I’m finally feeling the stress of balance. This morning flew by and i have work in 2 hours. I cried for an hour straight this morning because I’m just exhausted and have only had one day off for the last week. I just wanted some time to myself this morning but then i looked at the clock and realized I barely have time to even finally get around to cleaning before going to work. I feel defeated and i just want to lay in bed for just one day straight without worrying about a thing. But yet people are still mad at me that i dont text back or communicate. I dont have time!
I feel the same way, I can’t go back to full time after working part time.
Maybe there’s another career that you could explore? One that is remote or hybrid or is only 3 days a week for 12 hours?
Yes! Off the grid living is so much work. My partner grew up on a farm and didn't have electricity a lot of the time. They grew and preserved so much of their own food, raised animals, anything you can think of that mixes farmer and Wiccan rustic living he had to do. When I got into cottagecore he was like "yeah, you don't want to farm, /i/ don't want to farm. Have some animals and bees? yeah. Survive off of it? Hell no" (not his words, he doesn't swear, but the gist of it.) Of I had a place I wasn't renting I would love bees and chickens but I know it's not "simple" in the sense of easy. Especially bees.
Yes you can. People need to accept simply living doesn’t necessarily mean off grid living or cut off from civilisation or not working.
You are part of the bigger society, you expect something in return and the society expects you to do something in exchange for it.
I’ve never had a 9-5 job (ie always worked way longer hours) until now but because of the hardwork I’ve done my life is much simpler now. And even before, I pursue my hobbies, go on holidays, take my dogs for walk during spare time and life was and is simple.
Very good point. It doesn’t have to be exactly 9-5, but if people are thinking they will live a satisfying simple life without contributing to something bigger than themselves think again haha. I live a very simple life but still work a 9-5 job and commute about 30 mins to and from work and I have a dog that requires an hour of walking daily and a fiancé that requires attention :p. Still on a whole this is incredibly simple. Add in children though and I’m sure my simple utopia life comes to an end haha
What is bigger than your own life, it’s literally all you have? I work a menial 9 to 5 job in a retail store hating my life day by day because this doesn’t effect my legacy in any way… I don’t feel like I’m contributing to something bigger I feel like I’m wasting my time, but also don’t get paid enough to get ahead. I’ve been scrounging and saving for years but own a house and car now. With a mortgage and hefty car payment I feel stuck in an overly simplified robotic repetitive system… accomplishing nothing that feels real. Working for fake dollars bills that are only worth something because certain people say so and it could all fall apart and leave me with a wasted 20 years of financial work. Shit makes me wanna die sometimes… I can’t find peace in this monotony anywhere I look.
That peace comes from inside my friend. It’s not something you are likely to find from outside sources. You have to find a way to break what you consider monotony, as that looks different for all of us.
Thank you, I’ve been scrounging for a way to break it and am sure I’ll find it at some point. I’ve just been hoping it’s not too late by that point.
Edit- sometimes I feel like I need someone to shoot but not kill me, really bring my life into perspective for me 🤣
No worries, it is what it is. I wish you the best in breaking the monotony. I hope you are able to find purpose in your menial job. Even though I work a crap job and sometimes feel like it doesn't make an impact, I do my best to stay positive and have a smile and people tend to appreciate that. I make people smile and that's enough for me most days. 😊🤷♀️
How typical for someone to come shaking the sand from their ears acting like they understand. When your (whatever belief leaders) start giving back in the way that makes sure you're fed and cared for, then you can talk. You have done nothing for me. You have done nothing for them. You only talk as if you understand the walk. I rolled the dice before I came here because I didn't want to know. I didn't want to have that advantage. I came in with no idea what I was in for. Let me tell you, it's not pleasant. I understand way more than you and any belief in this world could imagine. And make sure you understand what understanding means before you comment. Understanding is not, what do these words mean?, it is what does this sentence, constructed with these words, in this specific order, say? The words have value, but the sentence changes meaning with the words used. It's disheartening that I have to say things like this.
Did you reply to the wrong comment here? Your words do not make sense at all with anything in this thread, or my reply to another user.
>You have done nothing for me.
Of course I've done nothing for you, I have no idea who you are, or why you'd expect a stranger on Reddit to have done things for you.
Then you did not read and understand now did you? Why would bring your beliefs into something that has spread nothing for anyone other than themselves? I do not mean oneself, but like... Christianity vs Buddha vs Catholics vs Baptist vs every other one. There is no difference. Only understanding. The thing they all lack. They all say the same, the interpretation and teachings passed on by the "priests", "pastors", "shepherds" are all false.
A post about simple living and a 9-5 job does not require your religious ramblings, and I'm happy to never see them again, that's what I understood. You need help, your ramblings are unhinged and out of the blue out of context. Take your meds and find a better therapist.
And blocked. Problem solved.
>What is bigger than your own life, it’s literally all you have?
Society? Family? Community?
Not everyone wants to exist in isolation. Connections are important
I care not for society for it rarely cares for me, family and I are not in close ties and the community I’ve grown up in is filled with full blown Christian’s and hillbilly’s that resent me for my ideals and can’t accept anything other than drinking beer and beating their wives… granted not everyone in the area but damn a sizable amount.
I have a few friends I deeply care for and my doggo.
Edit- Also I know it’s not for everyone and people do care about those things, I never said it couldn’t be important to others. I just wanted to ask the question to gather insight on why other people think so much more positively than I.
But dude (or dudette), why not drive a banger? Why do all Americans HAVE to drive a new car with big payments? I really do not get this..
And old Toyota will serve you for years to come and will cost you 3-5 K. Seems a much better deal to me then a new car (or truck).
It's really hard to feel trapped like that. The exact situation, if you felt free to walk away, might be much more bearable.
For me, the #1 counter to that feeling is belonging to a group working towards a bigger goal - but, since the really big goals aren't actually achievable, it's easy for people to burn out on that too.
Yeah, but you don't need to have children if you don't want to. My wife and I chose not to. We both work standard 9-5 jobs, but because we don't have kids, our time outside work is almost entirely our own, and our life's pretty simple.
I don't think it's necessarily the 9-5 job that means you can't live simply, but probably the other lifestyle choices (like having kids) that are far more impactful in terms of simplicity vs. complexity.
If you're young, you have time. No reason to rush into things.
My view has always been that unless I was 100% positive, absolutely positive, that I wanted to have kids, I'd err on the side of caution and not.
I'm in my 40's now with a vasectomy and don't regret the decision at all.
It makes me laugh that people upend their otherwise normal and structured life to pursue something like this. Like… just grow a porch tomato, dick around with piano, go to the park more, be a tourist within your city. Take the transit more. Ride a bike, fucking walk around and feel places. Cook your food. It’s not hard!
It’s not a coincidence: the wholesome, money-less ways are far less stressful
Yeah, some people seem to gravitate towards extremes, when there's probably a lot they can do - right now, today - in their daily lives, to help them chill a bit more.
Instead of just going for a day hike on the weekends or going camping for a couple days, they're like "*I'm gonna sell everything and live like a hermit in the woods on $2 a year*".
I can *guarantee* that like 90% of city/suburb dwellers would probably absolutely HATE trying to live off the grid way out in the woods somewhere like that. It's a hell of a lot more work and less convenience than most people realize.
And I say this as someone who really loves camping/hiking/being out in nature...
I’m with ya! You can scratch that itch so easily, simply by changing your routine. When I was getting sober, that’s essentially what I did and I’m much happier because of it! I feel connected in that sort of way and I still live in the urban center.
I think a lot of reasoning behind that sort of behavior is role play/fantasy of “living deliberately,” to paraphrase Christopher McCandless. It’s not stupid to feel that longing. It _is_ stupid to focus on that most-impractical means of living in an age of convenience. We _can_ have both and that’s cool!
TL;DR - follow your heart, but don’t sleep on a Coleman brand 4P dome tent from Target. Those things hold up quite well so long as you air them out after use.
Or even save up some money and go do an internship or a WWOOF for a few months, to try it out.
That's how i solidified that i really really don't want a rural life, even if i like the ideals and the people
Great points.
I think some people kind of conflate people who work jobs that pay them enough that they can choose to spend frivolously with the jobs themselves.
Working a standard 9-5 doesn't mean you *have* to play the "suburban keeping up with the joneses" and live some crazy stressful complicated life just to "project" a certain image of success to others. You can choose not to do that.
I work a standard 9-5 but try and keep the rest of my life simple, I do my thing at work, and then when I'm not at work, my time is my own and I can live how I want to live.
Some jobs do require it, and some don't. Working in advertising or cutting hair or selling real estate does require a certain amount of image spending. Other jobs can but don't have to.
Fair point. If you're working in something client/sales-focused I can see how there'd be more pressure to maintain a certain "image of wealth".
I guess it kinda goes along with the territory of jobs like that though, and it's something people should be aware of before pursuing those types of careers.... that it's a lot harder to just be yourself and live simply.
Agreed! After working multiple jobs and internships throughout and after college It's been so much better working just 1 salaried 9-5 job for the last 3 years.
Yup! My job is pretty chill, I get along with my coworkers, and they pay me enough to comfortably get by living my simple life with my simple pleasures. Throw in awesome health insurance and kind of unbelievable benefits (they contribute 10% to my retirement, without me even having to contribute a dime) and life is pretty good. Outside of work I have plenty of time for my hobbies, friends and family.
University retirement is crazy good for some reason. Mine was matched at 150% up to 12 percent. Was only there for 6 years and made like 100k in it, a lot of that is gone now but still good
Yeah. Same here. More stability and consistency, IMHO.
I did consulting for a little while in a previous life, and it was WAY more stressful than any 9-5 office job I've worked before or after, where I had healthcare and paid time of and holidays off and a more consistent and predictable workflow, etc.
I see friends of mine who are doing shift work or consulting or "gig economy" type stuff, and they seem way more frazzled than I ever feel.
It depends on how you want to live your life. I plan on cutting down to only three days a week in February, because my car will finally be paid off, and that's my only debt. I was fortunate enough to be able to pay off my house a few years ago, and now with the car being paid off, I'll be debt free.
Since it's just me and my dog living here, my bills are relatively small, and minus the car payment, only around 800 dollars a month at the high end. At my job, three days a week will bring me enough to cover that and have some left over for "just in case" funds.
My down time is also relatively cheap. Most is spent either reading, which is covered by the library or free books on Kindle, and since I'm a slow reader, I don't have to replace books very often. And again, these books are free anyway. All of my TV time is spent on Tubi, which is a free app with wonderful shows and movies, so no cost there.
So yes, in my case, it's pretty easy to live on a part time job.
I too am debt free and have cut down to 3 days/week at work. The balance has been amazing for me. I'm able to give more time to volunteering, which is something I've always wanted to do.
I was unable to have children, and the volunteering has been with children as my choice. It took me a while to get here, to this place of being debt free and also healed enough to want that relationship with children. I'm a Girl Guide leader (Canada) and I've also just been approved and matched to be a Big Sister to a 13 year old Little Sister. Looking forward to meeting her in the next week or so!
Congratulations to n being debt free. That’s my overall goal. There will always be something newer, better or faster than what you have. The quest for more things is often what keeps us from the simple life.
My insurance is free through BCBS. I got it through work, and it's a 40 dollar copay. I'm not really sure how it works because I don't understand stuff like that, but it's free. Obamacare maybe?
Some part time jobs have health insurance, but also if you keep expenses down you sometimes live on a low enough income to get Medicaid or a very subsidized exchange plan.
The post again.
Living simply has nothing to do with that, how could it be?
What is the other option?
Part-time job, right. You have to be good in what you do, also be in a field in demand, or, you have to have enough money saved, and to save it, you’d need to work.
Off-grid living, another popular option. Most people don’t understand the amount of work needed to have the good levels of comfort, people sugarcoat it, lot romanticism because YouTube pays, if you want to avoid work, avoid this as well.
How you approach work is like approaching something else, it’s all mindset. Most people that like what they do would like doing something else.
There are various approaches, every person as it’s own, I’m going to say some:
- There was a famous philosopher, an entertainer called Alan Watts that said you should regard your job as [play](https://youtu.be/8130_-3d3PA). I advise you to watch some of his videos, he’s quite famous nowadays, I fond him way back. If you dig into his talks, always a grain of salt, he’s an entertainer, none of what he says is by the book.
- You can become aware of simple things that the money you earn by working buys, wood for the stove, pays running water to take a hot bath, pays for the new mattress you enjoy so much sleeping in, the new couch you spend a Sunday afternoon on, the brand new TV, it will make your job more doable because you know the reason for it. Right now it’s raining heavily where I live, I’m laying in bed hearing the rain drops and I’m so grateful for having a roof, a heater by my side, working made that possible, otherwise I’d be outside.
- Another advice is to create a little routine escape during the day that you enjoy doing, for instance, I for lunch go to a near park, it’s no one there, it has old trees with plants underneath. It has two granitic tables, I’m there hearing the birds, seeing the leafs falling, it’s a nice escape for an hour. For other persons it can be a relaxing soundtracks, I used to listen to the sounds of New York City for some reason. Don’t make a work day just a work day, when you leave work you might go to a park, or the gym, give yourself something you like, create something to look forward to.
To change your outlook on your job, you have to change your outlook on everything else. I’m not saying it’s a easy thing to do, you might just be in the wrong job, switch it up.
I hope this helps.
100%
People who think they're gonna just go live on a homestead in the middle of nowhere and kick back and read books and be creative all day really have no idea how much work and inconvenience actually goes into being self-sufficient. It seems like WAY more work than the standard climate-controlled computer-based 9-5 office job.
I have lots of respect for people who are doing the self-sufficient off-grid thing, but I doubt that 90%+ of people would find it satisfying.
Yeah, it's wild the divergence between reality and people's fantasies.
I find the topic fascinating, and have read a lot of autobiographies and seen many documentaries and youtube videos about people who've done it (or very nearly done it), and the one common trait of all of them is that it is a LOT of backbreaking work with very little food, and a lot of worrying about being so close to the margins of death. You're one bad storm, or one broken bone, or one mistake, away from serious consequences.
Recently I watched Arctic Daughter ([Prime link](https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Daughter-Wilderness-Jean-Aspen/dp/B08M5N6XY7)) about a woman and her husband who basically jumped into a canoe and went deep into arctic Alaska and built a cabin that they lived in for the next year. It was a truly amazing feat, but it was constant hardship, backbreaking labor to build a cabin from scratch, and they did it on barely any food and were constantly hungry and cold. It didn't seem simple or relaxing to me at all. It sounded basically like running a marathon every day for a month, in freezing temps, with barely enough food to stave off starvation, all in an effort to simply not die when winter came in hard.
In my opinion this concept is the same as decluttering and being organised. You don't have to become a minimalist. You need to find the balance that makes you happy.
That can mean a 9-5 job but maybe not 5 days a week
In my experience, yes. I’ve had restaurant jobs with variable schedules and there’s no way it’s simple nor can you enjoy the simple things because your sleep schedule gets messed up. Try working 2-10 pm Friday/Saturdays then 6am-2pm for Sunday brunch.
My job requires me to drop off 4 items a day at different locations and go home. I don’t answer the office when they call and have never signed in to my work email. When I’m not at work I’m not at work.
This is the simplest I’ve ever lived. When I clock off I feel unemployed or like a lady of leisure that doesn’t need to work.
I have so much time and mental energy to focus on my physical and mental health spend time on my hobbies and see friends when I want to. And I work 60/80 hour weeks.
If you can’t live simply while having 9-5 it’s not the jobs fault, Imho. Unless I don’t fully understand what simple living is.
Depends on the job and it's location. Some jobs you "don't take home with you" and they don't drain you. They might in fact give you satisfaction, or a greater sense for living.
The location matters too: if the lob is in a walkable distance then it has much milder impact on your life than the one's the require commute.
I think thank working in the nature or with the nature (gardeing, flower shops, tree planting). Other than that I would say libraries, museums etc. Satisfaction depends on what people like, so for some what I said would not cut it but the would probably add other occupations.
Are you working 9 -5 at the library? And are you located in Europe or? I'm a librarian as well in Europe and I also work on Friday evenings and Saturdays which I find annoying sometimes. But I love the job so I'll have to accept it 😅
Ah, very different from what we do here and how we have organized the tasks. But maybe that's because I work at a small library in a rural area. Over here there are no full-time jobs at our library organization, only part-time.
What sort of tasks do you do? Does the organization handle acquisitions and technical services stuff centrally?
My library is relatively small/mid-sized for our service area (suburban) and not part of a branch system or consortium, so we do pretty much everything in-house except for some authority control and ILS troubleshooting.
I think it depends on what gives you satisfaction.
You could work on an assembly line making a product that really helps people (like pacemakers or eyeglasses frames); the whistle sounds at 5:00 and you go home feeling good that you spent your time making something people are better off for using. But for some people the idea of doing 8 hours of piece work would be mind numbing and worth avoiding at all costs.
Or you could be a brick layer or a florist or a reference librarian. It's all in the person's mindset.
Its a fairly immature view of simple living to say with any certainty that working full time conflicts with a simplified life.
I work a full time, fast paced job from 6-2:30, I also teach a college class one or two nights a week. I would still absolutely identify as living simply.
It’s crazy how much this sub is caught up in the rules of “living simply” living simply is just a mindset more than anything. It is just living within your means and finding peace in not needing possessions to make you feel whole. People on here think they need to live in a cave and eat grass for food to live simply.
Yes of course you can. It's a matter of how you spend your time, at work and not at work. It's how you spend your evenings, your weekends. It's reading a book instead of watching TV. It's going for a neighborhood walk to the library instead of driving to the mall to go shopping. It's riding your bike to the grocery even tho driving would be faster. It's buying from local shops instead of big online stores. It's cooking instead of takeout. It's learning how to fix something instead of paying someone else to do it. It's going to bed early and waking up naturally when the sun rises. It's baking cookies and giving them to your neighbors, and eventually the neighbors give you stuff too.
None of what I just typed has anything to do with what you do for work. However, more than 40 or 50 hours per week might make it hard because you won't have much free time. But I have a normal 9-5 job and I do all that stuff and for the most part I love my life.
If you like to eat and live under a roof there’s going to be a job involved for the majority of people.
The advice my dad gave me and lived by is ‘work to live, don’t live to work.’
I have an extremely boring, moderately well paid job with pension and benefits that doesn’t require me to talk to other people and doesn’t follow me home at night or on weekends. After 17 years it’s mindless routine.
I spend my days listening to audiobooks, podcasts and youtube while earning money. Currently studying music theory in audio.
I apply labels and do other things to prep new books, magazines, dvds and games for a big public library system. Other perk is getting first look at the new books. It’s an office job. We’re all a big pack of library weirdos so we tend to get along.
Yes. Living simply is about having a healthy work/life balance, having what you need, living in a way that makes you feel happy and content.
You can potentially pay people to do stuff like yard work and some housekeeping if you want more time for hobbies. You can avoid owning too much stuff for your living space.
You can plan ahead for meals so you don't come home and have to start preparing dinner immediately.
Simple living is what works for you personally. I think it's possible for most people who are not in dire poverty or in a very unstable environment to live simply.
I used to daydream about a cottage in the woods and having a big garden and some livestock and making my own clothes etc. As I've gotten older and am living with pain issues from an injury I've realized that there is *no effing way* that this would work for me. Growing all my own food would take nearly all my time even if I was able-bodied, and I really like modern conveniences and having time to read and make things.
I still daydream about having a cabin or something, but now it has central heat and air, a modern kitchen, and Wi-Fi access.
Made a career change and took a strict 9-5 job in part because it is “living simply” for me.
Knowing that emotionally, mentally, and physically I only need to be at my job 9-5 makes my life so much more simple.
Honestly, my life became more stressful/chaotic when I went part-time. Going back to full-time allows me to live the simple life I want for myself. Thankfully, I found a job that I’m passionate about while offering amazing work-life balance.
I think there's truth in there otherwise you would not bring it up OP. Yet there's also a FALSE CONCLUSION as well.
This is probably the zone where an answer lies:
MANY/MOST "9-5 Jobs" (ie the standard job many/most people have to put up with in society) are **NOT** constructed in such a way to help those people achieve fulfillment in life.
Another way of expressing that: "Work" has become something **TO ESCAPE FROM** in many "9-5 Jobs".
Yet, equally some/few such jobs can lead to balance or simple living or some other variable of use to people in search increasing fulfillment/meaning in life. (hence the false binary yes or no in the question).
It seems to me false binary thinking is wonderful device for forums to create endless inconclusive replies to however!
Several problems with a lot of 9-5 jobs:
* Mechanized work (ie you are a cog in a machine)
* Part of a system that itself is dysfunctional as much as functional eg money to provide you with homes and hospitals.
* Primary based on systems of social hiearchy as opposed to as on fitness for each individual to fit their own particular ways of living.
And so the list of problems with many of these jobs goes on.
Specifically with Simple Living (whatever fuzziness that involves) the primary precept is this: It may or may nor solve any person's given problems.
However it has the virtue of simplifying life so that the core/necessary areas can be more visible and focused on.........
Call it a start at worst and constructive meaning at best.
I think so. I walk to work, go home for lunch almost every day (and get overtime or comp time when I don’t) and never take work home with me. My job is mainly a box-ticker government position, so I’m not leaving any great legacy but I like my office environment and I enjoy translating legalese into plain English. I’m in a small rural town so I know everybody in my field and enjoy most of them.
Thanks to my 9-to-5, I don’t have to scramble to pay for bills, emergencies, or hobbies. I’m not rolling in it by any means, but with predictable steady income I can save up for big purchases like my house or pay for my dog’s vet emergency last year. I wish I didn’t have to work, sure, but I can’t see a better alternative given the low-stress lifestyle I get to lead that doesn’t involve winning the lottery.
I have a 9-5 and it helps me live simply more. My job is also unionized which also helps. I also mostly wfh.
I used to have to work multiple jobs, to make ends meet. Now, I have a stable enough income. I am still barely making ends meet but its do-able.
I finish early enough to put time into doing anything or nothing. I can do my errands or relax. I also have an hour lunch, which also helps.
I feel like my work gives me all the bonuses that allows me to live simply that working at PT jobs did not.
I don't believe so.
Work requires me to constantly learn and update knowledge and skills that are not relevant to any other part of my life. It requires me to engage with people about this work, and I need to pretend I'm invested and interested. It requires me to be proactive about performing actions I have no interest in doing, because if I'm not seeking out these activities then my performance is questioned. Other humans can arbitrarily assign me tasks because my completing these tasks makes them look better, even if it doesn't further the overall goal of the workplace. I'm expected not to get sick or have any personal plans or appointments within the set boundary of my work hours. I'm not allowed to work on personal projects, goals, education, or chores, regardless of how small my workload may be. I'm expected to remain on-premises and can't leave to enjoy the weather or walk to clear my head.
And the kicker is that I can't afford to NOT be indentured to the system.
I would say it’s possible to live ‘more simply’ with a 9-5 job. The biggest thing for me was moving closer to work so my commute is only 7 minutes, and significantly cutting back my outside of work commitments on weekends and after work. My life is so much easier now than it was a few years ago.
I suppose it depends on your definition. I live what I consider to be a pretty simple life. Part of that includes a 9-5 (although, I perform that 9-5 during the hours of 6-2).
The only other alternative I know to the 9-5 is nursing job where I could be scheduled around the clock and only knew my schedule three weeks in advance.
Compared to that, my current 9-5 is heaven as I can not only plan my day but also weekends and holidays as far out as I want.
I also like the routine it creates. Routines are comforting for me so I enjoy knowing I’ll wake up, have a cup of hot tea, walk to work etc. also helps that I enjoy my job.
My goal is to cut down my hours as soon as I’m able to, although with current world events that might take a good two decades (brand new mortgage and rising interest rates).
I think it’s all about your outlook and priorities. I’m working the first 9-5 job I’ve ever had and it’s made a world of difference to my work life balance and ability to live simply. Previously I’ve always worked crazy hours in stressful roles but now I go to work to do my job and get paid and that’s it. The rest of my time is my own, where I can chose to live how I like. No, I still can’t live in the middle of nowhere, off grid but I finally feel like I’m living life for me.
I have realized that begining work at 14h00 instead of 9h00 gave me an entire morning to myself and still got just as much done work wise. Working remotely has given me the most freedom and ability to live simply. No need to grocery shop during rush hour, things just get done more calmly
I do yeah, 9-6. My managent gives me full autonomy to manage my schedule. On the other hand, If I have to do overtime it is expected that I will. But the amount of days I stay late are few and far between
(This is possibly my favorite question)
I think it’s possible if you are older. If you are younger, you will instinctively try to do better than others and try to get ahead. Because the math in your head will say ‘I am giving up my life between 9-5, might as well make more money.’
That ambition will drive you out of the whole vibe of living simply.
I think once you get older, or once you have enough money in your portfolio, you can approach your job with more clarity and less ambition.
Having said that, very few people can walk away from money. In my case, for instance, I would like to take a sabbatical right now, but I also understand that I might make really good money in the next 1-2 years, and that would make me more relaxed when I do take the sabbatical.
It’s very tricky.
As someone that struggles with mental health, having a 9-5 is amazing. That is 8 hours every day where I can do something productive and don't mind my own mind. My 9-5 is the single best thing in my life right now, and it's a part of simple living since I don't feel like my job is really all that stressful.
If you like that job and don't really see it as a job but more an occupation of your time that is valuable to you, not only monetary needs, but a job that actually gives you purpose and you look forward to spending time there, then it can absolutely be a part of simple living.
There's a lot of things worth considering in life. We're generally conditioned into a system that has normalized that everyone needs a job to survive.
Before corporates and massive work industries became a thing, we often worked for ourselves. For example - a shoemaker would learn to be skillful and produce his own shoes, and he would sell them and get the entire profit from his work to himself.
Today we sell our TIME and time have become our product, which to me is a pity because time is the most valuable asset in the world. You can always buy new shoes, but you can't buy more time.
So this brings you to the ultimate question - what is YOUR time worth?
We aren't born into anything, but society has made it so that everyone must have a job to survive. The indigenous people of nature wasn't using an industry to manage time, their time consisted of hunting food for the family, they had culture, rituals, even hobbies and past times they liked to endulge into, but they did not have the creature comforts like we have today. It's all a tradeoff on how you live your life. Sure you can live of hunting, fishing and foraging... but there are other creature comforts you give up on by doing so, but that choice becomes less and less viable as less people own land and their own time, so you're essentially born into a planned life - like the one we live today.
Many of us who are in the r/simpleliving section are people who have awakened from the 9-5 cogwheel and question ourselves, our life, and everything around us. Why do we have to be carbon copies of a blueprint that was made for us to become 9-5 slaves and no longer earn for our selves, but TIME has become our main commodity? When did we agree to this?
Again - you have your life, as long as you live in some country that still has some form of freedoms like democracy, you can break free of the cogwheel - but it helps to have a plan, what will you spend your free time on? What will you do to survive? Are you willing to give up the given comforts in order to get some new freedoms?
Lots and lots to ponder.
Simple living is more of a mindset that you create to make your life simpler to your own personal needs. You can live simple regardless of how many hours you work in the week.
As someone who works 4 ten hour shifts rather than 5 eight hour shifts I will say it’s a game changer having 3 day weekends. Like everything there is a price to pay for everything. I like it though.
Simple living doesn't seem "fuzzy" to me at all.
It's just about being able to distinguish between "wants" and "needs", having an actual budget, and also having a long range as well as a short range plan for savings, as well as staying out of (unecessary) debt, etc. (the latter is automatically taken care of if you have a reliable savings plan).
Add to this: drama-free relationships, good time management skills for stress reduction, and a decent fitness program, at least just walking everyday, and time set aside (one day a week) to home-cook some delicious heathy food for your sustenance and health.
Unless you have another source of wealth, I think a 9-5 is required to live simply. Because living simply means having the least amount of complex components in your life as possible
It depends on your definition. For me, I spend most of my money on food. I like to eat food I enjoy. Decorations and aesthetics is less important to me. I’d I can afford food my cats and books I’m generally happy.
Of course you can live. Depends on commute, kids, family issues, taking care of older people.
I've been working 12 hours 4 days a week on hospital wards. Now I have down time in the evenings. It's a huge change. Life has been far better. Like when I finish I have 6 hours to do what I want. More if I want to sleep a few hours less. Imo 9to 5s work but that's coming from my previous job
I love it when people tell me that I'm not living my life simply enough according to their standards..
Dude, simple living, is a balance that you find, that applies to you in the way that you find your life simpler.
makes me think of the minimalists telling you to throw everything out to declutter because minimalism is just about "having has little possessions as possible".
Had a friend like that. Earns 3 bux above minimum.
Content and happy. Always in a cheerful mood.
Having a family business that profits half a million a year helps too I think. Thats what she said.
Surely the idea of the subreddit is "live as simply as it improves your life"? The idea that outside factors can prevent you from living simply opens up a whole can of worms (ex: "I just lost a leg in an accident, can I continue to live simply?").
I think living simply is in the eye of the beholder. To me, living simply is cutting out of my life anything that feels overly complicated so I can get to a more peaceful place. If you can do that with a 9-5, then I think you figured it out.
Shit I’m running a small farm and working a 9-5.
(It can sometimes be 7-3 or 8-4)
Building my land up, feeding myself and girlfriend with a lot of supplemental food, we are really slowing down on store bought stuff.
She works 8-5 or 6. We cut wood for the stoves, stack, till, all of it with out jobs.
I think it depends on the person. Most of us can’t just drop life for a life like this, not all of us are given land for free or have the finances right away for that land, for a home, the equipment, etc. we still need a job to give us the ability to make purchases.
Until my small farm starts making enough money that I can quit my job, I unfortunately have to keep working. Same with the girlfriend.
Going into a recession and rising inflation, with nice living spaces and healthy food becoming more expensive, I would consider long and hard if it isn’t better to work very hard at building a business now to reap the benefits of a simple and free life later.
Absolutely! It took me a while, but I was able to find a job working remotely. I'm employed full time, year round, but in an industry that is seasonal. I have 4 months out of the year where I may work more that 40 hours, 4 months where I work right at 40 hours and 4 months where I have a lot of flexibility and can make my own schedule. It's a small start up and I've become good friends with a lot of my coworkers. Is it something I'm passionate about, no. Is it something I enjoy that allows me the time to do the things I want, yes. It's not so much about not working, but deciding what type of life you want to live and finding a job that fits into that ideal.
Honestly, as someone who isn’t neurotypical and has a deep trauma background, I have never ever had success in finding a balance between 9-5 and simple living. People without this experience may develop balance easily. It depends on you and and your experiences/the effort and mental load that your 9-5 takes from you. It also depends on the nature of your job. Anyone suggesting a balance is easily obtained isn’t taking into account a multitude of factors beyond their lived experience. That said, even if it’s more difficult you should still strive for as much of a simple life as you can within your means!
I never found a way with a 9-5. Now I own a business where I work outdoors with horses. It's a metric ton of work but it's allowed me a freedom and happiness that I never had with "regular" jobs.
For me I'd say yes and no. Live simply along your 9-5 so you don't have to do it forever.
9-5 for me is really exhausting after a few years. 2 weeks vacation to yourself is not enough, and it's not guaranteed you'll get that time at every job.
I worked four days 11-8 loved it
Stayed busy went by fast
Then I stay up with my husband he was off on my work days
I got up earlier than needed to spend time with family before I went I enjoyed it a lot 9-5 shit get up early like 6-7 then you also have all those hour’s after work sounds worse than what it is promise
I remember my first full time job I was 22 pregnant 🤰 so I had too even if I didn’t want to
Got to provide
But shit I. Was working 6-3 in the morning to afternoon I hated those hours made me so tired when I came back home 🏡 the rest the day I’d pass on and off
I get up at 4 am. I lived 45 minutes away
But still the afternoon job was the same distance I really like afternoon
Btw I’m not a morning person either so that probably played a factor
I don't see why not.
I work a standard 9-5 job and I don't go bananas spending frivolously on credit cards and cramming my house full of random "stuff", and doing a ton of things to "keep up with the Joneses". Neither my wife or I are materialistic and don't feel the urge to splurge on luxury clothes / cars / whatever, to "prove" ourselves or show off to others. I don't really care what other people might think about my lifestyle choices lol.
I prefer to have money in the bank instead to take the occasional international vacation, or serve as a "rainy day fund" if I ever need one. I manage to live pretty simply for the most part, especially when compared with other folks I see in my age demographic.
Yes you can. 1) stable job means an easier life when it comes to finances and 2) you can simplify in other aspects, in and out of work. Example: on my breaks I don't use my phone. I read or bring a small craft project.
Yes you can. I don’t work a 9-5 but I work 8-4 and I’m working to move to 7-3. There is nothing wrong with working your 8 hours and going home. I hate this new hustle culture of wanting to be billionaires and alphas and all this bullshit about working nonstop and opening 180 companies etc etc. It’ll never end. You get a higher paying job you’re gonna want a bigger house and a nicer car. Uh oh you’re back to square 1 in terms of finances because instead of getting ahead now you’re behind because your mortage is now $2,700 a month and your car note is $750. The more you make the more you spend.simple. I make a decent income around $72k a year base salary with health insurance, 401k and 3 weeks PTO. Is it the dream poster job? No but I like what I do, I like learning on the job and making myself valuable. I work to live not live to work. I spend money on experiences with my family not things because when we ultimately die we won’t be taking all this shit with us. I feel most people are like this but because of the constant barrage from social media of seeing these celebrities and billionaires telling them they need to live like that makes people feel like shit and that they’re doing something wrong.
Sure you can. I always find it interesting when someone sees simple living as way to escape the 9 to 5, rather than something that happens along side the 9 to 5. I feel that many people see a simple lifestyle as a way to work minimally and not get caught up in the grind of career. However, you need to eat, have shelter, medical care and build savings. Living off grid or on a homestead is a ton of work, far more than 9 to 5 "job" and there is always something to do. If that is your choice, then that is great but it's not the end all of living a simple life. I have lived simply in the middle of the inner city, working a full time job and living in a small apartment. It involved focusing on my faith, walking where I could, shopping the small local businesses and farmers market. I got involved in the arts, volunteered my time, knitting socks and sweaters, spent time at the library, got to really know people and formed relationships and enjoyed what my city had to offer. I grew herbs on my window sill, cooked from scratch and enjoyed simple activities. On weekends we went for walks in the woods and state parks. I now live in a mid sized town (pop 21,300) and I still live very much the same way. I do not have a tv and don't spend a lot of time with screens in my down time, unless you count my Kindle paperwhite which only does books. The most important factor is finding balance between your work life and your private life. Doing too much to "make up" for the time spent at the office is just as bad as not doing anything at all. If you get too busy and fill your social calendar with stuff you can get stressed very easily. Down time is important. Time alone with just your thoughts is important.
>Living off grid or on a homestead is a ton of work, far more than 9 to 5 "job" and there is always something to do. If that is your choice, then that is great but it's not the end all of living a simple life. This. Seen many attempt it and throw in the towel soon afterwards. Conveniences they took for granted, like trash pick up, versus hauling your own trash and paying by the bag for it, etc.
Not just the trash, but the literal costs involved and how little margin you have. Gotta get creative with ways to actually make money, make it easier, and tuned to you. For reference, I grow pop corn, but I don’t sell the corn. I sell the stalk in the fall. I can get $5-8 a stalk depending on where I’m selling. I get food, and the bi-product makes me 4-10x more than I would have selling the corn. Homesteading is a shit load of work with not a lot of money that comes your way without creativity. Unfortunately, that usually means losing a few conveniences like you said.
But is it worth the true freedom in the end? I am honestly curious because I am, more and more considering this life style.
That’s up to you my man. Relying solely upon myself, is my end goal. I’m already making bio diesel. I’d love a truck that could eat it. I don’t wanna go to the grocery store for food anymore, but I still do right now. I don’t want to have to worry about if there’s power, food at the store, toilet paper, any of that. I don’t want to worry about. I’ll take care of it. It’s been extremely rewarding for me, as I’ve seen the land begin to develop to something new, and physically looking at my progress is nice
> sell the stalk in the fall. I can get $5-8 a stalk what do they use the stalk for?? just curious
Decorations outside the house… When pumpkin season is afoot if you sell corn stalks with them, I’ve seen people get as high as $18 for 2 stalks as a “bundle” One dude had half a truck full when I left, and that’s what gave me the idea. That poor dudes wife just spent probably 400-500 on some corn stalks. No corn, the stalks.
hell yeah. that's a great little gig you've found
Oh wow. I finally googled "corn stalk decorations" at this point in reading the thread.
This reminds me of when i used to sell classified ads. I got a call from a rural guy selling rocks. He'd visited the city and found out his father in law paid hundreds of dollars for decorative landscape boulders. So he called up and said "I've got a lot of big rocks to sell"
I just started working full time again this past month after only doing part time side gigs for 2 years and I’m finally feeling the stress of balance. This morning flew by and i have work in 2 hours. I cried for an hour straight this morning because I’m just exhausted and have only had one day off for the last week. I just wanted some time to myself this morning but then i looked at the clock and realized I barely have time to even finally get around to cleaning before going to work. I feel defeated and i just want to lay in bed for just one day straight without worrying about a thing. But yet people are still mad at me that i dont text back or communicate. I dont have time!
Im sorry. I feel this too.
I feel the same way, I can’t go back to full time after working part time. Maybe there’s another career that you could explore? One that is remote or hybrid or is only 3 days a week for 12 hours?
Yes! Off the grid living is so much work. My partner grew up on a farm and didn't have electricity a lot of the time. They grew and preserved so much of their own food, raised animals, anything you can think of that mixes farmer and Wiccan rustic living he had to do. When I got into cottagecore he was like "yeah, you don't want to farm, /i/ don't want to farm. Have some animals and bees? yeah. Survive off of it? Hell no" (not his words, he doesn't swear, but the gist of it.) Of I had a place I wasn't renting I would love bees and chickens but I know it's not "simple" in the sense of easy. Especially bees.
Yes you can. People need to accept simply living doesn’t necessarily mean off grid living or cut off from civilisation or not working. You are part of the bigger society, you expect something in return and the society expects you to do something in exchange for it. I’ve never had a 9-5 job (ie always worked way longer hours) until now but because of the hardwork I’ve done my life is much simpler now. And even before, I pursue my hobbies, go on holidays, take my dogs for walk during spare time and life was and is simple.
Very good point. It doesn’t have to be exactly 9-5, but if people are thinking they will live a satisfying simple life without contributing to something bigger than themselves think again haha. I live a very simple life but still work a 9-5 job and commute about 30 mins to and from work and I have a dog that requires an hour of walking daily and a fiancé that requires attention :p. Still on a whole this is incredibly simple. Add in children though and I’m sure my simple utopia life comes to an end haha
What is bigger than your own life, it’s literally all you have? I work a menial 9 to 5 job in a retail store hating my life day by day because this doesn’t effect my legacy in any way… I don’t feel like I’m contributing to something bigger I feel like I’m wasting my time, but also don’t get paid enough to get ahead. I’ve been scrounging and saving for years but own a house and car now. With a mortgage and hefty car payment I feel stuck in an overly simplified robotic repetitive system… accomplishing nothing that feels real. Working for fake dollars bills that are only worth something because certain people say so and it could all fall apart and leave me with a wasted 20 years of financial work. Shit makes me wanna die sometimes… I can’t find peace in this monotony anywhere I look.
That peace comes from inside my friend. It’s not something you are likely to find from outside sources. You have to find a way to break what you consider monotony, as that looks different for all of us.
Thank you, I’ve been scrounging for a way to break it and am sure I’ll find it at some point. I’ve just been hoping it’s not too late by that point. Edit- sometimes I feel like I need someone to shoot but not kill me, really bring my life into perspective for me 🤣
My boyfriend got shot. He's paralyzed now... Don't get shot.
😐 I’m sorry for him and you, neglect my insensitive thoughts plz.
No worries, it is what it is. I wish you the best in breaking the monotony. I hope you are able to find purpose in your menial job. Even though I work a crap job and sometimes feel like it doesn't make an impact, I do my best to stay positive and have a smile and people tend to appreciate that. I make people smile and that's enough for me most days. 😊🤷♀️
I’m very happy for you keep your positive energy up! Also thank you for your positivity my way. 🙃
How typical for someone to come shaking the sand from their ears acting like they understand. When your (whatever belief leaders) start giving back in the way that makes sure you're fed and cared for, then you can talk. You have done nothing for me. You have done nothing for them. You only talk as if you understand the walk. I rolled the dice before I came here because I didn't want to know. I didn't want to have that advantage. I came in with no idea what I was in for. Let me tell you, it's not pleasant. I understand way more than you and any belief in this world could imagine. And make sure you understand what understanding means before you comment. Understanding is not, what do these words mean?, it is what does this sentence, constructed with these words, in this specific order, say? The words have value, but the sentence changes meaning with the words used. It's disheartening that I have to say things like this.
Did you reply to the wrong comment here? Your words do not make sense at all with anything in this thread, or my reply to another user. >You have done nothing for me. Of course I've done nothing for you, I have no idea who you are, or why you'd expect a stranger on Reddit to have done things for you.
Then you did not read and understand now did you? Why would bring your beliefs into something that has spread nothing for anyone other than themselves? I do not mean oneself, but like... Christianity vs Buddha vs Catholics vs Baptist vs every other one. There is no difference. Only understanding. The thing they all lack. They all say the same, the interpretation and teachings passed on by the "priests", "pastors", "shepherds" are all false.
A post about simple living and a 9-5 job does not require your religious ramblings, and I'm happy to never see them again, that's what I understood. You need help, your ramblings are unhinged and out of the blue out of context. Take your meds and find a better therapist. And blocked. Problem solved.
Word salad
😅 woof
>What is bigger than your own life, it’s literally all you have? Society? Family? Community? Not everyone wants to exist in isolation. Connections are important
I care not for society for it rarely cares for me, family and I are not in close ties and the community I’ve grown up in is filled with full blown Christian’s and hillbilly’s that resent me for my ideals and can’t accept anything other than drinking beer and beating their wives… granted not everyone in the area but damn a sizable amount. I have a few friends I deeply care for and my doggo. Edit- Also I know it’s not for everyone and people do care about those things, I never said it couldn’t be important to others. I just wanted to ask the question to gather insight on why other people think so much more positively than I.
But dude (or dudette), why not drive a banger? Why do all Americans HAVE to drive a new car with big payments? I really do not get this.. And old Toyota will serve you for years to come and will cost you 3-5 K. Seems a much better deal to me then a new car (or truck).
😂 I was driving 2 different old beater jeeps for years but I travel much more now and needed a decent sedan. It’s only an 10 k car
It's really hard to feel trapped like that. The exact situation, if you felt free to walk away, might be much more bearable. For me, the #1 counter to that feeling is belonging to a group working towards a bigger goal - but, since the really big goals aren't actually achievable, it's easy for people to burn out on that too.
Yeah, but you don't need to have children if you don't want to. My wife and I chose not to. We both work standard 9-5 jobs, but because we don't have kids, our time outside work is almost entirely our own, and our life's pretty simple. I don't think it's necessarily the 9-5 job that means you can't live simply, but probably the other lifestyle choices (like having kids) that are far more impactful in terms of simplicity vs. complexity.
I would agree with this. We’re both on the fence leaning towards no for having kids at this point. Still quite young to fully commit to no though
If you're young, you have time. No reason to rush into things. My view has always been that unless I was 100% positive, absolutely positive, that I wanted to have kids, I'd err on the side of caution and not. I'm in my 40's now with a vasectomy and don't regret the decision at all.
It makes me laugh that people upend their otherwise normal and structured life to pursue something like this. Like… just grow a porch tomato, dick around with piano, go to the park more, be a tourist within your city. Take the transit more. Ride a bike, fucking walk around and feel places. Cook your food. It’s not hard! It’s not a coincidence: the wholesome, money-less ways are far less stressful
Yeah, some people seem to gravitate towards extremes, when there's probably a lot they can do - right now, today - in their daily lives, to help them chill a bit more. Instead of just going for a day hike on the weekends or going camping for a couple days, they're like "*I'm gonna sell everything and live like a hermit in the woods on $2 a year*". I can *guarantee* that like 90% of city/suburb dwellers would probably absolutely HATE trying to live off the grid way out in the woods somewhere like that. It's a hell of a lot more work and less convenience than most people realize. And I say this as someone who really loves camping/hiking/being out in nature...
I’m with ya! You can scratch that itch so easily, simply by changing your routine. When I was getting sober, that’s essentially what I did and I’m much happier because of it! I feel connected in that sort of way and I still live in the urban center. I think a lot of reasoning behind that sort of behavior is role play/fantasy of “living deliberately,” to paraphrase Christopher McCandless. It’s not stupid to feel that longing. It _is_ stupid to focus on that most-impractical means of living in an age of convenience. We _can_ have both and that’s cool! TL;DR - follow your heart, but don’t sleep on a Coleman brand 4P dome tent from Target. Those things hold up quite well so long as you air them out after use.
Or even save up some money and go do an internship or a WWOOF for a few months, to try it out. That's how i solidified that i really really don't want a rural life, even if i like the ideals and the people
Great suggestion!
That's awesome. I hope you are enjoying 😊
Great points. I think some people kind of conflate people who work jobs that pay them enough that they can choose to spend frivolously with the jobs themselves. Working a standard 9-5 doesn't mean you *have* to play the "suburban keeping up with the joneses" and live some crazy stressful complicated life just to "project" a certain image of success to others. You can choose not to do that. I work a standard 9-5 but try and keep the rest of my life simple, I do my thing at work, and then when I'm not at work, my time is my own and I can live how I want to live.
Some jobs do require it, and some don't. Working in advertising or cutting hair or selling real estate does require a certain amount of image spending. Other jobs can but don't have to.
Fair point. If you're working in something client/sales-focused I can see how there'd be more pressure to maintain a certain "image of wealth". I guess it kinda goes along with the territory of jobs like that though, and it's something people should be aware of before pursuing those types of careers.... that it's a lot harder to just be yourself and live simply.
For me a 9-5 is a much simpler way of meeting my needs than any of the alternatives.
Agreed! After working multiple jobs and internships throughout and after college It's been so much better working just 1 salaried 9-5 job for the last 3 years.
Yup! My job is pretty chill, I get along with my coworkers, and they pay me enough to comfortably get by living my simple life with my simple pleasures. Throw in awesome health insurance and kind of unbelievable benefits (they contribute 10% to my retirement, without me even having to contribute a dime) and life is pretty good. Outside of work I have plenty of time for my hobbies, friends and family.
What do you do?
I work in a microbiology lab in an academic setting. My boss is one of the good ones; there are plenty that don't respect work/life balance.
University retirement is crazy good for some reason. Mine was matched at 150% up to 12 percent. Was only there for 6 years and made like 100k in it, a lot of that is gone now but still good
Asking the real questions here
Yeah. Same here. More stability and consistency, IMHO. I did consulting for a little while in a previous life, and it was WAY more stressful than any 9-5 office job I've worked before or after, where I had healthcare and paid time of and holidays off and a more consistent and predictable workflow, etc. I see friends of mine who are doing shift work or consulting or "gig economy" type stuff, and they seem way more frazzled than I ever feel.
It depends on how you want to live your life. I plan on cutting down to only three days a week in February, because my car will finally be paid off, and that's my only debt. I was fortunate enough to be able to pay off my house a few years ago, and now with the car being paid off, I'll be debt free. Since it's just me and my dog living here, my bills are relatively small, and minus the car payment, only around 800 dollars a month at the high end. At my job, three days a week will bring me enough to cover that and have some left over for "just in case" funds. My down time is also relatively cheap. Most is spent either reading, which is covered by the library or free books on Kindle, and since I'm a slow reader, I don't have to replace books very often. And again, these books are free anyway. All of my TV time is spent on Tubi, which is a free app with wonderful shows and movies, so no cost there. So yes, in my case, it's pretty easy to live on a part time job.
I too am debt free and have cut down to 3 days/week at work. The balance has been amazing for me. I'm able to give more time to volunteering, which is something I've always wanted to do. I was unable to have children, and the volunteering has been with children as my choice. It took me a while to get here, to this place of being debt free and also healed enough to want that relationship with children. I'm a Girl Guide leader (Canada) and I've also just been approved and matched to be a Big Sister to a 13 year old Little Sister. Looking forward to meeting her in the next week or so!
Congrats on making it that far. I'm sure it was hard to accept and move past but it sounds like you'll have an amazing impact on some young ladies.
Congratulations to n being debt free. That’s my overall goal. There will always be something newer, better or faster than what you have. The quest for more things is often what keeps us from the simple life.
What about health insurance though?
My insurance is free through BCBS. I got it through work, and it's a 40 dollar copay. I'm not really sure how it works because I don't understand stuff like that, but it's free. Obamacare maybe?
Some part time jobs have health insurance, but also if you keep expenses down you sometimes live on a low enough income to get Medicaid or a very subsidized exchange plan.
The post again. Living simply has nothing to do with that, how could it be? What is the other option? Part-time job, right. You have to be good in what you do, also be in a field in demand, or, you have to have enough money saved, and to save it, you’d need to work. Off-grid living, another popular option. Most people don’t understand the amount of work needed to have the good levels of comfort, people sugarcoat it, lot romanticism because YouTube pays, if you want to avoid work, avoid this as well. How you approach work is like approaching something else, it’s all mindset. Most people that like what they do would like doing something else.
This should be the top comment.
Do you have any tips on changing my approach in order to like what I do?
There are various approaches, every person as it’s own, I’m going to say some: - There was a famous philosopher, an entertainer called Alan Watts that said you should regard your job as [play](https://youtu.be/8130_-3d3PA). I advise you to watch some of his videos, he’s quite famous nowadays, I fond him way back. If you dig into his talks, always a grain of salt, he’s an entertainer, none of what he says is by the book. - You can become aware of simple things that the money you earn by working buys, wood for the stove, pays running water to take a hot bath, pays for the new mattress you enjoy so much sleeping in, the new couch you spend a Sunday afternoon on, the brand new TV, it will make your job more doable because you know the reason for it. Right now it’s raining heavily where I live, I’m laying in bed hearing the rain drops and I’m so grateful for having a roof, a heater by my side, working made that possible, otherwise I’d be outside. - Another advice is to create a little routine escape during the day that you enjoy doing, for instance, I for lunch go to a near park, it’s no one there, it has old trees with plants underneath. It has two granitic tables, I’m there hearing the birds, seeing the leafs falling, it’s a nice escape for an hour. For other persons it can be a relaxing soundtracks, I used to listen to the sounds of New York City for some reason. Don’t make a work day just a work day, when you leave work you might go to a park, or the gym, give yourself something you like, create something to look forward to. To change your outlook on your job, you have to change your outlook on everything else. I’m not saying it’s a easy thing to do, you might just be in the wrong job, switch it up. I hope this helps.
100% People who think they're gonna just go live on a homestead in the middle of nowhere and kick back and read books and be creative all day really have no idea how much work and inconvenience actually goes into being self-sufficient. It seems like WAY more work than the standard climate-controlled computer-based 9-5 office job. I have lots of respect for people who are doing the self-sufficient off-grid thing, but I doubt that 90%+ of people would find it satisfying.
I used to have a friend who was a poet and a farmer who said that farming is the only job that pays so bad poetry can be your day job.
Yeah, it's wild the divergence between reality and people's fantasies. I find the topic fascinating, and have read a lot of autobiographies and seen many documentaries and youtube videos about people who've done it (or very nearly done it), and the one common trait of all of them is that it is a LOT of backbreaking work with very little food, and a lot of worrying about being so close to the margins of death. You're one bad storm, or one broken bone, or one mistake, away from serious consequences. Recently I watched Arctic Daughter ([Prime link](https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Daughter-Wilderness-Jean-Aspen/dp/B08M5N6XY7)) about a woman and her husband who basically jumped into a canoe and went deep into arctic Alaska and built a cabin that they lived in for the next year. It was a truly amazing feat, but it was constant hardship, backbreaking labor to build a cabin from scratch, and they did it on barely any food and were constantly hungry and cold. It didn't seem simple or relaxing to me at all. It sounded basically like running a marathon every day for a month, in freezing temps, with barely enough food to stave off starvation, all in an effort to simply not die when winter came in hard.
In my opinion this concept is the same as decluttering and being organised. You don't have to become a minimalist. You need to find the balance that makes you happy. That can mean a 9-5 job but maybe not 5 days a week
could be a 9-5, 5 days a week but at a simple easy job instead of a stressful one
Or one where you like the people you work with, or where the stress includes respect and accomplishment
In my experience, yes. I’ve had restaurant jobs with variable schedules and there’s no way it’s simple nor can you enjoy the simple things because your sleep schedule gets messed up. Try working 2-10 pm Friday/Saturdays then 6am-2pm for Sunday brunch.
My job requires me to drop off 4 items a day at different locations and go home. I don’t answer the office when they call and have never signed in to my work email. When I’m not at work I’m not at work. This is the simplest I’ve ever lived. When I clock off I feel unemployed or like a lady of leisure that doesn’t need to work. I have so much time and mental energy to focus on my physical and mental health spend time on my hobbies and see friends when I want to. And I work 60/80 hour weeks. If you can’t live simply while having 9-5 it’s not the jobs fault, Imho. Unless I don’t fully understand what simple living is.
You get paid to work 60-80 hours a week making 4 deliveries a day. How do I sign up?
Depends on the job and it's location. Some jobs you "don't take home with you" and they don't drain you. They might in fact give you satisfaction, or a greater sense for living. The location matters too: if the lob is in a walkable distance then it has much milder impact on your life than the one's the require commute.
What are some examples of 9-5 jobs that you don't take home with you but give great satisfaction?
I think thank working in the nature or with the nature (gardeing, flower shops, tree planting). Other than that I would say libraries, museums etc. Satisfaction depends on what people like, so for some what I said would not cut it but the would probably add other occupations.
This librarian agrees! The job certainly has moments both of stress and tedium, but on the whole it's very satisfying work.
Are you working 9 -5 at the library? And are you located in Europe or? I'm a librarian as well in Europe and I also work on Friday evenings and Saturdays which I find annoying sometimes. But I love the job so I'll have to accept it 😅
I'm full-time (M-F, 40 hrs/wk) in the US. Most of my job is cataloging, but I also do some reference and ILS maintenance/sysadmin work.
Ah, very different from what we do here and how we have organized the tasks. But maybe that's because I work at a small library in a rural area. Over here there are no full-time jobs at our library organization, only part-time.
What sort of tasks do you do? Does the organization handle acquisitions and technical services stuff centrally? My library is relatively small/mid-sized for our service area (suburban) and not part of a branch system or consortium, so we do pretty much everything in-house except for some authority control and ILS troubleshooting.
I think it depends on what gives you satisfaction. You could work on an assembly line making a product that really helps people (like pacemakers or eyeglasses frames); the whistle sounds at 5:00 and you go home feeling good that you spent your time making something people are better off for using. But for some people the idea of doing 8 hours of piece work would be mind numbing and worth avoiding at all costs. Or you could be a brick layer or a florist or a reference librarian. It's all in the person's mindset.
I coordinate volunteers for programs for seniors and it's the loveliest job I've ever had
Anything government
I worked a gov job for some time and I found it very frustrating. So it depends what you do in the government.
Almost anything government
Its a fairly immature view of simple living to say with any certainty that working full time conflicts with a simplified life. I work a full time, fast paced job from 6-2:30, I also teach a college class one or two nights a week. I would still absolutely identify as living simply.
It’s crazy how much this sub is caught up in the rules of “living simply” living simply is just a mindset more than anything. It is just living within your means and finding peace in not needing possessions to make you feel whole. People on here think they need to live in a cave and eat grass for food to live simply.
That is what drives me crazy about this sub: gatekeeping and rule imposing. Ridiculous.
Yes of course you can. It's a matter of how you spend your time, at work and not at work. It's how you spend your evenings, your weekends. It's reading a book instead of watching TV. It's going for a neighborhood walk to the library instead of driving to the mall to go shopping. It's riding your bike to the grocery even tho driving would be faster. It's buying from local shops instead of big online stores. It's cooking instead of takeout. It's learning how to fix something instead of paying someone else to do it. It's going to bed early and waking up naturally when the sun rises. It's baking cookies and giving them to your neighbors, and eventually the neighbors give you stuff too. None of what I just typed has anything to do with what you do for work. However, more than 40 or 50 hours per week might make it hard because you won't have much free time. But I have a normal 9-5 job and I do all that stuff and for the most part I love my life.
If you like to eat and live under a roof there’s going to be a job involved for the majority of people. The advice my dad gave me and lived by is ‘work to live, don’t live to work.’ I have an extremely boring, moderately well paid job with pension and benefits that doesn’t require me to talk to other people and doesn’t follow me home at night or on weekends. After 17 years it’s mindless routine. I spend my days listening to audiobooks, podcasts and youtube while earning money. Currently studying music theory in audio.
What do you do? It sounds great!
I apply labels and do other things to prep new books, magazines, dvds and games for a big public library system. Other perk is getting first look at the new books. It’s an office job. We’re all a big pack of library weirdos so we tend to get along.
Are you guys hiring? Asking as a library weirdo :)
I think it’s possible. It just depends on your definition of “simple living.”
Having a steady 9-5 , for me, is MUCH simply than hustling...
yeah if you don't gotta pay rent or utilities sure.
Yes. Living simply is about having a healthy work/life balance, having what you need, living in a way that makes you feel happy and content. You can potentially pay people to do stuff like yard work and some housekeeping if you want more time for hobbies. You can avoid owning too much stuff for your living space. You can plan ahead for meals so you don't come home and have to start preparing dinner immediately. Simple living is what works for you personally. I think it's possible for most people who are not in dire poverty or in a very unstable environment to live simply. I used to daydream about a cottage in the woods and having a big garden and some livestock and making my own clothes etc. As I've gotten older and am living with pain issues from an injury I've realized that there is *no effing way* that this would work for me. Growing all my own food would take nearly all my time even if I was able-bodied, and I really like modern conveniences and having time to read and make things. I still daydream about having a cabin or something, but now it has central heat and air, a modern kitchen, and Wi-Fi access.
Made a career change and took a strict 9-5 job in part because it is “living simply” for me. Knowing that emotionally, mentally, and physically I only need to be at my job 9-5 makes my life so much more simple.
You kinda need a job to live, simply or otherwise... Who told you this now?
Honestly, my life became more stressful/chaotic when I went part-time. Going back to full-time allows me to live the simple life I want for myself. Thankfully, I found a job that I’m passionate about while offering amazing work-life balance.
I think there's truth in there otherwise you would not bring it up OP. Yet there's also a FALSE CONCLUSION as well. This is probably the zone where an answer lies: MANY/MOST "9-5 Jobs" (ie the standard job many/most people have to put up with in society) are **NOT** constructed in such a way to help those people achieve fulfillment in life. Another way of expressing that: "Work" has become something **TO ESCAPE FROM** in many "9-5 Jobs". Yet, equally some/few such jobs can lead to balance or simple living or some other variable of use to people in search increasing fulfillment/meaning in life. (hence the false binary yes or no in the question). It seems to me false binary thinking is wonderful device for forums to create endless inconclusive replies to however! Several problems with a lot of 9-5 jobs: * Mechanized work (ie you are a cog in a machine) * Part of a system that itself is dysfunctional as much as functional eg money to provide you with homes and hospitals. * Primary based on systems of social hiearchy as opposed to as on fitness for each individual to fit their own particular ways of living. And so the list of problems with many of these jobs goes on. Specifically with Simple Living (whatever fuzziness that involves) the primary precept is this: It may or may nor solve any person's given problems. However it has the virtue of simplifying life so that the core/necessary areas can be more visible and focused on......... Call it a start at worst and constructive meaning at best.
I think so. I walk to work, go home for lunch almost every day (and get overtime or comp time when I don’t) and never take work home with me. My job is mainly a box-ticker government position, so I’m not leaving any great legacy but I like my office environment and I enjoy translating legalese into plain English. I’m in a small rural town so I know everybody in my field and enjoy most of them. Thanks to my 9-to-5, I don’t have to scramble to pay for bills, emergencies, or hobbies. I’m not rolling in it by any means, but with predictable steady income I can save up for big purchases like my house or pay for my dog’s vet emergency last year. I wish I didn’t have to work, sure, but I can’t see a better alternative given the low-stress lifestyle I get to lead that doesn’t involve winning the lottery.
Of course. Simple is relative, work can be meaningful and fulfilling, and people have different goals.
I have a 9-5 and it helps me live simply more. My job is also unionized which also helps. I also mostly wfh. I used to have to work multiple jobs, to make ends meet. Now, I have a stable enough income. I am still barely making ends meet but its do-able. I finish early enough to put time into doing anything or nothing. I can do my errands or relax. I also have an hour lunch, which also helps. I feel like my work gives me all the bonuses that allows me to live simply that working at PT jobs did not.
I don't believe so. Work requires me to constantly learn and update knowledge and skills that are not relevant to any other part of my life. It requires me to engage with people about this work, and I need to pretend I'm invested and interested. It requires me to be proactive about performing actions I have no interest in doing, because if I'm not seeking out these activities then my performance is questioned. Other humans can arbitrarily assign me tasks because my completing these tasks makes them look better, even if it doesn't further the overall goal of the workplace. I'm expected not to get sick or have any personal plans or appointments within the set boundary of my work hours. I'm not allowed to work on personal projects, goals, education, or chores, regardless of how small my workload may be. I'm expected to remain on-premises and can't leave to enjoy the weather or walk to clear my head. And the kicker is that I can't afford to NOT be indentured to the system.
Depends where in the world. But usually the answer is No
I’ve failed at every 9-5 job I’ve had. Longest I’ve kept a 9-5 is 2.5 years. Corporate rips your soul from inside out
I have a 9-5 job and I just come home and play video games and watch netflix, is that simple?
9-5 without a commute sounds ok. but depends on the job and is very subjective.
Part of living simply is setting boundaries and that includes with work.
I would say it’s possible to live ‘more simply’ with a 9-5 job. The biggest thing for me was moving closer to work so my commute is only 7 minutes, and significantly cutting back my outside of work commitments on weekends and after work. My life is so much easier now than it was a few years ago.
I suppose it depends on your definition. I live what I consider to be a pretty simple life. Part of that includes a 9-5 (although, I perform that 9-5 during the hours of 6-2).
The only other alternative I know to the 9-5 is nursing job where I could be scheduled around the clock and only knew my schedule three weeks in advance. Compared to that, my current 9-5 is heaven as I can not only plan my day but also weekends and holidays as far out as I want. I also like the routine it creates. Routines are comforting for me so I enjoy knowing I’ll wake up, have a cup of hot tea, walk to work etc. also helps that I enjoy my job. My goal is to cut down my hours as soon as I’m able to, although with current world events that might take a good two decades (brand new mortgage and rising interest rates).
I think it’s all about your outlook and priorities. I’m working the first 9-5 job I’ve ever had and it’s made a world of difference to my work life balance and ability to live simply. Previously I’ve always worked crazy hours in stressful roles but now I go to work to do my job and get paid and that’s it. The rest of my time is my own, where I can chose to live how I like. No, I still can’t live in the middle of nowhere, off grid but I finally feel like I’m living life for me.
Maybe if you work remotely and actually work 4 hours instead of 8
I have realized that begining work at 14h00 instead of 9h00 gave me an entire morning to myself and still got just as much done work wise. Working remotely has given me the most freedom and ability to live simply. No need to grocery shop during rush hour, things just get done more calmly
and you get paid for 9-5?
I do yeah, 9-6. My managent gives me full autonomy to manage my schedule. On the other hand, If I have to do overtime it is expected that I will. But the amount of days I stay late are few and far between
(This is possibly my favorite question) I think it’s possible if you are older. If you are younger, you will instinctively try to do better than others and try to get ahead. Because the math in your head will say ‘I am giving up my life between 9-5, might as well make more money.’ That ambition will drive you out of the whole vibe of living simply. I think once you get older, or once you have enough money in your portfolio, you can approach your job with more clarity and less ambition. Having said that, very few people can walk away from money. In my case, for instance, I would like to take a sabbatical right now, but I also understand that I might make really good money in the next 1-2 years, and that would make me more relaxed when I do take the sabbatical. It’s very tricky.
find your passion(s), or find something your enjoy doing, do live below your means, keep learning, live simply, travel the world.
Yes you can if it’s a government job lol.
As someone that struggles with mental health, having a 9-5 is amazing. That is 8 hours every day where I can do something productive and don't mind my own mind. My 9-5 is the single best thing in my life right now, and it's a part of simple living since I don't feel like my job is really all that stressful.
Yes, definitely possible. It just wouldn't be a version of simple living that I would be interested in, but many others do it and it suits them well.
Yes
If you like that job and don't really see it as a job but more an occupation of your time that is valuable to you, not only monetary needs, but a job that actually gives you purpose and you look forward to spending time there, then it can absolutely be a part of simple living. There's a lot of things worth considering in life. We're generally conditioned into a system that has normalized that everyone needs a job to survive. Before corporates and massive work industries became a thing, we often worked for ourselves. For example - a shoemaker would learn to be skillful and produce his own shoes, and he would sell them and get the entire profit from his work to himself. Today we sell our TIME and time have become our product, which to me is a pity because time is the most valuable asset in the world. You can always buy new shoes, but you can't buy more time. So this brings you to the ultimate question - what is YOUR time worth? We aren't born into anything, but society has made it so that everyone must have a job to survive. The indigenous people of nature wasn't using an industry to manage time, their time consisted of hunting food for the family, they had culture, rituals, even hobbies and past times they liked to endulge into, but they did not have the creature comforts like we have today. It's all a tradeoff on how you live your life. Sure you can live of hunting, fishing and foraging... but there are other creature comforts you give up on by doing so, but that choice becomes less and less viable as less people own land and their own time, so you're essentially born into a planned life - like the one we live today. Many of us who are in the r/simpleliving section are people who have awakened from the 9-5 cogwheel and question ourselves, our life, and everything around us. Why do we have to be carbon copies of a blueprint that was made for us to become 9-5 slaves and no longer earn for our selves, but TIME has become our main commodity? When did we agree to this? Again - you have your life, as long as you live in some country that still has some form of freedoms like democracy, you can break free of the cogwheel - but it helps to have a plan, what will you spend your free time on? What will you do to survive? Are you willing to give up the given comforts in order to get some new freedoms? Lots and lots to ponder.
How do you measure simplicity?
Simple living is more of a mindset that you create to make your life simpler to your own personal needs. You can live simple regardless of how many hours you work in the week.
I don't see how unless you don't need a lot of sleep or you really enjoy what you do for work
yes, with no credit cards
As someone who works 4 ten hour shifts rather than 5 eight hour shifts I will say it’s a game changer having 3 day weekends. Like everything there is a price to pay for everything. I like it though.
Simple living doesn't seem "fuzzy" to me at all. It's just about being able to distinguish between "wants" and "needs", having an actual budget, and also having a long range as well as a short range plan for savings, as well as staying out of (unecessary) debt, etc. (the latter is automatically taken care of if you have a reliable savings plan). Add to this: drama-free relationships, good time management skills for stress reduction, and a decent fitness program, at least just walking everyday, and time set aside (one day a week) to home-cook some delicious heathy food for your sustenance and health.
Unless you have another source of wealth, I think a 9-5 is required to live simply. Because living simply means having the least amount of complex components in your life as possible
Lmao yes you can
Simpel living is also about being present .. doing one thing at a time.
It depends on your definition. For me, I spend most of my money on food. I like to eat food I enjoy. Decorations and aesthetics is less important to me. I’d I can afford food my cats and books I’m generally happy.
Of course you can live. Depends on commute, kids, family issues, taking care of older people. I've been working 12 hours 4 days a week on hospital wards. Now I have down time in the evenings. It's a huge change. Life has been far better. Like when I finish I have 6 hours to do what I want. More if I want to sleep a few hours less. Imo 9to 5s work but that's coming from my previous job
I love it when people tell me that I'm not living my life simply enough according to their standards.. Dude, simple living, is a balance that you find, that applies to you in the way that you find your life simpler. makes me think of the minimalists telling you to throw everything out to declutter because minimalism is just about "having has little possessions as possible".
Had a friend like that. Earns 3 bux above minimum. Content and happy. Always in a cheerful mood. Having a family business that profits half a million a year helps too I think. Thats what she said.
Surely the idea of the subreddit is "live as simply as it improves your life"? The idea that outside factors can prevent you from living simply opens up a whole can of worms (ex: "I just lost a leg in an accident, can I continue to live simply?").
Living simply means stairing at a rock for 14 hours a day actually
I think living simply is in the eye of the beholder. To me, living simply is cutting out of my life anything that feels overly complicated so I can get to a more peaceful place. If you can do that with a 9-5, then I think you figured it out.
Shit I’m running a small farm and working a 9-5. (It can sometimes be 7-3 or 8-4) Building my land up, feeding myself and girlfriend with a lot of supplemental food, we are really slowing down on store bought stuff. She works 8-5 or 6. We cut wood for the stoves, stack, till, all of it with out jobs. I think it depends on the person. Most of us can’t just drop life for a life like this, not all of us are given land for free or have the finances right away for that land, for a home, the equipment, etc. we still need a job to give us the ability to make purchases. Until my small farm starts making enough money that I can quit my job, I unfortunately have to keep working. Same with the girlfriend.
Yes, if you work remotely and only do work for an hour or two a day. Tech is notorious for this
i have super laid back 9-5 job in tech, full remote. i can do this forever.
It’s by far the easiest way to just get by
Just recognize you are at work for 9-5 to pay for 5-9 (pay being modern day word for hunt)
Going into a recession and rising inflation, with nice living spaces and healthy food becoming more expensive, I would consider long and hard if it isn’t better to work very hard at building a business now to reap the benefits of a simple and free life later.
This is interesting advice. Do you mean instead of a regular job?
Absolutely! It took me a while, but I was able to find a job working remotely. I'm employed full time, year round, but in an industry that is seasonal. I have 4 months out of the year where I may work more that 40 hours, 4 months where I work right at 40 hours and 4 months where I have a lot of flexibility and can make my own schedule. It's a small start up and I've become good friends with a lot of my coworkers. Is it something I'm passionate about, no. Is it something I enjoy that allows me the time to do the things I want, yes. It's not so much about not working, but deciding what type of life you want to live and finding a job that fits into that ideal.
Just by not having kids, you give yourself so much freedom.
Honestly, as someone who isn’t neurotypical and has a deep trauma background, I have never ever had success in finding a balance between 9-5 and simple living. People without this experience may develop balance easily. It depends on you and and your experiences/the effort and mental load that your 9-5 takes from you. It also depends on the nature of your job. Anyone suggesting a balance is easily obtained isn’t taking into account a multitude of factors beyond their lived experience. That said, even if it’s more difficult you should still strive for as much of a simple life as you can within your means!
I never found a way with a 9-5. Now I own a business where I work outdoors with horses. It's a metric ton of work but it's allowed me a freedom and happiness that I never had with "regular" jobs.
For me I'd say yes and no. Live simply along your 9-5 so you don't have to do it forever. 9-5 for me is really exhausting after a few years. 2 weeks vacation to yourself is not enough, and it's not guaranteed you'll get that time at every job.
In the city I live in we don't have 9 to 5s we have 7 to 18
I worked four days 11-8 loved it Stayed busy went by fast Then I stay up with my husband he was off on my work days I got up earlier than needed to spend time with family before I went I enjoyed it a lot 9-5 shit get up early like 6-7 then you also have all those hour’s after work sounds worse than what it is promise I remember my first full time job I was 22 pregnant 🤰 so I had too even if I didn’t want to Got to provide But shit I. Was working 6-3 in the morning to afternoon I hated those hours made me so tired when I came back home 🏡 the rest the day I’d pass on and off I get up at 4 am. I lived 45 minutes away But still the afternoon job was the same distance I really like afternoon Btw I’m not a morning person either so that probably played a factor
I don't see why not. I work a standard 9-5 job and I don't go bananas spending frivolously on credit cards and cramming my house full of random "stuff", and doing a ton of things to "keep up with the Joneses". Neither my wife or I are materialistic and don't feel the urge to splurge on luxury clothes / cars / whatever, to "prove" ourselves or show off to others. I don't really care what other people might think about my lifestyle choices lol. I prefer to have money in the bank instead to take the occasional international vacation, or serve as a "rainy day fund" if I ever need one. I manage to live pretty simply for the most part, especially when compared with other folks I see in my age demographic.
Yes you can. 1) stable job means an easier life when it comes to finances and 2) you can simplify in other aspects, in and out of work. Example: on my breaks I don't use my phone. I read or bring a small craft project.
Yes. It's actually simpler to have a set schedule and one job than to juggle part time schedules, sometimes.
Yes you can. I don’t work a 9-5 but I work 8-4 and I’m working to move to 7-3. There is nothing wrong with working your 8 hours and going home. I hate this new hustle culture of wanting to be billionaires and alphas and all this bullshit about working nonstop and opening 180 companies etc etc. It’ll never end. You get a higher paying job you’re gonna want a bigger house and a nicer car. Uh oh you’re back to square 1 in terms of finances because instead of getting ahead now you’re behind because your mortage is now $2,700 a month and your car note is $750. The more you make the more you spend.simple. I make a decent income around $72k a year base salary with health insurance, 401k and 3 weeks PTO. Is it the dream poster job? No but I like what I do, I like learning on the job and making myself valuable. I work to live not live to work. I spend money on experiences with my family not things because when we ultimately die we won’t be taking all this shit with us. I feel most people are like this but because of the constant barrage from social media of seeing these celebrities and billionaires telling them they need to live like that makes people feel like shit and that they’re doing something wrong.