is it crazy to consider halving my salary to do something more interesting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really do appreciate all of your thoughts! I'm still struggling a bit with this one but DH is about to talk me around to "this is crazy". That seems to be the general consensus here as well. Although a few people have done similar things and had it work out fine.

I suspect . . . that my willingness to consider it has much to do with not seeing other good options. I've been looking around and seeing either (1) well paid jobs I don't want because of intense hours and boring work; or (2) interesting jobs that I'm not qualified for.

I realize boredom isn't the worst thing in the world, and I really do like my job most of the time. It's just getting hard to imagine doing it for another 20 years.

No, it's probably because you have never experienced real hard times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really do appreciate all of your thoughts! I'm still struggling a bit with this one but DH is about to talk me around to "this is crazy". That seems to be the general consensus here as well. Although a few people have done similar things and had it work out fine.

I suspect . . . that my willingness to consider it has much to do with not seeing other good options. I've been looking around and seeing either (1) well paid jobs I don't want because of intense hours and boring work; or (2) interesting jobs that I'm not qualified for.

I realize boredom isn't the worst thing in the world, and I really do like my job most of the time. It's just getting hard to imagine doing it for another 20 years.

No, it's probably because you have never experienced real hard times.

Well, it is true that I have been fairly fortunate in life, and I appreciate that. I also suspect that a salary of 75k would not count to most people as flirting with "real hard times".

[Anonymous]

I can offer my perspective from the other side of a similar situation (making $70K at an NGO, 2 kids outside the beltway in DC, husband making $100k).

I enjoy my NGO job, the work is interesting, and contrary to PPs comments, it is not a dysfuctional organization - though funding pressure is very real. The flexibility at my particular org has been fantastic for our family - I work from home more often than not and have been able to reduce my hours when I wanted to.

All that said, financially it can be difficult, and I'm constantly on the lookout for fed jobs in my field. The difference between a fed salary and my current salary is the difference between being able to sign my kids up for music lessons, go on occasional trips, take the family ice skating or out to dinner on a whim, or do needed house maintenance without stressing about money. We also feel like we're not currently saving enough for college and retirement. I'm content with the life we have, and feel fortunate to have a fun, meaningful and flexible job, but it sure would be nice to have more discretionary income. The funding pressures at my NGO also wear on me. I'm 38 years old and still being asked to share a hotel room for conferences, which gets old pretty quick.

If I were you, I'd sit down with your husband and map out the financial implications and lifestyle differences into the future. Then I'd ask yourself the following questions:

- Is your current job really that bad? I.e. if it's causing you great stress on a daily basis, or you feel totally stagnant and it's affecting your mood, I'd be much more willing to change paths than if you're just a little bored.
- Will the new position definitely offer better work/life balance, and does your family need that? if that's not part of the equation, I'd pass that by.
- What is your likely career projection is you choose either path? Will this move really bring you closer to your ideal job (and hopefully a higher salary) or is that still a long shot?
- Is this a once in a blue moon opportunity, or will others come along? If it's not, I'd recommend staying where you are but living off the paycheck you'd be getting at the non-profit for a year, and then deciding if you still want to pursue that path.

Basically, I'd be really skeptical of making the change, unless all the stars align and you are DH are both okay with the lifestyle hit. That said, in my experience the "two year position" thing is fairly common for NGO listings due to the nature of funding sources, and if you're good, they'll likely find a way to keep you after that period if at all possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really do appreciate all of your thoughts! I'm still struggling a bit with this one but DH is about to talk me around to "this is crazy". That seems to be the general consensus here as well. Although a few people have done similar things and had it work out fine.

I suspect . . . that my willingness to consider it has much to do with not seeing other good options. I've been looking around and seeing either (1) well paid jobs I don't want because of intense hours and boring work; or (2) interesting jobs that I'm not qualified for.

I realize boredom isn't the worst thing in the world, and I really do like my job most of the time. It's just getting hard to imagine doing it for another 20 years.

OP, I can very much relate to this statement. I think there is a restlessness that comes with a good mid-career job, and I had similar urges to leave my otherwise great, well-paid job. I finally did after I just got so bored I couldn’t handle it. BUT, I still make over 100k (was making in the 200s previously). At no point did our HHI drop below 200k. Three years in, we hardly notice the change and I am much happier. But I also now know that I will not take a job that puts our HHI below 200k. I don’t want to give up vacations and dinners out; I want to fully fund retirement and keep college savings on track. I’ve also come to realize that while what happens on the job is important because I spend so much of my time on it, much more of my happiness comes from outside of work. I knew that in theory before, but now that I have a job I really like, I know that for sure. This job would not be worth a greater income sacrifice. If I were you, I would focus on jobs that wouldn’t be such a drastic income cut.