Life is far too short to be miserable. And that is what 40 years of work inflicts on many people. Misery that we learn to put up with. Sure, there are people that love their work, but they are few and far between.
Many people are ‘stuck’ in unfulfilling jobs because they:
1/. May not be able to get a job elsewhere; or
2/. May not be able to earn as much elsewhere; or
3/. May not be confident enough to look elsewhere
Plenty of New Zealanders are far too reliant on their incomes to fund their current lifestyles, and a downgrade in pay is not an option. Even if it means much more happiness with another job. This is because most people aren’t willing to reduce their living costs. They would rather earn more to pay for their current lifestyle, than to earn less and live a lifestyle full of more options. This decision comes at a huge sacrifice.
financial freedom can buy a life well lived
Life is for living. Not to be endured or to go through the motions. 40 years of working for money instead of working for pleasure is not the best use of our time. Until I discovered financial independence, I thought this was the only way. I didn’t realise there were other options. I thought we work 40 years, trudging through life, then hopefully retire one day. It doesn’t have to be this way.
The more you can save, the more options you can create. You can be pickier over where you work and how you live.
Most of life’s greatest joys tend to be free, or low cost. Learning new skills, recreational activities, socialising, and volunteering can all be done at low cost. The problem is, for us to enjoy them we need the time.
The more you can save then the more you can afford to buy more time. The more you spend, then the less time you can buy.
I am buying time so that I can spend quality time with my family when they need me around the most, volunteering, playing sport, and doing work that I love but doesn’t bring in as much money. Unfortunately for most people, more enjoyable work tends to be lower paying than less enjoyable work.
We will be able to achieve this thanks to aggressively saving for 8 years, predominantly due to downsizing house. Not a big sacrifice to make for us.
I am not willing to go through the motions of work-sleep, work-sleep, with just 2 days of leisure (most of which is spent on unwinding from work and doing chores). I want more play time and to be the chief decision maker in my life. My employer or bank will not own me. I own me.
If you need help with optimising your lifestyle, then get in touch today.
The information contained on this site is the opinion of the individual author(s) based on their personal opinions, observation, research, and years of experience. The information offered by this website is general education only and is not meant to be taken as individualised financial advice, legal advice, tax advice, or any other kind of advice. You can read more of my disclaimer here