Working Sucks - How to work less

[PRICEPLUS]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

While I don't agree with a great deal of the article there are some good points.

1) I have no problem going vegetarian two or three days a week. I still want a little meat and chicken though.

2) You can buy things second hand and achieve great savings.

3) College is not for everyone. What do plumbers, electricians, etc... get paid for their services.

4) I won't dumpster dive for food but I have pulled a bicycle or two from the trash and gave them to my brother in law to repair. After a bit of works he had them looking almost new. A lawn mower put out for collection was repaired and gave me 9 years of service before it died. My buddy lucked out and picked up a snow blower put out of collection. After a 200 dollar repair job he is still using it after 7 or 8 years.


As with any advice you choose what works for you and leave the rest by the road side.

[jaksilee]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

If babies are the cause of America's woes, then why can the Amish raise large families on what would be considered poverty level?

I have to say i agree with this point!!! I was thinking this was a good piece till I got about a third of the way in and he totaly lost me!

[button48]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

I read this article on Simple Living Forum. It disgusted me then & it disgusts me know. This is like worshipping the created instead of the creator.

Planned Parenthood is NOT a trusted company. They make their money killing babies. If you don't think so, visit Operation Rescue's site. They include photos of an aborted baby while the parents are saying their last fair well. So much for it being just "tissue".

If babies are the cause of America's woes, then why can the Amish raise large families on what would be considered poverty level?

If you think group living is the answer, try & find a landlord willing to agree with you. And if husbands & wives have a hard time living together, try imagining what it would be like with 12 adults living together.

If you think meat is evil, imagine what it would be like without fertilizer. And if America quit eating meat to save money, do u think they would send the excess to Africa & India where people are starving? Do you know why India is starving? Because they worship the created. Cows are sacred. If they ate the meat instead of worshipping it, the country has enough food to feed every one for 4 years. Some also worship rats & so refuse to kill them. The rats consume 25% of their grain production. But if eating meat is evil, then certainly killing rats is just as evil.

It's interesting that killing cows for food is evil but killing babies for convenience isn't.

I could go on, but I guess you can tell where I stand with this article.

I "so completely" agree with you. Our Creator is the one we are to worship and serve. We are to base our life on the "road map" (Bible) God has given us as our guide. Working is the correct way of life. It is not always easy, not always the job we want, not always the type of people we want to work with, and it can be just plain STRESSFUL. But I agree with the fact that I also enjoy my children, grandchildren, pets, transportation, food and soooooooo many good things! Thank God we still have the right to protest against abortion which is no less than MURDER! (People who do not believe this need to think, accept the Lord as their Savior and they will have a different outlook about many things, including abortion!) I appreciate the fact that we live in a free country, still have the freedom to worship and appreciate and thank the soldiers for fighting to keep this a safe and free country!

[srace]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

I guess I am lucky, I love my job, my boss is GREAT, and I love my customers. To me work is like a second home, and I wouldn't give my job up for anything.

[neatdesign]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

I think what rubs many people reading this article the wrong way is that it seems so contrary to American cultural ideals regarding work. Americans are hard workers, always have been, which is why we work so many long hours and don't get nice long holidays like they do in Europe.

I honestly don't understand why the author doesn't just go to live in another country where he can work less and have more time off altogether. The British complain that they get the least amount of time off than the rest of Europe -- the British "only" get about four weeks' paid vacation a year. Compare that to the average 10 DAYS' paid vacation per year that Americans get.

Ironically, people who follow this author's advice wouldn't qualify for a visa to emigrate to another country because they'd have no education or work skills. Well, I guess you can't have everything... *sigh*

~ Jenney

ps to Button48 -- While I respect your religious views, this is not a religious board. This is a place to learn about and discuss money issues; please respect that.

[CRFSaver]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

He lost me when he said give up meat.

I have my MBA. While many times I feel it hasnt helped me reading what I have here I have to say I am not as bad off as I think many times. Yes education (not necessarilly college but even vocational such as plumping or electrical) is what can make a difference.

[retire@50]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

While the extremes this person advicates so that he doesn't have to work are not for me, I do think he has a good point in saying most Americans work too much. And the reason most people work is to pay for things: not because their jobs are exciting or fulfilling.

I would say a large number of Americans work either because of debt from things they have already bought or things they want to buy in the future. If that's their choice, great. I'm all for that. But it is a kind of slavery when you are only working to pay bills or living expenses or because you believe you aren't worth anything without the great car, house, clothes etc.

Personally I don't want to work. I've never wanted to work. Because that's the way I feel for the last twenty years I've been saving a large percentage of my salary with the goal of retiring early so I don't have to work.

In order to meet my goal I've had to keep my standard of living way below what the marketing people tell me I should be living at given my salary. But it's my choice to spend less and consume less with the goal of not working. As long as I don't do anything unethical or harmful to another person to achieve my goal then it's an alternative that should be supported.

But people who don't want to work full time till they are 65 are often treated as un-American, slackers, not doing their fair share for the economy. I find that attitude to be just as extreme as the one stated in the article.

[JBinKC]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

Personally, I have always attempted to work the minimum hours possible to maintain benefits at work mainly to keep health insurance. I get close to 5 weeks of paid vacation. Thats all no stress in my job and no gray hairs. Why work so hard at work because the government takes the largest share away from income from a job.

I think the main reason why I have been able to do such a thing is I stayed single with no children or spouse to support and no need to keep up with the Jones' because of internal and external influences and I live in an area where the CPI is about 85% of the national average. I never really incurred any significant debt and have been very efficient with my income generation from accumulated stocks and real estate assets outside of work that I am able to closely and effectively control.

Now I am free without any burdens of marriage and can do whatever I want at anytime like race my sailboat or go to my second home to relax and I am 42.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

Burdens of marriage? see there we americans go again with extreamism. Since marriage isn't the thing it must be a burden. (bet you wern't meaning to be down on those of us happily married)

But there is a middle ground. Like the story of the fisherman and the investor. either he was barly working now or he should be overworked and then retire and not work. Somehow the middle ground of an hour more to make retirement or whatnot easier didn't enter into it.

[JBinKC]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

Good for you but how much money does it take to raise one child from birth to 18 and 60% of marriages end up in divorce and many men end up having to survive on about 25% of what they net. I would say the ability to live a worry free lifestyle with financial burdens diminshes greatly when you stay single.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

Err, children are not a cost subject. I would not let my child suffer to save one single cent. I love my husband and could not live without him, he is not a financial consideration, he is my other half. The love of my life and all that corny stuff.

When considering marriage I didn't ask if I could live with him, I KNEW I could not live without him. I am not concerned about my future net worth if it will in any way harm my husband or my children. (though as far as being happy on less money you would have far to go to convince me I would be happier with more money and less love)

As far as my children go, well I like them, I like to teach, you have your hobby I have mine. If you don't mind the 'burden' of yours why would I mind the 'burden' (which is no burden to me) of mine? I would rather skip all the expensive luxuries (cable, net, steak, etc) in the world than allow one hair on my childs head to be harmed. And BTW I do not spoil them, unless with love counts. And I certainly don't want to give up making them (or practicing) . To much fun!

Anyway maybe you only see kids and spouses in terms of dollars and cents, I see them as the loves of my life.

[rob62521]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

This article is so "way out there" one wonders if it was written just to get some response. Or perhaps the author was paid by the word and the content was left to the side.

We as humans have to use our head to do what works for us. I disagree with no college part. I realize many can find good jobs without college, but some training is necessary somewhere along the line. jacqulynrose mentioned scholarships and grants, plus one doesn't have to go to a 4 year university, or go full-time.

[murphyc]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

No, work is a good thing because if you don't work, you have too much time to think about how grim reality really is. What in the world do you DO if not working? You got no money for one thing, so you probably look like hell, like a loser, and who wants to be around that for any length of time? I see plenty of young guys when I'm out driving around and hitting my thrift shops in the crummier neighborhoods, slinking around, doing nothing and looking like hell. Sure, they have time on their hands but they are pitiful. No, you need to find some kind of worthwhile employment and be about something in this life so you have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I sure agree with the not having kids for awhile, not getting into debt if you can help it especially for dumb things like cars. Your entertainment should cost next to nothing. I personally like living in a house but used common sense when getting mine and will pay it off long before I retire. I work from my home as a medical transcriber full time and of course am not totally happy with that all the time, but Lord, who is happy all the time? I figure the reality is I'll be doing this for a few hours a day long after I decide to retire. Again, you gotta have something worthwhile to do with your time, if not for you, for someone else. The prospect of not working is incredibly depressing to me. I just cannot imagine it. And I'm more contented with my life now at 51 than I ever have been.

Cindy M

[Staceyy]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

Shoplifting Food???

[vsjhoc]

Re: Working Sucks - How to work less

Shoplifting Food???

Yes, how very noble.