Ducati Monster Forum

Like the question says hypothetically speaking, what is your stance?




mitt

The question isnt hypothetical to me. I can say that I took a job that paid about 40% less and my happiness doubled five years ago. I know some would say Im crazy, but...I had a wakeup call....

Family
Shelter
Food


The rest is gravy.

I vote for happiness but I'm an idealistic, unemployed 25 y/o living at home with his parents until he can finish his damn MS project and get a job again.

It was nice making $28/hr at my first job out of school but getting yelled at almost every day when I didn't even do anything wrong pissed me the hell off and I quit w/o any plans. I was also working 45-50 hour weeks and I just plain wasn't having fun at my first experience in the real world. It was nice being able to buy anything I wanted but I just couldn't enjoy them because I was tired all the time or pissed off.

If you have no debts, no mortgage, no one to provide for but still have enough to be comfortable + drinkin' money....


I would say it's up to you.  ;)

Quote from: erkishhorde on September 13, 2010, 06:00:22 PMIt was nice being able to buy anything I wanted but I just couldn't enjoy them because I was tired all the time or pissed off.

Bingo

So many studies and surveys have said it's not the money, it's the personal satisfaction and happiness that make people love their jobs. So easy to say and so hard to do. So few people really do what they love regardless of the pay. The Life Is Good Company mantra says it all "love what you do, do what you love". It isn't as easy as it sounds. I've never found it and seriously doubt I ever will. Sad. Right now I'd just like a decent job. I don't need to love it.  

Wait....I can get paid to be happy?

I took a huge pay cut to go from an IT sys/admin to a high school history teacher. After 8 years and 35 graduate credit hours, I'm back to what I used to make, but more importantly I'm much happier.

Depends on how miserable you are, and where else you are in life, really. Can't say I'm happy with my job. Can say I'm happy that I could pay the mortgage if P lost her job.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that my job satisfaction is low on the priority list.

I used to own my own business, but after 6 1/2 years I had had enough.  I sold my shares to my business partner, and found a job teaching again.  

It's a private school (less pay than public) but it's an amazing place, and I feel like I'm exactly where I want to be.  There's room to grow, and lots of fun employee perks.  

I'm not making bags of money, but I get to work at 8:30am, I leave at 5:30pm, I have an hour lunch, there's (good) free coffee, and I don't have to think about work at night or on weekends.  

I'm 100% happier than I was.  ;D

i've taken jobs for 50% cut in pay and its good, so long as you are healthy and aren't in debt and i wasn't so it was a good tradeoff for quality of life.

but i have a caveat, those studies that say happiness is not multiplied by more money, obviously are studies in a vacuum.

ask anyone with serious medical  bills/problems if they would be happy if they had more money to pay for better care and you will hear a very different opinion.

happiness is great, but it doesn't pay the rent/hospital bills or gas.

I'm 59 and spare time and quality of life are worth more than money to me

age has a way of shifting priorities

but then I made enough when I was younger to afford this attitude

Quote from: MrIncredible on September 13, 2010, 06:21:32 PM
Wait....I can get paid to be happy?

Of course.
You won't be paid *much*, however.

I studied fine arts in college - I had a nice lifestyle as a starving artist laid out before me, and I threw it all away it by getting mixed up in IT.  (I kid IT, I really enjoy the work.)  Now that I have three other humans in my life that serve as happiness coefficients, I have to say how I calculate personal happiness is much different now, and will be for the time being.  My own personal happiness is not as important as the collective happiness of the household.  And what only makes me happy is not as satisfying as what makes everyone happy.  Money has a way working its way into the equation more often (but not always) when you are in this situation.

I don't love money, but I have figured out how to make it work for me.  And I am pretty happy, for reasons that have little to do with my job.  I said 80% because I would happily take a 20% cut if I could spend another full day per week with my kids.

I worked hard for 30 years , even was part owner of the Company when at age 56 said .......I've had enough of this shit.

When the Company went Public and I was allowed to sell all my stock I did so over the period of a couple of years.

Cost me a shit ton of Tax but there was plenty left over , even after the $$$$$$$ lost in the Stock Market crash of '07 to now, hopefully will last me until my time on this World is up.

So I say retire as soon as possible and have fun with the time you have remaining.

Try to save enough money to invest in something that will grow your money while you are working .

What has happened to our Economy in the last few years has been unprecedented in my lifetime which means pretty much all DMFers lifetimes.

The Stock Market has historically over the last 100 years returned on average 8%.

You have to be diversified and find a Financial planner that you trust to guide you w, your investing.

I was greedy, when the Dot.com bubble burst around 2000 I could have got out of the Stock Market and made a bunch of $$$$$$$ but no....I wanted to ride it out thinking it would come back stronger. No such luck until 2006 then things started to get better and then 2007 and the Stock market hit !4,000 and I was back in the high life ...but then that Fall things starting going bad and I could have got out and been sitting pretty ....but no....I was greedy and thought it was a short term blip.

Boy was I wrong ....and my Financial Planner advised me to sit tight.

Well I paid the big $$$$$$$ price.

Luckily I did finally get out while I still had a good chunk of change.

I have gone in a different direction w, my investing now.

I am in safer waters and can sleep at night knowing no more big losses.

Dolph     :)

I make far less than half of what I used to... back in the day.
I love what I do for work. [thumbsup]
I own nothing, struggle , go hungry sometimes...... but to me that is worth it. I have a choice every paycheck. Either I buy meds or I buy food. I choose meds. My car needs an exhaust and tags. Maybe next month. ........if nothing else goes awry.I need to buy winter shoes again as the ones I bought
last year are worn out and not fixable.Something good will happen regarding that I have confidence!
I have a roof over my head,friends that love me,health and my happiness. I have everything I need to survive on the little blue dot.
Money is nice to have but I dont need it to be happy I have learned. Happiness comes from within and you should never relay on anyone else to make you happy. Things dont make you happy.For me, seeing the natural beauty of our world makes me happy, knowing that people care about me makes me happy. Seeing the sun makes me happy. There is happiness when it rains as well. Rain makes the flowers grow and the keeps Oregon green. Life is how you percieve it to be. I am a happy girl. [thumbsup]
Be well friends be well,
BGB

I retired early at the age of 52 through health issues, the lump sum I received was invested and just like Dolph I lost out but 15 years later I'm still having fun... [moto]

I get a small company pention plus my OAP off the government, no morgage, no debts, just have to be careful and life couldn't be better, all I can say is retire as soon as possible because lifes to short... [wine]

We live on quite a nice estate and when we go for a walk we pass all the houses with new up market cars and SUVs and Babs always comments as to how we are now poor but I say we're not poor we just have more time to do stuff... ;) ;)

So I say if you have to take a drop in income don't worry just cut your cloth appropriately in live life to the full... [beer]

[coffee]

Interesting reading so far and interesting voting results.  The 90% option - that seems like not a lot of margin.  To me, 10% is noise - it could come or go, but wouldn't affect my decision one way or the other. 

80% is definitely not noise, and might be getting close to my personal threshold.  My expenses are not huge - 2 kids & a house, but my wife is a stay at home mom by choice. 

The 60% option is close to what I am seeing on a interesting job opening.  That would take me back to 2002 salary wise, and back then we had no kids, and my wife was working full time as a licensed landscape architect.  I am struggling to see how it would work today and not even sure what math to run to say it would or wouldn't.

mitt

it is an interesting question....but it depends on your current cost of living for the necessities...( and how happy you are at your current job-which begs a follow up question, of how do you guage how happy you really are?)

me personally, I couldn't say for sure as to how much of a cut I could take, because what I make is variable due to my pay being salary/draw + commision...on a good month I could say that I could go without  percentage, but the next month could go into the shitter and I am left trying to string things together on a wing and prayer like I have practically had to do over the last 2 years on more than an occasion or 2...figuring out who I can string along till next month and who had to have their money in priority, much like what badgalbetty was saying...

It's not just the percentage... As 40% of one million per year would be just fine for most people.   

Quote from: MrIncredible on September 13, 2010, 06:41:25 PM
Depends on how miserable you are, and where else you are in life, really. Can't say I'm happy with my job. Can say I'm happy that I could pay the mortgage if P lost her job.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that my job satisfaction is low on the priority list.

That's where I sit too.

I hate where I work, I hate my job, but I like the pay.

It allows me to provide for my family, go on vacations, etc etc.

My happiness sits outside of the workplace........not in.

Quote from: Statler on September 14, 2010, 04:33:27 AM
It's not just the percentage... As 40% of one million per year would be just fine for most people.   

True - hard to represent in a poll though, especially when I never talk about money quantitatively with anyone buy my wife  [thumbsup]

mitt

All you people are Commies.

Quote from: duccarlos on September 14, 2010, 05:03:48 AM
All you people are Commies.

[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

bullshitting Bolshevik.

I am absolutely, unshakeably, deeply convinced that money is no substitute for happiness.

I base this on 18 years of practice as a psychiatrist with some extremely wealthy and very poor patients and everything in-between.

I like money and all the shit it can buy me. I love my wife and kids.

Quote from: duccarlos on September 14, 2010, 06:22:11 AM
I like money and all the shit it can buy me. I love my wife and kids.

+1

I'll be miserable 60hrs a week just to be happy the remainder of the time.


Call it greedy, worthless, whatever, I don't care.

It is nice to have money to spend with your wife on nice vacations, a nice motorcycle, a dinner, whatever.

I am happy as a clam when I walk out of this building, of course I curse the entire way out, but get in the car, throw on Shiny Happy People, I get greeted by my dogs first when I get home, then a hug and kiss (I get those nice big boobs against my chest carlos, I sometimes squeeze them) from my wife........and my happiness begins.

Tonight I am finishing up that food station; Tag's bowls won't fit, so I am making it for my brother.

Then I'll cook steak and have dinner with the wife.

Putting up with a shitty job and a nice salary allows us both to live the life we like.


Happiness is all good.


I am not sure how one could be happy when you don't have money for food, but hey.......I am not you and if you can live being happy that way........good for you!

The question as posed can't be answered because we have no idea of the financial situation, so the % choices don't mean anything.

Like the others I think happiness is more important than money, but when you enjoy doing things that cost money, having a certain amount becomes necessary.

I'd take a 95% pay cut to have a job I loved if I was still guaranteed enough money to do the things (or most of them) that I like. That isn't happening unless I win the lottery though.  :)

Quote from: Triple J on September 14, 2010, 06:44:09 AM
I'd take a 95% pay cut to have a job I loved if I was still guaranteed enough money to do the things (or most of them) that I like. That isn't happening unless I win the lottery though.  :)

I'd be a worthless non-contributing member to society if I magically had the money to do things we like!


but then again.....I am pretty worthless as is.

Quote from: cyrus buelton on September 14, 2010, 06:28:52 AM
(I get those nice big boobs against my chest carlos, I sometimes squeeze them) from my wife........and my happiness begins.

Pics or it didn't happen.

The question for me isn't so much money as time. If I could keep my job take a 20% pay cut and only work 4 days a week I would do it starting tomorrow.

sac

I'm the girl who left the guaranteed millionaire by 35 career path to start a small business that helps others start small business for complete peanuts....and I am REALLY happy I did!  ;D

Quote from: DesmoLu on September 14, 2010, 07:07:58 AM
I'm the girl who left the guaranteed millionaire by 35 career path to start a small business that helps others start small business for complete peanuts....and I am REALLY happy I did!  ;D

you mean...YOU were to be the next Ms Cleo?  :o

;D [laugh] [cheeky] [drink]

money is inherently linked to happiness for me.  if i was living on my own, maybe not.  but with a wife and kid, it makes me happy to be able to provide for them.  i just bought a great house in an awesome neighborhood in a place where it's warm and sunny most of the year.  those things make me happy, and they take money to sustain.  however, i've also done a lot of work over the last 5 years to change my outlook on life.  i had "stuff" before that, and i wasn't happy.  now i still have "stuff", and i am happy.  so no, it's not all about money.  but it sure helps.

i took a 98% pay cut and work 12hr shifts, and i'm having the time of my f*cking life! My life is simple my needs are met.

food

shelter

beer

the rest is gravy.........

i have a lifestyle that i really like:  good home, company car, my Duc, new things around the house, vacations, and a little "mad money" on the side.
i couldn't take much less w/o a major adjustment.  i like my job and my boss likes me most days too. ;D

OTOH, i know someone who seems to be quite content getting by with no steady income, no health/dental insurance, no car and no savings.  i don't get it, but to each his/her own.

Ciao!

The NY Times had an article in the past few weeks looking at this.  $75,000 seemed to be the cut off.  Anything over 75K was gravy.  Under meant stress, worry and not so happy.

Quote from: Little Monkey Toes on September 17, 2010, 10:05:24 AM
The NY Times had an article in the past few weeks looking at this.  $75,000 seemed to be the cut off.  Anything over 75K was gravy.  Under meant stress, worry and not so happy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States)

According to this about 89% of the US population is worried, stressed and not very happy. :-\

Quote from: humorless dp on September 17, 2010, 10:30:48 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States)

According to this about 89% of the US population is worried, stressed and not very happy. :-\

I am guessing you guys are quoting 2 different things.  The wiki is personal income, not household.  I am guessing the Times was household income.  If you have 2 people making 40k each, you are above the 75k level.


mitt

According to wiki the household income is 70% are below 75k. 

I wonder what the times meant about 75k - that is the cut off for being happy, or from going to Job A to B with B being less than A?

mitt

Found it and I was wrong above.  75k is limit for increasing happiness - after 75k, then the happiness meter pretty much stops moving.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/the-magic-income-number/?scp=4&sq=income&st=cse (http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/the-magic-income-number/?scp=4&sq=income&st=cse)

mitt

That's what I said right?  After $75K it's all gravy.  Under, not so happy.

Quote from: mitt on September 17, 2010, 10:49:40 AM
Found it and I was wrong above.  75k is limit for increasing happiness - after 75k, then the happiness meter pretty much stops moving.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/the-magic-income-number/?scp=4&sq=income&st=cse (http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/the-magic-income-number/?scp=4&sq=income&st=cse)

mitt

Meh. I need more time.

My gravy tastes terrible, I must be doing it wrong.

Not enough grease.

I'm nowhere near $75k.   :-\

But then again, I'm a teacher...  I make maybe half that.   :P

The wife and I used to both work full time, we had a huge mortgage, and we never saw each other or had time to enjoy the house we were paying off, the couple of days we had off were spent cleaning, mowing and looking after the place, after 2 years I said to the wife I can't do this for another 25 years, we had 2 maxed credit cards, a small personal loan.

We sold the house and the bit of money we made, we invested, and sadly a decent chunk went down the drain because of the financial crisis.
I lost my job because the company I worked for could not ride out the GFC. there was no full time work around, so I applied for a Part time/Casual job with a electrical retailer and that change in job has pushed us down a path we never expected to go down, and we couldn't be happier!

As a result of me switching to part time work, I am now the House Husband (Or House pregnant dog as the wife likes to say!  [laugh] )
We really expected to struggle and go backwards financially, but It had some unexpected benefits:

- We are now Eating better, because of the hours we were doing (on average 50 - 60 hours each) per week we were eating a lot of junk food, now I cook a meal each night (I do all the cooking, the wife can not cook to save herself) we don't buy lunches any more,  I now have time to go out and search for better quality Meat, Fruit and Veg, we are saving a small fortune because we are not buying junk food just about every night (We have a "Bad day" once a week, we get junk food on that day only)

- We are much cleaner, I now have a strict timetable of cleaning for the week, certain days I clean the house, the Bathroom, every few days the Towels and Sheets get washed. before it was a case when we remembered or the dirty dishes reached the ceiling. I'm a bit of clean freak, but when working full time doing 60+ hours in a week, I could not be bothered when I had a day off, or just do a half assed effort at cleaning.

- We moved interstate! We were tired of living in a town where everyone knew mine or my Wife's parents, we couldn't go anywhere or do anything without our parents finding out about it. so we spent 12 months looking at our options and we moved to Tasmania (Island state south of mainland Australia) The town we lived in was so stuck up it was incredible. We love it down here, cheaper to live, great roads, awesome scenery, beautiful country side and friendly people.
my only regret about the move? we should have done it years ago!

- Depression, I was diagnosed with Depression about 6 years ago, I was on Zoloft everyday, and some days the Depression became almost overwhelming, since the switch to part time work, I have stopped taking the Zoloft and I have learnt to manage the depression myself, in fact the Black Cloud events (That's what I call the time when the Depression is at it's worst, when you are really feeling down) have become very mild. the wife says that she can see the difference since I changed my work habits.  

I could go on and on about all the major and minor differences it has made to our lives.

The silly part is we have less money coming in, but we are much happier! Since the move we have been living off the wifes wage only, (I just found work last week and start next week) but we are happy. I have had full time work since I left school 18 years ago, I could never have imagined working part time, I must admit it scared me when I applied to do part time work (Meaning less money coming in) but we can now see even with less money coming in we are happier and healthier for it.

Very happy!  [thumbsup]

Quote from: SpankyDuc on September 19, 2010, 03:03:47 PM
The wife and I used to both work full time, we had a huge mortgage, and we never saw each other or had time to enjoy the house we were paying off, the couple of days we had off were spent cleaning, mowing and looking after the place, after 2 years I said to the wife I can't do this for another 25 years, we had 2 maxed credit cards, a small personal loan.


Very happy!  [thumbsup]

Good for you  [thumbsup]   It is nice reading stories like this.

mitt