I'd love to hear some inspirational stories about using frugal living and smart investing as tools toward career change. My story: I am 20 years into a career that for a long time was my dream -- it's a glamorous (from the outside at least) media job in an HCOL area. I've been lucky enough to claw my way up to a well compensated position that should be the pinnacle of my professional success. However, The pressure and demands on my time are commensurate with the pay: I'm always "on," worrying about my work on weekends and vacations, and generally stressed. My health and family relationships have suffered.
In the last few years, my priorities have changed. I want more time with my family, less stress, a different sense of fulfillment out of my work. I've been dissatisfied for a long time, and I've been pursuing a Masters Degree on the side that should allow me to shift to a career that's less taxing in terms of time and mental energy. It's also a 60% salary drop, if I'm lucky enough to get a job in the new field at all. I think it's likely I can get a job, but it's a big, scary leap: not just in terms of my earning power by in terms of my identity. I have defined myself by my career for a while, and uncoupling myself from that has been a process unto itself.
Here's the thing that's finally giving me the courage to jump: mustachianism. I found this blog about 3 years ago, it completely reinvented how I see my family's finances and set my goals. I am not a hard-core frugalist, but I've saved up a good 6 months of living expenses in cash and a lot more in liquid investments. I have a respectable 401k and a lot of equity in our house. My husband has a solid, tenured job that should cover most of our basic living expenses, as well.
My concern: I won't be able to save and build our stash for early retirement as aggressively if I leave my current job. But I tell myself that frugality isn't only a tool for early retirement. It's also opens up the possibility to make big, bold life changes like this. Has anyone else out there used mustachianism as a gateway to career change and/or scaling back, rather than completely retiring early? Give me some much-needed support to make the leap in 2018, please!