Maximize earnings at the expense of work you like on the road to FI?

[Zummbot]

Just to get some thoughts: Would you prefer to maximize earnings to reach FI faster, even if it meant taking a job you know you wouldn't enjoy? Or would you take a lower paying job doing something you like and take the scenic route to FI?

[Rural]

Hi from the scenic route. :-)

We had the higher-paying jobs we didn't like, left them nearly a decade ago now, and haven't regretted it a minute. We went for a lower cost of living area at the same time, and we're better off overall than we would've been staying where we were.

[BadStache]

Hi From the "power through the pain" route.

I am in finance, he's in computers.  We are powering through it for 10 years, then done... forever.   It's painful, but we'd rather sacrifice 10 years now and then enjoy the rest for 40 years then have to worry about running out of money.  It's a hard decision, particularly when there are small children involved.  I consider it sacrificing for delayed gratification. 

[arebelspy]

Personally, no.

I wouldn't do anything I don't enjoy.

[Tyler]

Working a job you hate is the fast track to anxiety and burnout. So many unexpected things can happen in life to derail even the best laid plans that it makes no sense to intentionally neglect such an important ingredient to happiness actually in your control. Money isn't everything in life, and financial independence is not a finish line. Don't wait until then to be happy.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

That's a tough one. Fortunately for me, there has been a positive correlation between salary and enjoyment during my career. I've only been working for seven years, but have held 4 jobs and the trend has been perfect so far. I can't say that I've loved any job, so I guess you can say I'm trading enjoyment for earnings, since I know there are jobs that pay half the wages that I would enjoy more. But I wouldn't take a job I hated either.

[BadStache]

I think it all depends on how much you "hate" your job.  I just don't like having to "work" for money.  I believe MMM took this route, worked only as long as he needed.  Each person has a different tolerance for the 9-5.  Classic golden handcuffs scenario.

[Zummbot]

I think it all depends on how much you "hate" your job.  I just don't like having to "work" for money.  I believe MMM took this route, worked only as long as he needed.  Each person has a different tolerance for the 9-5.  Classic golden handcuffs scenario.

I think that's a fair point. I'm kind of surprised when people say they "love" their jobs. Can you really love something that you do for 40 hours a week? Sure you can like it, but love? On the other end of the spectrum I do think it is easy to hate a job. Hate is a strong word, and even if I could reach FI in 5 years instead of 15 it'd be hard to stomach a job I hate for 5 years.

How about something more on the grey scale, like a boring, unfulfilling job that pays well and allows you to reach FI sooner, compared to a fulfilling job that you like (but don't love) that doesn't pay as well where you have to work longer to reach FI.

[deborah]

That's a tough one. Fortunately for me, there has been a positive correlation between salary and enjoyment during my career.

+1 - it was office politics that was the problem for me - and that would happen in any job.

[Stache(Formerly)InAsia]

I have been struggling with this same question for the past few years, and especially the past year or so.

I hate the industry I am in, but a lot of that is from a previous job in it; my current job is at least tolerable, but it is difficult to shake the burnout/anxiety from the previous experiences. The hours are reasonable and the pay is enough that I will likely be taking a massive pay cut no matter what I do next, and I am cognizant on a pay-per-hour basis I will probably never make this much again once I leave. On most days I don't have to work too hard, though things can get very stressful on occasion (a lot of the stress is probably self-imposed though). I get some comfort from knowing that I have one foot out of the door from this industry, so to speak, and that I am at least financially secure, if not FI.

I am something like 2.5-3 years from being borderline FI were I to stay in this job, however the thought of staying that long makes my stomach sink. I have had a fairly frugal lifestyle even before discovering MMM, so I could take a large pay cut and still cover my expenses; reaching FI would obviously be delayed longer though.

I imagine I would enjoy the scenic route, but there is probably fear on some level that doing this would fail, and that I would have to come back to the same industry in a worse position.