The Road to Financial Security

amycool

Good luck with the 5:2 Pushkin! I tried it a few years ago after watching the TV show about it (not for weight loss but for health benefits) and really enjoyed testing myself to see how much I could cope with. About a month in though I suddenly had a huge dizzy fit and then I was too scared to do it again! You have to make sure you eat a low-sugar diet all of the time really otherwise you get the shakes!

Pushkin

Amy - thanks for the tip, my next 500 cal day is scheduled for Wednesday so we'll see how it goes. I am pretty sedentary though so don't anticipate any dizzy spells!

Pushkin

Ok deep breath - first day back at work today.

Scheduled a call with my boss and told her I wanted to apply for Voluntary Redundancy. I also told her the reasons (not sure she wanted to hear that!).

I don't think anything will happen very quickly but she will submit this now and then it's up to HR to go away and calculate my financial entitlement.

Feel like a weight has been lifted from me - am sure the reality will kick in at some point as I will be leaving without a job to go to but we didn't take the risk with moving to the big house last year so maybe now is the time to take the risk.

My mum put it best when she said that I have around 20 years to work so I might as well find a job I get some enjoyment from.

thewalrussaid

Pushkin, just wanted to pop in and say a belated thank you for welcoming me to MFW on my diary. I was catching up on your diary yesterday evening and saw your big decision, well done on taking the leap, the fact that you feel relief shows that this is the right way forward. Being in a job you dislike is truly soul destroying, it ends up completely wearing you down (talking from experience here) so from now on it should onwards and upwards!

Pushkin

Thanks Walrus.

I confess I woke up this morning thinking what the (insert naughty word starting with F) have I done!

I am leaving a reasonably well paid job, with pension & benefits with no job to go to. I won't say I'm not scared to death, but even today I am struggling to tolerate things, think I have gone past a point in this company and can't recover from it.

I think I need the fear - nothing like having no income in order to overcome some of my confidence issues and go out job hunting. Problem is can't replicate that fear though.....

amycool

I know it must be terrifying, but I think you're doing the right thing. Do you have an idea of how much you need to earn to break even? The redundancy pay will of course help to give you time to look around.

It's rather exciting I think to be leaving something that is dragging you down, and finding a new path in life. Be brave! (says me, who's the least brave person in the world...)

Pushkin

Hi Amycool - I have done lots of calculations:

I think my redundancy amount should be about 6 months salary which is a reasonable amount of breathing space.

To keep a lifestyle which can cope with the odd night out or emergency payment I think i need to earn around £1,500 a month.

Given that I will very likely do something outside of IT I really am not sure if that is realistic or not as I'd be a novice.

Thing that worries me the most is that I won't be paying into a pension or making NI contributions until I get a proper job - need to look into that.

It's great to hear supportive words and I think people on here are very honest, do worry that (real life) friends sometimes tell you what they think you want to hear.

Luckyinlife

good luck pushkin hope it all works out for you

cookie9

Good luck Pushkin. It sounds as if you've made the right decision.

amycool

£1500 a month sounds pretty do-able. If I worked full-time, I'd be earning something around that figure and my job required no qualifications. I guess there's a chance you might start on less but after a few years you'll be back up there. You have lots of good experience, which counts for a lot. And there definitely are jobs out there. My brother was made redundant and found a new job that started the day after his last day at his old one! And it was better money and a better work-life balance. He didn't have a penny saved either, whereas you're in a better financial position.

I think some people will always advise to keep the job you have, but if you aren't happy there, what's the point? And if you don't take redundancy and have to find a new job, what are the chances you will actively search?

I hope something perfect comes along for you.