change jobs to benefit family time or remain to benefit family financially

Sea_Shell

With no back up savings, I'd consider giving it "one more year". Save hard (as if you'd taken that pay cut) and then reassess in a year's time.

Work life balance is important...but so is being able to afford that pay cut, without jeopardising your finances.

[Deleted User]

The problem with taking a pay cut is then later on, how is this understood are you then putting yourself in a weaker position for later negotiations. Imagine having to write salaries (honestly) on the next application form.

Going into a new job with great unhappiness at leaving last post never bodes well.

And I'm sorry when I ran into difficulties after the first half of 2018 earning just over 18k to by end of summer that year earning just over 15k in a call centre job with still over half the commute and no opportunity to get an extra job not that it was allowed and there were ways to deal with it through the rota scheduling - I got very little understanding from the major debt amassed at the time. I had to go through some horrendous moves to get back earning the money to get in the black.

MERFE

My husband has recently done just this, he has come off the road as a hgv driver and is now in the yard. He drives the lorries to their mot tests freeing up mechanics time as well as other bits and bobs. He is on the same hourly rate but doing less overtime, no night out money, monthly fuel bonus etc. I think is it about £700 a month less. However we do have savings for a rainy day and will still be saving but at a much lower rate and made a few other cut backs. He is much happier so it's been worth the sacrifices. I work agency so am trying to pick up extra to make up for it but it all just depends what's available, we will manage.

Socajam

I agree with those that suggested rainy day and emergency fund.
If I was as family member I would not be happy to bail you out with money that I have no idea of you repaying me. Yes, that may sound hard, but you need to look at things that can be cut back and save like the devil is on your back.
The 500 pound pay cut, don't even think about it, have that transferred right out of your account on pay day to a your savings fund with a DO NOT TOUCH attached to it.
With in a year that 6,000 plus any extra that you are able to add to it.
In the meantime, spend the time looking for job that may enable to switch, but with not such a huge pay hit.
Lastly, starting living as if you are 500 pounds poorer for when the time finally arrives.

Mojisola

Bouncybubbles wrote: »

we are not well off in the slightest and this would make life very frugal for us rather than ok as it is currently.

Have you put up a SOA on the Debt-free Board? The contributors there are very good at finding ways you can trim your outgoings.

Every pound saved off the bills is a pound you don't have to earn.

pinkshoes

What does your husband do? Could he bring in any extra money?

elsien

Have you done the comparison with your actual take home pay rather than with the gross monthly salary for each role?

LilElvis

Would the drop in your household income entitle you to top-up benefits - universal credit, help with council tax, housing benefit?

MovingForwards

I've done it, ditched a job paying over £28k a year, went down to earning under £14k a year and I was a hell of a lot happier in my lower paid role than any I've ever had before.

BUT, I have savings and no family to look after financially.

How long til you can do the advanced nursing practitioner qualification?

Can you do bank work through agencies or NHS bank and grab extra money that way?

FtbDreaming

Im a nurse on the bank and thats by far made me the happiest rather than having a 'real job'. I tried doing days as the tiredness kills me but when i got my pay I went straight back onto nights as the money for days wasnt manageable or worth it for the blood sweat and tears I put into it.

On the bank I work when it suits me... mostly 2 nights a week when kids are in school next day. Sometimes i cluster 2 weeks together and have 10 days off, I'll be having 17 days off at christmas.

For me family life is most important. The kids wont be kids forever and your health is never as good when you're stuck on constant nights. A balance is always the best option as far as you can get it.

As for the walk in centre.... youll find they progress to band 6 and above quite quickly so you might not have too log till you get better pay.