Personal Finance Advice

Some people are just plain miserable with their jobs.  They trudge through work day to day, unhappy yet terrified to quit for fear that they will not have enough money to live. While there are indeed some people who are fortunate enough to have careers that bring them a lot of joy and personal satisfaction, there are far too many people who detest their jobs.

It doesn’t matter if you hate your job because of the work you do or if it’s the people at your work who are making you miserable.  Unless you can figure out a way to get happy with your job situation you’re going to have to eventually find a new job…or just be unhappy until you eventually retire.

When you’re ready to leave your job in order to find something that may pay less - but will probably make you happier - keep in mind a few things:

1.  Try to secure a new job before leaving your current job.  It’s not usually a good idea to abruptly leave a job, not only because you don’t want to suddenly lose out on income, but also because you don’t want to leave a bad impression.  The boss you leave high and dry is the same person future potential employers may contact for a reference.

In an ideal situation you’ll have another job all lined up before you leave the job you’re currently in.  If you don’t do this then you may wind up with a long period of time with no income while you search for another job.  This period of time - whether two weeks or two months - can throw your finances into chaos. 

2.  Don’t go to a similar job.  If you make all the effort to leave one job because you’re miserable, you need to make sure you aren’t hopping right over to another job that makes you equally as miserable.  Examine what it is about your current job that makes you unhappy.  Is it the long commute? Is it the people you deal with it? Is it the job itself?

Figure this out now before you accept another job, otherwise you’ll wind up hopping from job to job in a perpetual attempt at finding happiness.  Rarely is job hopping good for your finances. 

3.    Compose a budget to see if you really need your job.  Perhaps you’re in a panic to find another job with comparable pay and benefits.  Maybe your dream job is available, but pays substantially less than the job you currently have.  Before you dismiss the thought of quitting your job, sit down and take a realistic look at how much money you can afford to live on compared to how much money you make right now.  When you take a serious look at your income versus your expenses you may discover that some small adjustments may allow you to give up the job you hate and pursue something you love.

You need money to buy the things you need to survive, but your quest for money should not make you miserable.  If you dread the thought of heading into work every day then it may be time to reevaluate your career goals and find a way to get happy.