Quitting

I was reading an article yesterday whilst munching on a wagon wheel (Poundland 8 for £1) about quitting.

In it, a high powered business attired fashionista and glossy magazine Editor in Chief in her 50s was extolling the virtues of leaving her high powered job and having time off to enjoy life.

She was then intent on returning to work in 6-12 months time to freelance in order to give up the stresses and strains of being a wage slave.

Isn’t it nice, that she can make the decision to do that?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a year off work to re-evaluate our priorities? Wouldn’t it be nice if we Customer Service Agents / Sales People / Receptionists / Shop Floor Workers could freelance?

(Actually, we can. It is called Temping and mostly just buggers up our finances whilst trying to find permanent work.) I file Freelance in the same cabinet as “Working From Home” and “Size 0”. Lovely as a concept, but it just does not relate to me at all.

This is not real life. Most of the population need to every work in order to meet mortgage payments, turn the heating on and “Oh I don’t know” the little luxuries of life, like for example eating. :o)

I have never begrudged a certain sector the ability to earn extreme amounts of money, Footballer, Model, CEO, Author, or for that matter Glossy Magazine Editors in Chief.

But, what pisses this blogger off, is the assumption that anyone / everyone can take a step off the treadmill of work and downsize their lives. How can you downsize from a flat??? …. Tent…. Caravan??  Do  / Did you choose to work, or do / did you have to in order to make ends meet?

Most of us get up each day and go to work because we have to. Those lucky few that enjoy their work are in a minority. I like the idea of my employment much more that the reality.

e.g. I like the idea of being a Dogs Home Assistant, petting dogs and walking them much more than I suspect the reality, of clearing poop, seeing gross negligence,  getting the occasional bite, and washing dog after dog. Plus the cold of being outside all day every day- even in winter *shudder shudder!*

So today, I wanted to talk about quitting.

I cannot give up work, or step down. I have to work.

But there are some things I can and do try to quit.

·        Buying clothes

·        Using my credit card

·        Unnecessary food shopping

·        Buying branded goods

·        Any unnecessary spending

Peeps. I am not happier for doing this, but there again I am not unhappier either.

After the first few months, you just do not notice, it becomes second nature to do without. You automatically look for the unbranded and value goods. You do not enter shops selling items you cannot afford and weekends are no longer spent “going shopping”.

Please do not misunderstand, I am doing this because I have to. I need to pay off my blooming debt, I need to increase the savings as I just am not earning what I use to.

If everything changed tomorrow, the debt was paid off and the savings were increased then I would go out and blow £1000 on a new sofa for The Chap and I.

I do every now and again make a mistake and put something on a credit card or buy a luxury item.

I would hate you to think I write this blog in order to preach about thrifty-ness. It is unstructured thoughts of a rather silly woman who is trying to be less silly with money, but still makes mistakes.

So good luck to those who can make changes to their working life, but for the rest of us stuck in a career we just fell into 20 years ago. We soldier on, and wait for retirement whilst quitting those little luxuries that whilst not improving life did brighten a day. Mine was expensive make up, and designer clothes.

Oh for my bygone Dior days!!!

Frugally yours

Abigail

x