Thread: Taking the plunge...advice

I'm an addicted bhuzzer but undercover.

I've been dancing for 10 years, teach 2-4 classes a week now, and host big workshops.

But my day job is toxic (LOVE the job, hate the people), lots of hours, crappy benefits. I was just offered a PT job working Tues, Weds, and Thurs with benefits, and it seems like a good fit. Problem is it is $300 less a week. I'm thinking about taking the plunge and going from FT overworked professional to pt professional and pt teacher.

So I have two routes: One is stay a professional and make potentially $50-80K and average 50 hours a week (whether with this job or another)
Two PT Pro and PT Dancer and still make $35-45K a year but work 30-35 hours a week

I know it depends on everyone's situation, but WWBD?

Well, what does your heart tell you? Would you be happy and adjust to making less? I mean, can you be content? Can you make it on that salary? Consider your future....I'm talking about retirement down the road.......Or work more hours and make more pay? Sometimes we have to do the things we don't really want to do , to do the things we are passionate about.... I hope this doesn't confuse you more.... I think you're doing the right thing to think about it and not just rushing into a decision. I hope that whatever you decide, that you'll be happy!

I think it's a choice only you can make. It's all about your goals, really. Long term goals. I don't know your age... but if you could be doing whatever you want 20 years from now, what would it be? Which route moves you toward that goal?

And what is important to you?

For me personally, it's a no brainer. I am poor but deliriously happy as a full time dance/yoga teacher. But I can also live VERY happily in a tiny ancient duplex and drive a 10 year old car and not have money for mani/pedis etc etc etc. There are people who would be MISERABLE living my life (and I'd be miserable in theirs). You have to know yourself well and be very honest with yourself about your values, I think.

Also, remember that dance isn't a long-term career for MOST of us. (I know there are exceptions, like Cory Zamora). I'm 45 and my body just won't take the abuse of teaching more than about 12 classes a week now. When I'm injured, I need time off to recover.

I'm transitioning gradually back into writing as an alternative at this time. If it doesn't look like I can make a living at that within a few years, I may be looking for a J.O.B. at age 50 or 55 [cringe].

As much as I love what I do, I know I can only do it for 5-10 more years.

p.s. If I could make 35-40K I'd be ECSTATIC!

do you have any pension program? stock options? etc. see what your status change can do to their vesting dates, etc before you decide. if your company has a matching program for your 401k, you might be able to do ok on the back end. not as well, but still do ok and keep your sanity

I think a person really needs to enjoy her job... you spend sooooo much time there, you should be in an environment that doesn't make you upset or want to hurt someone! If you think that you would be much happier with the PT, go for it. Sounds like you will still make enough to live on. Double check your annual expenses and see if it will be enough. If so, go for it! In the end it doesn't matter terribly how much you make (so long as you can live on it to your quality standards). Like I said, you spend a lot of YOUR time at a job. You don't want to waste YOUR time and YOUR life on something you hate or being in an uncomfortable environment.

i would sign up for a less paid but nicer part time job ANY day...

if you can make do with the lesser money, go for it

Originally Posted by anonbhuzzer1

I'm an addicted bhuzzer but undercover.

I've been dancing for 10 years, teach 2-4 classes a week now, and host big workshops.

But my day job is toxic (LOVE the job, hate the people), lots of hours, crappy benefits. I was just offered a PT job working Tues, Weds, and Thurs with benefits, and it seems like a good fit. Problem is it is $300 less a week. I'm thinking about taking the plunge and going from FT overworked professional to pt professional and pt teacher.

So I have two routes: One is stay a professional and make potentially $50-80K and average 50 hours a week (whether with this job or another)
Two PT Pro and PT Dancer and still make $35-45K a year but work 30-35 hours a week

I know it depends on everyone's situation, but WWBD?

if it were me, I'd go for the part-time happier job, for sure. Many people I know are very skittish about living without a nestegg, vacation plans, good health insurance, etc., but believe me, there are ways to still get what you need without having those. Some people are bargain hunters and some aren't. I find it not too hard to live on a budget, because that's what I'm used to. I can't imagine paying full price for anything.

Do what your heart tells you. I think working 30-35 hours a week and teaching 4 classes a week, as well as performing to be a pretty filled scheledule!

If I could make 35-40K I'd be ECSTATIC!

Word

Peace and Happiness is priceless! Five years ago I was burning out on my job. I told the boss I needed to quit or work less. Since then I have worked 4 days a week with Fridays off. I earn a little less but it is totally worth it for me!

lol, same here

Originally Posted by anala

If I could make 35-40K I'd be ECSTATIC!

Word

I think it is important to enjoy what you do for a living, but I think it is equally important to ensure that you are financially stable.

Do you have children/dependents? If so, will you be able to adequately provide for them with a cut in pay? What if something happens to you--will your kids be taken care of? Do you currently have any debt, and will a decrease in pay affect your ability to pay it off? Are you taken care of in retirement? Living off of social security alone will just about put you on the street, so you wouldn't want to get to your 75th birthday and realize you're out of money...and still going strong. What about healthcare for you and your family? Remember, once your portion of the benefits the PT job is offering are taken out of your check, your pay will be even lower.

I don't mean to be a buzz kill, but there's a lot more to being financially secure than simply being able to pay all the bills at the end of the month. I'm not even talking about luxuries--these are the essentials, though many people like to pretend otherwise because they are essentials for the long term.

If you can still acheive these things with a cut in pay, go for it! If not, I would advise seeking a job with comparable pay in a better environment.

Before I quit to teach and perform full time, I had a part time job to supplement my income and it worked out very well. Now I'm doing it full time, and am blissfully happy through quite a bit poorer. However, my husband has a stable, full time job with benefits, and I'd have never made the leap without him.

Like Lauren, I don't feel that my body will allow me to keep performing and teaching full time for decades to come. I'm not even 40 yet and I'm already starting to have physical problems and moderate pain, which is not how I want to spend my golden years. Eventually I'll have to come up with some kind of an exit strategy, but hopefully not for a while yet.

I'm a list girl- list the pros & cons of or one on one side of the paper & of the other on the opposite side. cross out the benefits you can live without if you have to, and the cons you can live with if you have to. sometimes seeing that list in black ink can make the decision clearer for you. look at job satisfaction, how far you have to drive for work, little things as well as the obvious.

Where you are living will also make a difference. Where I live, $35K for a family of 6 is scraping by, but we can make it. I some areas, $35K would barely support one person. So me sitting here in the middle of blueberry fields with nice stream full of trout can't say sure, anyone can make it on $35K to someone trying to make it in, say, San Diego.

(note- I was just shocked to find my home town of Fairbanks, Alaska listed as the 8th most expensive city by the American Chamber of Commerce Research Assoc.- right under L.A.- whatever...)

[QUOTE=Lara L;657845]I'm a list girl- list the pros & cons of or one on one side of the paper & of the other on the opposite side. cross out the benefits you can live without if you have to, and the cons you can live with if you have to. sometimes seeing that list in black ink can make the decision clearer for you. look at job satisfaction, how far you have to drive for work, little things as well as the obvious.

Where you are living will also make a difference. Where I live, $35K for a family of 6 is scraping by, but we can make it. I some areas, $35K would barely support one person. So me sitting here in the middle of blueberry fields with nice stream full of trout can't say sure, anyone can make it on $35K to someone trying to make it in, say, San Diego.

I use this list thing also for decisions. Seeing things written down can make a big difference.
And, on a different tack: If you like this sort of thing: every night for 2 weeks, when you get into bed at night, think about the "issue" and ask your unconscious mind to assist the decision making process. Then go to sleep as usual. Throughout the day you may get some helpful thoughts. I do this all the time, it helps me to sort things out.

Originally Posted by Lara L

Where you are living will also make a difference. Where I live, $35K for a family of 6 is scraping by, but we can make it. I some areas, $35K would barely support one person. So me sitting here in the middle of blueberry fields with nice stream full of trout can't say sure, anyone can make it on $35K to someone trying to make it in, say, San Diego.

No joke. $35K in DC will barely get you a roof over your head and money for transportation. My husband brings home around $100K a year and money is still pretty damn tight for a family of three.

Lucy