Last October I posted I was another statistic and was getting laid off.
As of Friday, I am done. I have alot of mixed feelings about it all.
It paid quite well, had exellent benefits.....and was sucking the life out of me due to stress!!

:cheer4: Good news is I found a new job in the office of another firm.
I am a bit depressed as the new paycheck will just pay the bills, and I mean "just." I can sort of relate to "Tango"s post on another thread last week of quitting her job. I truly feel if I had not been laid off, I would have had to make the decision to quit or not. My health has suffered a bit in the past year or so due to work stress. I am optimistic once I learn the ropes, get into a new routine, I will not be so stressed about work and can probably sleep better at night!

They sought me out, it is a much smaller company, will have health and dental insurance. Unfortunately I will not have 401k, pension, disability....all of the wonderful perks that go with a corporate job! Of course those perks came with a price. Many of my former co-workers have not been able to find a job and the news is pretty grim every time I turn on the TV. I have felt kind of like a big old loser as my former job had good salary, I had some seniority and authority, and now, well....... I had also hoped to sell my current little home and buy my "dream house" this year, but that little dream will have to be set aside. So I will fix up the little place and ride it out a few more years. So I am trying to give myself little pep talks to keep up my spirits.

Good news:
*I found a job which is tough in the current economy in my fair state of Maine
*I will have a steady paycheck
*I know the owners of my new employer & get along well with them
*I will have dental and health insurance
*The job will be less stressful...my current job was just horribly stressful, so anything else will be a cakewalk in comparison
*I will be collecting a good amount of severance shortly which will pay off a good amount of debt & leave me a few $$ saved


Bad News:
*my new salary will be less then half of what I was making (gulp)
*My commute will be an extra 5 minutes each way ( more gas)
*I have to invest in a EZ pass for the tolls as will have to take highway now, so that is a few more $ a month in expenses.
*I will have to save more $$ on my own for retirement as that is not offered at the new workplace


I may not do this job forever, it will pay the bills, and I will get by and maybe in a year or so, will see what else is out there. Who knows, I may love it!
Anyway, thanks guys for letting me blather. Since I now REALLY have to tighten my belt, I appreciate the support here and the reminder that iit is OK to be frugal with your $$$ !

Congratulations on your new job, even with the cut in pay it sounds like you will benefit more health wise.

Congrats on the job. You never know it could grow over time to be lots better $ wise.

I think the less stress might even out in some ways making less money. Good luck

It sounds like you would have ended up needing to quit anyway due to your health from all the stress. Stress can end up doing bad things to your body. I hope this new job will be great and you will get great raises and all will end up well for you. :hurray: Best of luck to you!! :clover:

Less stress sounds great. Hopefully the money issue will work out fine for you. It sounds like you are well prepared to adjust. Good luck with your new job!!

Congrats on the new job and you never know things might get better in a bit (more pay, etc.) :)

Your thread title is funny.....middle class isn't all what it's cracked up to be. More money = more stress. Enjoy this time in your life when the stress should not be so great. They sought you out....they know what they got. You'll probably rise through the ranks!

Last year I went from being the fixed operations manager at a car dealership to being a service advisor at a different dealership.

This has made the difference between night and day in my life. I am more pleasant and relaxed, first of all, and surprisingly, the money, which I thought would end up being a pay cut, has ended up being higher, what with unexpected perks and bonuses (I am on commission.)

This was the best decision I have ever made, and I bet you will find that your life is MUCH better.

Good luck in your new job, and congrats on finding one - you are already 10 steps ahead!

Good luck at the new job!

Congrats on the new job! Less money to have less stress maybe well worth it. You can always look and if something better comes along great, if not for a while at least you have a paycheck and you have a home and less stress to deal with. Good luck to you on your new job.

Love your attitude and best wishes with your new job. Keep us updated on how this is making your life oh so much better.

Too much :poop: makes you :dis:.
Stress=:down:

Congrats on your new job and your ability to look for the positive! I wish you all the best!

:cheergrl: Congradulations on the new job!!!! :cheergrl:

I know several people that have been laid off, hours cut way back, or quit because the job was simply intolerable for them any longer. All of them have has a very hard time finding a new job with most still unemployeed.

Stepping out of our worn out but comfortable (in that we are use to them) situations is a very hard step but almost always pays off in the end. That you are already thinking about the money leads me to believe it will only take a short time for you to be able to get spending down or your income back up to a comfortable level. enjoy the new position!!!

Congratulations on the new job. Sounds as if you have
this all well thought and planned out. Good for you.
Best wishes.

Less stree = Better health!!
Congrats on your new job. :cloud9:

Less stress is a big plus. Congrats on your new job.

I wish you luck and I am sure things will work out, either you'll find something down the road for more pay or the new job will offer you better pay.

I lost my job last year and I had to take a job that offered less pay, by several thousand dollars a year. Neither place offered retirement. I do have better benefits with the new place at a lower out of pocket cost than the last place I worked. I even have dis. insurance that I pay a little extra for each month. I have to remind myself sometimes that I am very lucky to have found a job that pays enough to live on and has benefits. Even if the pay is just enough to live on, at least we can make our bills on time.

I stay focused on how to live on less by visiting frugal village each day and I work on little mini-projects to save money throughout the week/month to keep me motivated to save money.

I stay focused on how to live on less by visiting frugal village each day and I work on little mini-projects to save money throughout the week/month to keep me motivated to save money.

I also stay focused by visiting frugal village each day. I even added a line to my prayers "Thank you Lord for my frugal village family".

I have a friend in the exact same boat as you. She was laid off from her job, and took a job paying much less. She loves it! She gladly learned to cut back on things in her life, rather than looking for another high-stress higher-paying job.

Since you'll have that severance $$$ to pay a few things off, hopefully it will mean a fresh, new start for you. Congrats!

Good thoughts coming your way! I hope you love the new job! :wand:

You never know exactly what the future holds but it seems like you are off on a great new path!

good luck!!