Current Events > $5k a month to NOT work, or $50K a month to work 12 hour days

(+) Yeah! (+)

The first option, especially if we put some caps on rent prices and cost of living. As far as Im concerned, we are so overpopulated that we should have been paying people to stay at home for years now (or expanding the workforce to have more night shifts)

TBH, all millennials should get about $5k/month as UBI because they tanked the workforce before we had our chance. Stop dumping money into war and you can actually take care of the citizens.

TheGoldenEel posted...

Over 13 years, 4 different salaried roles I have averaged well under 40 hours/week tbh

in fact the only one where Id ever occasionally work more than 40 was salary non exempt so I got overtime pay from time to time

I guess it depends largely on what you do.

Salaried positions Ive had include:

Teaching - contracted hours often dont even cover all the time that the kids are in school.
Hospital admin - working unpaid hours every week.
Recruitment consultant - contracted 40 hours but if you were in the office less than 60 you were getting sacked.
Pub manager - Working way over contracted hours every week.

The only salaried position Ive ever had that was really sound about it was working in the civil service.

TheGoldenEel posted...

Over 13 years, 4 different salaried roles I have averaged well under 40 hours/week tbh

in fact the only one where Id ever occasionally work more than 40 was salary non exempt so I got overtime pay from time to time

Yeah, even in my last salaried role, where I was a development slug... Were there weeks where I worked over 40 hours? Absolutely, during crunch time for a client. However, was that GREATLY outweighed by the amount of weeks where I DIDN'T actually work 40 hours, due to slower work, greater focus on QA/Design, etc. and so on? Absolutely.

50k/mo is pretty sweet, however 12 hr days 5 days a week for the rest of your work life would burn someone out so quickly. Most people with 12 hr shifts only work 3-4 days a week.

5k a month could fund other ventures that would bring me money or pursue passions/hobbies, so that.

bigblu89 posted...

I think this is lost on most people.

$5k now is, like $2800 in 10 years.

ok but when it becomes not enough money you can just drop the $5k and get a job

way I see it I could take some number of years off, keep up with my skills as a personal project, and go back to the workforce with a bunch more years of experience

Option 2 is less hours and less work for me so it's an easy pick.

50k a month job. That 5k isnt going to look so appealing 20-30 years from now. Honestly isnt super appealing today.

bigblu89 posted...

Option 1: $5,000 a month without working, forever. On the 1st of every month you're alive, $5k will be deposited into you bank account until the day you pass away. If you decide to get a job, even a part time one or one that can be seen as a "hobby" (like selling stuff on eBay). the money stops.

Does this $5k a month increase with inflation and cost of living indexes?

TheGoldenEel posted...

ok but when it becomes not enough money you can just drop the $5k and get a job

way I see it I could take some number of years off, keep up with my skills as a personal project, and go back to the workforce with a bunch more years of experience

Or... you just take the job now, work it for five years, make your money and retire comfortably pulling $9,166 a month from the interest alone.

Hexenherz posted...

Or... you just take the job now, work it for five years, make your money and retire comfortably pulling $9,166 a month from the interest alone.

i have small children, my time is more valuable now

That is a difficult thing to contend with. On the one hand, time with family is invaluable.

On the other hand, I also have a young child and I am intent on doing whatever I can to make sure she is in a better financial position than I was growing up so she can start her adult life more comfortably and without the limited decisions I had to choose between.

Glob posted...

Im surprised by the number of people claiming that 12 hour shifts are crazy. Loads of people, including myself, do that or have done that regularly.

it is for 5 days a week. You lose a lot of time, and it's not good for your health.

I'd only do it as a last resort. For a year tops.

Arcanine2009 posted...

it is for 5 days a week. You lose a lot of time, and it's not good for your health.

I'd only do it as a last resort. For a year tops.

Once again, not all that unusual.

So, just a few hundred less than I currently make but I don't work anymore, or kill myself physically and mentally for more money I don't need.

Yeah, easy option 1 vote.

60 hours a week for several years straight is absolute fucking garbage and I really doubt most of you have actually worked that many hours for extended periods of time.

DarthAragorn posted...

60 hours a week for several years straight is absolute fucking garbage and I really doubt most of you have actually worked that many hours for extended periods of time.

I've done 55-60 hours a week way back in december 2020 (also known as peak Covid) and it was absolutely miserable. People were just sleeping in the parking lot. The only reason people were told to go home after 12 hours is that the system just wouldn't let you. The money was excellent from all the overtime, and absolutely would do it for 50k a month if there was no other option. However 5k a month doing nothing is a lot unless you have a large family to take care of. The average CEmen could get by with 3k a month.

SailorGoon posted...

Depends on where you live. Plan to die alone or for a very mundane retirement with 5k a month. Not enough to raise a family, especially in metropolitan areas with a higher COL. Forget about any travel or vacations that people typically do after retiring.

With no job that you're tied to, you could move to a cheaper part of the country or even altogether to a cheaper country and be very, very well off.

Option 1 because I hate working

DarthAragorn posted...

60 hours a week for several years straight is absolute fucking garbage and I really doubt most of you have actually worked that many hours for extended periods of time.

It's an office job. There's probably a lot of downtime too.

I am not under any circumstance working 5 days a week 12 hours a day 5k would be plenty for me, i currently live comfortably on $1500 a month

leonkr41138 posted...

I am not under any circumstance working 5 days a week 12 hours a day 5k would be plenty for me, i currently live comfortably on $1500 a month

I'm used 6 12s a week and only getting 77k a year. 4k and some change a month after taxes.

lydiaquayle posted...

Does this $5k a month increase with inflation and cost of living indexes?

No

get paid twice as much as I ever have for doing nothing? ok

DarthAragorn posted...

60 hours a week for several years straight is absolute fucking garbage and I really doubt most of you have actually worked that many hours for extended periods of time.

It's a lot easier to swallow knowing you'll have made millions after It's over.

"Those kinds of work hours aren't uncommon" is not an argument for picking option 1 - it's just describing how shitty a lot of people get treated by capitalism. Something not being unusual doesn't mean it's not detrimental to one's health.

Villain_S_Fiend posted...

"Those kinds of work hours aren't uncommon" is not an argument for picking option 1 - it's just describing how shitty a lot of people get treated by capitalism. Something not being unusual doesn't mean it's not detrimental to one's health.

Im not arguing that. Im just observing that its common. Thats all. No endgame.

As Ive said a couple of times in the topic, Id rather stay with my current arrangement than pick either option.

Glob posted...

Im not arguing that. Im just observing that its common. Thats all. No endgame.

As Ive said a couple of times in the topic, Id rather stay with my current arrangement than pick either option.

The average number of hours worked in the USA is 36.4 per week. 60 hours isn't unheard of, but it's absolutely not common.

reincarnator07 posted...

The average number of hours worked in the USA is 36.4 per week. 60 hours isn't unheard of, but it's absolutely not common.

Im not in the US, in fairness.

Considering the average income in my town is like $24k a year, I'll take $60k a year EASILY over the other option.

I'm in this moment where.. my only surviving parent has major health issues.. I value my free time immensely with myself, and spending time with my loved ones. 5000 a month is enough for me to live. You aren't going to be remembered for how much you working, but how present you were in other people lives.

I guess it depends on your age and situation. if I was in my 20s, I might have taken the 50k a year for 5 years. But then I if I could go back in time knowing everything I know now, I wouldn't change choose that job. I'd spend as much time and memories with my dad before he succumbed to cancer (assuming I couldn't change his fate). or if I became a doctor that made that much and was able to save him, I'd do that too. But that's not a boring desk job.

Glob posted...

Im not in the US, in fairness.

The highest is Bhutan at 54.3, followed by UAE at 52. Everyone else is under 50

reincarnator07 posted...

The highest is Bhutan at 54.3, followed by UAE at 52. Everyone else is under 50

Sure, but not the average isnt the same as uncommon.

If I had no money at all, I might take option 2. But I have a pretty sizable 401k and some money in a taxable brokerage. I'd take $5k after tax in a heartbeat. Easy path to a few million.

Invest the leftover money and it becomes like double the worth every 8-10 years.

I'm most worried about medical bills. Having more time will help me keep track of my health.

I work 12 hour days occasionally in software development. It's definitely not something I want to do 5 days a week for 5 years. I'll only be able to last a year at most. If the job is fun and not that stressful, I can probably handle the 5 years.

Glob posted...

Sure, but not the average isnt the same as uncommon.

No, but the majority of people not working said hours would indeed make it uncommon. It's far from unheard of, but it's not what I'd consider common

Glob posted...

Im not arguing that. Im just observing that its common. Thats all. No endgame.

As Ive said a couple of times in the topic, Id rather stay with my current arrangement than pick either option.

Fair enough.

DarthAragorn posted...

60 hours a week for several years straight is absolute fucking garbage and I really doubt most of you have actually worked that many hours for extended periods of time.

I averaged 72 a week for 2 years and the other 2 years iof that job I averaged 60.

Technically more cause I worked 12.25 hour shifts and usually 6 days a week those 15 minutes add up.

Hell for about 2 months we where doing a thing where everyone would work 7 days in a row then got 2 off. Then they switched it to 4 days in a row and get one off.

Thank God I lived 10 minutes away we had some people driving a hour out to that place.

DarthAragorn posted...

60 hours a week for several years straight is absolute fucking garbage and I really doubt most of you have actually worked that many hours for extended periods of time.

I did 70-80 hours a week for almost 3 years at one point

I was in my 20s back then though

$50k/month for 60 hour work weeks? I could do that. 5 years is $3 million. No 401k with company match is a bit of a bummer though.

firedoom666 posted...

Frankly I would not want either option.

The no work, 5k option is the better of the two, but I would still like some amount of work. Not a full time amount, but I go stir crazy just sitting at home for to long

The other option is complete hell, I would die if I had to work 12 hour shifts, I'm just not made for that type of work

5k isn't a lotnof money when you have to pay for private health insurance

DarthAragorn posted...

60 hours a week for several years straight is absolute fucking garbage and I really doubt most of you have actually worked that many hours for extended periods of time.

Area man cannot conceptualize a large portion of manufacturing/blue collar jobs

$5k easy. That's $70,000 a year with no tax for the rest of my life.

412 votes? I didn't think there was that many people left on ce lol

ThexFury posted...

$5k easy. That's $70,000 a year with no tax for the rest of my life.

It's actually $60K, but...

What happens in 10 years when $60K has the buying [power of about $45K, or in 20 years when it has the buying power of almost half that?

Ill take the $50K

$5K a month is peanuts

HighSeraph posted...

412 votes? I didn't think there was that many people left on ce lol

I'm actually surprised the thread lasted this long.

I guess the two choices were close enough to keep people engaged.

I currently don't quite take home $5k a month and I work an amount that basically equates to 5x12.

Personally, I'd do the $5k a month to not work, because that would also, by freeing me up, eliminate child care.

Mindless office job would be easy to do 12 hours opposed to any physical job including being a cashier.

While that is less then what I make know apparently. Since I had to do the math. I think not going to work would be worth it. I would be so much healthier.

The way I see it, I've survived on my own fairly comfortably on NZ$750 a week. I'm doing well with my partner with me on NZ$630 a week (hourly wage rose but hours reduced, at my request). Even NZ$5k a month is a fair bit more than those, let alone US$5k a month which I assume was your intent.