Anyone out there that works to make enough money to be happy?
That works on their own terms?
That doesn't have a mortgage to pay off?
That is relatively stress free?
That can choose to go for a walk, read a book, kite/windsurf when they want?
That doesn't set an alarm each and every week day?
I'm talking about an actual life that isn't dictated by a 9-5, 5 days a week program...
well, almost. i have a mortgage.
i am a plumber that works for himself but mainly do blocked sewers (im not going to plug it here though 
)
pretty stress free, get to surf or whatever with a bit of planning, and sleep in a couple of times a week.
and i enjoy the work. i think thats the secret. if you enjoy what you do, you wont spend a day working 
Hmm lots of interesting questions, but why do you need all of those to be "happy"?
As someone once said "life wasn't meant to be easy"
Every day I wake up and make a conscious decision to make my day stress free, regardless of:
- how much money I make
- the fact I don't work on my own terms
- the bank owns me
- I work when I want to be doing other things (beach etc)
- my alarm clock seems to be going off earlier and earlier
Hell yay, 35hrs a week. Can come in any time I want as long as I do 35 hours a week. So usually 10 hrs 1 day, 8hrs, 6hrs, 6hrs and 5hr Friday.
I make enough to buy toys and drugs.
No mortgage or property... bank pays me 6.51%... government takes half though 
.
Property is just a pain in the neck... always bills, bills and more bills... and you can't even run away from them, and your buggered if your neighbours suck as$.
Life is good, and when the wind blows in the right direction again and the sun stays up longer it's gona be TOTALLY AWESOME!
If there were less people in Sydney and sun and wind everyday this would be heaven. 
WAIT you said:
)
Galah nailed it.
Sometimes I sit there thinking that life is way to easy... I love... then a bomb hits everytime and it brings me back to earth.
Its about the attitude. But that is a practiced art. Maybe I should become a buddist?
I made a conscious move from self-employed to employed a couple of years back...lower wage, and less perks, but a career doing what I always wanted to do. The lure was flexible hours & the career I always wanted...the flexible hours lasted about a year before my work ethic kicked in, now doing 45hrs a week and not taking those flexible hours and that dream career...has now become simply a job.
I'm about to make the shift back. Family & lifestyle first, and as long as I can pay the bills, money is the least important thing to me.
Yeah I work 40 to 50 hours per week but never get paid more than 38. Not allowed to take holidays last x-mas so it will be 2 years inbetween holidays. Plenty of stress as I report to eight directors with managers above them and below them means I have up to 40 or so mangers trying to tell me what the priority is. Public service an't what it used to be.
We live in a good suburb in a nice house, the bank owns 1 third of it, we can cope with the repayments however we dont seem to be reducing the loan much, live well spend pretty well what we like (within reason) still buy 2nd hand boards cause Im just like that, pay the kids school fees,have a holiday every year etc....I work 45 hours +, wife works 16 hours, we could sell the house, pay off the mortgage move "back" 1 suburb from the beach increase drive to beach by 5, currently 5 minutes, still get a nice house mortgage free, ie downscale, could then look at reducing working hours etc and start surfing and sailing more, curently sail once per week in summer, surf once per week winter,,,family comitments also impact on sailing time, however the kids are getting into it and the kids surf....so its good.
so why does it feel "wrong" to down size? Im 43 years old.
^^^
I could have written that - almost word for word my situation... [Except that I don't buy second hand boards - but do keep them until they are starting to go brown and have more pressure dings than you'd find in a second hand rack...].
I have just been asked to apply for a senior role that is another 20km+ city commute on top of the 20km I currently do - and working Saturdays most weeks... the money and position are very attractive and good for the long term career path, but the work-life balance would be shot to sh!t. I am tending to think that I don't need the extra stress or loss of family/my time... whilst we are not wealthy by any means, we make ends meet...
i try to get a 40 hour week in but am failing.
kids, wife, surfing and cycling have taken priority
the less i work the less i get paid (self employed)
(wink junkie)
Ha ha, oops, and the D and K are a long way apart on the keyboard. I don't think he lurks on SB so its all good, he can wink away.
), but at the same time I believe it will be much more fulfilling living a life that is based upon actually 'living'.
I think working for yourself is the way to go.
You may put in the same or more hours but you can be flexible with your time.
Imself employed and managed to live without an alarm clock until recently. I have a policy to try and get home at the same time as the kids, after spending time 10 years ago leaving minesites at 8 and 9pm for the 4 hr drive home.
I think the trick is not to get too far in debt.
I recently took on a little job that means a couple of sundays,and 9hrs at that, It is a reminder to me to plan a bit more carefully
work a month, play a month (plus a wee bit accumulates).
As close as I can get to a decent income and provide for the tribe.
work as a contractor. Paid by hour. don't work, don't get paid. But I work with a good team and I look forward, most days, to going into work.
On plus side I start early and am home by 4pm every night which is good for surf and family.
With all this talk about jobs & lifestyle, I wonder if it's worth having a 'Job-board' section on seabreeze?
Just a thought...and btw, anyone in need of services provided by a building designer that is about to go out on own...PM me (pplllleeaaasseee?)
I have landed a bloody brilliant job driving a concrete agitator. It is only casual but I am knocking up 50 hours a week after working as a part time car park attendant for the past two years whilst I took care of some business. The BBC rounded it up quite nicely and it has stirred up a hornets nest amongst the establishment. Always good to score a run:
I work a 35 hour week
earn an ok wage.
just bought a house for $107k repayments are less than renting!!!
and live 40 mins from bells beach, jan juc, torquay.
Im 34.
Gotta think outside the box amigo, and not follow the sheep.
I live deep in the bush, commute to the CBD for work (only 65 mins)
I have the best surf, best neighbours (who cook a roast every monday night for half the street) and i know everyone in my township, who are extremely friendly and an awesome laugh.
or.....I could move to the city, rent, be stressed, travel to work packed in a train like a canned pilchard and would want to blow my head off within a month.
theres a very thin line between madness and guiness!!!
everyone at work thought i was mental when i told them where i was moving. now all of them are envyous as f***
oh forgot to mention, theres a waterfall loaded with very small gold nuggets and gold flake (around 1mm) not far from my front door..... (been digging the falls and rapids every weekend!!)
suffer you city mother f******rs !!!!!![}:)]
Hey Fried Rice, if your gig is that good what the hell are you telling the world for on the interwebby???!!!!!!!
Big eeeZeee I think about that all the time. Ever since the arrival of my son it has certainly changed my attitude to work/life balance with life definitely winning.
