Money — the root of all evil? Many people say it doesn’t bring happiness, but in the long run, it’s better to have some put aside for a rainy day, at least.
So when it comes to working, how much time do you want to spend in the office or freelancing? Sure, there are plenty of people who put in 60-hour-plus weeks (think doctors and lawyers, but also those who want overtime pay or are just trying to keep their jobs by putting in the extra effort). I’ve known a few people who worked TWO full-time jobs, almost consecutively, and just went home to sleep in between.
But when is it too much? When you do you say, “Hey, this is affecting my quality of life?”
I’ve always been someone who likes to be busy. I’ve always enjoyed my work in print media (and now, some Web), and for most of my adult working life, I’ve had more than one job at a time. A good portion of that time was spent juggling college classes and full- and part-time employment. I’m not a hobbyist, although I like to dabble in sewing and home decor projects here and there. TV and movies just don’t interest me (for the most part). So what do I do with my extra time, then?
I work.
Freelancing has been a nice supplemental income, and now that we’ve achieved the American dream of being in debt with a mortgage — it IS a debt, you know — I’m taking on additional assignments when I can. The nicest part about it is that I can do it on my own time, in my own home. While it sucks up some of my housework time, Mr. Saver has been pulling his weight and helping us keep the dust bunnies from taking over.
If it truly starts to interfere in our lives, then I’ll cut back again. But for now, the extra cash is much-needed to help us rebuild our savings nest egg.