Hey, late 20's guy here, could use some advice. Basically, I have a pretty sweet job:
- I work remotely for an American company and am in complete control of my hours
- I make about $5,600 USD per month before taxes. After taxes, it's about ±$3,500.
- I live in Eastern Europe, so my living expenses are only about $1,200-$1,500 per month. While I'm tied here for the next year due to an apartment lease, I can basically live anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
- I have roughly $25,000 in student loans and personal debt (installment loan, credit card, etc.)
Here's the problem: my job is in a field that I have zero interest in long-term. I've been doing this for a few years now, I'm bored to tears and I feel like I'm wasting valuable time to pursue my real interests in life. I'll be 30 soon and I am no closer to my dreams than I was at 20. I dread working every day and get anxious and irritated just thinking about it.
On the one hand, I feel ridiculous for even complaining about this. I have a better lifestyle and job than 99.99% of planet Earth, I completely control my work hours, my boss is friendly, etc. Many people would kill for the life I have and I'm really lucky to be here. Maybe I just need a firm reminder that my life could be infinitely worse - I could be working at a pizza shop for 12 hours a day at minimum wage (like I did for years in college.)
On the other hand, I need an escape plan. I can't do this long-term and be happy. I feel extremely unfulfilled and irritated on a daily basis, and I end up spending more money to make myself feel better about being unsatisfied at work. I'm confident that I can make a living from my passions, I just need a year of complete focus to get it off the ground.
So, here's my plan: deal with the job for the next 18-20 months. By my calculations, I can save roughly $2,000 per month. In 20 months, that's $40,000 - enough to pay off my debts and save about a year's runway. In that same timeframe, I will be able to build my side business (in something I'm passionate about) to cover my living expenses (±$1,000 per month.) It's nearly ready to launch and I'm confident that I can build it up to $1,000 per month within a year.
At the end of the 20 months, I'll be debt-free, have $15,000 saved, paying for my living expenses via my side business, and ready to quit my job. I can then dedicate myself fully to what I'm passionate about.
TLDR: I have a fantastic job, but I hate it. I need to deal with it for the next ±18 months in order to pay off debts, build up a side business, and establish a nest egg. Once I do these things, I can afford to take time off in order to pursue my true passion.
Any advice on dealing with my job in that timeframe? I do have time to work on side projects, but as my job is remote, I end up thinking about it all day long.
Submitted April 28, 2018 at 06:09AM by justdealwithitdude https://ift.tt/2HDHKHg
