High paycheck, dull job OR sucky wages, exciting job?

[Lucre]

Need to be more specific.

Dull job
- 80k per year
- busy - non stop from 9-6pm; sometimes require overtime
- doing janitorial-like work. no need to use your brain

Exciting job
- 40k per year
- work 8 hrs per day
- do things that fun and challenging

I pick the dull job because I feel secure if I know I have $ in my bank accounts. I will there for a few years and save as much as I can so that I can spend on vacationing or food & drinks.

Well I didn't specify a sum because everyone would have different idea of what is alot or little. But if you put it out in this way then life really sucks.

40k <-- not sufficient for survival
80k <-- still sufficient (if you're just feeding yourself, single young working adult), but hardly an attractive sum.

im just speaking for myself though.

[PJ]

I wonder if it's usually a case of "grass is greener on the other side". Seems like people who don't have high pay right now want high pay + boring jobs, while some ppl with high pay + boring job want the other way.

[Guo Xiang]

Not really...at least not by my standards. When I'm thinking of high paycheck, I'm thinking of something 100K and above. Of course when you actually get the money back after all the taxes, there's really not too much left...

It's a lump sum over here for average people... and I never have much luck when it comes to salary.

actually it isn't....at least i don't think i can survive on this amount.

I don't think you can, too, and it isn't because the money is too little. You simply need a finance minister. :\

[darkcser]

40K per year is a lot of money. :O

Is that 40K USD?

Probably depends on a lot on the cost of living in the area where you reside.

[Trien Chieu]

Well I didn't specify a sum because everyone would have different idea of what is alot or little. But if you put it out in this way then life really sucks.

40k <-- not sufficient for survival
80k <-- still sufficient (if you're just feeding yourself, single young working adult), but hardly an attractive sum.

im just speaking for myself though.

Wow, your family must be millionaire or something. $40K a year is not all that much after taxes (about $2500/month) but still very decent. You can't afford all the luxury with the net income of $2500/month, but it can provide you a very comfortable life.

[jay_z]

40k <-- not sufficient for survival
80k <-- still sufficient (if you're just feeding yourself, single young working adult), but hardly an attractive sum.

im just speaking for myself though.

How much do you need per year to survive? When I see "good for survival, but not much more.", I could only think of food on the table and bed to sleep on. I only need a room, not even an apartment.

$40k USD per year before tax is about the salary of an average American office worker or new personal banker. It's just enough for rent, food, and all the other bills.

Singaporeans should earn less. How can they afford small houses that cost over million dollars?

[sorceress]

Singapore has lower tax, so USD $40,000/year over there is not a bad income.

I have survived with $40,000/year years ago, it wasn't hard at all. Still enough money to go travelling abroad, going out, shopping etc.
$80,000/year for a single person i think is a good income, but it's nowhere enough for a family. You need double income to cover your expenses especially if you have mortgage.

[PJ]

How much do you need per year to survive? When I see "good for survival, but not much more.", I could only think of food on the table and bed to sleep on. I only need a room, not even an apartment.

Yep, pretty sure I can survive with $20,000 USD a year. When we first moved to America 15 years ago, my mom earned around $10,000 USD, which was more than enough for the 2 of us ($250 rent + $200 food, not much else). Greatly comfortable, no; but surviving, definitely.

[KeongJai]

Well I didn't specify a sum because everyone would have different idea of what is alot or little. But if you put it out in this way then life really sucks.

40k <-- not sufficient for survival
80k <-- still sufficient (if you're just feeding yourself, single young working adult), but hardly an attractive sum.

im just speaking for myself though.

80k is pretty good for a janitor.
But given his examples. I'd choose the 40k job. My abilities would be wasted being a janitor and 80k is not enough to entice me to waste my talents.

Hypothetically, if my ability and drive can earn me 100k, I'd want some significantly higher amount than that for me to choose a dull job where I'd waste my skills. So if I were to be a paper stamper I better be paid 200k or something.

But I'm willing to take the 40k job if it uses me to my capacity and allows me to gain knowledge and experience and purpose (assuming I can't get paid more elsewhere doing the same thing).

[Lucre]

I think I'm already wasting my talents in my current job; it's not too challenging; but fairly cosy and at least it generates sufficient income; it's interesting without being too exciting; quite suitable for slackers like me :-/ then I take the pay and go on holidays and squander them on hobbies :-/

[HuangYushi]

Anyone living in Klang, Selangor (Malaysia) who wants a really exciting job (each day is definitely different, and Murphy's Law might kick in any time!)? Good for individuals with good interpersonal, time-management and organisation skills, who can't take long hours in the corporate world (or frequent overseas travel, or lengthy daily commutes) due to family commitments. My company is hiring!

[jadebunny9]

I think I'm already wasting my talents in my current job; it's not too challenging; but fairly cosy and at least it generates sufficient income; it's interesting without being too exciting; quite suitable for slackers like me :-/ then I take the pay and go on holidays and squander them on hobbies :-/

So what do you do? I wanna find a job like yours, haha.

$80K a year isn't bad at all, considering how tons of college grads can't even find a job at all. I understand that if you're single and living by yourself, there are tons of fees and bills to worry about. But $80K/year should definitely cover the basics like rent, food, car insurance, gas, phone/internet.......if I made that much money in a year I'd be able to save up quite a bit. I think young people our generation spend way too much money on junk.

[Lucre]

So what do you do? I wanna find a job like yours, haha.

$80K a year isn't bad at all, considering how tons of college grads can't even find a job at all. I understand that if you're single and living by yourself, there are tons of fees and bills to worry about. But $80K/year should definitely cover the basics like rent, food, car insurance, gas, phone/internet.......if I made that much money in a year I'd be able to save up quite a bit. I think young people our generation spend way too much money on junk.

my primary scope of work is to design the outfittings of ships; which can be interesting by itself...so it's not really all that bad; but sometimes I would rather be doing other things. but I'm reluctant to leave a cosy job that pays decently.

[ByTmE]

my primary scope of work is to design the outfittings of ships; which can be interesting by itself...so it's not really all that bad; but sometimes I would rather be doing other things. but I'm reluctant to leave a cosy job that pays decently.

WOOaaOHh your job sounds COOL! Anyway, though I'm not working now, but I've always chosen occupations [where I maintained long termish employment] that never paid anymore than 25K a year. As a single adult with little to few responsibilities...I lived a rather luxurious lifestyle contradictory to my income lol.

But $80K/year should definitely cover the basics like rent, food, car insurance, gas, phone/internet.......if I made that much money in a year I'd be able to save up quite a bit. I think young people our generation spend way too much money on junk.

I echo these sentiments. My parents were able to raise three children [albeit in the 80's and early 90s...and arguably even now] on a little more than half of that amount AND accumulate wealth despite low income. Don't know how they did it. People in the previous generation, I think, are capable of seemingly "miraculous" capabilities...but really it's their high degree of inherent understanding of opportunity costs.

[Lucre]

WOOaaOHh your job sounds COOL! Anyway, though I'm not working now, but I've always chosen occupations [where I maintained long termish employment] that never paid anymore than 25K a year. As a single adult with little to few responsibilities...I lived a rather luxurious lifestyle contradictory to my income lol.


I echo these sentiments. My parents were able to raise three children [albeit in the 80's and early 90s...and arguably even now] on a little more than half of that amount AND accumulate wealth despite low income. Don't know how they did it. People in the previous generation, I think, are capable of seemingly "miraculous" capabilities...but really it's their high degree of inherent understanding of opportunity costs.

well, i was once a graduate without a job for quite a while too. but I was living on my 'fat savings' that my parents had prepared for me since i was born, so I survived till I finally got a job that isn't too annoying (current job).

and prior to that I'm a little spoilt...the type who will buy new clothes because I'm too lazy to do laundry.:$ Sometimes I wonder if my parents are too nice. ^_~ My dad has more wealth-accumulating genes in him, cos my mom was pretty generous with expenses also.

Once in awhile I will try to budget myself...but my success has been very minimal...I do spend less than I do two years ago, but it's still a frigging large sum (especially when it's a large sum on junk)

[Trien Chieu]

Yep, pretty sure I can survive with $20,000 USD a year. When we first moved to America 15 years ago, my mom earned around $10,000 USD, which was more than enough for the 2 of us ($250 rent + $200 food, not much else). Greatly comfortable, no; but surviving, definitely.

Agree. When my family of 6 immigrated to canada 19 years ago, we live on something like $15000 a year too. This is the main reason why I despise and have no sympathy for criminals because if they are willing to live with what they have like other people, they definitely can make end meet.

So what do you do? I wanna find a job like yours, haha.

80K a year isn't bad at all, considering how tons of college grads can't even find a job at all.

Unfortunately, I am falling into that category. However, it's still very easy for me to make end meet. I know lot of people who make way way more than I do, but they are broke all the times.

I understand that if you're single and living by yourself, there are tons of fees and bills to worry about. But $80K/year should definitely cover the basics like rent, food, car insurance, gas, phone/internet.......if I made that much money in a year I'd be able to save up quite a bit. I think young people our generation spend way too much money on junk.

This is not true. If you are single, you have very little to worry about and there are only few bills to pay. If you live responsibly, then $1000/month is more than enough for survival. It's true that people these days doesn't have the management skill like the older generation. The older generation are more fiscal conservative. 80k/year is a lot. If I make that much a year, I would be very rich.

[jadebunny9]

This is not true. If you are single, you have very little to worry about and there are only few bills to pay. If you live responsibly, then $1000/month is more than enough for survival. It's true that people these days doesn't have the management skill like the older generation. The older generation are more fiscal conservative. 80k/year is a lot. If I make that much a year, I would be very rich.

It's really relative to your location. Where I live, rent for a studio apartment is roughly around $1000/month, so I definitely would not be able to survive on just $1000/month.

[Lucre]

This is not true. If you are single, you have very little to worry about and there are only few bills to pay. If you live responsibly, then $1000/month is more than enough for survival. It's true that people these days doesn't have the management skill like the older generation. The older generation are more fiscal conservative. 80k/year is a lot. If I make that much a year, I would be very rich.

I just have very poor finance-management skills probably; my junk expenses easily choke up to 1k before a week if I didn't deliberately budget myself; and I still couldn't manage to keep it within twice that amount for 1 month; that's excluding all other mandatory bills I need to fulfill. =\

but then again I have a friend who bought several birkin bags year after year in different colors....

[Guo Xiang]

I just have very poor finance-management skills probably; my junk expenses easily choke up to 1k before a week if I didn't deliberately budget myself; and I still couldn't manage to keep it within twice that amount for 1 month; that's excluding all other mandatory bills I need to fulfill. =\

but then again I have a friend who bought several birkin bags year after year in different colors....

I told you I can be your finance minister. Why on earth did you reject me.

[Lucre]

I told you I can be your finance minister. Why on earth did you reject me.

its not you that i reject, but your proposal; considering obligations on my part in regards to your position as finance minister... ... ...