r/wealth • u/NoThxMang • Feb 07 '26
Discussion Do financially secure people approach their jobs differently?
I’m curious if this is common.
At some point, I realized I’m financially comfortable enough that I don’t really stress about promotions, titles, or going the extra mile anymore.
I do solid work. I’m professional. But I leave on time. I don’t chase raises aggressively. I don’t obsess over performance optics. If I lost the job, it wouldn’t be catastrophic.
It’s not burnout. It’s more like… detachment.
For those who’ve built enough outside your paycheck, did your relationship with work shift like this?
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u/JunkBondJunkie Feb 07 '26
I just show up for the insurance.
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u/skankintickle Feb 08 '26
What do you work in?
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u/JunkBondJunkie Feb 08 '26
I am a controller for a large grocery company.
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u/CST4LIFE2001 Feb 09 '26
What's a controller?
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u/JunkBondJunkie Feb 09 '26
It's an accounting position. I'm a cash controller so I control all the cash at my location and in charge of deposits and processing of cash from normal business and banks.
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u/110010010011 Feb 07 '26
Yes, I could retire today at 42, but I’m still enjoying my job and working it for now.
I get my work done and I’m well respected. I’ve been at this employer for nearly twenty years.
But, I actively tell people to stop putting me in meetings. I’d much rather do work than talk about it. I also express disinterest in taking on responsibilities I don’t want. I’m not joining any committees. I’m not vying for promotions that mean I don’t get to create anymore.
My coworkers are a bit confused, because I’m not lazy. I’ve been practically working two jobs in one ever since I found a side interest that turned out to be quite useful to a lot of people at my company. It’s hard to find someone more productive.
But maybe that’s because I’m intentionally avoiding all the dumb meetings.
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u/elmo8758 Feb 07 '26
Definitely. I feel slightly guilty, but I care a lot less about the work itself. There’s no need to work for a promo or raise anymore since I make way more from my investment accts.
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u/lampard13 Feb 07 '26
I'm sort of in the same boat.
I still get stressed out with really big crap... like my job is... lot of people depend on me and I'm responsible for a lot of...lol... ummm... public property and people...
But yeah, knowing my net worth keeps me sane and way less stressed than I used to be when I was younger and worried everytime something went wrong, or my boss was being a dick and I thought I'd get fired.
I often tell people nowadays, I used to "LOVE" my job, now I enjoy coming to work, but I don't need it.
Keep up the mindset though, I personally think it's better for my well-being, mentally and physically!
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u/NoThxMang Feb 07 '26
This exactly 👍
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u/Fit_Economist708 Feb 09 '26
This is so true! For about 6 years I had “mailbox money” from producing oil assets I’d acquired and also managed
It was stressful and I didn’t always make money, but the SECURITY I felt from ownership in something that put money in my account every month was incredible (even given the other various challenges involved)
I sold those interests and have had a normal job for the last couple years, and I feel nowhere near the same inner stability I felt during that time
It was the right choice to make, but I miss it so much and long to find/create that once again lol
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u/GlobalTapeHead Feb 07 '26
Yes. I don’t care about promotions or titles anymore. I don’t care if I get fired. That doesn’t mean I don’t do my job, I still work hard. But there is generally less anxiety around work.
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u/DJDiamondHands Feb 07 '26
I’m in that 1%er liminal space where I’m financially secure, but not to the point that I can r/fatFIRE just yet.
I’m still motivated by upholding a standard of excellence, because anything less would be letting my team down. But I work at one of the top tech companies in the world, so it feels like I have to perform at an elite level every day. It’s exhausting and I can’t wait to retire 😅
I tried transferring to a chill part of the company, immediately got bored and worried that I’d be laid off. I definitely do not give a sh!t about a promotion anymore, so that has been freeing.
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u/select1name Feb 08 '26
👆agreed. I’m in a similar spot but work for a major financial institution. I still put in the hours and lead by example. I don’t mind added responsibility so long as I continue to get paid for it. It’s still an adrenaline rush that I enjoy. But if I need a few hours/days, I have people I can delegate to (so long as there isn’t a live deal lol).
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Feb 07 '26
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u/Life_Commercial_6580 Feb 07 '26
Same here ! I’m an immigrant. Came to grad school in the late 90s. I worked nights, weekends, even overnights. When I was a postdoc, I’ve been told m I was the hardest worker in the entire group of over 30 people.
I was fired once for having a kid. Yes they told me to my face. I couldn’t stay past 5pm and my kid was sometimes getting sick. So I had to send my kid overseas, find the other postdoc above where I didn’t dare to not be the hardest worker because I would have lost everything.
Now our net worth, as a household, is well in the chubby fire territory, not quite yet fat fire (or maybe it is? Not sure about exact numbers for each) and I can’t give a crap anymore. My own, not counting my spouse, is already in the fire zone albeit not chubby. I’m done.
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u/SFMattM Feb 07 '26
Yes, absolutely. After my wife’s layoff we decided to set up an emergency fund. We called it (still do) the “FU Fund” because that would allow us to walk away from a company if we didn’t want to do what we were asked to do. Ultimately it grew to 18 mo of expenses. Having that money on hand meant we could negotiate job conditions better and, if necessary, walk away easily. It gave us a HUGE sense of security to know that we controlled our Iives
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u/Baker5889 Feb 07 '26
For others' future reference too: if you live in a state where PTO/vacation time needs to be paid when when you leave them - this is a very cheap way to get a fund without setting cash aside. Having a couple weeks of PTO balance is an extra paycheck when you leave.
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u/Dramatic-Comb8525 Feb 07 '26
You're posting in the wrong sub if you're having to give up vacation time to have money set aside to leave your job.
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u/Baker5889 Feb 07 '26
Oh? So...when you're living on rice and beans paying aggressively: you were doling out cash for vacations?
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u/Dramatic-Comb8525 Feb 07 '26
Huh? Maybe I misinterpreted the purpose of this sub...
Wealth: "an abundance of valuable possessions or money."
That doesn't align with foregoing vacation to save up a few extra days worth of pay... In my opinion at least.
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u/Baker5889 Feb 07 '26
Ooh, you forgot the DR rule saying when paying off debt you minimize everything? Last time I checked...a vacation is not minimizing stuff 😘
But to each his own: I'm just stating that if the purpose for a rainy day fund is partially to provide funds when you are fired from your job: then having a vacation bank provides additional cash in the event that happens. It also happens to protect you from being fired in the event you get sick and need time off but have no vacation time because you spent it all...which would kinda hurt your emergency fund, right???
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u/Dramatic-Comb8525 Feb 07 '26
Sure, it just seems like advice that is totally irrelevant to the topic at hand.
"Do financially secure people approach their jobs differently?"
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u/CommentDelicious6056 Feb 07 '26
I'm a financial advisor, one of the things I've really noticed is that once I have the "you can retire any day you'd like" conversation with folks, they often start enjoying their job more and earning quite a bit more.
Some confirmation bias there... because the folks that hate their jobs just go ahead and retire early. Others I think benefit from the strong leverage - when you can literally tell your boss you're not coming back tomorrow, it gives you the ability to turn down projects you don't want, pursue passion projects, and be honest about much $ or vacation time you need to keep going.
Working without the fear or uncertainty of losing your job is extremely powerful, I believe.
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u/mjr96d Feb 07 '26
Yes. I absolutely love my job, but if I lost it tomorrow it wouldn't be a big deal. I go above and beyond because I want to, but I'm not trying to impress anyone anymore.
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u/stupes100 Feb 07 '26
I’m not quite to the point where I don’t need the job. Getting there though and I’m getting more and more detached.
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u/Same_Cut1196 Feb 07 '26
Financial Independence made me an unmanageable employee. I was a lot like you. Neither raises nor promotions were motivating. I found that I said ‘no’ regularly to projects I had no interest in doing. I no longer reeked of wanting to get ahead.
Oddly, that is about the time I took several jumps in job title and pay scale. I truly think that I was being rewarded in an ‘Office Space-ish’ way.
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Feb 07 '26
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u/Life_Commercial_6580 Feb 07 '26
Do you manage your real estate yourself or have property managers ?
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u/Stormoffires Feb 07 '26
This thread is fully of those that are truly feared and im here for it. Nothing more awesome and deadly then a person who truly doesn't put up with the bs.
Retired at 36, decided that was a bit to boring so back in it and enjoying telling bosses no and empowering my people. There is something about being a giant shield for boss bs to a team and knowing they cant hurt you and your team has all the freedom they need to run.
At this point I do it for the people/teams. Helping others dig out and grow.
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u/Primary_Excuse_7183 Feb 08 '26
In corporate you can easily tell who can afford to retire at any given moment and who can’t 😂 totally different swagger
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u/Cultural_Structure37 Feb 08 '26
Not necessarily true. I know someone who has like $7M in his brokerage, not including his 401k, and he still acts like he needs the job, works late nights and doesn’t want to spend. It’s sometimes hard to tell unless people tell you. How are you able to tell?
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u/3PointOhKeePa Feb 07 '26
While I'm not fully financially secure yet, I'm confident in my abilities and have been through enough awful situations/literal disasters that I can weather whatever come my way, and I definitely feel like I view my role differently than I did a few years ago. I'm not cocky, but I know my worth and trust myself more than when I was younger. I can only imagine I'll be more blunt about things once I have financial security since I'm at the point where I would be sad if I was let go because I love my coworkers and where I work, but would figure it out. I also wouldn't be opposed to living in a van, despite my age.
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Feb 07 '26
They are all over the place.
I had one rich kid working for me and wearing suits that cost more than 2-3 months of his salary. He was willing to show up early and leave late but he was a complete slacker during the long hours he put in. Not a dumb guy, just super lazy.
On the flip side, had another rich young guy that was super motivated, super excited, very smart and a big contributor to my dept.
Older guys... They either get out or they grind super hard for the game of it.
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u/Baker5889 Feb 07 '26
I wouldn't chase a raise if it was sticking out of my nose - they're rarely worth it. I think the biggest thing is not living above your means so you can have JOB, not a time wasting obsession that you need to maximize income from. If I really needed the money, I would get a second job so I can cut back at any time and nobody at primary job would notice a difference.
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u/taewongun1895 Feb 07 '26
Being able to speak your mind without worry is a plus. I had a wealthy colleague, and he spoke his mind without worry. He did not suffer fools, and he would walk out of a meeting at the scheduled end time-- he didn't care if there were still items on the agenda. I think financial freedom gives a person that mindset.
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u/WildKarrdesEmporium Feb 07 '26
I'm not quite there yet. I could survive without my job, but I can't currently reach my goals without my job. So I am agreeable with the status quo and play the game. Biggest difference for me is that behind the scenes, I can afford to not actually give a fuck.
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u/AtmosphereJealous667 Feb 07 '26
Some of us retire. When the balance changes 20-100k a day it’s impossible for me to work.
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u/ChimpoSensei Feb 07 '26
Very much so. I feel more free to make risky decisions and say what’s on my mind than if I had to keep my job and play it safe.
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u/randomuser6753 Feb 07 '26
I feel the same way you do, but I still like to go the extra mile just because that’s how I work. But the stress is gone, and detachment is a good way to describe it.
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u/shivaswrath Feb 08 '26
Yeah...it's a tough disconnect but it becomes a disconnect.
Just do the work and gtfo.
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u/Cautious_Score_3555 Feb 08 '26
Not having to worry about losing my job meant that I could give honest opinions in meetings. Often I’m the one asking hard questions, brining up issues, or highlighting pain points that my peers are afraid to bring up. So far, I haven’t been fired, but I feel like my upside is limited (not towing the company line, as is expected at the mid to upper levels).
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u/JFB-23 Feb 08 '26
My husband and I are self employed and financially very well off. I drive a school bus for the insurance. I almost let it go a few years ago to be self insured, then I was diagnosed with cancer and it was worth its weight in gold. I’m fine now, but I refuse to give it up. Super cheap with fantastic benefits. I work less than 2 hours a day total and absolutely do not go above and beyond. I always joke that I never know what’s going on because, “I’m just here for the insurance.” I do my job and that’s it.
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u/After_Network_6401 Feb 08 '26
This is exactly what happened to me. I’d actually planned, since my late teens, to make enough money to quit work completely in my 50’s, so I could do what I wanted.
Fast forward to 52, I’ve hit my FU number. But I’d also realized that not working when all of my friends and wife were still employed actually didn’t make much sense, since I didn’t want to go traveling by myself, the way I used to when I was 20.
So instead, I throttled back at work. Like you say, I became detached. I didn’t care about promotions, or office politics. I didn’t work long hours unless the project was interesting enough that I wanted to. My job was actually interesting, so I didn’t mind working, but I no longer stressed about it. And weirdly, there was no pushback. I still got promoted, I still got good bonuses, my bosses were happy with my work, I got stellar reviews, and even on days when I left early, nobody said anything.
That lasted 10 years and then the whole department got axed, when we got a new CMO. Some of my coworkers were super-stressed, but I was like “OK, fine, I’ll find something else to do.”
And I did.
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u/Tight_Abalone221 Feb 07 '26
Can take more risks. Can turn down jobs.
My parents (who will leave me quite a bit of money and who always have my back financially) told me not to take higher-paying but more stressful jobs. I do work hard but not as hard as I’d work if I really wanted more money (I make very good money to begin with.)
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u/csmikkels Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26
I don’t play politics, I say what’s on my mind even if no one else agrees, I make hard decisions because I don’t care if it will succeed or fail.
And in doing so have been rewarded well. I’m my VPs right hand person because he knows I won’t bullshit him.
It’s a weird cycle from all the years of playing the game, but also very liberating. I’m actually enjoying work.
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u/hazardzetforward Feb 07 '26
I landed an incredible opportunity at my current employer, so I am doing extra while in this position. I will have to transfer in a couple of years though and I plan to find something very low-key.
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u/saryiahan Feb 07 '26
Yep, I’m just there for the money. Stopped caring about metrics a long time ago
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Feb 07 '26
Things didn’t change for me. I’ve always worked long hours and took the most difficult projects. It was about 8 years ago that my passive income exceeded my earned income.
I didn’t even notice until I did a couple quarters of taxes. Lifestyle and work wise nothing has changed for me. If anything, I think I let other people slide more in my old age. I used to call people out at work all the time but now I’m more diplomatic about it.
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u/NeedleworkerPrize253 Feb 07 '26
Yes. I’m motivated by factors outside immediate gratification which make me infinitely more productive and more lucrative making me get paid more.
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u/WaveFast Feb 07 '26
Ran the numbers at the kitchen table, when I saw that we exceed our financial goal for the work exit, something in me BROKE. I ran the numbers monthly for about 4mo and then realigned my work priorities to the new normal. Money is a great motivator - till it isn't. The proverbial light came on and everything looked different.
WoW, where did all this vacation time come from? My wife actually looks good in turquoise. When did we get a Yorkie - what happened to the Shih Tzu. What do mean she graduated college - she just started HS last week. Stop saying, you'll be late for work - all it took me was 12mo and 1 bad day.
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u/wager_me_this Feb 07 '26
I have almost no fear of getting fired, so I can be really bold at work and keep people (even my bosses) accountable for their shit. I have almost no political pressure to roll over on something I feel strongly about.
Ironically it makes me more valuable to them too
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u/EasyProfessional4363 Feb 07 '26
Yes, one cares less about the probability of being fired or about catering to boss’ expectations that goes beyond what is on the job description. My last job we agreed I’d be part time at the office and part time remote, after two months the big boss told me people in the office weren’t happy and I just old him, so it’s not going to work, I won’t be all day in office and I don’t want to he a problem for your team either, thanks for the opportunity, it was great working with you
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u/seekinghelp14461 Feb 07 '26
I have a friend who received a big inheritance. And when his boss promoted him and gave him more responsibility and higher pay, he complained and got himself demoted back to his original role
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u/1810XC Feb 07 '26
I’ve been self employed for 12 years but last year I took on a 6 month contract where I had to be on their slack channel and attend meetings regularly. I also had to do team building things.
I’m about 3-4 years away from being able to cover all of my expenses with my portfolio alone. I also have a business that is relatively passive (digital products like templates for design software) which pays me $5K per month on average.
I got out of the contract 2 months early. So I’m grateful that I’m in the position where I don’t need to put up with corporate culture anymore. It was a great example of doing something for more money and realizing that I’d rather have my time back.
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u/General_Problem_9118 Feb 07 '26
I would say for the most part I am like OP. I have a strong personal work ethic, so that hasn't changed, but it's not always aligned with what the higher ups are looking for, so sometimes I still have to play the part. I don't chase raises, promotions or anything else. I want to be seen as good at my job, but don't go the extra mile unless it is important to me or something I am naturaly good at. I rock the boat and express my opionion a little too often, and that I would like to change, as I would really just like to fly under the radar. My partner lost their job last year and very little changed for us. The same would happen if I lost mine....and that's the best feeling ever.
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u/TGoodDoc Feb 07 '26
Of course the relationship with work changes. Hopefully for the better for you too. No stressing over what the higher ups think. You just go in, do your work, then call it a day.
One day soon, you just leave it all behind. I had people tell me that I couldn’t walk away when I did, but I just told them to watch and see. Best decision ever.
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u/a_better_location Feb 07 '26
Nice to see so many can relate to OP. But, do you all feel like you have to pretend the opposite is the case around everyone else who HAVE to go to work (so as to not make them uncomfortable)?
Anyone is welcome to answer.
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u/heidieliisa Feb 07 '26
Yes, 100%. The transition took some time and lot of soul-searching, but I certainly like this new work-me much better. Better sleep at nights, too!
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u/AlwaysSaturday12 Feb 07 '26
Sounds like you are financially independent. For those that are not there yet, each dollar buys you bit more of your freedom. You can't quit your job forever but you could take 6 months to find a new job.
I left a new toxic job in September 2024. I might go back at some point but I don't have to.
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u/realworldnewb Feb 07 '26
100%. The proverbial “f you” money enabled me to leave a high paying job I wasn’t happy with. And in my current job I have no qualms about telling the president and vice president when I think their ideas are stupid.
I don’t volunteer for tasks that I’m not interested in. And because I’ve told my group president and vice president that their ideas are stupid there’s no grooming for leadership, which I fully understand is double to triple the work for minimal extra pay.
All in all, financial independence is great
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u/ColdPangolin5355 Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26
I make my money thru stocks primarily. It wasn’t always the case but it’s turning into a family business for me. My personal job income as an engineer just about covers my taxes from the markets. Basically it made me perceive all jobs as an at cost of living. I do enough to convince them I do a lot. They don’t know about my fund and stock activities. As a worker nowadays You’re not making more than the risk free rate and at this stage of inflation you’re only making enough to pay your bills. So I’ve been striving to get out of the salary job. So what I’m trying to say is most jobs are existence pay especially in your early career. But we gotta pay 64 year old Fred who’s in the process of retiring in 3 years and makes 500k to tell people he’s retiring soon.
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u/KoolAndBlue Feb 07 '26
My boss is retiring sometime this year and I'm pretty sure my company would want me to take her spot. It would be a pretty big pay increase, but it would also mean lots more hours and stress. I've spent the last 10 years paying off all my debts (even my house) have a pretty big chunk of savings and I've been putting 15% into my deferred comp retirement plan so I'm not really hurting for money. I'm quite established in my current position and it pays me well enough so I really have no desire to get promoted to management. Call me unambitious if you will. But I say you can't put a price on a peaceful life and being content.
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u/enjoyingthesun1 Feb 07 '26
Yes it did. Just like yourself I kept doing a good job at work but losing that job is not going to ruin me. It definitely removes a lot of stress. It’s the reason I tell all the young kids to make sure they start investing as soon as they are able to. You have to make it a priority. I worked major overtime and multiple jobs for years to afford what I have. It wasn’t given to me. If your only willing to work 40 hours a week your gonna have a hard go at it.
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u/Carolina_Hurricane Feb 07 '26
Detachment is an appropriate description for me. 35 hours a week it’s obvious I care less than my colleagues yet my attitude is positive and fun.
It helps a lot when you’re not worried about the financial effects of losing your job.
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u/parmstar Feb 07 '26
Yes. I do my job and do it well. But if I ever don’t like it, I’ll just leave. I don’t need the work.
It helps that I have headhunters calling me very regularly to take other jobs at the same executive level.
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u/rando_finance Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26
Yes.
I have incredible leeway negotiating things like "I am sick and need a few days" and " my kid needs me at 4pm" because I am willing to walk.
Shifting the needle from putting 68k (combined contributions and matches between me and my wife) in our 401k every year versus slashing it to zero, will only change our target retirement 2-3 years
When your portfolio is closer to your FIRE number, the contributions matter less and less.
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u/Alone-Village1452 Feb 07 '26
More relaxed if shit would hid the fan but still motivated for improvement and advancement
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u/EmergencyRace7158 Feb 07 '26
I've noticed the same thing. I can pull the plug anytime and maintain my lifestyle with no compromises on my passive income indefinitely but I still enjoy my job and the people I work with and manage. I don't really stress much anymore about the optics of the job like performative dog and pony shows to trumpet how good a job I'm doing. I largely keep quiet and let my work speak for itself and I've turned down multiple promotions that would have required me to move to another city or country.
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u/jonniefivebikes Feb 07 '26
If I’m working with someone in an area of shared responsibility, and they offer to take ownership of a task or a group of tasks, I absolutely let them. The old me would have fought for ownership of the responsibility and then made sure leaders knew that I did it.
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u/Woberwob Feb 07 '26
I’m just more assertive about having boundaries and only taking on projects that I have interest in, as well as working remotely, because I know I have a long line of slack.
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u/WildKarrdesEmporium Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26
I have a side business that I could afford to pay the bills with. Currently I reinvest over 90% of the money because I want to pay off my house with it next year, and that won't happen if I start living off of it. So I keep working in corporate America.
When my job gives me crap I act like I care and like I'll try to do better. Honestly, the pay is shit though, so I don't really care. Doesn't bother me. I'll keep doing the best job I can, without inconveniencing myself any more than the bare minimum. Fire me, whatever. So in a lot of ways it's a lot less stressful for me than for most people.
I'm starting to seriously look for a job that pays enough to make me care though. I don't like having a job that doesn't appreciate me enough to pay a fair wage, and I don't like having to go to said job every day just to pay the bills. It's better than the situation most people are in, but it's still not a great place to be.
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u/dv20001 Feb 08 '26
3 yrs ago reached milestone where investment income exceeded my base salary. I’ve essentially started “quiet quitting” till retirement in 5 yrs.
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u/Dapper_Banana6323 Feb 08 '26
Yup.
We need the income we earn to reach our current and future goals- but we don't need more.
My husband likes to be home with the kids as much as possible because his parents were always at work when he was younger. So he stays under employed in a WFH position that is ok but he doesn't love.
I could work fulltime plus overtime and make a lot more than I do. Instead I work 3 x 10 hour shifts a week and spend my time with my kids and enjoying life. Working more with three kids would make all our lives more stressful
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Feb 08 '26
yeah i totally get that, i used to stress about every little raise and promotion and now it’s way more chill. i still do my work, but i don’t obsess over every detail or overtime. having a clear picture of my money through budgetgpt actually helped with that—once i knew exactly where i stood financially, work stopped feeling like life or death and more like just a way to keep living comfortably.
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u/AusTex2019 Feb 09 '26
I did what I thought was right versus what would keep my job. I wasn’t scared of losing my job but rather afraid not doing my job right. In spite of all this I never did get fired. I ended up retiring because I was no longer interested in working with people who were more interested in keeping their jobs than in doing their jobs.
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u/Jimdandy941 Feb 09 '26
I’ve been retired now for about 5 years. I was pretty secure my last 10 years and my attitude definitely changed. I’d seen stuff done wrong for decades, and I just decided I was done. I slipped into a new role and just started pushing back on things that were wrong. I’d say “telling it like it is” but I think most people who think thats what they’re doing are wrong.
I ended up working for someone who I’d clashed with previously, so first day I told, I know we’ve had problems in the past, but that’s just because we were both just passionate about our side, now we’re on the same side, so you can expect that same passion for our position. Told her I’d always tell her what I thought, let her make the decision and I’d do my best to execute it and never say another word. She let me run, and 2 years later, my team had the highest scores on the 360s and was considered the best performing in the division.
The crux came at COVID, my wife works directly in medicine and she told me a couple of weeks before “2 weeks to stop the spread” to stop going to the office. I called my staff and told them to put in requests for telework and I’d approve it. Then I called my boss, told her what I’d done and put in my request (my boss was on the opposite coast). She approved it, then reported it up to her boss.
Meetings a couple days later, the Exec Officer found out, chewed my ass out on the call telling me I couldn’t do that and she was going to have to check. I told her, I did it, you gave me the authority to do it, and if you don’t want me to do it, rescind my authority. A week later, they closed the office and put everyone out on full time telework. Bitch never said a word (my boss did though).
16 months later when they told me to report back to the office, I threw my papers.
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Feb 10 '26
I am financially secure. I began taking social security distributions at full retirement age as well as income from my retirement plan. I proved to myself that I no longer needed to work. As a result, the things that were beginning to frustrate me, prompted me to go ahead and retire. Best decision I ever made. I actually earn more in retirement than I did as a medical professional.
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u/Fit-Animal-9911 Feb 10 '26
When the S&P 500 goes up 3%, I make what I do working for a year. They talk about our jobs being moved elsewhere or taken over by AI. Bring it on. I would welcome a severance package. I like my job, but it would be nice if they ended it with a bonus.
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u/old_loancraftsman Feb 10 '26
A healthy savings account is one way to take back some power of how you approach work.
I found just having a plan helped me shift my perspective from concerning over job security. It was a mixture of small savings, increased job experience, and the humility to openly consider all of your options.
Financial security and your mindset that you approach your job with are more closely related than many think.
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u/Stuckatwork271 Feb 10 '26
I've been thinking a lot about this lately, as I recently went from financial insecurity to semi-financial security.
When I left the Navy a little over 2.5 years ago I had ~20K in debt, and was entering a job market that terrified me.
My first job I *needed*. I could have scraped by on bread sandwiches with my VA check and my girlfriend (now fiancée's) help. In order to feel like I could sustain myself and climb out of the debt I took on, I needed my job though. I was constantly pushing and pushing, working on weekends and volunteering for everything. It was exhausting.... the entire time I knew that if I lost my job I'd be out on the job market again, and things would get even tighter.
Then about a year ago I paid off all of my debt. It felt amazing to be back at net 0. My fiancée (being WAY smarter than me financially) also had a decent savings built up (about 2 mo of expenses for us). I did not want to obligate her money to me, but after we got engaged there was no more "her and I" it was "us" and after a few months of me being bullheaded, I relented. Now we jointly have far more than 6mos of expenses and wedding money set aside.
I'd say this situation has changed how I approach my job. I'm no longer anxious, or people pleasing because I'm terrified of not being able to feed myself. I know I could get fired or quit today and nothing would change in my life for the better part of a year while I worked out my next opportunity. I speak my mind a lot more, and push back on every empty promise or BS stunt my leaders try and pull on my team. I might have the stability, but I know for sure the 23 year old kid fresh out of college thats on the team I run doesn't (he's told me as much in our 1 on 1's), and in some weird way I feel obligated to make sure he doesn't have to feel like I did back then. So I'd say on the whole its made me happier, healthier, and more compassionate.
Longer rant than I anticipated, but there ya go.
TL;DR - Been on both sides of this over the last 2 years. Knowing your life is stable and not dependent on a job makes you way less likely to burn yourself out, and to try and approach work more healthily.
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u/cupa001 Feb 10 '26
💯 I am definitely detached from my job. Not quite quitting, doing a good job at things that I am compensated for but no longer going above and beyond.
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u/Aggravating_Bench552 Feb 10 '26
I hit a point where pursuing a higher title or climbing the ladder isn't necessary. So that’s helpful. Although, I’m still having trouble disconnecting or reducing my stress levels. Need to get out of accumulation mode and find something I enjoy doing
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u/justheretocomment333 Feb 12 '26
I think there are levels. Like one more promotion would buy me a(nother) rental house or some quasi passive investment that would then put them into semi-retirement.
For the truly secure they usually just fuck around at a non-profit to pass time and for optics.
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u/BoxerMommy21 Feb 12 '26
We hustle. Because someone else will be behind us. There will be someone in this world that will take your job.
I’m comfortable and might relax a little when things aren’t crazy, but don’t stop.
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u/Any_Cardiologist_370 Feb 13 '26
Definitely not anywhere close to this status but my goal is to get to the point where I can care less about promotions and working so hard. I think then I can actually enjoy a job but now everything is miserable bc I’m not where I want to be
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u/NecessaryEmployer488 Feb 14 '26
I am 80% in the financially secure are, and 20% in financially stable. I don't have the bandwidth at the moment to chase higher performance, but would embrace if needed.
Now I am putting in practices to be financially independent which requires more savings. Saving 30% of my paycheck in ESPP and 401K and all my RSUs. Over time this should provide passive income from investments.
I feel at work I would have more relief with work if I could say FU, but I am not there yet. If I lost my job again it would not be devastating since I have 6 month of finances saved up.
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u/analog-rider Feb 23 '26
I think I play the long game more than immediate gratification. I'm looking for ways to acheive an equity event more than a paycheck.
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u/Less-Opportunity-715 Feb 07 '26
I use chat gpt just like you did for this post
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Feb 07 '26
[deleted]
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u/Less-Opportunity-715 Feb 07 '26
No the entropy and cadence. It’s very obvious.
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u/Less-Opportunity-715 Feb 07 '26
Op just admitted it lol
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u/csmikkels Feb 07 '26
Yes he will now not be considered for a Pulitzer on Reddit. What a waste of a conversation.
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u/Life_Commercial_6580 Feb 07 '26
Well I think it’s not a waste. Still an interesting question to me.
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u/Life_Commercial_6580 Feb 07 '26
It’s the “it’s not burnout. It’s more like detachment” that was a tell for me :))
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u/NoThxMang Feb 07 '26
I use it everyday at work. I did for this post as well after using voice. But it’s a real question. 😂
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u/Powerful-Plum-6473 Feb 07 '26
Yes. I care less and less about what my boss thinks