Now, instead of shopping, I’ll go to my reading nook and read a chapter of my favorite book. A new sweater felt like a nice treat, a little squirt of dopamine that I needed to occupy my mind after a bad shift. When I had my old job, working in the ER, I used to shop as a form of escapism. I’ve just cut out a lot of extraneous stuff. Now, I’ll just show up at the bar, have a simple dinner and a glass of wine by myself. And I will still take myself out for a nice dinner, but before I’d be like, “Well, let me find a date and go with them.” That ends up being more money because you drink more, or you pay for the other person, or whatever. For example, I used to spend a lot of money on dinner dates. I started to take inventory of all the shit I waste time, worry, and money on. It also means that I don’t have to offer people a spare bedroom when they come to visit. My mortgage used to be about $3,300 a month, and my current rent is $1,600. I sold more furniture, got rid of more stuff, saved more money on rent. But then earlier this year, I downsized even more, from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom, because I realized I didn’t need that extra space. I chose a two-bedroom because the idea of going from a 2,800-square-foot house to a small rental seemed not fun. When I quit being a doctor, I sold my house and moved into a two-bedroom apartment. I didn’t anticipate how great it would be. I cut back on my spending and found a career that I actually like, and those things continue to feed into each other. It just keeps getting better and better, like I’m on an upward spiral. Initially, I was feeling pretty good about leaving clinical medicine and changing my career, and I thought that would wear off in a honeymoon way. “I’m making significantly less money than I was as a doctor, but my finances have never been better, and I’ve never been happier.” - Katie, 37, an editor for a medical publication who formerly worked as an ER doctor in Charlotte, North Carolina Money doesn’t buy happiness, but sometimes it kind of does. My job helps me afford to show up for the people I love the most, that’s what’s important to me. This “quiet quitting” stuff that’s going around - it made me laugh because that’s exactly what I do. This job has given me a portal to my next job and my next salary, and so I’m feeling like it’s important for me to stay even though it’s not where I want to be. But now I’m worried that I’m too addicted to stability. My rent is still only $500 a month because I live in a tiny two-bedroom apartment with no closet and two roommates. The good news is that I could quit again and be fine for an extended period of time if I was frugal. I really love my life when I’m not working. I’ve been traveling I went to Puerto Rico, and I went camping in Massachusetts. I feel very secure, and that means a lot to me. I don’t worry about money in the way that I used to. I have about $14,000 in cash saved right now. I contribute to my 401(k) and the company matches it. But it still doesn’t feel like enough because of the bad company culture and the rise of inflation and cost of living.
This is way more money than the $48,000 I was making at my old job. I am trying to check myself because I don’t want to feel bitter or money-hungry. So I asked for $10,000 more, and my new boss said no.
I’m doing things that are not in my job description and definitely above my pay grade. I thought it was reasonable to ask for a raise given my new responsibilities. She gave two weeks’ notice, and the rest of the department had to absorb her work very quickly. Recently, our director of marketing - my boss - left. But the thought of going through what I went through last year, applying to a million places and not getting any offers, makes me want to throw up. I’m learning a ton, but there’s still a lot of bullshit. I knew it wasn’t the right fit, but I took it anyway because I was running out of money after I quit my previous job. But the thought of going through what I went through last year makes me want to throw up.” - Lauren, 29, a brand manager who formerly worked for a hotel in MaineĪ year ago, I started a new job in marketing. A year later, we caught up with them to see how they’re doing. Last fall, we spoke to five women who had either recently quit or were planning to do so to see how they could afford it. Some moved on to better offers others left their fields or dropped out of the workforce entirely. Known as the “Great Resignation,” the voluntary quit rate was 25 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Last year, Americans left their jobs in record numbers. Photo-Illustration: The Cut Photo: Getty Images
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