You should see the looks I get when I say I don't have a job. My kids are now grown and people assume that because they've now left home I should go back to work. We could always do with the extra money, but as you say, that's not the be all and end all, other things are more important than money.

I really appreciate this post. I don't work full time and my kids are getting older so people assume that I am just lazy. I'm not. I have a lot that fills my days and I always have a long list of things I haven't gotten to. But this is the way of life that makes my family happy. I have time to take care of them. I have time to spend with them. I have time to cook. This is all good for them but it is good for me too. I could work more but, in the long run, we would lose out. This works for us even though it would not work for everyone. So, yes, thank you for this post.

Well said Hazel. I’m one of those people who is too busy and I’m at a point where I’m really feeling something has to change. It isn’t that I glory in being busy - it feels like a avelanche that I now need to dig myself out of.

And to Jo - perhaps when people give you a look when you say you don’t work they are secretly envious!

I guess we all have to do what is best for us and our circumstances … it's never easy, but often rewarding.
We need to appreciate each and every moment, the days go by so quickly.

All the best Jan

I can totally relate to this post. After working full-time for nearly 35 years, I am more than ready to start working only 4 days a week (I can't afford less), and I am currently looking into the possibilities. Having more time for meaningful things is so important! xxx

i have worked in the same place for about 13 years and am lucky that as it is shift work they are very flexible about my changing the hours I do, over the years I have been able to change the shifts to suit changing needs. Currently I do a 12 hour day, and 2 eight hour days and that brings in enough for my financial needs. when my oldest was at uni I did more so I could help him - it's so lovely to have 'dropped' a day as I have time for days out, to be with my family, to garden and, like you, enjoy a slower pace. I don't feel guilty, I have worked since I was 15 and I see my current work/life balance as a reward I have earned. I would rather be without some material things than be short of the free time I have :)

What a lovely, refreshing post to read Hazel. I think you have a very sound outlook on life, just one of the reasons you are awesome. This has given me food for thought.

I do work on part time basis before too and its good. I get to have more time to spend for myself and my loved ones and also maybe find another job to add up.

I totally agree with you on this.

I don't have a job right now yet still feel busy all the time (which I absolutely hate) but the job I just lost was 18 hours a week (plus an hour a day travelling) and I wouldn't want to work any more than that. People always assume I was just hanging in there whilst looking for full time, as if I'm somehow failing for working part time and it annoys me quite a bit!

Dave works full time and between us, we own a home and two cars and can cover all our costs and don't have any debts. Yes, the extra money would make a massive difference to us, we'd be able to do a lot more (or buy a lot more books!) but I always feel that as long we earn enough, that's fine - time is far more important than money.

It also annoys me when people ask me what I do with all my time off or assume I have loads of free time to help them with X Y and Z - there's so much else to do other than work, I've always got something to do!

My 'free' time in the week is used to do all the household chores and keep on top of things like banking and whatever else life throws up, which means evenings and weekends are pretty free to do a we choose.

Now I'm job hunting again, everyone assumes I want full time, but my goal is simply finding a job that's the right number of hours to maintain my part time lifestyle! Ideally, I would work 3 full days a week and have 2 weekdays off so that's what I'm hoping to find in a new job, though it's usually a few hours spread over 5 days in schools.

Like you, my 'me time' is really important to me. I can't function properly if I don't get enough time alone or if I don't have time to clean the house properly so full time working and me would never work!

It's a privilege to be able to work part time and I never feel embarrassed by it because it's just what I need and it works for me.

It's weird isn't it- the sense of how being busy is good. I find my husband is always one for a project or having to do something (he keeps doing cover work for a music service he used to work for 7 years ago on a Saturday morning and he moans and groans about it every time yet he just can't seem to say no, whereas I am always firm on this front!) I think that if you CAN afford to work less, then that is SUPER, life is far too busy and it's nice that you are able to be there for family and to support Andy as well! I love the idea of not working every day but our mortgage is huge!x

You definitely shouldn't feel guilty about working part time. I always used to love working part time. However in the quest to do a job I love and work near to home I have ended up working full time. It is a difficult balance as fulfilling part time work is hard to come by so you should defintiely enjoy it as much as you can.

Love this post! I've gone back to work part time following from Covid/furlough etc and I love it! I'm 28, no children and some people including friends and family think its bizarre (you should see the look on some of their faces), I constantly get sent full time job adverts and have comments made to me like "you could do that, why don't you try this, think of how much money you'd earn" - like it's wrong to be working part time on a part time wage?