What would you do for money?

[Droopy]

I've long thought that money equals freedom in our society if you know how to handle it. It's an easy concept to understand, I think. Just imagine if you had a billion dollars in the bank and you were debt free. If you are in that situation then you are basically free to do anything you want within the law- and, some would argue, some things that are illegal as well.

I'm thinking of this after my first week in a new position at work. I was working a second shift position until this week. It was an easy job, it was agreeable with my lifestyle, and I earned enough to pay my bills every month. I wasn't saving like I wanted to, but I was getting by okay and I was comfortable. Then along comes the opening for the new job. I hesitated in taking it because of the above reasons. It would mean working 60 hours a week and it would mean working third shift which I didn't like. It would also mean a $15,000-$20,000 a year pay raise. In the end the money won the day.

So here I am working harder and longer when I didn't have to because of money. Have you ever done anything like that? What's your take on my position?

[Deja Q]

1. My take on money, or on freedom?

Freedom is the ability to do what one wants, on the provision it harms nobody else's ability to be free. (therefore, mugging, raping, killing, and other things that hamper other people are not acceptable.) Freedom is about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since when is dying, stuck in a job all the time, unable to pursue one's dream being able to be free?

But if the job was exciting and novel. with growth, the longer hours wouldn't matter as much.

As I know for computer support, long, tedious, stressful hours of sitting at a desk on the phone or running around to fix a small problem (seven days a week, at varied hours) is no way a person should have to live. The stress has nearly toppled me before, I'm a bit worried about its future, I know the "projected number of jobs" in the field is set to grow by 2014 (despite looking at real world evidence that shows every one of those bullplop job bank statistics can't take real life into account).

If America's idea, from the very onset, was solely about chasing money, the vast majority of Americans wouldn't be free at all.

Integrating the ability to survive and prosper into our freedoms isn't a bad idea, but with the control of the "big box" stores uprooting and rotting the concept of "community", it makes dreams impossible and survival more like prison all the time. Ask any walmart employee, who because of the pay can't get educated, the equipment, or pretty much anything else to escape that type of job to do something proper with their God-given talents.

[flvegan]

2. I recently took a 2nd job subcontracting

Do I NEED the money? No. I make a comfortable living and outside my mortgage, I'm debt free. However, the lure of the temporary $100/hr for a couple hours a night and as much as I can do on the weekends won over having free time. On the small scale, it didn't seem worth it (giving up any free time for a couple hundred buck...meh) but in the grand scheme ($1500/wk) it seemed worth it.

Besides, you never know how long the train will roll. Reality is, almost any of us could be jobless tomorrow. I'd rather have the cushion. Peace of mind is priceless.

[DarkTirade]

3. All I'm gonna say is that if you want me to off somebody for money, they REALLY gotta deserve it...

:P

[WinkyDink]

4. Gotta think of your financial future. But 60 hours? Yikes.