Hi Mommies and to the new Mommies who just joined.
Cloudcean, maganda lahat ng inputs ng mga mommies about your dilemma. I was also in that dilemma more than 10 yrs. ago. Well, I chose to get a pay cut instead of staying in my old job where I knew I wouldnt be happy and just get sicker and sicker. Yun kasi main reason ko sa old job ko, I was working around 12 hours a day M-F and Sunday. I got sick a lot and worse, I was getting bored. I wanted to relax, be healthy, get married and have kids. Money has never been an issue with me. Kasi, feeling ko naman, I can adjust my lifestyle according to what I earn. And that's what I did. When I changed firms/companies, with the pay cut but with a straight 9-6, M-F workweek, I stopped buying Ferragamos and Bally's haha kahit on sale! On sale lang naman ako talaga bumibili nun ng mga ganong klaseng branded. But I was happier, healthier and more relaxed. Plus, I liked my job for the first 3 years haha.
Siempre naging antsy nanaman ako, I transferred to a different department, that's where I am now. I am one of the lucky ones who has found a job that is also my personal advocacy. It does not pay as high as my former colleagues in my first job, but I'm happy and I have perfect work-life balance. I may not afford the branded bags and shoes, and the cars and other luxury stuff that my peers can afford now, but I dont really care about that. My priority, as well as that of my husband's is that we raise our kids to the best of our abilties, and that means, giving them as much of our time as we can. Maybe it's alsp because I got married late that I think this way. But, ako kasi, i'm no longer concerned about climbing the corporate ladder. In fact, I have been very open with my boss in saying that I do not really want another promotion. Promotion means bigger responsibilities and maybe more time at work, I cannot do that now while my kids are still young. I have also turned down 2 opportunities to transfer to other similarly big and known companies for a higher position, simply because I didnt want to be stressed out again and spending less time with the kids. Like the other sisses here, we do live within and maybe below our means. Saving and investing are very imprtant to us because we are doing those primarily to secure our children's future.