Why I’m Glad To Have Had A Job I Hated

hatingjobThat’s right.

I’m glad I had a job that I hated.

That job was working as a service advisor in the auto industry. Specifically, I worked for a variety of car dealerships over my eight-year career. I worked in the business for about nine years in total if we’re counting the time I worked my way up into that service advisor position.

Many of you who follow the blog regularly are already aware that I did this job and didn’t like it. In fact, the hatred I had for the job and my desire to get out as soon as possible led to the genesis of this site.

What’s Not To Like?

50-hour to 60-hour workweeks.

Getting up at 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Dealing with clients that aren’t particularly happy to see you (seeing me was akin to seeing a dentist).

Feeling miserable when you had to call people and tell them that their car wasn’t worth a repair or that they had to spend $4,000 or $5,000 to make a car right again.

Working on a commission basis, which meant I had no idea what my income would be from day to day or week to week. Moreover, it meant I had to compete with my fellow co-workers, leading to a very hostile, aggressive, and competitive work environment where you were constantly watching your back.

Spending most of my waking hours around people that were equally miserable to be there.

Sales quotas. If I don’t sell expensive repairs and maintenance, I don’t make money.

Meetings which were designed to showcase our inability to get things done correctly.

Customer surveys that had an overwhelming impact on my pay. Bad score? Smaller check. The very customers that weren’t happy to see me in the first place held money over my head even while I had to call them and oftentimes deliver bad news.

Am I painting a picture here? 

But This Job Was The Greatest Thing That Ever Happened To Me

The boiling frog is an anecdote describing a frog slowly being boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to threats that occur gradually…

That job was the boiling water and I was the frog.

And guess what? I didn’t want to be cooked to death.

I now realize that it was the very job I hated that led me to seek out financial independence. It led me to seek out light in the darkness of my own despair. It motivated me to get away from that which brought unhappiness upon my life.

It’s because I so strongly disliked what I did for a living that I felt compelled to look for another way.

It’s funny, but I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the automotive industry for inspiring me to jump out of the water. If they wouldn’t have heated up the water so much and so fast, I might have never felt the need to get out of there.

When I first started this blog back in early 2011, I was languishing a bit in my career. I was having a hard time making more than $40,000 per year. I felt overworked, overstressed, and generally unhappy.

But once I felt that hot water cooking me alive, I became focused. I was intent on jumping out as soon as I could.

That led to reading books like Your Money or Your Life which led to reading books like The Ultimate Dividend Playbook which led to my “eureka moment” which led to starting this blog and marching toward financial independence.

That focus and intent also led to me turning on the charm offensive at work. I started to work harder than ever. If you were in my way, you were getting steamrolled. I started to make more money… a lot more money. I was promoted from one car line to another where there was a lot more potential for income.

The income was up. And expenses were down thanks to living below my means.

Believe me, it wasn’t easy to ironically show up to a car dealership via bus. Especially in a small city where public transportation isn’t exactly popular. Getting off the bus and promptly writing up repair orders on $60,000 automobiles was, well, interesting. The strange looks would come. But I was getting cooked alive here. So I had no time to waste.

I worked harder and harder. I earned more. I spent less. I increased my savings rate past the 60% mark. And I eventually quit that job to focus on my passion for writing.

Now here we are.

More than four years after starting the blog and five years after starting this journey, I’ve been working from home since last summer. I jumped out of the boiling water to live life on my terms. Yet I’m climbing the mountain of freedom with more enthusiasm and energy than ever. The Freedom Fund recently crossed the $200,000 mark. And dividend income should average about $600 per month this year.

But I don’t think I could have done all that without the impetus that the thought of working in that industry for the rest of my life provided. The strong income also helped immensely.

What If The Water Weren’t Boiling?

The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.

– Warren Buffett

I could have quit my job at the car dealership years ago and took up something that was perhaps more enjoyable and/or less stressful.

But if I had done that, would I have ever felt the weight of the chains upon me? Would they have been to light to be felt until they were too heavy to break?

The problem that existed for me back in, say, 2011 was that I didn’t really have a great alternative to what I was already doing. The blog wasn’t making very much money at all, and certainly not anything even close to live off of. And I didn’t even know if I’d really enjoy it all that much on a full-time basis. It was still really new to me.

I had some other ideas, though. Becoming a personal trainer, which is something I took courses for in my early 20s, was an option. But I had tried to land a few personal trainer jobs while I was in college to futile results. Competition was stiff and the pay – especially for those just starting out – was very meager. That was especially true for those working directly for a facility. Independent contractors had more income potential, but I lacked the resources to try that out.

I could have landed something else, sure. But I felt, and still feel, like I was already taking advantage of my best opportunity for maximum income to make maximum progress in a minimal amount of time. Taking a pay cut would have been devastating to my savings rate and ability to invest as much as I was. Thus, it would have been even more difficult to jump out of that water at the first chance I got.

And what if the water wasn’t as hot? 

Well, I’ve already discussed that this journey isn’t about hating your job. It’s about options, flexibility, freedom, and autonomy. It’s about buying yourself the best luxuries known to man. It’s about aligning your true values with your actions and carving out a life that you’re absolutely thrilled with.

But if I never started out with the general malaise that the service advisor gig brought about, would I have ever sought out the light? Maybe not.

Now, I’m not saying that’s all bad. A dollar isn’t a dollar, and I’d rather make less money doing something that brings about more joy in my life. But there’s also that underlying concern that what makes me happy at 25 years old might not still make me happy at 45 or 55 years old. And if that water just slowly starts to boil on me, at what point is it too late to jump out?

You might ask a young engineer at 25 years old if they’re happy with what they do. And maybe they’re absolutely delighted. The water isn’t hot. The chains aren’t heavy. No need to panic. Certainly no need to seek out financial independence.

Ask that same engineer at 50 years old if they still enjoy what they do and you might get yourself a totally different answer. 25 years of grinding away at the same problems will probably wear on a person. And if their lifestyle has inflated with 25 years of pay raises, those chains might then be too heavy to break. The frog is getting cooked alive.

Conclusion

I’m not saying that anyone should seek out a job that makes them miserable. If you can make a healthy living while doing what you love, that’s really the best way to go. Especially if you can live below your means and still seek out financial independence. Loving what you do and seeking financial freedom aren’t mutually exclusive endeavors. However, most people don’t like what they do.

What I am saying is that I’m glad that I was able to experience the rat race so early in life. I now know exactly what it feels like to be a frog in boiling water. And I know it’s not a very good feeling.

A job I hated gave me the motivation and income necessary to seek out financial independence. And for that I’ll be forever grateful. I owe a great debt of gratitude to the very industry that drove me away. I now find myself in a position where I’m able to wake up and do what I love every single day, all while also possessing the freedom and flexibility necessary to change gears in the future, if I so wish.

Being in water that’s slightly less hot might not feel so uncomfortable at the time. But you don’t want to find yourself cooked later on in life. Options, freedom, and flexibility are better than the alternative, no matter what. That way even if the water is mild at one point in time, you have the resources necessary to jump out later if/when conditions change.

What’s really wonderful is that you don’t even need to work at something you don’t like for very long, if you find yourself in such a position. Work your way up the spectrum of freedom and you’ll likely find yourself more free than you might have thought possible, and quicker than you might expect. That gives you the opportunity to seek out new lifetimes and new adventures.

So if you have a job you hate, use that to your advantage. Use it to fuel your fire. Don’t let it get you down. Be glad that they’re giving you the motivation necessary to seek out the light by placing you in boiling water while simultaneously giving you the resources to get out.

But don’t sit in boiling water for too long. Don’t wait until the chains are too heavy to break to give them a good tug. You have the power to be free, and perhaps even faster than you might think. Make sure you’re taking advantage of that every single day.

What do you think? Are you glad to have had (or still have) a job you hated? Did that (or does that) motivate you to seek out freedom? 

Thanks for reading.

Photo Credit: zirconicusso/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Note: Affiliate links included. 

Similar Posts

149 Comments

  1. Very well written Jason. I might look at leaving my job down the track if I manage to cover my expenses. Good work.

  2. Dividend Mantra,

    Nice written post. I used to work at a job that I hated for a variety of reasons. I had to work in a dangerous environment in which the person who hired me has absolutely no idea what goes on in this particular work environment. I was exposed to toxic chemicals that can cause cancer due to long term exposure. Also it was a labour job, where I and my co-workers had to do labour work while another employer watched us. This particular job caused my to wake up one day and decide I want a change so I started to plan.
    This plan involved saving and investing to a point in which I could make a major move. So I basically went on an airline website and booked a one way ticket to a better area for jobs. I am making more money now and plus the wages are considerably better. On top of that, it is not a labour job so it is easier on the body physically. I save a higher percentage of my income and invest this savings into assets that pay me at a faster rate than before.
    Personally, for me, having money coming in from assets, makes it easier to sleep at night as there is no such thing as job security anymore. I feel more safe with income from companies that are paying me over having one source of income from a job.

  3. Since i found your blog i always think of you when i go into my dealership! Alot of the guys in the dealership work there because they are into cars and love getting to do the odd test drive after a job of a very expensive car. The guy who deals me with me when i go in (i go in a lot…don’t ask) rides a motorbike to work – he’s trying to do racing. If you weren’t into it, why not find a different career track, job etc when you started out? I get just sticking it out when he you had a larger goal such as saving, but what about before then?

  4. I had so many different jobs while I was growing up in Korea. I used to be a newspaper delivery man, gas station assistant, convenient store cashier, dish washer, bakery assistant, flyer handout man, buffet and various restaurants server, computer store assistant, sergeant of Korean military etc… I did not like many jobs or bosses that I have held but without them I wouldn’t be where I am now. Thanks for the good read. Much appreciated as always!

  5. incomerookie,

    Thanks!

    Yeah, it’s just getting to that point where you feel comfortable pulling the trigger. And then, of course, making sure you have some kind of viable alternative. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Cheers.

  6. IP,

    That’s great stuff there. You had a job that wasn’t only unlikable, but also dangerous. And that provided the motivation you needed to better yourself. You’re now in a much better situation where you’re safer, happier, making more money, saving more, and more free. Can’t get much better than that! 🙂

    Thanks for sharing. Keep it up over there.

    Best regards.

  7. Dee,

    Yeah, I’m not sure about that. I met a few technicians who were into cars as a hobby and what not, but most service advisors I worked around (and I’ve worked around quite a few over the years) did it purely for the money.

    And that’s why I was there. I didn’t have a degree but I found an opportunity to maybe work my way up into a job where I could eventually earn a fairly significant paycheck. The plan worked out, fortunately. But the more I worked at it, the more I become miserable. The water was boiling pretty much right away, but one’s tolerance for that kind of thing is a bit different at, say, 25 than it is even at 30 or 35. I’m glad that the me of 2010 decided to find a new way. 🙂

    Best wishes!

  8. BSR,

    Same here. Doing a job that maybe isn’t all that desirable or fun gives you the motivation to do something better. And if you’re working in the right environment, you’ll have access to the resources necessary to jump ship after a few years or so.

    Thanks for the support. Glad you enjoyed the article!

    Best regards.

  9. Jason,

    You have no idea how timely this post is. Tomorrow I go back to work after the longest time away I have had in the last 9 years. I was able to get much work done around the house, spend time with my wife, and get some additional side hustle projects I have been trying to get done done. All that being said it is my job that pushes me to try to spend less, to make these side hustles, to get out of debt and into financial independence. I do feel trapped at this point, and at one point I did “love” my job but the pot must have gradually got hot and now I’m stuck. After being active reading all kinds of personal finance blogs I now have about a year left at this job before I can leave and do something else (probably work for myself). Thank you for all your encouragement

    Tyler

  10. That’s an awesome story Jason! I am a classic example of “What if the water wasn’t boiling.” I was very unhappy in my job which motivated me to get my MBA and take on a massive amount of student loan debt. But I never did anything with it. There were some changes in ownership and I was promised that I would skip to work. Their exact words, not making this up. And I pretty much do. I do feel some massive guilt over this. I mean, I should of been a CPA years before….but I’m not. Plus I’m not sure that I would have been happy with that route either. You live and learn right? Hence, our quest for financial independence. I KNOW that I don’t want to be doing what I’m doing right now forever…even if I skip my way there in the meantime.

  11. Jason, fantastic article. I can totally relate to this and I hope your piece helps encourage others who are in similar situations. As for me, I didn’t have a job I hated (I actually really liked it)… but I had a situation that finally reached a boiling point where quitting the job and pursuing FI seemed to be the only solution to my problem. So I completely agree with your perspective on this. Looking back on things, it was reaching the boiling point of what I thought was a really bad situation that turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for me in this area. It was the catalyst — a blessing in disguise — that pushed me enough to do something and become so motivated and driven to find a solution. So I’m incredibly grateful for having reached that boiling point in the first place.

  12. Hi Jason,

    I have been following your blog for awhile. I am impressed by your determination and income results since you quit your job. Indeed, a job you hate without any immediate alternatives is a bad situation. But you found your back against the wall and had to build an alternative for few years in order to get what you wanted.

    I will be launching my own blog soon. I am in late 20s. I work in the finance industry, but I do not particularly enjoy the corporate grind. I have realized I needed to be consistent in building the career I want, which is publishing my own investment newsletter, and eventually running an asset management business. But I want to be independent and not an employee.

    In any case, congrats again on your impressive progress. This is what I love about capital markets and investing, you do not need to be a professional to excel. Quite to the contrary, lots of “professionals” simply have no idea, but they know how to sell.

    Take care.

  13. I had several customer service jobs where I was treated like garbage and I consider that a gift from God/life/the universe/the powers that be. It was a gift but I just didn’t know it at the time.

    I worked jobs in retail, fast food, call center jobs, and one stint in an accounting office. If it weren’t for these jobs that treated me like a bug instead of a human being then I wouldn’t have thick skin. I was working holidays, weekends, doing over time, and working weird random hours. One time I worked at a job where you had to show up at 6:30 a.m. and another time I had to stay at a job at 1 a.m.

    I met people that worked at these jobs for 10+ years and while some of them had families, a lot of them didn’t. I was praying for anything that would get me out of there. These jobs motivated me to head to the library and the web to research how to live within my means, how to save, how to invest, how to achieve financial independence.

    I’m now in college getting a bachelor’s degree where I’m attending college full-time and I didn’t have to borrow any student loans nor use any credit cards. Crappy jobs motivated me. I could write a book about my experiences but I’d rather focus on the future. Sometimes nothing motivates you like a crap job.

    Customer service jobs are so robotic and most people hate them, there’s such a huge turnover rate in this industry that people move on when their ships come in. So yea thank you crap jobs for showing me there’s a better way!

  14. Tyler,

    Glad this post came at the right time for you. 🙂

    Sounds like you’re in a similar spot to that which I was in not all that long ago. Takes a lot of hard work, but there is a lot to look forward to once you get over the hump. Just keep believing, keep saving, keep investing, and keep working at it.

    A year will go by really fast. I remember thinking back in early 2014 that I might leave the job. That was after they hired on a third guy and made the workplace even more competitive. And the next three or four months after that first thought about it went by so quickly. Now time goes by much slower. It’s really great to see the relative passing of time firsthand. I’m sure you’ll find something similar.

    Keep at it!

    Best regards.

  15. Mrs. Crackin’,

    I know what you mean over there. Situations change, perspectives change, and what we think we want know might not be the same a decade or so in the future. Being flexible enough to roll with the punches is an incredible spot to be in – and well worth the price of admission. 🙂

    Keep working hard and marching toward financial freedom. Who knows what you’ll find on the way, as well. I never would have thought I’d be writing full time. But I was flexible enough to try it out. Flexibility is huge.

    Thanks for adding that!

    Cheers.

  16. Greg,

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

    I know exactly how you feel over there. What I’m talking about here – and what you’re talking about – is definitely a blessing in disguise. I never would have thought about it that way at the time; I was too busy being miserable every day at work. But now looking back on it, I can see how great it was to be placed in the boiling pot of water. It taught me a lot about myself and what I’m capable of with enough motivation. 🙂

    Sounds like you have the right attitude over there. Turning negatives into positives is a great way to approach life in general. We’ll surely have a lot of negatives come up in our lives, but it’s all in how we react to those events. And using a job we don’t like to our advantage is very emblematic of that.

    Best wishes!

  17. That’s a great analogy and that’s reason why I’ve started my race to achieve FI of $3K in 3K days. Doing the job is not a problem if that job gives you satisfaction but, not otherwise.

  18. ZSquared,

    Thanks for the support. Appreciate the readership and the kind words. 🙂

    Best of luck to you as you build out your blog/newsletter. There’s definitely a lot of opportunities out there for those willing to work hard and take advantage of them. I’m sure you already know that.

    It’s funny that you come from the finance industry. I’ve had a lot of readers email me over the years, insisting that I should move from the auto industry (back when I still worked in it) to the finance industry – be a financial advisor. But I knew deep down inside that’d just be substituting one headache for another. And working for myself is the only form of ibuprofen I want to take right now. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the transition as well 🙂

    Take care!

  19. Hi Jason,

    Another great article. The analogy of the frog in the boiling water and the Buffett quote is quite apt.

    My first job out of school gave me motivation to save a large percentage of my income. I knew I didn’t want to be a project engineer in South Bend, Indiana for very long and spent just under years in the job before I moved into something else. The repetitiveness of the job was killing me and I knew that I didn’t want to sustain this. That was from 1996 – 1999.

    I kept up the habit of saving a healthy portion of my income and continued in my career. Fast forward to 2010, where I was running a company (a $40 M USD business that was owned by investment bankers) and we were sold to a Singaporean management team. They could care about the talent we brought to the table and were strictly focused on cutting our salary and benefits and driving out people to save on head count costs. I also had a 3 hour commute (although having a driver made it slightly more tolerable) so found myself unable to spend much time at home. After a few years I then started to search on how to take it to the next level, and to focus on how to properly invest. I’ve been executing this strategy for 1 1/2 years now and ended up parting ways with that company, only to jump into a much more exciting and rewarding job that is located 1 mile from my residence. I am extremely grateful to have been given that opportunity and am continuing to save and invest aggressively for when the time comes.

    You did an outstanding job of taking control of your situation and turning this into something vastly more rewarding. And it is this passion that shines through in all your writing.

    -Mike

  20. Anonymous,

    I hear you 100%. I’ve waited tables. Worked at a call center at one point in time. Worked fast food in high school. And, of course, the service advisor gig was really just a high-paying customer service job. Customer-facing jobs can really beat it out of you; they sometimes make you dislike people in general. I can say that I have a renewed appreciation for society now that I’m not in a position where I’m servicing others.

    But those jobs do motivate you. And I think they separate the wheat from the chaff. Those who are made to do more and are willing to work hard to get to where they really want to be will likely find themselves moving up over time, using those jobs to fuel their fire. Others who never get out of those low-paying, low-skill jobs and just complain all the time may be destined to stay where they are. Nothing wrong with working at any job, but only if you’re actually fulfilled. If you’re not happy, then it’s time to figure out where you will be happy and then figure out how to get there. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping in!

    Cheers.

  21. R2R,

    Indeed. If you’re happy doing what you do, more power to you. Although, you’d be in the minority.

    Nevertheless, it’s still worth the effort to seek out financial independence and unlock that freedom along the way. You never know if you’ll still be happy (or employed) tomorrow, five years from now, or twenty years from now. Always have that ace in the hole.

    Cheers!

  22. Mike,

    Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed it!

    Appreciate you sharing some of your story over there. Sounds like you’ve made some great moves along the way. What’s unfortunate is that a lot of people keep doing that repetitive job in South Bend even though they don’t really want to. And we all know why that happens…

    You’re in a great spot now. Doing something rewarding that’s close to home which allows you to spend more time at home and still save/invest your way toward freedom is a win-win all the way across the board. That’s a rare position to be in. 🙂

    And the more you save/invest, the more free you are. This means you’ll only be doing things you really want to do. That’s just an incredible luxury.

    Keep it up!

    Best wishes.

  23. Hi DM

    I remembered my first comment to you in this blog was what if the job you had in the beginning was something you like (not hate). Would it have triggered you to seek earlier financial independence?

    Great to see you putting your thoughts on the article. All well that ends well. Now you are earning more from your online income than anyone can ever imagine. Blessing in disguise. There’s always something that keeps me from doing that, though I really admire your courage for taking the leap of faith.

  24. B,

    I guess we’ve come full circle then. 🙂

    This is a subject that’s been on my mind for some time now, but there’s always that “right time” to broach something and discuss it. Now seemed like an especially good time to visit this topic now that I’ve been away from the industry for some time now. I’m able to look back on it with some fondness, a fondness I didn’t really have maybe a year ago.

    Thanks for stopping by. Hope all is well!

    Best regards.

  25. Here’s the thing; people suck. I’m not saying that in a general sense—or there would be all out war all the time, hate of our own mothers, and the inability of anyone being employed by another. This blog, alone, displays a like-minded kindred crowd that can play nicely together. But, in general, whether you are in the office/field with your colleagues or dealing with the customer/people you provide the service to…well, there’s just all kinds out there and I never have liked the game of trying to figure out what kind of animal I’m dealing with. I just, mostly, don’t care what a stranger’s day-to-day problems are and I don’t want to waste time on why they think it may be important to me. This is why I’m self-employed. But, self-employment still has expectations and it still brings strange breeds of people. Burnout is real. This is why my next step is FI. I promise to never be nasty when soon FI. I promise, unlike others, to not actually count another person’s items in their basket when in the “12 items or less” line. Why? Cuz, I’m good.

  26. It was really nice post. Well there is one thing that make me laught I’m an engineer who is 25 years old and I dont like my job. Well I like my job, I don’t like how the company treat me with the excuse of the crisis (I’m working in Spain) But my situation is kind similar to you in the past.
    Thanks for the post

  27. I´m in a different situation as I had most of the time jobs that I liked. Same of that I´m doing now. But it´s obvious that you always have situations that you dislike some parts of your job. And it´s a big difference if you have to work. Thats why I seek FI: I want to choose if I work and what I want to work, and when I want to work. And even if I don´t want to work, I want to be able to do this. This will take for me around 4 to 5 years from now and I see, that I´m really waiting to be in this position.

    To work is nothing bad. As you can see you are now winning personally when writing financial articles and creating this blog. But this is now. May be in five or ten years you like bull riding more or just travelling around. Who knows? But if you have no chance to have this flexibility, you are still working in the old job. Most of the people I know are doing that. I know more people working in jobs because they have to do it to get all the bills paid. I´m still in the same situation, nothing better. But what I can see is with every rise of the passive income you will get more flexibility. Your main motivation was to get away from your old work. This desire was an idea that you got to the situation where you are now – much better. Its OK to be thankful to recognize that you have to change your live. But you still have to go forward as nearly all of the people reading this blog including me to reach this goal. But its much more fun because we all know, what we are working for. So the change is a good way into a better and more independant live. Good article.

  28. Excellent post Jason.

    I think a few years into any field; with the repetitive/monotonous motions, toxic employers/employees year in and year out will burn anyone out. this is very similar to the first chapter in Your Money or Your Life. ” Are you making a living or making a dying?”

    You’re post couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. I don’t really like my job, and I know that I want to make a change. I’ve been reading your blog for a few years now, and my FI route are dividend paying stocks and rental properties. I think people get trapped into the rat race without even knowing it sometimes via “bracket creep”. You make more money, earn a promotion and then… Bam!! you buy a new car because you deserve it. Then comes the nicer clothes, and expensive vacations…. It’s all downhill from there.

    Somehow you realize something is wrong, but you see other people are doing it too– i.e. spending that gets out of control, working to finance the “higher lifestyle”. And before you know it, you’re closing in on 50 y/o… and indeed the chains are harder to break.. the water is getting warmer..

    I realized something was wrong years ago, but the change was gradual; up until the last few years. I’ve embraced frugality, ratcheted down the the lifestyle and am working less. Thank God, I invested in dividend stocks and real estate years ago. It’ absolutely gratifying to see the debt balances decrease, and dividend checks/rental checks hit my bank account every month. I really want to thank you for starting and maintaining this blog. I know you’ve inspired people including myself that financial independence really is a choice. And a worthwhile one at that.

    j

  29. Everyone hates their job except poets, artists,and sculptors.
    – amegalo

    These are people that do not have a care in the world and think only in the imaginary world of the clouds.

    When people have families to care for and support, they tend not to jump from your pot of water. Their dedication to the family and their needs are primary.

    I believe the way to eventually leave the pot is to adopt a secondary focus which eventually will become primary.
    Jason you have done just that, just a little sooner than most.

    I stayed in the pot for many years and now the kids are grown and have their own kids. I have been out of the pot for almost two years and man is it “cool” out here.

  30. That’s a great post, Jason. I could identify myself with the story so perfectly… I am a high school teacher and I HATE my job. Teenagers are rude and noisy (when you have to take control of them 30 at a time). I am from Spain but know the situation in the USA is similar. I have been a teacher for 12 years now. The firsts years were ok, but is becoming just worse and worse… I suffer a lot because of the high level of stress. Also most teachers I work with are burned out. If only I would have started dividend investing those ten years ago… but fortunately I did save a high percentage of my income nonetheless (also I stopped working for two years because I wanted to travel and live abroad… ok,a bad move financially but I did have a great time). Now I am 34 years old and getting FI is what motivates me to go to work. Really you are a big help, this post was so inspirational. Thank you.

  31. Often times success is spawn from adversity. In my case I work for a family business and I really do like my job, not really love it but definitely like it. I learned a long time about myself when I try to turn something I love into a job I end up hating that job because the thing I love is now a job haha. Maybe it was the specific endeavors I tried, I dont know. But, what I do know about myself is that success to me in my life is going to be built upon experiences in my life not materials. My goal is to keep accumulating rental houses while I work for my father, and be financially independent in maximum 10 years. I dont want to stop working I just want to be at a point early in my life where I know I am completely in control of my present and future.
    Great post thanks!

  32. Hi Jason

    Some times you have to know where you have been to know where you are heading! It defintely seems that you have found out what makes you happy 🙂

    Keep up the good work!

    Best Regards
    Dividend Freedom

  33. Hi Jason,

    Another fantastic article.I already hate my job and I am only 26 year old . I have taken a cue from you and have started the dividend way.However i have realized that it is not all that easy. And maintaining that steady pace of 60 to 70 % savings rate is even more difficult.
    Reading the article gives an idea how much effort you are putting in.I certainly have a long way to go even if i were to reach even 10% of what you are doing. Continue the good work .Thanks 🙂

    Regards,

    Venkatesh Iyer

  34. Hi Jason,

    You are an inspiration. I am now 54 years old and have been following you for over a year. I have increased my savings and started investing b/c of you. Thank you. Must be pretty cool to know how you have positively impacted thousands of people. What a legacy.

  35. We’re struggling in comfortably warm water over here, and it sucks a little bit. 🙂 Mrs. Root of Good has a very cushy job that pays very well, requires 40 hours or less per week, and allows telecommuting whenever she wants it plus lets her set her own vacation schedule and leave early or come in late whenever she wants.

    The golden job, right?

    Except she wants to quit very very soon. In fact she’s wanted to quit for 2 years now, but they keep making the water more comfortable for her, so she hasn’t had any reason to walk. First 5 weeks extra paid time off, then 13 weeks paid time off. Bonuses, raises, accommodations all around.

    But I think she’s finally at that point of quitting. Possibly in the next month. If her job sucked really bad, the decision would be easier. Instead, it’s very cushy and she likes her coworkers and feels appreciated.

  36. I had a summer job a few years ago working in a bread factory, and it was pretty horrible. It wasn’t so much the 45C heat working in jeans and safety boots, standing for 12hour shifts. It was more the constant loud noises making it hard to think or talk with the co-workers, besides through yelling. That was a job which really made me appreciate going to school and time off work. And in the least it paid above minimum wage and gave me full 40hours a week which were needed during the summer to pay for school.

  37. This is exactly what I needed!! I am active duty military and was recently tasked to come be a drill instructor. The hours, stress, yelling and lifestyle are brutal …. but now my wife and I look at the next 3 years and the corresponding pay raise as fuel to our financial independence fire. Thanks for the great perspective! Keep up the great work.

  38. Jason,
    I am glad my job is not that hot, but its hot enough for sure. I agree with that study that 2/3 of people are inherently unhappy with their work. I might not be the most miserable, but I know my heart and mind are usually somewhere else. Not matter what, we are onto something, which will be better for us in the long run.
    – Gremlin

  39. Hi Jason!

    I’m reading your blog for some time now. What i like about your blog is that you describe everything about your journey: your feelings, your descisions, your savings and income, and also your investments.

    Just last weekend i thought about this matter you wrote about here. We have a saying in Germany: adversity makes People creative (hope i translated it correctly). Though that is correct, your story with the boiled frog is a lot more intuitive. Although i was saving all my life, feeling the hot water around me made me really start the project of FI.

    Go on, you’re a great inspiration for me.

  40. I can see how an auto service advisor job is tough. I hate the service trip, because I know they are commission based and will try to sell me things I might or might not need. Since I don’t know cars I can’t tell whether the rate is good or bad, or if I even need the service. So its not a good relationship from the start(although most have been very nice). The dealerships also make them tack on BS fees like “shop fees” for supplies which are 100% profit. My last repair had $30 charge for this – they have told me this is to buy things like shop rags. $30 per car?

    Glad you were able to not only find a more fulfilling gig – but looks like you are making even more $$ than before. Kinda works that way, work with passion and the money sometimes follows.

  41. Jason,

    Found your blog last couple of days and have been reading it ever since. I quit my job a few months ago and took the initiative to take an online course Computer programming and was able to make a game in the end. I could never have done that with a full-time job that I hate. It is very liberating to have the free time to do what I desire and not be a slave to the ‘man’. Fortunately I have been saving a lot of money and put that into either stocks, equities index fund and bond funds. So money is not really a big issue since I have everything I need already (roof over my head, food, and a loving wife). Your blog is great!!! Continue the good work and thanks for making it.

  42. Hi Jason
    It looks like you learned a valuable lesson from your job. Do your best, and find what makes you happy in life. It looks like you found a much more enjoyable way too work and make money, and that’s so cool. Glad to see you are living your dream and sharing the journey with us.

    Cheers

  43. Jason,

    Another excellent post that we and many of your readers can related too. We agree that having a job that you hate motivates you.

    In high school in the early 80s, I always helped my parents with the family business. Worked during the summers with no AC and helped them through out the year. They worked hard doing manual labor putting in 12+ hours a day. My father was always stressed trying to get more work in order to pay the bills. I took a part time job at bakery to see what is it like while still helping my parents. Washing trays, cake pans, scraping the saw dust off the wood floors on my hands and knees, washing the walls and all the appliances. I did not need the money because my parents gave me some money to help them out. I think min wage at the bakery was around $3.xx per hour. I worked 3-4 hrs a day for about 3 days a week. I made less at the bakery than what my parents gave me. I HATED working in the family’s business but I appreciate their sacrifice to give us a better life. What guess? I HATED the bakery job even more. After a year, I went to a city college and I spoke to the bakery owner to hire my friend. As a teenager in high school, I knew the value of a dollar. I vow to study and to NEVER EVER start or to run a family business or to do manual labor. My wife also worked thoughout college and also knows the value of a dollar. My wife’s family also did manual labor.

    Wife and I having been working in IT for the last 29 years. She hates all the BS, useless meetings and working with indecisive mgrs. I loved the first 8 years because I was able to program. I have been on 24×7 support call for the last 20 years and I hate it. We are now 50 years old. We are savers and contribute the max to our 401Ks. Paid off the mortgage 13 years ago. About 5 years ago, we heard rumors about re-orgs and layoffs. We panicked because our pension starts at 55 and will not able to cover expenses if we were both terminated before 55. If we were to be layoff before 55 then we would use up our savings.

    We were forced to change. If we did nothing then we would have to find another job. Good luck if your are over 50 since companies are looking for younger employees. 6 years ago, we started buying muni bonds. We cut 16k from our expenses and are now savings 86% of our income. We purchased more munis each year. Last year, we generated enough passive income from munis to reach FI. Next year our passive income will generate 20K more than expenses. Our company announced last year that they are in the process of outsourcing almost all staff within 3 years. If we were make 55 then our current pension amt will double and they will give us 7-9K each for medical coverage a year. Yeah, there is NO way they will allow us to reach 55. I suspect we will be cut next year.

    People NEED to see what is happening around them. If they are unhappy then please do something!! We were moviated to study in college so that we hope to not work as hard as our parents.

    We were moviated again when we heard of the layoff rumors. In both cases, we took action which placed us in a better financial situation. My co-workers who did not take any action are now in panic mode. Wife and I still doing our jobs but we dont take things so seriously or personally now. We are just waiting for a severance package which is one year salary for the each of us. We can leave anytime but there is too much money to leave on the table. If we dont get a package then we will just keep working until we are no longer needed or until we reach 55.

    We started to plan our retirement when were 30. It is amazing to see people retiring in the 30s or 40s. We luv reading finance blogs for different streams of passive incomes, ideas and motivation!

    Thank you for this post! I am sure it will help many people that are unhappy!

  44. I too had the motivation and insight of leaving work in a job I did not enjoy to help me follow a new course of action. The only problem was that it wasn’t until my late 30’s before this truly sunk into my psyche. I didn’t see the futility of staying in work I hated. I was boiling and did not know it.

    I knew I needed a side hustle along with my job to reach financial independence so I continued to throw myself into work and passive income. My thoughts were that I would continue to do both for decades. Unfortunately, it gets tiring doing that for years, your body eventually begins to ware out.

    Our renewed focus now is to leave our jobs behind and live off our passive income within the next year. 🙂

  45. “seeing me was akin to seeing a dentist” that gave me a good chuckle. That’s the starting point of a great deal of pain and unhappiness.

    But yeah, that job was your personal “burning platform” that would have cooked you alive in due time. You made some great analogies with the frog’s situation. My old place of work was not as bad but it did have some major disadvantages that I was not willing to endure for the rest of my life.

    I actually kept a personal compendium of bad moments at work in a secret journal to remind me why I left the place. Things like horrible bosses, incompetent coworkers, and questionable business practices were among the things that I wrote down in the journal.

    This is a great post that should serve as a reminder for years to come.

  46. When I was in my teens/ early twenties, I took a path job wise that people laughed at because it had “no future” by that, they meant $$$. I stuck with it, because I always wanted to do what I love, and have always been a minimalist, even as a child, so $ didn’t have much value to me.

    I’ve been working with animals for 17 years now, and am a respected expert in my field(s). Now those same naysayers are in their 30s and hate their jobs and tell me they wish they had pursued happiness instead.

    It will take me longer to reach FI than if I made more money, but I’ve done the math and I will STILL get there decades before the others due to my frugality and focus. Also, I LIKE what I do, so heres no real hurry. I’ll still work as long as I’m physically able.

    It makes me very sad to see people killing themselves at work, hating life, and STILL not getting there because they blow all the money thinking it will increase happiness to have things. Whats the point?

  47. El joven inversor,

    Sounds like you’re in a similar position to the one I was in a few years ago. Use that to motivate you and light your fire. I bet you find that it propels you along faster than you might have thought possible. 🙂

    Cheers!

  48. Oliver,

    Definitely. There’s a world of difference between having to work and wanting to work. Financial independence and still working aren’t mutually exclusive endeavors, but you don’t have a choice about it if you don’t have that passive income rolling in.

    And you’re absolutely right in that while I enjoy writing now, there’s no way to predict with certainty that I’ll still love it five or ten years from now. Having flexibility is just so important. It puts you in control of your life and your time. Creating your own schedule – be it writing or bull riding – is the ultimate luxury.

    Thanks for stopping by and sharing. I hope you continue to love what you do. But even if you don’t, it sounds like you’re on the right track in regards to having flexibility/freedom to try out new things. 🙂

    Best regards.

  49. J,

    Thanks so much!

    “I think a few years into any field; with the repetitive/monotonous motions, toxic employers/employees year in and year out will burn anyone out. this is very similar to the first chapter in Your Money or Your Life. ” Are you making a living or making a dying?””

    Agree 100%. That’s something I wrote about recently – living different lifetimes. I think it only takes a few years or so to really master something. After that point, it becomes repetitive and monotonous. And then you have to ask yourself if you’re doing it for the money or for the passion? Are you making a living or making a dying? Definitely.

    Lifestyle inflation is indeed brutal. And I hear you. It sneaks up on people. Although we’re really in control of our own actions, it’s not difficult to see what everyone else is doing and then do the same. You work hard and then think you deserve that new “whatever”. But you really deserve financial independence far more. It’s just not commonplace to see it. And people don’t like to think outside the box. Thus, they end up in a box.

    Glad to hear that you’ve been steadily saving and investing for the last few years. I couldn’t imagine still being in the same position as I was back in early 2010. I’m so happy the me of then decided to do something about all of this, which has put the me of 2015 in this absolutely wonderful position.

    Keep it up over there. You’re likely more free than you think you are. So, hopefully, you’re able to move past that job you don’t like and maybe stumble upon something else you would like to do. It’s sometimes hard to monetize hobbies/passions/interests, but if you don’t need much to get by, it’s then not such a challenge.

    Stay in touch!

    Best wishes.

  50. Amegalo,

    That’s interesting. I’m not sure of the job satisfaction numbers among sculptors and artists, but I bet those people don’t look at what they do as “work”. That said, I consider myself an artist. And while I love what I do, I still seek out freedom. Administrating this blog is definitely “work”, even if the writing and everything else isn’t.

    Glad you’ve found your way out of the pot. It’s definitely “cool” out here. 🙂

    Cheers!

  51. IW,

    Thank you. So glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂

    I know how you feel over there. Something that can be so fun and new at the start can become dull, stressful, monotonous, and repetitive over time. It’s just the nature of things. Society wants us to believe that we have to do one thing from 22 years old to 65 years old. Maybe later if you don’t save/invest enough. I don’t know why that is. I think many of us have so much more to give to the world than just one thing. And if we’re really not happy doing what we do, then how much are we really contributing to society?

    But financial independence allows us to move laterally from one “job” to another, regardless of pay, fear, and anything else. We own our own time at that point, so how we spend it is up to us.

    Keep fighting the good fight. You’re still young over there. Make sure you’re staying aggressive and allow that job to fuel your fire. You’ll find yourself in a flexible position in no time. And then it’s up to you whether you take that leap or not…

    Take care!

  52. I have had too many jobs where there were toxic co-workers and bosses. Just downright inappropriate behavior. Some even crossing into the unethical. I can’t deal with poor workers and poor ethics, period. That’s why I got into rental properties. This way, I can generate income doing things the way I feel they should be done. I’m providing a value to people with a clean, safe roof over their head and I always, always put people before profit. And, since having steady rental income and a nice ‘freedom fund’… i.e. emergency fund, I can pursue freelance, part time and volunteer work that I want to do, not work that I have to do. I still have the emotional/mental need for work, I can never just stop altogether, but I can take as much or as little work as suits me at the time and take off for long periods of time when I need a break or change. It is wonderful! I also was motivated by “Your Money or Your Life” and a couple of others like “No Impact Man” and “The Moneyless Man”. I realized I didn’t need 6-figures anymore. Like you said, if I haven’t had such bad experiences, I would probably still be stuck in the day to day, salary job, working until I’m 65, to “retire” and be bored out of my mind. 🙂

  53. DY,

    I’m with you. This whole journey isn’t necessarily about not working anymore (though, I’ll likely work very little, if at all, when I’m FI), but rather choice, flexibility, and freedom. It’s about owning your own time. All the better if you get there and find that what you’re already doing is that which makes you happy. At that point, it’s all gravy. You’re making an active choice to do what you do instead of being forced to be there. That makes a big difference in terms of quality of life.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Cheers.

  54. Venkatesh,

    It’s definitely not easy, my friend. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. 🙂

    But anything worth having is worth working hard for. And what could be worth more than your time? Furthermore, I actually think it’s a lot harder to work all your life. Some view living below your means as sacrifice. But I view working your entire life as the real sacrifice. To each their own.

    Keep it up!

    Take care.

  55. Margaret,

    Thank you so much. Really appreciate that.

    I’m super fortunate. I had no grand design when I created this blog. I created it partly because I couldn’t find anything like it. I was looking for content that I couldn’t find. So I figured I’d create the content myself, using my own life as the basis for it. I thought I could be the guinea pig and see how it works out. And it’s obviously worked out really well. But I couldn’t do it without the readership. You guys make it possible for me to do this. I’m able to really craft the content I always wanted to, but had such a hard time with when I was working so much.

    Keep it up over there. Keep saving and investing. The future you is benefiting from every dollar saved and invested. 🙂

    Best regards .

  56. Justin,

    That’s really interesting when the water becomes less hot over time. And that can happen either through adapting to it (“It’s not THAT hot”) or through the genuine pulling back of the heat. Sounds like the latter in your wife’s case, which, as you know, is pretty rare.

    You guys are in a position to where she doesn’t need the job at all, from what I can see. So that’s wonderful. The fact that she’s been able to finagle cooler water over time even while using the resources they’re providing her to manage an escape is really the right way to do it. If I would have asked for telecommuting or 13 weeks of paid (or even unpaid) vacation back at the dealership, my old boss would have promptly laughed in my face.

    Really fortunate over there. But sometimes the boiling point just hits. And then it’s just the right time to go, no matter how mild the temperature of the water. The world’s a lot bigger of a place than just a pot. 🙂

    Cheers!

  57. DW,

    Some jobs out there are brutal. I honestly feel bad for people that have to work those jobs. Then again, I guess it could be worse. There are places around the world where people wish they had a horrible job because they’re starving and homeless. Either way, horrible situations to be in.

    Sounds like you’re in a better spot over there. Enjoy that. But still keep fighting for freedom. It’s out there waiting for you. 🙂

    Cheers.

  58. Elyk,

    Thanks for sharing that.

    I have a lot of respect for those in the military. It’s a life I couldn’t hack, I’m sure. And yelling at people all day long – not for me. But I have nothing but respect for you. At the same time, I understand where you’re coming from. Three years will go by fast. Time flies by when you’re grinding away out there. But a much slower pace awaits you on the other side. Time has slowed considerably for me these days.

    Keep it up!

    Best wishes.

  59. Gremlin,

    Hot enough is all you need to light your fire. Why deal with hot water at all when you can potentially own your own time and make the water whatever temperature you want?

    We’re definitely on to something here. I can say for sure – experiencing both sides – that doing what you want, when you want is revolutionary in terms of overall quality of life.

    Keep fighting the good fight. 🙂

    Cheers!

  60. Dan,

    Thanks for following along. Appreciate the readership very much. 🙂

    The journey to financial independence is a lot more than saving X and investing in Y. It’s far more than just the money. There are so many emotions involved. Victories. Setbacks. Relationships sometimes change. Your whole life changes. I think it’s important to touch on all of that. It’s more than just a calculator. And that’s part of the fun.

    I’m glad that you’ve been conscious of the hot water. Being aware of it is the first step toward getting out of the pot. To many people just adapt to the water over time and either fail to realize that they’re being cooked alive or just become ignorant of it (they don’t care). Either way, that’s not a life I ever set out to live. As soon as I felt the heat, I knew I had to jump out. And the quicker, the better.

    Thanks for the support from Germany. Let’s keep going!

    Best wishes.

  61. JayP,

    You got it. The adversarial relationship is set up right from the get-go. And it’s funny because then these customers would get surveys. One or two bad surveys in any one month and my pay was severely affected. I could do nothing wrong but still see my check reduced by 10% or 20%.

    Agree with you on working with passion. I had a conversation with my buddy, Kraig, not along ago. And we’ve discovered that there’s this equation of value. If you add enough value, it can’t help but come back to you. Add enough value and there’s an imbalance that has to rectify itself.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

  62. Max,

    Glad you found the blog! There’s a lot of content here, but I’ve tried to make it easy to find via two search bars, categories, and dated archives. 🙂

    Congrats to you on leaving a job you didn’t like to pursue a passion. That’s fantastic. You put yourself in a flexible position via the saving/investing, meaning you didn’t have to stress out about money right away. If you’re able to just create without worrying about making money, your best stuff comes out. You’re free from worries and stress, and that creation then just comes from a really happy and wonderful place deep down inside of you.

    Hope you continue creating and pursuing your passions. Life is too short for anything else.

    Best wishes!

  63. Michael,

    Thanks so much.

    I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons from doing something I really despised for a good chunk of my life. What’s really crazy is that I was only in that position for eight years. That’s extremely brief compared to most careers out there. Yet eight years of my life is a long time. It’s a shame that some people spend decades doing something they don’t really like to do.

    Appreciate the support. I hope you’re doing what you love to do over there, or finding a way to get there. It’s the only way to live. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  64. Adam and Jane,

    Thanks for sharing that!

    You guys are in a great spot. You used the burnout and reorganization rumors to fuel your fire. And what a fire you’ve built with a 86% savings rate. Being financially independent already is wonderful. My only caution would be to not get too caught up in OMYS. Your time is far more valuable than money.

    I can imagine that most of your co-workers are panicking. It’s funny because I’d hear all the time from co-workers back at the dealership how miserable they were every single day. Yet when they found out I was leaving the industry, they were perplexed. They couldn’t imagine doing anything else. And they couldn’t imagine what else I’d do with my time besides suffer alongside them. It’s almost unbelievable.

    Keep up the great work over there. You guys have a lot to look forward to on the other side. 🙂

    Cheers.

  65. Tawcan,

    Absolutely. Fueled my fire. That job motivated me like nothing else. And now I’m happier than ever. Thanks, car industry! 🙂

    Hope all is well!

    Cheers.

  66. Bryan,

    I hear you. It’s tough to think outside the box and see the light. When everyone is living box lives, it’s difficult to imagine anything else. And that’s one reason I’m so glad to be in a position of spreading the message. 🙂

    Good luck to you guys throughout the next year. A very exciting time of change. I can promise you that there’s a lot of life out there to be lived.

    Best regards!

  67. Spoonman,

    Keeping a journal is a great idea. I suppose I did that with the blog, though I only lightly touched on a very small portion of that which bothered me. Otherwise, the tone of the blog would have become too dark. I could have started up a second blog designed to showcase my misery, though. 🙂

    Oh, I did take a couple of pictures with my phone before I left. I still have pictures on my iPhone of co-workers being generally miserable at work. I have a couple good shots of another advisor talking on the phone, and it literally looks like he wants to die. Anytime I think it “wasn’t that bad”, I just whip out those photos.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Best wishes.

  68. Crystal,

    That’s good stuff there. So glad you decided to pursue your passion early on like that. I can just hear others telling you how they wished they would have done something similar, now miserable in their respective fields.

    If you’re going to do something for the money, at least find a way to get out of there ASAP. Of all your choices, doing something you hate and doing it for your whole life is the absolute worst. I had somewhat limited choices back when I kind of accidentally found myself in the industry, but I couldn’t imagine doing it for my entire life.

    And the fact that you’re still pursuing FI is really great. That way you’ll only be doing what you do out of the love for it. If at any point there’s something else that catches your eye, you’ll be able to jump over with impunity. 🙂

    Cheers!

  69. simple,

    “I still have the emotional/mental need for work, I can never just stop altogether, but I can take as much or as little work as suits me at the time and take off for long periods of time when I need a break or change. It is wonderful!”

    Definitely agree with what you’re saying there. Although I don’t have the emotional/mental need for work, I think most people do. Especially if we’re talking about achieving financial independence at a relatively young age. But being able to work as much/little as you want while being able to take long breaks here and there without worry is such a huge luxury. I think our creativity and capacity for work ebbs and flows. I can’t imagine that people are meant to work eight hours per day, five days per week, for forty years straight. I can see, however, really hard/creative/wonderful work for 6-8 months at a time with lengthy breaks in between. I know for sure that I have bursts of creativity followed by lulls. But our society isn’t designed that way, which makes financial independence all the more valuable and necessary.

    Thanks for dropping by. Keep up the great work over there. Sounds like you’re in an incredible position.

    Best regards.

  70. Jason,
    Why do you need a job. when you have a great gift of writing and investing? I am looking to the day where I can leave my day job and be free like you!
    I thank you for permitting us to tag along with you in your adventures of investing! I have learned a lot of things from you and all of your discussion group partners.
    I have a question about discount stock dealers? I have been using Scottrade for all of my stock trading. But, for the pass 2 weeks or more, I have been having trouble with my account in the gain and loss section. It appears that it is not working! They keep telling that they are working on it, that’s ok! But the problem needs to be fixed! If you are trying to average down, GOOD LUCK! You can not figure out where you are with your stock trades.
    I am looking at moving to another company, maybe Charles Schwab. Do you have any thoughts that you could share with me on Schwab or any other company?
    if you have a Scottrade account, you had better check it out? Because, I have been FRIPing some of the dividends and they are not being averaged into the current average cost of my stock! So, I have NO idea as to where I stand with my Scottrade stocks? But, they are working on it! Yea, GOOD LUCK!
    Jason, again thanks for your hard work and sharing your wisdom with us want to be rich investors!!!! 😉

  71. Nut501,

    Hmm, that’s strange. I’m not having a problem with the account at all. The gain/loss information pulls up fine for me. However, I maybe have a bionic memory. I have somewhat of a good idea what I’ve paid for all of my stocks… off the top of my head.

    I can’t really say anything about Schwab, though. I’ve heard good things. But I’ve never personally used them. I can only say my experience with TradeKing went from okay to terrible in a short period of time. I’m giving Fidelity a whirl now.

    Appreciate all the support. I’m more than happy to share the journey in real-time. I truly believe that freedom is out there waiting for us. And I’ve taken it upon myself to go out there and prove it. 🙂

    Best regards.

  72. Hi Jason,

    thanks for a great site!
    It would be very useful if single articles from your site would provide a feature to save article as a PDF-file.

    kind regards

  73. divorcedff,

    Thanks. Hope you found a lot of value in it. 🙂

    I can imagine things are tough for you right now. Adversity brings about our best qualities, though. Nothing like a good challenge to really fire you up.

    Cheers!

  74. pdf_fan,

    I’m not sure I’ll be able to integrate something like that. Although, I was able to convert articles pretty easily into a PDF format when I was putting together my e-book. It’s not all difficult if that’s something you’re after. 🙂

    Take care!

  75. Damn, like really? How one can put up so many good and well argumented posts straight in a row? Jason, I’d like to read some technical advice how you are working with the posts that are coming in this blog because again I find that you’ve found this magical spot of mine to remind me that today we are all entrepreneurs. There is no such loyalty between employers and employees like it was 40-50 years ago and everyone is responsible for their well-being. A lot of people tend to forget it and when economic downturn will occur then they just will be crushed for not having understood this simple idea.

    PS! Loved the analogue with boiling water vs heating cold water to warmer until boiling point has been reached. Nice perspective!

  76. Tauri,

    Ha! Thank so much. I honestly do worry about the content – how many more high-quality articles can I possibly write? I have quite a few articles in very basic draft mode where they’re titled and outlined, but it’s tough to not repeat myself as I sit here with more than 700 articles in the archives. Maybe at some point I’ll have to slow down from the 3x weekly schedule. Not sure. I’ll keep things fresh and high quality for as long as I can. 🙂

    Glad you enjoyed the article, though. And I completely agree that the loyalty between employers and employees is long gone. Maybe that’s for the best? It certainly forces people to think outside the box and get creative. And it also creates that incentive to seek out financial independence, as I alluded to here. Of course, you have some employees that remain stubbornly ignorant of the changes in the marketplace, and then they end up shocked when things unfavorably change on them. Such is life. But I’m doing my best to inspire and motivate. There is a world out there where you’re in control of your opportunities. And it’s pretty wonderful.

    Cheers!

  77. Awesome read Jason, as usual.

    Sometimes I’m wondering if I should have felt the water getting hotter much earlier. On the one hand I am happy that I now have a path to early retirement, on the other hand, I’m feeling the pain of the boiling water every day now, until I finally have enough financial strength to jump out of it.
    Just like in the matrix, sometimes ignorance is bliss? People who don’t know they could retire much earlier, might be happier, in some way?

  78. divy,

    Yeah, I hear you there. Customer-facing jobs can be kind of brutal because you’re forced to deal with people and their potential problems. And sometimes you end up working with people you wouldn’t normally like to. On top of that, you’re in a position where you’re kind of placed in this inferior/service position, which can exacerbate any negative feelings you might already have.

    But that’s just one more benefit to becoming financially independent. You then not only get to work with only those people you like working with, but you’re no longer in that position of perceived inferiority. 🙂

    Cheers!

  79. Stockbeard,

    Yeah, that’s one of my favorite lines from The Matrix. Cuts deep, but I think it’s true. I was never ignorant of the temperature of the water. Some might look at that as unfortunate – being blissfully unaware might be better for some people. But I’m pretty happy about it. 🙂

    The good news is that you’re aware of your situation as well. That’s really the first step to eventually getting out. Can’t climb the mountain if you’re not aware of its existence. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  80. Jason,

    Thanks for reminding us. I forgot what OMYS stands for. I had to google it.

    https://www.dividendmantra.com/2014/09/dont-succumb-to-omys/

    It was funny reading it because some of omys post describes us. We are a bit fearful and we are financially conservative too. We like to have 2-3 times our expenses just in case. Our jobs dont define us so we can leave anytime. This is the endgame so we will see how this plays out. We are now rebuilding our savings because we used most of it for the muni bonds. Since day one, 55 is our line in the sand. If they give us a package today then we will gladly take it.

    We agree with you that time is very valuable and so is financial security to us. I know we will be OK. In the meantime, we are using this waiting for layoff time to get fit. Both of us are exercising and eating less carbs & fatty foods. We are losing weight to become healthier. Since we became FI, we no longer eat junk food due to stress. At this point, we dont care what happens at work anymore! We will just keep going for now to build up our pensions and cash reserve. We feel that we are in a good place.

  81. Jason,

    Great article and it gets to me personally because I feel the same. I use to do service related jobs like cleaning up messes other people make, cashier, call center CSR work to make money to pay off tuition and living expenses and was motivated to seek out an occupation that I thought would get me what I wanted at the time- a decent paying good job in Accounting.

    Well, I think I make decent money but now I have a different problem- my prospects are limited by coworkers, mostly women, who do not share information or willingly include me in any important function so I usually have to brute force my way to get what I want.

    It worked! Being a vicious and unethical person is what is allowing me to keep my job and continue earning my salary for years now… but I really want out of this so I can be a decent person again.

    Early Retirement is more than just freedom from corporate salary or merely serving the interests of someone else… it is finally serving my interests and using my time for… myself, each and everyday. It is the freedom to afford common decency and ethics and not suffer financial consequences.

    So my job motivates me to retire early in so many ways too.

  82. This is more true than most people realize. Sometimes it takes a little pain and heartache to fully realize that a change needs to be made, sooner rather than later. We humans feel the sting of pain more than the happiness of pleasure a lot of the time, me included.

    I have found myself in the same boat – in my case, it’s not a specific job that I don’t like. Rather, it’s working a “job” in general – any job – and all that goes into employment at an organization. While I haven’t found a gig quite like yours, I am working from home now and my wife and I plan to retire at the end of the next year, and I truly do believe it’s all due to my distaste for having a job and, more importantly, NEEDING a job for income.

    Another huge congratulations for finding what truly makes you happy in life and making yourself successful at it. If only more people would strive to do similarly, we’d probably live in a much more happy and healthy world – with far, far fewer cars out on the road.

    As always, well done Jason. You’re truly killing it when it comes to designing a lifestyle completely *your own*.

  83. Just another example right here of why I check this site every day. Great article.

    Always inspired,
    EM

  84. Arthur,

    Thanks for sharing that!

    It’s funny that you bring that up – having to be a little ruthless in your career to get ahead. That’s actually a topic I want to explore a little bit at some point here in the near future. I discussed it only very briefly in the article above, but going any further would have led me into another topic altogether. So I cut it a bit short. But it’s definitely something I want to write about.

    Sounds like you have a great reason to get out of that toxic environment (besides just being financially independent): You want to be the real you. 🙂

    Best regards.

  85. Steve,

    “I have found myself in the same boat – in my case, it’s not a specific job that I don’t like. Rather, it’s working a “job” in general – any job – and all that goes into employment at an organization.”

    We’re brothers from another mother. I feel the same way about the entire “system” in general. I’ve mentioned it a few times now, but there’s no “job” in this world I’d like to do for any lengthy period of time. I love working out. But would I want to clock in at a gym and be there for 8-10 hours per day, five days a week, 50 weeks a year? And then do it for 30 years straight? Absolutely not. I love writing. But is there any office in the world I’d like to be beholden to in order to put out great content, and then be on someone else’s schedule for it? No way.

    I used to wonder if I was lazy. But I’m definitely not. I can work as hard as anyone. I just don’t like jobs – not the way they’re currently set up, anyway.

    You guys are in a great spot over there where, pretty soon, you won’t need any job at all. Whatever you do – paid or not – will be done on your terms. That’s true luxury. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping in.

    Best wishes!

  86. Epic post, Jason!

    While it is tough to be thankful for a job you hate while you are still there, I can attest that it gives you the motivation you need to achieve financial freedom early in life. And just having a goal gives you something to shoot for.

    My motivation to save money has never been higher. I’ve been going on spending fasts, walking home from work (although I don’t do it all the time as it is roughly 80-90 degrees out and I have an hour long trip while wearing a suit), and cutting back on that which I don’t need. It’s why I took my promotion and got my insurance licenses, it’s why I invest every penny I can into dividend-paying businesses, and it’s why I spend so much time developing my own blog. So I can escape my job–all jobs–and just relax. For me, it’s all about leaving the stress and anxiety behind to just relax.

    So perhaps I should thank the retail banking industry and the nasty customers such as the complete b&@/h that got me so mad I actually threw something (writing that blog post right now) for giving me the motivation to want to leave. It’s time for this frog to leap out of the pot.

    And what’s great about your blog, Jason, is that you show that the pot of boiling water isn’t so huge that the leap is impossible. I’m on track to make $4000 in my 2nd year of investing. Can’t wait to see what Year 5 (the year I’d ideally want to retire) will look like.

    Here’s hoping we all make the jump soon!

    Sincerely,
    ARB–Angry Retail Banker

  87. Hey Jason,

    I just want to commend you on all you’ve been able to accomplish and let you know that you have been a humongous inspiration for me to take control of my finances. I actually have a background in finance and accounting (although I never finished my degree) and have wanted to start investing for years, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that I pulled the trigger. Being able to read your earlier entries and watch you grow as a writer and an investor has really opened my eyes to what is possible in my own life.

    Much like you, I’ve never made much money. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to claim more than 35k in a single year on my taxes. Six months ago, inspired by your story, I took an honest inventory of my financial situation and devised a plan. I have since been able to sock away 50% of my pay, reduced my credit card debt by over 50% and have gotten up to date with my student loan payments. My high interest credit card balance will be a big fat zero in a couple of months, which means I will actually be able to increase my savings rate.

    In relation to this post, I feel like my entire adult life has been spent hopping willy-nilly from one boiling pot to the next. It wasn’t until this year that I set forth a plan to become the one controlling the temperature of my water. While I don’t expect to have complete control of my time for another 10-15 years, the fact that I can see the path has given me much more joy in the present. It has relieved the feeling of desperation that I didn’t even realize I was carrying around with me for so long. I absolutely love Dividend Mantra! Keep up the great work. I wish you many years of inspiring others to purchase the greatest luxury imaginable, their time.

    Thank you for all you do,
    NeuroPolitics

  88. I don’t hate it but I can still relate because it’s the typical 9-5 Dilbert corporate nonsense. I feel lucky that I make a salary that I can use to invest while enduring the job relatively unscathed & knowing that I am making provisions so that I do not find myself held captive in my cubicle forever more. The redundancies and ‘early retirement’ packages going on around me just make me more determined. 🙂

  89. Hello Adam and Jane, thanks for your interesting posts. what kind of municipal bonds do you invest in? Do they have ticker symbols like stocks? I have never looked into municipal bonds.
    Thanks

  90. Thank you for sharing your personal experience with what many describe as a typical job, a grind, a potential hostile environment with coworkers and managers coming at you, a place with endless, mind numbing meetings, a place where you sacrifice time for dollars starting in the early a.m. till late p.m. I have to say that this article just reminds me of how blessed/fortunate I have been since I started my own biz 17 years ago. At age 23, while not a die hard DGI’er, I had the hardcore desire to set on my own path. I always believed that the best investment was in yourself. Whether you start your own “thing” or have a job but save, save, save, live below your means and invest, invest and invest (in dividend paying stocks of course). The bottom line is to always invest in yourself.

  91. ARB,

    Sounds like you’re in full-on hardcore mode over there. Feels like it wasn’t all that long ago for me. I remember walking around with shoes with holes in them (a lot of fun having wet feet after washing a car for a customer), riding the bus, eating ramen noodles every day, and watching every penny. Wasn’t always fun, but I knew it was a lot more fun than the thought of spending the next 20 or 30 years in the car biz. You’re setting yourself up for a much better and brighter future over there with every dollar you save/invest.

    I’m glad that I’m doing a pretty good job at showing that it’s not an impossible leap. I sometimes fear that people think it’s really difficult to get out of that pot of water. But it’s really not. I mean four or five good years of really strong saving and investing can radically change your entire life. Even if you’re not completely financially independent in that kind of time frame, your options open way up. 🙂

    Thanks for all the support. Let’s keep fighting!

    Best wishes.

  92. NP,

    Thanks for sharing all that. I appreciate the kind words very much. I’m so happy to be in this position where I’m able to inspire, using my own life and real-time results as the foundation. We’re capable of much more than we think we are. And I’ll tell you that so many opportunities out there exist precisely because so few people are willing to take advantage. That bodes well for you. 🙂

    As far as your own results go, you’re doing fantastic. I’m making a lot more money than I used to, and a lot more than I ever thought I would. But financial independence isn’t predicated on earning a massive income. I just posted a 70%+ savings rate on a high income. But I was posting a 70% savings rate somewhat frequently back a few years ago when I was earning much less. So it’s all relative.

    Thanks again for dropping by. Hope you continue to read and stay in touch!

    Cheers.

  93. Jan,

    Use the corporate nonsense and redundancy packages as fuel for your fire, and then use the very resources they’re providing you as your means of escape. One day at a time! 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by.

    Take care.

  94. DH,

    You took the path less traveled over there and benefited tremendously because of it.

    I’m certainly the best boss I’ve ever had. I think I treat myself pretty well. Being your own boss is such a treat. That said, I look forward to the day when I have no boss. I think investing in myself is one of the best things I’ve done yet, only preceded by investing in the dividend growth stocks/dividend income that will truly set me completely free. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to invest all that time without first garnering the necessary knowledge. All works together. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping in!

    Best regards.

  95. Hey Jason I can relate to this ! 😀
    My first job once I finished high school (January 2014) I was doing carpentry, putting on skirting board after skirting board all day and carrying doors up an apartment complex. I was like you said thrown into boiling water !
    That experience actually kicked my butt into gear and made me apply for university and look into the ways of early retirement, hands down the best and worst thing I’ve done, although you won’t see me near any skirting boards anytime soon ! haha
    Cool to know someone else has had the same kind of experience!

  96. Jan,

    Here is some info to get you started!

    The munis have a cusip. If you have a Fidelity, etrade or any self service brokerage accounts then you can search for munis under fix income for your state and purchase them yourself which is cheaper than using a full service broker like in a bank. Self service is usually 1-5% cheaper. For example, in Fidelity a bond cost $101 but the same bond with a full service broker may be $102-$103.

    Right now, I have been buying 4% bonds close to PAR, face value of $100 or under. I try to not pay more than 1% premium like $101. For my tax bracket, a 4% bond is like a 6% CD. When will we see a 6% CD in the near future?

    If your state is financially stable then it may be safe to buy munis. If you buy munis from your own state then they are usually state/city tax free. They are also Fed tax free. I only choose revenue munis that are tax free and NO AMT. I like water, MTA, dormitory (good schools and good hospitals). You have to be familar with the municipal and what is strong in your area. I figured that ppl always need water, mass transit good schools and hospitals. Buy what you know.

    Right now, Detriot and Puerto Rico are having financial problems so I would avoid those munis if you live there. If you live in a tax free state like Florida then you can buy munis from any US state and pay no state tax on the interest earned. Double check with your account first!

    I search for munis YTW>3.8%, rated A or higher, not taxable and no AMT. I also avoid zero coupon bonds because I want to generate passive income now.
    Zero coupon bonds are sold at a discount (below face value) and you will get the face value when it matures.

    Terms
    YTW (YTC) is Yield to Worst (Yield to call) -lowest yield of bond when a bond is called. Most bonds are callable 10 years after first issued.
    YTM is Yield to Maturity
    Coupon is the rate of interest of the bond
    Ratings is very important. Choose higher quality bonds for safety.

    When a bond is called or matures then the bond holder is paid the face value of the bond which is $100. For example, if you buy a 5,000 4% bond @ $101 then it will cost you $5,050 plus any accrued interest. It will pay $100 interest to you twice a year every 6 months. When this bond is called or matures you will get back $5,000 which is why I try to buy bonds close to PAR or under.

    Prices for munis are listed in hundreds but the denonimation for a bond is $1,000 and the min is $5,000. Each bond listing has a different min to purchase.

    Research and buy one $5,000 muni bond to get your feet wet. Purchase more as you get comfortable owning them. You can also search for insured munis too which an insurance company will pay if the municipal defaults. They are harder to come by and yields for insured munis are usually a bit lower BUT you will get a peace of mind.

    Let us know if you have any additional questions.

  97. Thanks for the website and the inspiration. I have been a dividend investor for a few years now. Currently raking in over $800 per month in dividends. I am buying Money Mustache style until I hit my goal of $2k per month, then I will early retire.

  98. Great article timing for me. I just voluntarily walked out of a $150k job because i just had it with the idiocy of office working. I hate everything about it and now I am free. I’ll make a lot less to start freelancing but for the first time I’m looking forward to my days and the week ahead. Now I can sleep in all day if I want which is awesome. I definitely felt the weight of the rat race and I couldn’t wait for Financial Independence to get out. But fortunately we live in an age where working from home is a definite option.

  99. Jason,

    I have 5 active discount brokers at the moment: TD Ameritrade, E*Trade, Scottrade, Charles Schwab and Fidelity. Fidelity fees are $7.95 but I’ve found that they don’t credit my account on dividends very timely and when I buy equities they take a few days to settle the transfer so I missed out on one dividend payment even thought I bought the day before it went ex-dividend. I’d say Schwab was probably the most responsive, but the cost per trade is a little higher at $8.95.

    -Mike

  100. Thanks for sharing. You’ve done a great job!
    Most people just don’t realize how a job can chip away at you because the heat is turning up slowly. I’m not really thankful for having a job I hated, but it could have been worse. If I didn’t hate my job so much, I’d still be dealing with layoffs and other corporate BS. Life is really good now and early retirement worked out really well for me so I can’t complain.
    A better alternative would be having a job you like for 40 years. Only a few lucky people have that, though.

  101. Great article. I have been working my first “real” job for a little over a year now and it SUCKS. I cannot understand how people can be content with sitting in cubicles all day long. So. Damn. Depressing. But, it certainly lit my fire and got me more focused on retiring early (and I was already on a pretty good track). Currently saving 80%+ of net income and will be downsizing significantly by next summer.

  102. CG,

    There you go. Nothing to motivate you toward seeking out a better situation than a job where you’re not really happy. Some people love carpentry, or anything involving manual labor. I love working out, but don’t enjoy doing manual labor for a living. I’d rather work smart than work hard. 🙂

    Keep it up over there. Good things lie ahead!

    Cheers.

  103. Madman,

    That’s fantastic! $800 per month is some serious passive income. That could cover about half or so of my personal expenses right now, and I plan on making some moves before I hit financial independence to lower the expenses.

    Keep it up over there. $2k is a great goal. That’s not far off from my overarching goal as well. If you can’t live off of $2,000 per month, then I think some adjustments might be necessary. On a global level, that’s a lot of money.

    Good luck over there! Stay in touch.

    Take care.

  104. dzogen,

    I know it sounds funny, but congrats on quitting a high-paying job. 🙂

    Money isn’t everything. In fact, it’s really very little in the grand scheme of things. When I’m on my deathbed, the last thing I’ll regret is not spending more time working/making more money.

    Freelancing/working for myself has been one of the best moves I’ve ever made, hands down. I think you’ll find the same is true for you. Setting your own schedule is such an incredible luxury. I used to think it was something reserved for the extremely wealthy, but it’s just not the case. It’s really the best luxury of all, and it’s actually within reach for us mere mortals. What a fantastic time to be alive.

    Cheers!

  105. Mike,

    That’s an interesting anecdote about Fidelity. One of the things I didn’t like about TradeKing was that my dividends weren’t credited until the following day after the pay date, which I find unacceptable. Scottrade credits my dividends at midnight the day of, which is just fantastic. I’ll sometimes even see the money there a couple days early if it’s over a weekend. I called Fidelity before opening an account and they insisted that dividends are credited promptly the day of, so we’ll see how that goes.

    Cheers!

  106. Joe,

    Agreed. That chipping away is a slow, gradual process that can take years to really start to add up. Maybe I’m just more aware of my surroundings – we’ve talked a lot about blissful ignorance in the comments here. So you can argue either way whether it’s really better to be aware of that stress, but I think the drawback of being aware and temporarily miserable is well worth the reward of breaking free. 🙂

    As such, we’re both really fortunate we were aware of our situation and decided to do something about it. In some alternate universe I’m still working at the car dealership and you’re still an engineer. And what a shame that would be!

    Thanks for dropping by.

    Best wishes.

  107. Travis,

    I totally hear you. I have no idea how some people out there can allow their souls to be sucked for decades on end. I just can’t do it. Now, not every job is bad. And not every worker is unhappy. But the numbers indicate that the vast majority of people aren’t happy with their jobs. Yet there’s concurrently a severe lack of aggressive reaction to that. So you just try to be the change you want to see. If others follow along, great. If not, it’s their lives…

    Congrats on the 80%+ savings rate. That puts you on track for freedom inside of a decade, which is extremely fast. Keep up the great work. At that rate, every day is tremendous progress. 🙂

    Cheers!

  108. Wow Jason, great post. It had me thinking a lot. I did pick a career in an area of passion, foreign policy. It’s been great, I’ve travelled around the world (50+ countries); lived 4 1/2 years in Paris, France in a huge house provided by the government; and had a direct role on “in the headlines” events and policies. But I don’t feel like I have anything left to prove; I reached the heights in this career; any big new job would be a repeat of the last new job in many ways. I am also burned out by the politics, the infighting, the ‘networking’, and hobnobbing required to keep you footing in this career. NOBODY else in my peer group thinks this way, they just keep lunching and reaching for the next job, on and on through their 50’s and 60’s. I am trying to reach my version of FI by 50 yoa when I qualify for a pension. But its scary. Nobody in my peer group would ever think of giving up this career, the excitement and adrenelin, and nobody would consider living on less, even if less in my case could still be quite a lot with pension and 36k at least in divi income.
    I totally get why you are grateful for a career where you could tell the water was hot on day one.
    DD

  109. Hi Jason,

    I hope no frogs where harmed during the writing of this article… Al jokes aside it is a great article. Many people just don’t seem to realise they get cooked slowly and once they realise it it is to late. I do love my job but I don’t know if I will still like it in 20 years. This is also the reason I started investing, so I can jump out of the water and explore new things.

    Cheers,
    Geblin

  110. DD,

    What an incredible lifestyle. Would love to live in Paris for a bit. Seems like a really magical city. Nothing quite like that here in the US.

    But I hear you on the monotonous nature of the work. I think any job becomes repetitive/monotonous/boring over time. It’s just a matter of acknowledging that and being willing and able to try new things. I couldn’t imagine doing anything for 40 years straight day in and day out, but especially that which I’m basically forced to do as a wage slave. It’d be much easier on my terms (and it is right now), but I still don’t like the idea of contributing just one thing to my life and society at large.

    Good for you for being willing to think outside the box and pursue your life on your terms. You state that’s rare in your field, but it’s truly rare in every field. It’s just one of those things. But the grass really can be greener… 🙂

    The countdown begins!

    Cheers.

  111. Geblin,

    Ha! All frogs were safely inspected and promptly released back into the wild. No cooking here. Not interested in trying frog legs. 🙂

    You have a great attitude there. If you love your job, you’re in a rare, but great position. I’d cherish that. But you’re wise to realize that it might not always be that way. And even if you still do love your job in twenty years, there’s no telling that your job will still love you. The choice between flexibility and no flexibility should be pretty obvious. If the water gets too hot at some point down the road, you’ll easily be able to jump.

    Keep it up!

    Best regards.

  112. Want to hear something really depressing? The guy in the cubicle next to me has been working here for 27 years. He turns 63 next month and has eight (8!) kids, youngest is 19. He rarely travels and he doesn’t want to be home where his wife nags him, so he just comes into the office. He can bank up to 1,280 hours of vacation+sick time and he loses dozens of his hours each year simply because he doesn’t take them. He doesn’t care. He would rather sit in his cubicle and wait for death. This frog has been boiled.

    On the bright side, listening to his life story and seeing what has become of him has provided me with extra fuel for my desire to break the chains and FIRE ASAP.

  113. Travis,

    That’s brutal. Rather unfortunate. I’ve met many people like that in my life as well. Not trying to judge, but it’s certainly not what I want for myself. I’m too much of an optimist – and way too young – to settle into a slow death.

    But that’s great that you’re using his current lifestyle/predicament as fuel for your fire. Nothing like seeing what a life of unhappy wage slavery will do to get you fired up!

    Best regards.

  114. Hey Jason! I love the way you write! It is so much fun to read and thought provoking too. I am so happy I clicked my way over from budgets are sexy many months ago. Your journey has helped me focus on becoming a dividend earner! Where where you in 2007?! LOL I agree with all the quotes you used to emphasize your point. Thank you for continuing to give us readers great nuggets of wisdom and motivation! I have told all my friends who will listen about your wonderful blog and I hope I help contribute to your spike in traffic. You ever thought about becoming a motivational speaker too? Maybe in the future perhaps!

  115. Sukina,

    Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. As a writer, it means a lot to me that you appreciate the quality of the content. It’s something I spend a great deal of time developing.

    I’d love to become a speaker. That would be a tough transition, so we’ll see. I’ve worked with some clients on a one-on-one basis as a coach, and that’s been great. I actually had to take the page off the blog because demand overwhelmed very limited supply. But speaking would be great. That’s something that’s scalable, unlike coaching. I guess you never know, but I’d also be more than content if this website was my ultimate contribution.

    Thanks for the support and for spreading the word. I hope you and those that follow you here continue to find value in the content. 🙂

    Best regards.

  116. Yeah exactly right ! Working smarter and not harder is more my kind of thing too even though I love fitness 😀
    Will do, you too !

  117. Just in case there is anyone reading that accepts the frog in the water story literally, it is 100% backwards. A frog that is put into cool water and then the heat applied will jump out when it gets uncomfortable. A frog that is dumped into a pot of boiling water will be boiled alive. The opposite makes for a better analogy, and this comment may be offbase. But there are plenty of people who read something like this and assume the premise is true. Just keeping it real.

  118. Dividend Mantra,

    I so can agree with what you learn from having a job you hate. I just got out of an awful one I spent almost 5 years doing. You definitely learn a lot about how much you can take of it. My story is similar to yours in I needed to find a way out of it.

    I like my new job a lot more now, but I need to get to a place of being financially independent as soon as possible.

  119. It’s almost like my bank read this article and decided to give me some more motivation. Nothing but stupidity today, both from the bank itself and from the customers. Apparently I misplaced one account opening paper. If any ONE of the hundreds of papers I deal with on a monthly basis are out of order, we automatically fail our quarterly audits and the entire branch loses their bonuses. That’s not an exaggeration; one minor mistake costs everybody a couple hundred dollars. Meanwhile, we have customers with no money in their accounts calling to complain that they couldn’t deposit cash into the ATM because the ATM was full, and telling us that we should be servicing it around the clock. These people, whom I must add receive free 24/7 ATM servicing, really do have some friggin’ nerve sometimes to be demanding personalized concierge services when they have nothing with us and paid nothing to us.

    I’m starting to notice that the water in this pot is bubbling. Seriously, though, I couldn’t have more motivation if someone put a gun to my head and scream “Save and invest!”.

    Rant over. Sorry.

  120. Seems to me that job you hated helped you avoid the inertia that afflicts so many of us when we find ourselves in a job that’s not really what we want but just satisfactory enough that we’re unmotivated to change. Soon we find we’ve been at the job for a decade, and we’ve forgotten about our dreams. By working in a job you hated, you avoided all of that, and look where you are now! 🙂

  121. JM,

    Thanks for keeping it real. I’m guessing everyone who came by to read this article assumed that this was advice on how to cook frogs and tried it out to disastrous results. Looking forward to your first cookbook! 🙂

    Take care.

  122. SWAN,

    Glad you found something better that you like a lot more. The YOLO crowd has something right in regards to life being too short to spend it being unhappy. But the energy should be spent on bettering your own situation rather than just buying up stuff/experiences to dull the pain. And I happen to think financial independence is the ultimate bettering of a situation.

    Keep on fighting the good fight over there!

    Cheers.

  123. ARB,

    Sounds like a rough day over there, bud. You’re doing the right thing, though, by using it to fuel your fire. That’s exactly what I used to do every single time I had a bad day at work. I’d just think about what was awaiting me on the other side if I kept at it 100%. Sure made the ramen noodles go down a lot easier. 🙂

    Keep charging forward!

    Best regards.

  124. Love the dividend investing posts but love these deeper ones even more. You’re motivating people from all angles!

    Been a reader since the beginning, totally bummed when you went on hiatus that one summer and stoked when u came back. Really impressive growth as a writer in the short time you’ve been doing this now.

    I hope when you eventually ratchet down from writing that this blog is something you keep alive. Thanks for doing it!

  125. Kurt,

    Exactly. That middle ground of a “satisfactory enough” job might seem appealing at first, but it actually appears to be the worst alternative of all. And that’s why I felt compelled to write this article. I get emails from people all the time where they’ve been working for 20 or so years at something that paid the bills and wasn’t too bad, but they now realize they’ve been on robot mode for decades of their lives with little resources to plan their escape. I realized over time that it was the miserable job I had that motivated me to find another way at a young age, and for that I’ll be forever thankful.

    Thanks for adding that!

    Best wishes.

  126. Sundeep,

    Thanks so much for the kind words. Really appreciate the support. As a writer, it means the world to me that people appreciate the content and the message. 🙂

    It’s funny, but I thought nobody would notice when I came back from that summer break back in 2012. I was shocked when the blog became more popular than ever afterward. Never expected so many readers to stop by and support me like that. I’ve felt compelled ever since to produce the best stuff I possibly could. I never would have started it back up if I didn’t think I could do that.

    Hope to keep spreading the message of hope for many years to come.

    Thanks for dropping by. Let’s keep pushing forward!

    Best wishes.

  127. That’s definitely the upside to hating something, right? It’s the impetus for change. If it’s just a dislike or something that is so-so, we’re really good a tolerating it…especially if we think it’s just part of life or part of growing up.

  128. Penny,

    Absolutely. It’s just like relationships. Being with a partner that is tolerable isn’t really the greatest way to think about love and life. But sometimes people stay in relationships like that, only being forced to change if things get “really bad”. And so it goes with jobs. Maybe I would have tolerated a job that was lukewarm for me, but I certainly wouldn’t now be happier for it.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Cheers.

  129. Regular reader here, first time commenting. The boiling frog anecdote is excellent and relevant outside of work as well (personal relationships for example). I think it’s also worth mentioning that you can’t have the good without the bad and vice versa. And how one defines the other. Best of luck to you.

  130. TSW,

    Definitely. Great point there. Being miserable at my old job now allows me to see just how wonderful life is without it. Wouldn’t know how good it is without first knowing how bad it can be. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best wishes.

  131. Hi Jason,

    I am also a long time reader, but first time commentator. This was such a great article that it finally tipped me over 🙂 I especially liked the boiling frog analogy.

    On an unrelated note, do you use any finance software to manage your budget? ie Mint? or iBank (I think I saw an ad for that someone here).

    Thanks so much and keep the great content coming!

  132. cleopango,

    Thanks for following along. Much appreciated. And glad you enjoyed the article enough to drop a comment. 🙂

    As far as your question goes, I use both Mint and Personal Capital.

    I recently reviewed Personal Capital here:

    https://www.dividendmantra.com/2015/01/personal-capital-a-solid-and-free-portfolio-management-tool/

    And I wrote about Mint a number of years ago (I should revisit this):

    https://www.dividendmantra.com/2011/06/saving-mint-by-budgeting/

    Hope that helps!

    Best regards.

  133. I wonder if that’s really the best way to run a business and serve the public, with the employees at each other’s throats, working on commission, trying to extract every last nickel out of their customers who with no wheels are more or less at their mercy at that point, and with overbearing critical management who don’t care about their employees. The whole thing reeks. I think if they treated the employees well, paid a salary with incentives for good work instead of commission-only, offered a better price to the customers so they would be really satisfied, and did honest work without trying to sell them up to services they don’t really need, it would be much better for all. Basically living by the Golden Rule. Or maybe they’d just go out of business with that policy.

  134. Personally I think any job I have where I’m working for someone else is going to motivate me to save, save, save, and earn, earn, earn, to eventually not have to work for someone else. I’ve never had a job I HATED, but disliked for sure. They just keep reminding me how this path to FI is worth it! 🙂

  135. Paul,

    I agree. I’ve suggested different pay plans over the years – pay plans that I thought would be beneficial to the customer, employee, and employer. I always though the cutthroat pay plans that tilted heavily toward commission were just silly and promoted backstabbing and a lack of teamwork. But my suggestions always fell on deaf ears. I can say the first dealership I worked at as a service advisor tilted more heavily toward salary – in fact, when I first started, it was all salary. And we had a pretty solid team environment going on there.

    But I figured out the best solution of all: Leave the industry altogether. 🙂

    Best regards.

  136. FF,

    I’m with you. I’m not a fan of any job, and I haven’t yet come across any job in my lifetime that I particularly liked. Some have motivated me more than others, though. 🙂

    Let’s keep marching toward freedom!

    Cheers.

  137. I like this one. This article hits home. I’m that engineer, who at 25, wasn’t exactly happy with what I was doing, but it didn’t really bother me THAT much. 8 years later, it REALLY bothers me. The water is hot and I’m ready to get out.

    The point you make about what you like when you are younger may be different than what you like when you are older is the key. That, in my mind is the entire purpose of financial independence: You have the freedom to do what you love at any point in your life!

    -DP

  138. DP,

    Thanks. Really glad this article resonated with you. 🙂

    It’s important to be conscious of one’s likelihood to change as one grows older. To assume that because you “love” your job at 27 you’ll also love it at 57 is probably not a very good idea. But the great thing about financial independence is that flexibility. You don’t have to quit working just because you have enough passive income to pay your expenses. Working and FI aren’t mutually exclusive endeavors. But you have the flexibility to jump out if that water does become too hot. And I think that flexibility and freedom is well worth the price of admission.

    Best of luck moving closer to that freedom!

    Cheers.

  139. Hi Jason- I am reading this while dreading to head in to this job. A very difficult work environment where it’s hard to get through and it’s effecting everyday of my life at this point. What promotion I thought would be great has not. I need to get out of the wallowing stage and use it to “fuel my fire” I have three kiddos to support so kind of stuck in the boiling water that was turned up just in year 2 of my new gig. Any further advice? It did help reading the blog:)

  140. Daniel,

    I hear you. I felt the same pretty much every day at my last job. But like I mentioned, it was just motivation for me. I refused to let that job get the best of me. It was fuel for my fire, and what a fire it is. 🙂

    My best advice can be found on the blog. It’s holistic. I believe in being the change you want to see. I try to lead by example, and I can’t do any better than I’ve done. So my advice would be to strive as much as you can, wake up smarter than you were the day before, work extremely hard, and improve your situation every day. If you feel like you could have done more, you probably could have. Leave nothing on the table. Have no regrets.

    Best of luck over there!

    Take care.

Leave a Reply