Careers

I work in engineering, I love my job. I don't like the atmosphere at my current employer but we're changing higher ups so I'm sticking it out to see if new management fixes our current problems.
Also I'm getting paid about 20k higher than average for my position leaving would be a dramatic pay cut!
Overall if you're looking for a new career path there's a LOT in technology and it's mostly under staffed, they don't always require a degree for entry level and most will pay for further education. If you're good at math, science, or logic you could look into what's in your area.

I spent my whole life becoming a teacher and now it’s my eighth year but I don’t know if I want to do it anymore. We also have our own bank accounts, he pays the rent and bills, i give him a certain amount each month plus I buy all the groceries. He has a lot more money than I do and we’ve talked about me possibly staying home when we have kids at least for a little while. When I was younger I never thought I wouldn’t work and it hurt his feelings in the beginning that i wouldn’t let him support me. But I’ve learned that he feels it’s his role and he wants to give. When he gives and I accept and appreciate without pushback, it works really well for us. I also wonder what I should do with my life bc I feel like I can’t keep teaching forever...I’m getting super burnt out.

I'm kind of in the same position, but I guess I just have a different mindset. I have a job that I'm fine with and able to pay my share of the majority of the bills, but my FW makes about triple the amount that I do. It doesn't really bother me that she can contribute more financially, because I recognize that "support" isn't just financial. Just like everything else when it comes to marriage, I have certain strengths and weaknesses and so does she. Where I'm not able to contribute more financially, I do more of the grocery shopping and cooking, I run more errands and keep track of our budget and things like that. Of course I would love to have a more rewarding career and make more money, but right now it wouldn't be financially responsible for me to cut my hours at work to go back to school. I also don't know that it would be worth it since we plan to have children in less time than it would take for me to complete the education for a new career.

Do you have a timeframe in which you want to have children? Is it realistic for you to go back to school or complete the education/training for a new career before you have kids? Are you downplaying yourself because you think that his financial contributions are more important than the non-financial contributions that you're able to provide? I guess I don't have any real career advice to give because I'm in a similar position, but my best advice is to remember that money isn't everything. Relationships and households run on more than just money.

My husband and I make the same. I love my job but I'm not sure if it's because my boss is amazing and it's moreso I'm content with what I do but I can't say it's like the coolest job ever aha I stare at numbers all day like accounting, it's not exactly fun aha.
But I've gone through those kind of periods where I felt like.. something was missing with work life. I'm 25 and I've changed full time jobs twice now and it's been within the finance sector but doing different things to figure out what i like and am content with.

My advice though is to go for it as in... It's ok to quit and figure it out even without a plan. I know that sounds like really bad advice because you have bills to pay and quitting without a plan isnt the most ideal but in my opinion.. I don't know how old you are but let's say you're 30, the average retirement age is 60-65 so that means you have this huge amount of work years ahead of you. There's so many people who change their careers after and find happiness. My bridesmaid quit her job because she was unhappy and not sure what she was wanting but she kept herself productive by taking classes and doing internships and temp jobs and volunteering to figure out what she likes and eventually she found something right for her. So I think if you stop BUT keep yourself productive then it's ok!

If your plan is to be at home with the kids while they’re young, how soon are you two planning to have kids? For me, full time school plus caring for the kids was manageable, and then when the kids are getting ready to go to school themselves you’ve got a degree/certificate and/or the job training you need to enter a new career. I went back to school to finish my degree and just graduated in December. FH and I have two kids (4&5) and he has been supporting us financially for about 2 years now. I totally get wanting to have a career that you enjoy rather than just a job that you need for the money, and at this point I don’t really have any advice since I’m a SAHM. I was working in health insurance claims in a call center, which I loved my coworkers, I just got so burnt out with the internal drama and the frequent negativity of the callers- to the point of calling names and insulting me personally. That was one of my main motivations for going back to school, because I was stuck and needed a degree to advance anywhere. I’m hoping to get back into the workforce next fall when my kids are both in school full time, but right now daycare is just too expensive and my FH works nights so schedules are complicated. Good luck!

View Quoted Comment That’s great info! I do love Math and at my current job as a vet tech/practice manager I find myself very interested I the math aspect! Thank you for your help!

View Quoted Comment Burnt out is my problem, long strenuous hours with lack of pay and appreciation. My FH is always so willing to pay and help but I’m trying to let go of some of my independent ways and allow him to be a part of a team rather than push him away.

View Quoted Comment Thanks Melle! I guess a part of me is saying “ just figure out what you want to do and start the journey! “ and another part is that I’m good at my job and leaving would put me down at the bottom again. I’m 24 so I have time but I’m not content on where I’m at. I will keep your bridesmaid in mind to not let tough situations stop me!

View Quoted Comment I agree that money isn’t everything! I’m hard headed and have learned to be independent. I’ve come a long way but probably still need to work on it. I always said I wanted to have kids at 28, me being 24 I feel like I’m not anywhere close to being ready to have kids ( from a financial stand point ) and only because my FH s a big dreamer. Kids would set us far behind. At this point I’m very willing and maybe even eager to go back to school, but I don’t know what for yet 🤔

It's heard to say but may be start with a career aptitude and intrest test (if you haven't) or some kind of career conseling. Think about something you enjoy and see if that can become your career. It can be hard finding a career verses a job if you don't have a passion for something or it can be turned into something you can make money from. My FH have already combined all bank accounts the last thing to do is get checks in both our names and debit cards from each of us. Both our pay checks will go into one account and all bills will be paid from that account. We are saving 82% of what we have left after all expenses (I know not everyone can it wants to do that this is just what we are doing) tithing 10% and we have a little for discretionary use which goes into out other checking account. All that will come out of the first checking account and go into which ever account it is allocated for. I make about 10k more than my FH I am a lawyer ( public intrest meaning working for people who don't have alot of money) he is a high school teacher. I asked him if he wants me to make more since I could he said it's my choice he is fine with what we make combined. I like the flexibility of my two jobs one is part time and pays well the other is my own not for profit law firm. When we have kids it will be really convenient if I worked at a big law firm or even a small or medium sized firm I would have to go on leave any way or resign because I will probably decide to stay at home ( this way I can just take the kids to work with me). Everyone situation is so unique to their family it's hard to really advise but maybe work to save up for kids ( if you can/haven't) and consider sharing accounts and thinking of money as "ours" not yours and mine. My FH practice referring to things as ours we will say stuff like I will pay for dinner with our card. Because at the end of the day even if you keep it separate it still comes from one pool technically. I make more and have more earning potential but I also have more student loans (ahhh law school) and like you will be staying with out kids (my choice never thought I would but I can't wait) and probably home school. I love my career but it's not the most important thing in my life (under God and family) anymore.

View Quoted Comment We said. I couldn't agree more.

Im in the opposite position, I make more than FH, however he loves his job and I'm just content with mine. Everyone is different, but for us the separate accounts were terrible. He felt bad about not contributing more, i was more harsh about him spending money on toys vs contributing to bill's, etc....have you thought about combining accounts ts earlier? We combined bank account after getting engaged and it's been great. Now our paychecks go into the same account so it's no longer his money and my money, it's just our money. We created a budget together and agreed upon an amount to save each month. We no longer stress about who pays for what or how much we're each contributing.
I'm also thinking about staying home for a few years with kids. FH loves his job, so he'd continue working even though I make more. It's all a trade off. I f you're happy and financially stable I wouldn't quit your job just to contribute more to finances.

You need to Search to find what interests you and then do the work (school/internships) to develop a career. When you find something that interests you, it makes work rewarding. I fell into my niche of Human Resources by chance doing an internship focused on accounting. You have to get out there and look at all of the different directions you can go. The job market is really good right now for people with any amount of drive. I know because it's difficult to decent candidates for any position. We are all fighting for the same talent. Good luck to you.

I am not a huge fan of my job and has nothing to do with my degree but it pays my bills. When I started this job a year and a half ago my FH made 20k kore than me since then I've received a few raises and hes only 10k above me now. We split bills and plan to keep finances separate as well till we have kids (I have a kid froma. Previous relationship so this makes child care and everything a lot easier) he pays for insurance for all of us though then anything household related we split pretty close to even. We both work sales positions but hea been with his company 4 years and has a company car, no insurance and a company phone that they pay for . My sales position is not like that because I'm inside sales.

I work as a professional nanny. I’m really good at it and absolutely love my job. I’m almost finished with school and am studying to become a counselor. My fiancé is very successful and earns about 6 times as much as I do. He told me he wants me to work less and focus on school once we get married. We plan to keep our own individual accounts, with him paying all the household bills-this is the way he wants to do it.
It’s a little hard for me to accept this, as I have always lived on my own and taken care of myself.
It just makes me uncomfortable to have someone take care of me.

My fiancé pays bills I pay for most the dates. It seems to work out for us. I think I was upset at first but he keeps saying it is fine.

I am an Office Manager for a dental practice. I am the money maker for our family so it’s a struggle sometimes. I feel after 10 years in the dental field it’s time to move on. Private practice does not offer benefits or vacation or retirement. I have to make a change but if your FH is okay with what you do and make and you live your job then maybe you should stay. If you plan to stay home when you start to have children then I would stick it out instead of starting over.

Fiancé is in a better financial and income situation that me but he’s self-made and 9 years older than me. I just finished grad school but haven’t found a career let alone a job, I’m currently working a part time job just to have my own income for my personal expenses but I still feel bad about the bills so the majority of my checks go toward splitting the cost of household bills and expenses. I don’t have to but I think it’s fair and when we get married we’re keeping our accounts separate. Currently we’re working on launching a new business together but it would be nice to have my own income on the side outside the business.

View Quoted Comment I completely agree! I’ve always had the mind set that if he decides to up and leave one day then I cannot leave myself in a situation that I can’t make it on my own. I know that’s awful to say!

My FH makes almost double what I make and it doesn't bother me at all. I sent most of my adult life supporting my SO and now I don't have to do that. I pay the household bills and my car payment and credit card and he pays the mortgage and insurance and his own bills. We will open a joint account after we're married and will both contribute 3/4 of our paychecks to it every month to pay all the bills together. I work at a bank and he is a virtual teacher and works from home. I don't always love my job but I changed positions almost 2 years ago and I love it much better than where I was. I'm also much better at being organized and keeping track of things so he may make more but he's bad at saving. Lol