If money were not a concern . . .

[rin]

. . . would you want to stay at home or work?

I've seen some threads where people talk about how they'd love to stay home, but that it's not financially feasible in their case. I'm wondering how many people would want to stay working for personal fulfillment/etc regardless of the paycheck.

[lcarlson90]

Heck no!!!! If I won the lottery tomorrow I would never work again. I would probably volunteer but that's about it.

[queenmama]

If money were not a concern, DH (our sole breadwinner) says he might continue to work for awhile. He's afraid he would get bored, so he would love to "work" as a gear tester or food critic or something, just for the enjoyment.

I would love to go back to school for my MFA, which I feel too tired and scatterbrained to attempt at my age, but I would never work "just for a paycheck" at a job that wasn't personally fulfilling. I'm idealistic like that. :D

Lara

[hillview]

I said I'd keep my job but I MIGHT join a start up (my job now has a lot of stability and benefits and DH's doesn't) I'd also consider training to be a nurse (a lot lower pay than what I get now but of interest to me).

[mommylamb]

I said part time, but I was making the assumption that money not being a concern meant DH made enough that my working wouldn't be necessary, but not that we had won the lottery and had some insane amount of money. If this is a windfall lottery thing, than I would quit full stop to travel and do fantastic fun things.

[123LuckyMom]

If it were financially feasible, I know DH would like to switch careers, work on pet projects, and/or have a relaxed private practice, but he would definitely continue working in some way. I would do the same as I currently plan, which is to work part time again in an area related to my skills once the children are in elementary school and maybe increase my hours as they get older. I have a part time work from home job now, but it's not in my field, and I don't enjoy it. I can never dump it, though, because it's managing a relative's finances, and she won't trust anyone else to do it, so I'm stuck with that job (in addition to any other) no matter how much money we have. I think the thing that would change the most with an influx of money is that we would hire a bunch of people to do things we don't enjoy-- gardening, cleaning, cooking, and we would take lots of exotic vacations without concern for expense. Whatever work we did would have to allow for that.

[bigpassport]

I would definitely quit my current job and be a full time SAHM. My BFF says i would be bored. I seriously doubt it because I always have some sort of pet project going. But if I do get bored, I would consider doing something productive out of the house.

[elephantmeg]

I'd love to go back to part time-like 1 12 hour shift and 1-2 8 hours a week. I did work PT (3 8 hr shifts) from when DS was born until DD was 2.5. We could do it again but DH has become accustomed to my income and insurance would change again (he would have to pick up the kids and my premium would go up). But it would be nice!

[Melaine]

If money truly weren't an issue, DH would be home starting Monday. We both might do some volunteering and I would still want to write. But neither of us have ever had a full time job we loved.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Work part time for the activity and interest. I SAH now.

[ourbabygirl]

:yeahthat: (I'd like to work PT to keep my skills up and feel like I'm contributing more to the world.)
I voted that I'd retrain to be relicensed to teach a younger age group of kids (I used to teach high school and don't want to have to do the hours of grading anymore). Ideally I would teach part-time, volunteer a bit, and also SAH (like I do now). :) Hopefully once my kids are in school full-time I'll be able to do this- we'll see.

[ladysoapmaker]

I would go back to school and get a second BS in Civil Engineering and get a MS in Renewable Energy and Engineering. I already know what my master thesis would be on.

I'm not sure what DH would do. I think he likes staying home with the kids and doing the different projects he does now.

Jen

[amandabea]

Heck no!!!! If I won the lottery tomorrow I would never work again. I would probably volunteer but that's about it.

:yeahthat::yeahthat:

[AngB]

I voted other because I would work PT in another field, I think. I am going back to school for ultrasound (after teaching) once I get into the program (#100+ on the waiting list so it's going to be awhile), then I plan to work part time.

[arivecchi]

I'd still work FT, but I'd get a job doing pro bono immigration work. I love that type of work, but the pay is not great.

[sste]

Well, I would not say "money is not a concern" in that I am not living lifestyles of the rich and famous over here by far!! But we could afford for me not to work and still live what I would consider a very nice lifestyle. But I love my work. And I am not convinced that I have the mental and emotional ability to flourish without a moderate amount of structure.

I am considering switching to part-time but I have mixed feelings about a pay cut. The reality of my field (academia) is that alot of people basically work part-time and collect full-time pay. Unfortunately, I am some sort of psychotic worker beaver and I work hard as a personal matter. It would stress me out to be shirking like that.

[AnnieW625]

I waffle between options 2, 3, and 4. I would love to work in the tv or sports management areas of work, but I would have to think about getting a second BA or BS or a masters in order to start getting intenrships. DH thinks I would be really bored if I where a SAHM and part of me thinks he might be right, but I have never done it other than maternity leave so I just don't know.

I know if we move out of state and I have no job lined up then DH has to be able to make enough money for us to live on one incomes while I get settled in. If we move back to Nor Cal and I can find a job in state govt. where I can work part time then that might be an option as well.

If we won a large lottery drawing I don't even know I would do, but if I won less than $5M I would still continue working. We would pay off our current house, fund high school and college, and maybe grad school for both girls and be able to take yearly vacations. We might buy another house in a more desirable area closer to the beach, but nothing super extravagent.

[vludmilla]

I think flexible, part-time work that I enjoy would be the ideal. I would love to keep a small part-time private practice while SAHM'ing most of the time. I think that would truly the be the best of both worlds and would promote me being the best possible parent and professional.

[cilantromapuche]

I could never be a stay at home mom. I did that for a year and it just is not me. Things in my field are in a downward spiral but I would love to just take college classes that I am interested in.
I don't even know what I would go back to school in but I would take science classes, lit classes and not feel the pressure of grades, life, etc.

[Nooknookmom]

I'd be home with DD2, but I'd also switch careers and if money were no object I could work a flexible schedule in my new field (??), and still make money!

[Nooknookmom]

I said part time, but I was making the assumption that money not being a concern meant DH made enough that my working wouldn't be necessary, but not that we had won the lottery and had some insane amount of money. If this is a windfall lottery thing, than I would quit full stop to travel and do fantastic fun things.

This! If it's about winning powerball-I'm DONE! Travel travel travel...but I'd finish my degree too. I'm very practical.

[lovebebes]

I would keep working but pick and choose the jobs I want to take. It would be fun to know I didn't *have to* take the jobs. This kind of spin would make what I do a heck of a lot more FUN.

[Liziz]

Like others have said -- if we won an obscene amt of money in a lottery or something like that, then we'd be too busy w/ fabulous travel, etc. for me to work. But assuming a more modest "if money were no issue", then my ideal situation is part-time work. Truly, that is more a challenge of my field (part-time just don't fit well) than it is money. We could afford for me to SAH full-time right now if we really wanted it, but w/ the combination of reduced ability to save for retirement, and the fact that I get a lot of fulfillment from WOH and would be bored full-time at home, I continue to work.

[StantonHyde]

I love working, I really do. I would just keep doing what I'm doing--working pt.

[TxCat]

Heck no!!!! If I won the lottery tomorrow I would never work again. I would probably volunteer but that's about it.

:yeahthat: x 1000. On one hand I enjoy a lot of aspects of my job, but at the same time it can be immensely stressful and I hate bringing that home with me (the fatigue, the physical and mental stress of a tough day, etc.). I can envision a scenario where I would be very happy and fulfilled with volunteering part-time instead.

[abh5e8]

absolutely. if i didn't have student loans to pay off, i'd be a SAHM now. i'm planning to cut back to PT in 2 years (which is the soonest I can). that said, I do enjoy my work and I know deep down i'm glad i have the education and job options I do. buuut.....if i had had children before getting committed to this line of work, i'm sure i would have chosen differently.

[bisous]

I don't know! I like my life (I mostly SAH but have a small pt job) A LOT. I think I might pursue some additional schooling but I'm not sure in what. I want to be prepared to bring some income for our family when the last (not yet born) child is in school full time. I would love for it to be a "calling" type of job. I'm not sure what my next chapter would bring but I'd like to prepare for it.

I'm leery of too much change, a la winning the lottery. Are there many documented cases of lottery winners living off their winnings, happily for an extended period of time? (Just being hypothetical here--I've never bought a lottery ticket.)

[BayGirl2]

I would likely continue to work. I said full time, but who knows what one would do in a lottery type situation. However I work now and it's not primarily for the money. It could be feasible for us to have a one income family and I would choose for DH to be the SAHP before me.

My career is what I contribute to the world, I've invested a lot into it, and I couldn't just walk away from that part of my life without replacing it with something equally stimulating. If I suddenly were set for life I'd maybe take some time off for a vacation. Maybe switch to do something more charitable, but I still don't think I'd be a SAHP. There are people better suited for that role than me, I have a different skill set I'd need/want to utilize.

[hellokitty]

I don't know! I like my life (I mostly SAH but have a small pt job) A LOT. I think I might pursue some additional schooling but I'm not sure in what. I want to be prepared to bring some income for our family when the last (not yet born) child is in school full time. I would love for it to be a "calling" type of job. I'm not sure what my next chapter would bring but I'd like to prepare for it.

I'm leery of too much change, a la winning the lottery. Are there many documented cases of lottery winners living off their winnings, happily for an extended period of time? (Just being hypothetical here--I've never bought a lottery ticket.)

:yeahthat: I'm a SAH right now, but I agree about some skepticism of living completely off of lottery winnings. I think that the nice thing if you win and still want to work, is the flexibility of being able to pick a career that you are passionate, w/o having to worry so much about the $ part of it.