To quit or not to quit?

[tinyblackdot]

Im working 2 jobs right now. 1 is 40 hours a week, 12 hour shifts @ $10 and hour, and 1 is 2 shifts a week and i make about $200 a shift. I have to quit one of them, im just way way way to stressed out, and i am not able to spend any time with my family. The full time one is a new career path, and im getting alot of new experince and the opportunity to get some education paid for that could help me in the future,and i LOVE what i do, but i HATE the people i work for. The other job is as a bartender at a bar, it a dirty dive bar, i have been there for 7 years, and im really sick of the bar scene and the people that go with it, however i can work 2 days a week and make $400, and still have pleanty of time off with my family. But i smoke when im there, and i drink more offten, and its just not where i need to be at mentally right now.

What would you do?

Im tempted to quit both and get a school loan and go back to school as a vet tech and live off the loan until i have graduated, but DH will be starting back to school full time this semester and we will need all the money we can get.

[dot1]

Since it doesn't seem to give personal and health fulfillment, I'd ditch the bar job first....then try the 40 hour/week one for a while. After trying that for a while, I'd reevaluate priorities. If you're getting good work experience and training in a field you want to continue in, then maybe it's worth staying until you are marketable enough to move onto to an employer you actually like. If you're not in the field you want...but are gaining transferable skills, then maybe stay a while. If you don't see continueing in the field, nor are gaining transferable skills, then it's probably time to look at retraining if finances permit.

A really great read is called "Your Money or Your Life" Sorry I can't remember the author's name. But it has some great insight into how to achieve financial independence while also living a fulfilling life. And has useful practical tips. It's a bit dated...but much of the content is timeless. In fact I might suggest reading it before making any decisions. You'll want to take a good hard look at your budget and figure out what expenses are really necessary.

I guess the biggest question is whether when you look back on your life if you would regret having quit your job...or moreso regret lost time with family. I've never met a mom who regretted leaving work to spend more time with family...but I've certainly met some who regretted having worked so much. I can relate...and am doing a bit of this type of soul searching myself.

Good luck!