Friday, September 08, 2017

It's Done

In my last few posts, I was working my way towards a big life change... and now I've taken the next big step. I quit my job! It was both a big step and strangely anti-climactic, since I hadn't been at that job for very long and had never really settled into it in some ways. Now I just wish I'd done it sooner so I could have had more time off during the summer, but it's actually kind of nice to go into vacation mode just as everyone else is going back to school/work.


This is going to be weird, though. I haven't been unemployed since I was 21! What am I going to do with myself? More blogging, I hope! And I do intend to find other work, but at the moment we're working on moving out of NYC, which seems like a job unto itself. The main thing I'm going to have to adjust to is seeing negative numbers in my income/expense tracking. I will not be saving money in the short term. I will have to be very strict about sticking to a budget, but spending some of my savings is all part of the master plan. It is going to be painful over the next few months as we'll have higher household expenses while we deal with relocating. But afterwards, our ongoing expenses will be lower. And Sweetie will have a lot more liquid cash after the NY apartment is sold. We are pretty sure that if we play our cards right, we don't really ever have to have jobs again, though we do want to find other work, preferably part-time.

Meanwhile, I keep hearing of more and more people who are also leaving NYC-- some are moving to totally new cities for new jobs, some are moving back to their home towns to be closer to parents, some are doing reverse commutes to jobs outside NYC and planning to fully move later. Others are also leaping into the void of uncertainty: one guy quit his job, sold all his stuff, and moved to Berlin! There is a sense that the city has changed so much from when we ourselves were the young new arrivals, but maybe every new generation feels that NYC is becoming just an over-developed playground for the wealthy and their children and just isn't as fun anymore...

But for me, what I'm doing now feels exciting, inspiring, and a little scary. It's rejuvenating, perhaps, to throw off my very stable routines and enter a phase of disruption and reinvention-- though I suppose some people wouldn't think that a middle-aged couple moving to the suburbs is that adventurous! We shall see...


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for you. I used to have a full time job, but now I work only mornings, so I make a lot less than before but a lot less stress too. The house is paid off so I don't need as much income as before. It's lovely to garden, take naps, and play with my cats in the afternoon.

Lee

Anonymous said...

Congratulations and best of luck! I have enjoyed your blogging over the years. A big step!

T'Pol said...

Congratulations! I do not know where you are moving but it seems taxes are the major determinant for most of those moving. Some of my friends moved to South Carolina just because of taxes. They used to live up in CT. Looking forward to reading more of your posts regarding the new life. Wish you the best!

JH said...

Congratulations, I have followed your blog for years and I think we are pretty close to the same age (49). I am seriously starting to wonder how many years I need to work my high stress, long hour, but very lucrative job. I live a pretty simple life and I keep looking at my retirement account and it is starting to look like I could live pretty comfortably on it for 30+ years...but no one I know "retires" in their early 50's so I'm not really sure.

I will eagerly await your posts as you transition into this new phase of life!

Sim said...

Congrats on the quasi-retirement! I love your blog, but you are one of my heroes now. If you plan to still have some side income, you could look into a state with no state income taxes and a low tax profile overall, counting sales, property taxes, and so forth - no point in avoiding income tax if the state makes up for it with other taxes.

And the other good news is that we will be getting more blog posts. Can't wait!

Andrea said...

Congratulations Madame X. I have read and loved your blog for over 10 years! I hope you will be able to blog more :-) No matter what you decide, best to you and Sweetie

Frugal Zeitgeist said...

Congratulations! This is the start of a whole new life, and I'm looking forward to reading about your journey.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! This is a huge step in your life, and this is a well-earned break. I have a feeling once you can rest and relax for a while (say a year), you'll want to get back into something. You've worked very hard and deserve it.

Please keep writing...I do so enjoy your updates Madame X! Also, as a fellow New Yorker, I'm curious as to where you and Sweetie will land. The city is driving me crazy too, so I'm very interested in where you land.

A Huge Fan!

Anonymous said...

Congrats! I love your blog and am interested in hearing about your next steps. I think we have somewhat similar stats: I'm 47 and am in New York City and my net worth is about $1.2 million. I dream about retirement every day and I'd love to find a way to slow down with work at some point and focus more on just enjoying life. Wishing you all the best!

bethh said...

Wow, I take a week off and I miss ALL the big news. This is so exciting! I've been reading your blog for years and years and am looking forward to the big changes. I shall live vicariously!