March 6, 2012

something UNEXPECTED

It wasn't that long ago that I was working part-time at a reception center and, for the most part, enjoyed my job and the people I worked with.  The venue did all sorts of events, but for the most part we hosted happy couples on their wedding day.  It was so much fun to watch the bride and groom, to decide if I liked the wedding dress, colors and overall theme of the ocassion.  And, believe it or not, the carnival theme reception was a huge hit with guests.

Like all things, though, there were some major cons to this job.  I made next to nothing, often worked events that were severely understaffed and overall didn't get to work enough.  And, probably the most annoying part of all is that I never knew when my shift would be over which made coordinating with baby-sitters a little tricky.

In the meantime, I spent many hours scheduling and planning for baby-sitters and arranging my life so I could work my butt off only to receive a teeny tiny paycheck that wasn't available to set up on direct deposit and that I couldn't pick up until after 5:00p on payday {which was on a Friday}.  But, at least I was bringing in some money.

Then, things changed for my husband at his job.  His duties and hours changed which almost certainly guaranteed I would have to find a baby-sitter each and every time I worked.  Up until this point, he was home sometimes while I was gone and was able to watch our daughter.

We weighed our options and finally decided that, yes, what little money I did make was helpful, in the long run it was more of a hassle for me to be employed.  So, I quit.  And, let me tell you, I felt such a sense of relief when I did, but it was difficult not to have the extra cash flow, and I often found myself questioning my decision.

Well, a few weeks ago I was reading the book Building Wealth for Building the Kingdom:  A Financial Planning Guide for Latter-day Saint Families by Devin D. Thorpe, and after reading the part about dual incomes I immediately knew I had made the right decision.  In his book, Thorpe explored all the added expenses that can potentially come up when both spouses work, and pointed out that it's important to really understand if a secondary income is actually a benefit.  He touched base on a lot of things that Dustin and I discussed {baby-sitters, spending more money in gas, etc.) before we decided my job, in the long run, wasn't benefiting us to make all extra planning and effort worth the while.

So, after getting a totally unbiased, third-party stance on the matter, I, again felt like I had made the right decision.

Imagine my surprise when I very suddenly and randomly had the thought to look at a major retailer's website to see if they were hiring.  And, after looking at this website many times before {and being completely sure they would not be hiring}, imagine my surprise when I learned they were hiring.  And imagine my surprise when less than 12 hours after completing the online application, I had an interview.

It is times like this, when it's as though the stars all align and things magically fall into place, that I know I'm going in the right direction.  I don't always know why I'm given impressions to do certain things {like suddenly apply for a new job}, but I've had enough experiences like this to know it's not a coincidence.

To be continued.....

P.S. If anyone would like to read Thorpe's book, let me know.  He's giving away free copies to any of my readers that would like to be financially enlightened!  {FYI, it's an e-book for a Kindle.  I don't have a Kindle and was able to read it on my iPad}.

17 comments:

  1. Emily, you are exceptionally wise. Good luck with the new job! I hope you'll love every minute!

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    1. Thanks, Devin, for your book. It really was so profound to read the part of dual incomes and see how your advice was completely align with my thought process.

      And, I must not have been clear because I just had an interview. Not sure if I got the job yet. :)

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  2. Good luck with the new job!

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    1. Thanks, but I'm not sure if I got it yet. I just had my interview. I'll keep everyone posted!!

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  3. I have a kindle and would love to read it! Em, Steve and I have struggled with this for years. For us we decided that at this time in our lives things are just going to be tight until the boys are in school full time and I can teach again. Thanks for the insight.

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    1. Your kids will be in school full-time in the not too distant future. Hang in there!

      Enjoy your book. Devin should be sending you information soon!

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  4. Let us know! How fun and exciting! I'm always a free babysitter! Ü

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    1. I'll for sure keep you updated.

      Oh, and as far as baby-sitting goes, I'm trying to convince Dustin for us to take a trip this summer and drop Isabelle off with you for a week. :)

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  5. I went through this when I worked for Gymboree too. It was a nice break...some nights I enjoyed it (especially the discount). Mike was always home to watch the kids, but it got to be where he would get home and I would walk out the door for work. I worked Saturdays, some Sundays and it got to be not fun at all. So I quit. It's tight, we live in a condo with four kids (in the ghetto), but I get to stay home with them and that's what matters. Some day we'll have an actual house with a yard, but the kids is what's most important right now. I'm always looking for a way to make money though, so let me know if they're still hiring if you get a job there! And I have a kindle too, I'd read it!

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    1. I think you being with your kids instead of having the fanciest house on the block is what matters most, at least when you look at things in an eternal perspective.

      I'll send your info to Devin so he can get a copy of a book to you!

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  6. Good luck! I hope you find out soon. The discounts alone would be worth it... ;-)

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  7. I'm interested ot hear what happens with this! Whether it should be one or both spouses working is always a big question, but what I wil tell you with absolute certainty is that it SUCKS when one spouse works, one is a student, and you STILL have to put your kid in daycare. Erg.

    Sorry, little bitter today, ha.

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  8. Right now it wouldn't be beneficial for me to work. But when both kids are in school full time I might check something out part time. The extra cash would be nice.

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  9. Oh excited to hear what happens with your interview. I would love a copy of the book, sounds interesting.

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  10. I can relate to much of what has been shared. My husband has always been a good provider, working two jobs at times to support our family. When I was home with little ones I became a registered childminder to contribute financially. We saved my income and used it for family holidays (vacations), we didn't want to depend on my income for the necessities.

    We made a conscious decision to do everything we could to enable me to be a stay at home Mum, but this wasn't always possible and I had to work in our fine art gallery when we first set up a business, whilst my husband still had a full time job. I cried when I left my youngest child in daycare and felt miserable being separated from him.
    As soon as it was practical, my husband quit his job and ran the business full time. I was so relieved to be at home again with my children.
    My personal feelings are affected by the fact that my brother and I were abandoned by both parents when they divorced, being raised by our grandparents and Aunt & Uncle. I knew I wanted to be the mother that I never had.
    Now we are in the position where we lost our business in the recession, my husband works a job which is basically minimum wage, we saved and invested in some properties which we rent out, which covers the mortgages and provides some income and now we both work in a great MLM company here in the Uk and are building a residual income.
    We changed how we look at things financially when we lived in California for a year and became acquainted with some wonderful people in MLM and also reading the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kyosaki.
    We are almost financially free in that my husband is going to quit his menial job and our income from the properties and the MLM business is enough to live on without it.
    I am looking forward to reading the book Building Wealth for Building the Kingdom: A Financial Planning Guide for Latter-day Saint Families by Devin D. Thorpe. I'm sure it will have a lot of valuable information in it.

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  11. Nice post. Lots of families dealing with this situation. You through me for a loop saying you were at peace with your decision to not work and then applied for a job and had an interview. Dying to know where you applied! Good luck. They'd be a fool not to hire you.

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