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How much is enough?

ESWIL
Jul 25, 2016
2 min read

When the lemons came thick and fast last year and I said goodbye to my job, I also said goodbye to a very handsome salary. Now to put it into context we were extremely fortunate that our mortgage was in the last few months of its life and nothing was owed on the cars.

BUT there was most certainly an elephant in the room and my Dumbo was the fact that suddenly the money we had, was in essence, finite. As I looked at new general manager opportunities, it became to clear to me that either I sucked on the lemons and went and worked away from home again or I stepped through the door my change of circumstances had opened for me and dared to to do it differently.

Here's what I knew:

I love working in hotels, I'm addicted to them.
As gorgeous hubby says, we have been together 24 years by not being together.
I'm not ready to stop working - I'm only 49.
Having my own 'pocket money' is vitally important to me.

So the question was how much is enough?

As the balance of my life readjusted I had more time to cook with the food in the house, my annual mileage went from 25,000 miles a year to at most 8,000. I adopted the continental way of shopping, little and often and different shops for different food stuffs. I also finally acknowledged how much of an emotional shopper I had been, my validation - 'I work hard so I deserve it'. My significant investment in my work wardrobe was no longer necessary yet I acknowledged that I would never give up my hairdresser, Lucy at Tops Salon.

I decided to become a temp, dipping in and out of the corporate world working on both short term and ongoing assignments. And I love it, I still get my fix of hotels but without the stress of being a GM. I'm not going to lie at times I can feel my inner hotel manager bubbling to the surface not unlike Dr David Banner and the Incredible Hulk but the frustration quickly subsides when I get in my car knowing my mobile will not ring and I will not have to check e-mails.

And the money? Well it turns out I don't need half as much as I thought I did. I can still stand a round at the pub and can have my hair done exactly when and how I want it. My membership at the gym is covered because you'll remember how important AquaFit is to me and we have food in the fridge. Don't get me wrong I am more than ever, aware of the money coming in and going out, but my new work life balance is riches enough for me.