I am Getting Burned Out at Work

[erikmannie]

As of Spring 2021, I had amassed $70K in consumer debt (all tools/tools that I still have/tools that I plan to use the rest of my life).

I put a purchasing freeze in place at that time, which was a tremendous relief to my wife. I set about working 65-77 hours every week, and last Saturday night I finally ran myself into the ground, coming down with a *nasty* flu bug which has caused me to miss 2 days of work and counting.

I had hoped to work these long hours all through 2022 and into 2023, but it looks like I am not capable of this at 55 years old and 80 lbs. overweight. I had been already off of drugs & alcohol for years. I got off of nicotine & caffeine in December 2021 specifically for the purpose of optimizing my endurance (for working long hours).

Starting in July 2021, I have been paying $220 every 2 weeks for 2 hours of “body work”, where the massage therapist straightens out my spine, etc. and gets the knots out of my neck. There is also some stretching in these visits.

The $70K debt at somewhat of a high interest rate (average 15-20%) has been paid down to $30K & refinanced to much lower interest rates (averaging about 5%).

I had hoped to pay off all the debt & buy $30K more in tools in October of this year, but it looks like reality has slapped me in the face.

 

[eugene13]

Retire

 

[erikmannie]

The main problem is that I never get any shop time! I only have off Sundays, and half of those Sundays are the “body work” days which is an hour and fifteen minute drive *each way*.

The remaining 2 days off per month, I get very little to no shop time at all. I have projects that I have been working on for almost 4 years that I am starting to wonder will ever be finished.

I do have some vacation time coming up, and 6 days of that will be spent out of town with family (which is quality time, to be sure).

My wife, who is quite level-headed, thinks that I should just slow my pace of acquiring tools because my job would always be at least 50 hours/week, and more likely closer to 57 hours/week M-F.

I think that the thing of working 10-16 hours every Saturday is not sustainable.

 

[erikmannie]

Retire

I qualify to retire with a full pension now, but I would *not* be able to live off of this pension with the consumer debts + mortgage that I have.

Once I retire, I would have no chance of buying a knee mill or a dedicated FCAW wire feed welder or a dedicated spool gun wire feed welder.

 

[pontiac428]

My wife has an interesting way at looking at debt. She asks me, will your future self be okay with your present self running up debt against your future earning potential? Often times, my future self would be ****** off to be paying something down for the long haul. Sometimes, yeah, my future self would be okay with that. It all depends, but the perspective is worthwhile. Now I do everything in cash/debit. This year's future self isn't upset with last year's spending at all. I'm much better off managing cash than managing debt. It simplifies things. I am still saving for a 16x40, but the Atlas will do for now. You're welcome, future self.

 

[erikmannie]

My wife has an interesting way at looking at debt. She asks me, will your future self be okay with your present self running up debt against your future earning potential? Often times, my future self would be ****** off to be paying something down for the long haul. Sometimes, yeah, my future self would be okay with that. It all depends, but the perspective is worthwhile. Now I do everything in cash/debit. This year's future self isn't upset with last year's spending at all. I'm much better off managing cash than managing debt. It simplifies things. I am still saving for a 16x40, but the Atlas will do for now. You're welcome, future self.

You’re doing it the right way with the cash purchases, especially if you already have a lathe.

I bought so many tools in order to keep our finances “against the ropes” so that my wife wouldn’t be able to remodel the kitchen/re-landscape the yard/buy a new car, etc., all things which she has talked about. None of those things help with metalworking.

I have told her that she can buy one last car after I get a knee mill, 2 more wire feed welders & 1 more welding cart, but it is a no on the kitchen remodel & fresh landscaping.

 

[pontiac428]

Actually, now that you mention it, the real reason I don't have a 16x40 is new landscaping... was $20 grand, wife asked me to pay for it out of my shop savings account (was $15k at the time, with $5k in checking, all gone now...). Two years of saving hard, gone like that! You're on to something with diverting those better homes and gardens funds into the shop!

 

[erikmannie]

I would feel really stupid if I dropped dead before I retired, never having had a chance to be a retired guy in the shop.

 

[erikmannie]

Actually, now that you mention it, the real reason I don't have a 16x40 is new landscaping... was $20 grand, wife asked me to pay for it out of my shop savings account (was $15k at the time, with $5k in checking, all gone now...). Two years of saving hard, gone like that! You're on to something with diverting those better homes and gardens funds into the shop!

In a zero sum game, the more aggressive person gets their way, and men are naturally more aggressive than women. Did I ever mention that I am very cynical?

Of course, a gentleman such as yourself takes care of his lady. I think that it is you that is on to something.

As everybody has, I have seen members of both sexes wasting a lot of money on unconstructive things. I am so paranoid about the economic future that I only want to spend money on (“invest in”) durable goods (for example, tools and hardware).

 

[ddickey]

You can write off tools if you have a side gig.