Back in January I was hired for a position as a server in a brand new semi-fine-dining seafood restaurant (Devon's) that would begin in the end of April. In the meantime I applied to work at the local grocery store as a cashier to bring in a couple of bucks. I got the job at Giant (the grocery store) and have been there for the past month and a half.
April is quickly approaching and I have to make a decision. I need help deciding between the two jobs. So the pros and cons of the two:
GIANT
Pros-I enjoy the job
-My hours are good (6:30pm-11:30/midnight)
-No need to pay for a babysitter for the kids since I leave after Jason gets home from work
-I get a few hours with the kids once they get home from school before I have to go into work
-Our family eats dinner together every single night
-Its a steady job that most likely won't be affected much by the economy (people still need to buy groceries) and I'm working a shift that not many employees want (I'm the sole cashier from about 10-midnight)
Cons
-The money isn't great though its better than minimum wage ($8.50/hr)
DEVONS
Pros
-I have the potential to make a lot of money in a short amount of time
Cons
-I hate waitressing
-My stomach gets upset before every shift when I serve
-I'll have to be at work by 4 which means paying for a babysitter, no dinners together, no time with the kids or DH
-It's a new restaurant and its going to be expensive - with this economy I don't know how "safe" it is
-My wages aren't guaranteed
-I'll be miserable which usually rubs off on how I respond to the family
It kind of seems like a no-brainer right? Well that's what's hard about it. This summer DH and I are going to be busting our butts working to get rid of some debt/expenses so that in the fall I can go back to nursing school. So really this job thing is a short-term deal. Once school starts, I'll only have to work maybe 1-2 shifts per week, maybe not at all, depending on how much we pay off during the summer months.
Jason is really pushing for me to be waitressing. I hate it. He worked out a "budget" of what he thinks I'll be making each shift and how much debt we could pay off in such a short amount of time. I think it's a bit unrealistic to think I'll be making $100-150/shift, 4-5 nights a week for 18 weeks at a brand new restaurant, with the economy as it is, during the summer (not a good money-making time in the restaurant business for this type of dining).
But I also know that working at Giant isn't going to bring home the bacon either (well I could pick some up after my shift, along with some eggs and OJ). I could work more hours once summer starts. Right now I'm working 4-5 days a week, about 20-25 hrs/wk.
So do I suck it up and work at a job I hate for a few months in order to pay off stuff? Or do I stay at a job that I actually like which may not allow us to get completely out of debt? Is it worth it to be miserable and to let it affect the family just for a few more dollars per week?
On Giving Thanks in the Thick of It
9 years ago
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3 comments:
Hi! I stumbled upon your blog by coincidence, and read your post in January about medical school. I am currently in medical school (in Sweden) and while I am a few years younger than you and do not have any kids (yet), I went through a similar process of thought prior to filling out my application. My advice to you is follow your heart and don't let other people define your boundaries. You can do anything you want to as long as you set your mind to it and work hard toward your goal! Good luck :)
Nope...not worth it! You might bring in more money in tips...but you'll have the outgoing costs of a sitter. And if it makes you sick to your stomach, it's not worth it! Stay at the grocery store!
Are you really looking for advice?
You've made up your mind as to which is better for you, for your family, etc. You just want permission to decide. I don't blame you, I would pick the Giant handsdown. I've been in jobs I hate. Jobs that take you so far out of your comfort zone that you dread to go to work. It rubs off on your family, on your home life...
But I'm not your husband. You need to talk to him about it. You might not get the same sympathy from him because men have to work at jobs that they hate all the time. It's their duty. We, on the other hand, feel a more emotional duty too for our happiness and the atmosphere we create as mothers and wives when we're happy versus miserable.
My personal answer is that all the debt in the world being paid off isn't worth me missing dinner with my kids for even just one year straight. Or being so emotionally drained by a job that by the time I get home I can't put on a smile and play with them. It's not worth it for me. But that's me.
I hope whatever decision you guys come to will be one that you can be at peace with. I'll be praying for wisdom and insight for you both.
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