I do think there is something to be concerned about with delaying entry into the traditional job force after college. A friend’s daughter graduated from college in 2022 with a business degree, but has had a hard time transitioning into a career. She makes such nice money as a nanny that it’s been difficult to find a job that will pay her enough to make the switch. Her parents are concerned companies won’t take her seriously a few years down the line. Right now she’s not worried about benefits like insurance or 401k because she’s still on her parents benefits and she’s just not in that headspace. I think it’s all a valid concern.
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It’s unfortunate if this is an either/or proposition, as in either work 60 hours/week or fall off the wagon. Some people would prefer a middle ground but it is not easy to find such a job. My D in the UK, two years out of school, will be in the top 5% of income earners but still has 6 weeks vacation and does not work on weekends (mostly). She will probably never earn as much as her American colleagues but is enjoying herself greatly and is on track career-wise. Health care is nationalized (albeit not very good), college fees are 30k pounds per child, they have an equivalent to our Social Security (maybe half of ours), and she will be able to afford a townhouse within the public transportation network. So far, so good. I am still waiting for the ‘gotcha’ moment
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Something like 47% of recent graduates are working in their field. This just isn’t something I’d worry about personally, but everyone is different.
The gotcha in the UK is that house prices have gone up much faster than the US. When we bought our first house in the UK (1996) it was 2x my salary. Now it would be about 7-8x the salary of someone at the same level in my old company because the price has gone up 6-7 times in that period and salaries have less than doubled.
Add to that the fact that there are no long term fixed rate mortgages or mortgage interest deduction on your taxes, and housing is even less affordable than in most parts of the US (especially as the UK economy is very London-centric so there are few high paid jobs outside the expensive southeast).
My nephews and nieces in the UK don’t think they’ll ever buy a house without money from their parents.
Not there yet but, from what I see on rightmove, I think she would be able to buy a townhouse on the underground transportation network, especially if a boyfriend is involved. It won’t be big and it won’t be new but nothing is in London 
To speed things up, we will definitely help with the down payment which I suspect will go further than in SV.
Agreed, but in an ideal world he’d actually like to be an academic.
I think that would depend on how successful you were at your lazy job and if you can pivot that into a fast track job that values the skills you cultivated. Having been a social media influencer or Youtube content creator can be valuable in some careers.
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it is not as simple as W-2 people and not W-2 people. People who open their own business or do consulting often work many more hours than W-2 people, hustling for jobs, managing the books, etc.
And there are many W-2 people who work their 8 hours and are done, helping them maintain their work-life balance.
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There are plenty of people who launched in the early 90s where homeownership and mom staying home with the kids were not attainable…
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This is us as well!
Very true.
However, in the context of this thread (meaning, people trying to create a better work-life balance) I assumed it would be understood that examples of “the other side” did not include the same sort of work-life imbalance some people were/are looking to escape.
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I suppose there are always people who have a hard time financially. My point is, we put ourselves through college, had student loans, yet we were still able to make enough income to start a family, buy a small suburban home, and I was able to stay home with our kids. Most of our friends were able to achieve those same milestones. Economic conditions are very different now. The ratio of housing costs to median incomes in our community are not what they were.
There was a rebuttal in WashPo which raises some valid points
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/27/lazy-girl-job-employment-women/
It seems like a new take on the Voluntary Simplicity movement of the late 80s and early 90s - anyone remember “Your Money or Your Life?”
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nm.
That book changed our lives.
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I read that book. It was really helpful in reframing things for me. I still quote it decades later.
This is a good reminder to find a copy for my kids!
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As with most things in life, one’s concept of work/life balance falls somewhere on a spectrum.
My oldest graduated in 2022 and works a lot, and enjoys it.
He never works more than 3 days in a row(unless he picks up overtime), so he doesn’t feel like he needs a vacation. In his off time he actually volunteers for 36 straight hours at least once a month. He just goes and goes, but loves every minute of it.
He lives with his girlfriend. She will finish up her MSN in December and start contributing to their expenses in 2024. He currently pays most of the bills.
They live in a nice 2 bedroom apartment that costs $2,600 per month in a wealthy county. He’s saving in a 457(b) plan with employer match, a Roth, and he has a pension. When they’re both earning an income I know they’ll begin to save and invest more.
Both will be very busy over the next few years between work and continuing education. I can’t imagine the word “lazy” will ever be applied to either of them. Their busy lifestyle seems to be fine with them.
Everyone needs to do what makes them happy.
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Agree completely. Just noting that I, like some of the other older women posters here, suggest that what makes one happy should be balanced with one’s future financial independence and security.
Perhaps because we watched a whole generation of women suffer from not having that independence when they needed it, we are cautious. Food for thought.
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I don’t disagree with your perspective at all.
I believe my son works the way he does because he wants to ensure his future financial security. Additionally, his girlfriend will have a more advanced degree than him by the end of this year. Hopefully she makes more than him when all is said and done, but she’s chosen a demanding profession as well.
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