by Hope
Since April, I have been consistently working 70+ hours per week – 40+ for my W2 job, 25+ for my primary 1099 job and then a variety of other hours for other 1099s. This week, my primary 1099 announced that they would be reviewing contracts for reduced hours for the next quarter. And now I will be decreasing my work hours, at least temporarily.
While I was not worried, as I am one of their top producers, I thought it might be a good time to cut back a little without long term repercussions. As of this week, I am cutting back from 25+ hours per week to 10-15 hours per week for them. I am also taking the last 10 days of the year off from them.
Time to Revisit My Monthly Budget
Now I must revisit my budget, at least for the next quarter. And test the waters on cutting back just a bit OR opening some hours to another opportunity (no, I don’t have anything waiting.)
During my conversation with them, I let them know that I would like to revisit this in early January to plan for next year. And that was great for them. (I got an email ‘thank you’ from my bosses boss thanking me for voluntarily taking a cut in hours to help them plan for the rest of the team.)
I am not thrilled with my cut in budget. But I am excited with the opportunity to see what working less hours feels like, especially over the holidays. Want to help me out…take a look at my recent budget, I’m taking about $800 out of my 1099 income per month for November and December.
I will be working on the cuts over the weekend. I need to put them into place soon.
And on the Personal Side
I am hoping this will help address some of the issues my kids are facing specifically tied to my limited availability due to all my work time. This was really the driving reason for my quick decision to test drive working a few less hours.
Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
I’m so glad to see you trimming your work hours, Hope. 70+ hours is just not realistic, especially with kids at home. I wish you the best as you hammer out a new schedule.
Good plan, Hope. I think you can achieve some quick wins on the debt front with the most recent plan you put forward and it also sounds like you’re getting close to your 10k emergency fund. Working 70+ hours is not sustainable in the long run, so figuring out how to baseline your budget and lifestyle for just your full time job is key.
70+ hours? Do you ever get to sleep 😀
Hope, your dedication is admirable.
But I agree with the others – fewer hours might increase your quality of life 🙂
With those 70+ hours did you still get to go to the gym the way you did some months back?
Rooting for you as always!
Sounds like a good choice for your mental and physical health!
70+ hours is a recipe for increased medical costs(been there done that got the t shirt.) I’m glad you will be cutting back a bit for the sake of your health.
As I have said before, your 1099 income should NOT be a part of your regular budget. That money should be thrown at your debt, or perhaps put in savings. You need to make sure that you can live off your W-2 income – because as you are seeing, the 1099 work may not last forever. maybe this is God’s way of getting you to spend more time with the kids until everyone gets settled. I understand that you want to get your bills caught up/paid off and savings bulked up, but at what cost to your family? I also understand not wanting to let that 1099 income go, for fear that the W-2 job could go away, so maybe this is the time to step back and look at getting things more balanced. You can’t keep up the frenetic pace forever; if you get sick, then you’re not of any good to anyone. Your kids need you, and there’s other ways of taking care of yourself & the family than providing for them monetarily. I’m in your corner; I want you to succeed, in ALL areas of your life.
As I reviewed my budget this weekend, I can totally agree with you. One of the best ways to remove the 1099 income from my budget is to get rid of my debt! Or cut the kids activities, and to me that is not an option as they are very important to them, especially in this more isolated town. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement, I will exhaust all efforts.
Any chance your kids could join the public school sports teams? I thought as long as you were within district bounds you still had access to join the teams. I may be wrong. I don’t have kids. But I would assume you could since your home is paying property taxes towards the school. Something to look into if you haven’t already!
Nothing to say on your choices. Except focus on finding your BALANCE.
I actually called 4 local counties trying just that and even trying to get them in part time. But that is not an option at all around here. If we moved to SC, they could do exactly that, so it’s something to consider down the road, but we certainly are not moving right now.
And yes, I definitely need to find a balance. I’m working on it.