Raise your hand if you dread heading to work. Unfortunately, this is the reality for so many people. I hear it all the time, “I don’t want to work anymore, but how do I still pay my bills and decrease my debt?”
While it’s certainly not easy, I’m here to tell you that it’s actually doable. If you’re unhappy in your career, it’s not worth staying. We dedicate so much time and emotions to our work, and you want to ensure you get some kind of enjoyment while you’re there.
I know this because I have lived it. I left my own full-time job because I wasn’t getting enough fulfillment from it.
Working as a teacher, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something else out there that I would like better. I knew I loved my students, but I was searching for alternative jobs I do with my degree all the time. It was a tough decision to eventually leave, but starting my own business became my true calling.
The reality is that while you can quit working full-time, you still need some form of income. Working for myself was what I ended up doing, but you don’t have to be self-employed or hustling to earn income. It’s all about finding what works for you!
Below are some of my best tips for navigating life without a traditional career and some potential income streams to draw from. With these tips, you’ll become less reliant on needing a full-time job or can use them while searching for a job that fulfills you!
8 Ways To Make Money When I Don’t Want To Work Anymore
Hopefully, these ideas will give you more days to do what you love, whether spending more time with your kids or reading a book in the sun.
1. Change your lifestyle.
Not working anymore means you will have to undergo a serious life change. A big part of that will be learning to deal with variable income. This is when you don’t live off of a salary, and the amount of income you bring in fluctuates each week.
With variable income, you won’t earn the same amount every week, so you must be more careful with your spending. If you’re not working, you can’t spend like you’re working. Living a more frugal life is essential for those who wish to stop working but still need to pay off debt or save.
Sometimes income will be higher than other weeks. But even when you’re earning more, your lifestyle shouldn’t change. This allows you to save money for when income is down and ensures that you won’t have to make any adjustments to your lifestyle again.
For instance, learning to eat out for dinner only once a week can quickly become a habit. You can save money even when you’re earning a good amount of income.
2. Find passive income.
Passive income allows you to literally make money while you sleep. It covers any kind of income that doesn’t require any additional effort on your part and minimal time. This can include making money on investments such as stocks and bonds. It can also be as easy as renting out your space.
Other forms of passive income require more work upfront and generate money in the long run. For example, when I first started blogging, I wasn’t making any money from it. But now, I earn income from advertisements, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and digital products.
First, I had to build my audience and brand, and I really put in the hours to get there.
Every person should have a few forms of passive income in their life. The key to getting ahead is finding out how you can really utilize your time well. Passive income is simply one of the best ways to earn money without working!
3. Try flexible or remote jobs.
It’s important to ask yourself why you are saying, “I don’t want to work anymore.” Is it because you hate the job you’re in? If that’s the case, eliminating work entirely may not be the answer. Instead, you may want to find a different form of work that is more flexible and catered to you.
Remote jobs allow you to work from anywhere. These are great for those who have children or other dependents at home, have limited job opportunities in their area, want to travel, or simply don’t find an in-person job fulfilling.
Alternatively, you may want to find a flexible job. These can range from part-time gigs that only last a few weeks to irregular jobs such as freelancing or subcontracting work. Flexible and remote jobs offer you more control over when and how you work. This could make it a better fit for you without giving up a regular income.
4. Get serious about budgeting.
No matter who you are or what kind of job you have, you should be budgeting. This ensures you live within your means and can work towards paying off debt or adding to your savings. Without tracking your spending and income, how can you ever know how much you can actually spend?
Budgeting helps reign in your spending immensely as you become more aware of every dollar you spend. If you have an allotted budget for that week’s groceries, you’re much more likely to put down those random muffins and chocolate bars you picked up in the aisles.
Sticking to a budget is one of the biggest things people struggle with. I know firsthand how difficult it can be! It takes time and practice to become a budgeting pro.
5. Diversify your income.
Relying on just one income stream is a disaster waiting to happen. If you had all your investments in, say, the stock market, a quick dip in the market could have a huge impact.
Likewise, someone relying on rental income completely depends on the area’s rental and housing market. A person making all their money on Airbnb likely was affected by the pandemic and lack of travel!
Diversifying your income helps to regulate the ups and downs and make your income a little more consistent. You should have your main bread and butter (such as a part-time or flexible job), passive income and investments, side projects (more on that below!), and even find temporary employment opportunities.
The more revenue streams you have, the better.
6. Save for emergencies.
Having an irregular income means that you always need to be prepared for the unexpected. An emergency fund ensures you will always have money in your bank if a need arises. Even if you’re still paying off debt, it’s important to set up an emergency fund so that you don’t have to go into further debt should something happen.
An emergency fund should cover an estimated 3-6 months’ worth of expenses. For families, this should be 6 months. Leave the money untouched and only use it in emergencies such as medical attention or complete loss of income.
Besides the emergency fund, it’s a good idea to always have some money in the bank for your regular expenses. In case of a sudden dip in income, it will cover payments like rent, mortgage, phone bills, utilities, groceries, and more. This allows you some buffer room to search for new income streams.
7. Work creatively in your spare time.
Without a job, you’ll likely have more spare time to do the things you love. You can easily use this spare time to your advantage by turning it into one of your revenue streams.
This can include things like selling items around the house, dog walking, flipping furniture, selling your artwork, making homemade goods, starting an Etsy shop, driving for Uber, and more. You can find plenty of ideas for creative side hustles here.
You can even make money watching TV! There are plenty of apps that reward you for taking surveys, shopping online, scanning receipts, and more that take little effort. While these offer little pay, it adds up!
8. Make your money work for you.
There are things you’ll do regardless, so you might as well make money doing so! Likely, you have a savings account where you put in money for things such as travel, emergency funds, and Christmas gifts. If you’re going to have a savings account, make it a high-yield savings account.
These types of accounts have slightly higher interest rates. They will earn you a little extra to keep up with inflation on money that will just sit there otherwise.
Another thing you can do is carefully choose your credit cards. Many offer sign-up bonuses such as points or cash back, which can help you get closer to your travel or savings goals. Others offer cash back for purchases you’re already making, like groceries or gas.
I Don’t Want To Work Anymore…
Now when you say, “I don’t want to work anymore,” you have a plan to back yourself up! Remember that you will undergo a major life change, and it will take some time to adjust. Make sure you’re well prepared before kissing that 9-5 goodbye. Start preparing now so that you set yourself up for success and never have to worry about working in an unfulfilling career ever again.
