I recently inherited about 100k. Not enough to last me forever. But enough to change how I was thinking about work. Before receiving the money, I was struggling, and piecing together different blue collar jobs to pay the bills.
The money has given me a cushion to start a career as a content marketer. It's interesting, flexible, and low-stress. i like it as a job. I only work 15-20 hours weeks. And that's all I want to work.
But here's the thing–before inhering money, I'd struggle, but always make more money than I spent each month. Since inheriting money, I've been struggling to net positive. I'll always spend a little more than I earn each month. It's like there's an invisible magnet preventing me from earning more than I spend.
I know that inheriting money can clip a person's wings and create complacency and a lack of self-responsibility. As I've seen these patterns in myself.
I am applying for more work to increase my client load. I've had to make an internal shift and recognize that I need to invite in some discomfort to work more than I want and take on unideal jobs to because I want to earn more than I spend. Not even because I have to (I will likely inherit more money in the future). But because of the principle of it. When I'm not covering my own expenses, it corrodes at my confidence and sense of agency in a deep way.
Sometimes it feels sucky that our society is capitalist. But it is. And I have the sense that if I always rely on my inherited money to get by, I'm missing some crucial lessons to be found in life.
work-lifeWhat do you all think? Does it seem true to you that it's important to cover your own expenses, even if you don't have to? I really value a low-stress work-life, and am determined not to work more than 20 hours if I can help it. But at what point do I sacrifice my values to earn more money when I don't technically have to?
Thank you for any reflections you may have!