One of the things I’ve been thinking about recently is how quitting my job has really changed the way I think about work, and specifically, how I think about the way work fits in with my life.
Take my current schedule as an example. Last week, my wife and I went on a week-long trip to Alaska (naturally, using credit card points to cover our flights and hotels). Over Labor Day weekend, I attended CampFI, where I gave a presentation to a group of 50 attendees about how to create your own version of financial independence. And this coming week, I’ll be out in DC attending FinCon, connecting with all of my fellow money nerds and content creators.
That’s two weeks on the road, which is something that I never could have done back when I was working my regular day job. Back then, if I wanted to be out of the office that long, I’d have to first talk to my boss to get permission. Then I’d have to use my precious vacation time. And since I only had two weeks of vacation per year, using my vacation time now meant that I would have to sacrifice elsewhere in the year. I wouldn’t have any vacation time left for big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years, for example.
Looking at it from the outside, it occurs to me that my job pretty much controlled my life. Everything I wanted to do had to fit around the parameters my job created for me. If I wanted to run errands or go home for a bit or do whatever, I couldn’t. My life was secondary to my job.
The more I think about it, the crazier that fact seems to me. If anything, it seems like it should be the other way around. Instead of your life fitting around your job, your job should fit around your life.
Most People – Your Life Fits Around Your Job
It’s interesting when you think about how we spend our days. We all get 24 hours in our day that’s basically broken down into three chunks:
- 8 hours sleeping;
- 8 hours working; and
- 8 hours doing your own thing.
Those hours are not created equally. We spend 8 hours sleeping because that’s when we’re tired and have to sleep. The 8 hours we get to use for our own thing are usually given to us early in the morning when we’re tired from just waking up, or later in the evening when we’re tired after a long day.
Interestingly enough, the best and most useful hours of our day – those 8 hours during the middle of the day when we’re generally the most energized and productive – are given away to our employers. They get the best, most awake, and most productive hours of our day. We get what’s leftover.
This is the way most of us live. Our lives – those precious bits of time we get for ourselves – have to fit around our job. It’s our jobs that decide where we go each day and what we can do each day. And if we want to deviate from that at all, it’s our jobs that decide if that’s possible.
The Goal – Create A Job That Fits Around Your Life
Since I quit my job and went on this entrepreneurial route, things really seem to be different. I don’t have to ask anyone for permission to do anything and I get to pick how I want to use the 24 hours of my day. It’s the reason I’m able to be on the road for 2 weeks and both enjoy myself and get things done.
There are obvious trade-offs of course. I have nothing guaranteed (although, it’s fair to ask if anything in life is guaranteed). I also don’t have as clear a delineation between work and non-work time – when you’re doing your own thing, work and life inevitably start to meld together.
But the things I do now to earn a living – writing this blog, doing my gig stuff, and figuring out whatever other schemes I need to get by – give me back control of my life. I still have to work and I still have a job. But I have a lot more flexibility in how I use my time. Instead of fitting my life around my job, it feels like it’s going the other way now, where my job fits around my life.
I think this desire for control and flexibility is why I’ve always liked school. College and law school gave me a lot of time and flexibility during my day and made me feel in control of my life. I had a few hours of classes, but the majority of the time was for me to use.
Financial Independence Is About Feeling In Control
The point of financial independence isn’t about accumulating money. It’s about getting back control of our lives.
Our jobs tend to take away that control, which is why a lot of us come to the conclusion that the best thing we can do is get rid of the job. But creating a job that gives you back control of your life, where the job fits around your life, can do the same thing.
I’m not financially independent – in fact, I’m far from it. But I do a lot of the things that financially independent people do. I control my time. No one tells me how to use it. And perhaps most importantly, I’m happier than I was when I didn’t feel in control.
Moving to self-employment and hustling with my own wits has given me back that feeling of control that I didn’t have before. And even though I’m not financially independent, I sure seem to act like I am.
I still work for a living. But the work I do to earn a living – my job, if you will – seems to fit around my life. I get to choose when and where I work. And I don’t have to ask permission from anyone to do whatever it is I want or need to do.
My job fits around my life, not the other way around.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:
- GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
- Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($100) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on January 31, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before January 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- OnJuno ($60) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $10 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and make a deposit of $50 or more. You will also get 1000 JCOIN. The 1000 of JCOIN is cryptocurrency. At the time I'm writing this, it'll be worth about $50. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
- Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
- Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
This is exactly how I feel. My goal is to be ableto scschedule my work around my life and not the other way around. Thanks for the post!
Glad you liked the post!
Hello Kevin,
I really appreciate your blog. Hopefully I will be joining you in a similar lifestyle sooner rather than later. You should have $50 income soon as I have just joined SoFi.
Sweet! Thanks for the support!
I lived a very similar lifestyle to your current situation although it was not by choice. I was laid off from work. I had a difficult time getting full-time employment so I didn’t independent consulting in my professional field. This was 15 years ago so the gig economy didn’t exist or I wasn’t aware of it.
“I have nothing guaranteed (although, it’s fair to ask if anything in life is guaranteed). ” This is the primary reason I went back to work. My consulting work produced an uneven stream of monthly income. Some months I didn’t get any work. Other months, I had so much work I had to turn away clients. Eventually, the stress of having to move money around to pay for day-to-day expenses was not worth the aggravation. I sought out and eventually found full-time employment. However, from the start my goal was to find full time employment. Independent consulting was a stopgap measure. A few months were very lucrative which made me briefly consider pursuing it but after a few dry months, I realized the volatile nature of the compensation was not something I could stomach long-term.
Regarding your quote, working for a large company better guarantees a steady paycheck that being on your own.
It is unclear to me what your end goal is w.r.t. to your current situation. You state you are not FI so it implies this current work situation is temporary. How do you know when to exit it? It seems atypically unplanned for you as you strike me as someone who plans ahead.
My thought is that this is something that will ultimately be my business that continues to generate me revenue. As I keep doing it more and as the internet continues to grow and get larger and my audience hopefully continues to grow and get larger, my income would likely continue to increase. Obviously can’t guarantee anything, but that’s the goal.
This is the biggest perk of freelancing for me. Being able to turn off the work tap during summer breaks and spend time with my kid is a HUGE benefit. Well worth the “risk” of giving up the benefits of a day job.
Amen! Work fits around you – not the other way around!