OK so I just want to kind of vent a little. I don't want anyone to think this is complaining, more just throwing out what I've been thinking to see what others might think about it.
I work in the Oilfields, so I generally work a 20 on 10 off schedule, (which means I am gone from home 20 days and home 10 days each month)right now, and for the foreseeable future, that's going to be in North Dakota. (for the last 6 months anyway, for about 1.5 years before that it was West Virginia/Pennsylvania area) OK so my job is about 90% driving, and 10% actual work. I generally average 16-18 hour days, and anywhere from 9000 to 12000 miles in the 20 day hitch. As an example, I got home at midnight last night, and was back up at 4am, anyway, it's kind of brutal sometimes. Now I make REALLY good money, and the bonuses I get, well let's just say that I made more than most of my friends last year, just in bonuses. The point is I sacrifice A LOT of things, birthdays, holidays, special occasions, trips have to be planned around my days off, etc. In return, I make damn good money, the benefits are shit, but I still live pretty damn comfortably. Now a few years ago when the stock market first crashed, I lost everything, savings, 401K, mutual funds, all of it. I had enough that with about 2 more years of working at the job I was at I was going to retire...at 40....but it and the Job went away really damned fast. SO I had to go to work, i figured this job would make me enough money, to live on and start saving again, but it just seems like every time I turn around, something comes along, and poof, all extra cash is gone...vehicle breaks down, kids need braces, or glasses, or get hurt or sick...House needs something fixed, (which for some strange reason always costs a couple grand), anyway, it doesn't seem like I'm anywhere near getting ahead.
SO the whole point of this rambling whiny assed post is, if I'm not getting ahead, is all of the sacrifice and stress worth it, or would it make more sense to get a job that barely pays the bills, have a little left over, and be home with my family more? Its gotten to the point where it feels like I live wherever, and go home once in a while for vacation. Also I wonder how many of the things Ive paid others to fix for me, wouldn't have needed to be fixed if I was home maintaining them.
Keep in mind I have started categorizing my days as either a) totally fucked up and I spend it rocking out to Octane or Faction, to get my mind off shit, or b) pretty good day, and I spend it rocking out to Octane or Faction, just to stay "happy"
I work in the Oilfields, so I generally work a 20 on 10 off schedule, (which means I am gone from home 20 days and home 10 days each month)right now, and for the foreseeable future, that's going to be in North Dakota. (for the last 6 months anyway, for about 1.5 years before that it was West Virginia/Pennsylvania area) OK so my job is about 90% driving, and 10% actual work. I generally average 16-18 hour days, and anywhere from 9000 to 12000 miles in the 20 day hitch. As an example, I got home at midnight last night, and was back up at 4am, anyway, it's kind of brutal sometimes. Now I make REALLY good money, and the bonuses I get, well let's just say that I made more than most of my friends last year, just in bonuses. The point is I sacrifice A LOT of things, birthdays, holidays, special occasions, trips have to be planned around my days off, etc. In return, I make damn good money, the benefits are shit, but I still live pretty damn comfortably. Now a few years ago when the stock market first crashed, I lost everything, savings, 401K, mutual funds, all of it. I had enough that with about 2 more years of working at the job I was at I was going to retire...at 40....but it and the Job went away really damned fast. SO I had to go to work, i figured this job would make me enough money, to live on and start saving again, but it just seems like every time I turn around, something comes along, and poof, all extra cash is gone...vehicle breaks down, kids need braces, or glasses, or get hurt or sick...House needs something fixed, (which for some strange reason always costs a couple grand), anyway, it doesn't seem like I'm anywhere near getting ahead.
SO the whole point of this rambling whiny assed post is, if I'm not getting ahead, is all of the sacrifice and stress worth it, or would it make more sense to get a job that barely pays the bills, have a little left over, and be home with my family more? Its gotten to the point where it feels like I live wherever, and go home once in a while for vacation. Also I wonder how many of the things Ive paid others to fix for me, wouldn't have needed to be fixed if I was home maintaining them.
Keep in mind I have started categorizing my days as either a) totally fucked up and I spend it rocking out to Octane or Faction, to get my mind off shit, or b) pretty good day, and I spend it rocking out to Octane or Faction, just to stay "happy"