Re: paying off the mortgage, it sounds like a big hairy audacious goal, but when you’ve done it, you’re only marginally better off. It’s scary how much money you need just to survive comfortably these days.

Depends what proportion of your income goes on the mortgage, it might be pocket change up north, SE and London probably more like 2/3 of your take-home.

I got made redundant at 30 from a job in oil and gas and went to work in television. Pay was shit in year 1, ok in year 2, would probably have matched engineering this year but tbh the hours are just ridiculous (and being staff I never really got days off between jobs like contractors). I start back at my old job next month!

Grass isn’t always greener.

I’ve jumped ship a few times,,, and it seems always to another sinking ship.

I am a qualified joiner and industrial cleaner to nvq3

I’ve always worked in building maintenance and can turn my hand to most trades, I know my limit with gas/elec but all that means nowt when it comes to interviews (10+ in the last 5 years)

Found myself working for a major housing association as a cleaner and I literally polish a neglected turd 5 days a week. It’s soul destroying.

BUT, I get a van, decent pension, sick pay and decent holidays…..
being the wrong side of 45 I would hate to work hard for a living again and I see the lads who work on the tools look with envy as I bimble through the working week whilst they suffer (bad knees etc)

I’ve accepted my fate, I know which side my breads buttered. Life is a marathon NOT a sprint.

Take it on the chin, take the pas at work , BE LAZY (it’s not a bad thing) enjoy your life outside of work at works expense

PS,
my latest venture is to train as a union rep.

This will help quench my need to progress.

It’s a very rewarding venture and all union time is done at works expense.

I can also do a number of NVQ quals in works time ( HnS, business studies, employment law)

Consider this if your bored.

Pay mortgage jump ship. I’ve had some radical career changes from roadie/stagebuilder, chef, Home Office official secrets act don’t talk about it to painter and decorator after retraining very late 30’s. Now in last year of my 40’s and still on the tools for a large housing association. Don’t be lazy and don’t give up or you may end up like a sh@t union rep as above wasting their life away.

take the pas at work , BE LAZY

Sounds like just the sort of person who should be a union rep Oreetmon…

OP – rather than hating your job for another 2 years, could you not step into something a bit more flexible or less stressful within your existing field? Pay the mortgage off over a slightly longer period but you could still be mortgage free in early 40s whilst avoiding running yourself into the ground.

two years to pay off the mortgage? STFU and wait it out.

at the age of 38 you will be in a significant position!

two years to pay off the mortgage? STFU and wait it out.

Pay mortgage jump ship.

Thanks – I think that’s basically what I wanted to hear (but I do welcome all the other advice too).

Rumours (/wishful thinking) in the office this week are that with Boris’s interest in local devolution and small government there might be a redundancy package on the cards in the not-too-distant future. For now I’ll keep my fingers crossed for that. Also I think doing anything rash before Oct 31st would be madness…

could you not step into something a bit more flexible or less stressful within your existing field?

I’m vacillating about this, but I think doing something at a lower grade would just increase the boredom… I’m not really one for being lazy at work (time on STW notwithstanding 🙂 ) !.

In the good old days you could just come on this forum to be entertained if your job was dull. Unfortunately those days are gone now and it’s dull here….

I’m about your age and while I sympathise with the sentiment of “life’s too short” I think I would, in your position, be shooting for the “pay off the mortgage” option. Two years isn’t a very long time in the grand scheme of things. Having your mortgage sorted and pension in good stead is not to be sniffed at, especially before the age of 40.

Rather than looking at these two years as a ordeal to be endured, I’d be looking at them as an opportunity. Obviously it’s an opportunity to pay your mortgage off. But more importantly, it’s an opportunity to figure out “hey, what do I want to do next?” while still making a decent wage. Once you’ve jumped ship the pressure to get a new career going will be quite high — you have two years (or 24 months 🙂 ) to get your ducks in a row with the pressure off.

Talk to a life/career coach and see if that sparks anything. If you think you want to do manual work, see if you can do some voluntary work in evenings and weekends to get a feel for that sort of thing. If you find that your desired new career requires some retraining, two years gives you some time to do some evening classes to that end.

Lols at FuckyDunc … so true, so true, those days are long gone! But good advice above. Having been in a similar position in what now seems like the very long distant past, I wasted the time I could have used planning, just getting more pissed off and discontent. If you think of it as 2 years to plan your exit, then actually the time will seem quite short & you’ll be buoyed along by opportunity Of making your escape. Scoot over to the Careershifters website for ideas.

Any interest?

https://www.nats.aero/careers/trainee-air-traffic-controllers/

Not boring, challenging and something you might not have thought of. Have to be prepared to move though.

If I can stick it out for another 24 months (in my head that sounds better than two years) my mortage will be paid, my pension will be in a great place and I could potentially afford to take a year or two to go back to college and learn how to be a kitchen fitter or something, and then earn much less thereafter.

Oh how I wish I were in that position. I’d happily put up with the two years to basically have the next twenty or so free to do whatever the hell I want, knowing that I was financially sound, and with the ability to continue to build on the existing pension!