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Is it worth it?

May 22nd, 2009 at 05:23 pm

I am in a pickle.

Boyfriend has been offered a job at his parents' shop. Which is great for a few reasons. 1) He can see them more, 2) he'll make more per hour (he'll go from $7.5/hour to $10/hour), 3) he will work as many or as little hours as he likes.

The problem is with how many hours he'll work over the summer. They want him to work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week (the entire time the shop is open basically). Honestly I think 60 hours a week is too much. We would have very little time together if he works 60 hours a week.

I work mostly evenings and nights. He would work from 8 am to 6 pm. I also work weekends, so the Sunday he has off I would be working. And during the week (on the nights I have off), I will be most likely be doing homework.

Boyfriend wants to work 60 hours/week so we can save as much money as possible. Yes, if he works that much he'll make about $2,000/month. Great money, but not worth it to me. If he just works 40 hours/week, he'll still make about $1,300 (after taxes). The extra money would be great to add to the savings, but is it really worth not spending so much time together?

I don't know what to do. We could use the money. Boyfriend says that he wants to work so much so that we have that extra money in case we need it. He says working so much now will pay off in our future. I can't argue with his logic- it makes perfect sense. The more he is able to save now, the better. That's less we have to worry about when we move, get married, I begin grad school... And if there should be an emergency over the school year (when neither one of us is working full-time), the extra padding in the savings could be a life saver.

I just don't know if I want to give up some time with him now. I suppose I'm being selfish. And it's not like we won't see each other at all this summer. We will have time together, just not as much as I would like.

He knows how I feel. I told him to do what he thinks is best. I think he's going to talk with his parents about the hours and see what else they can offer him.

5 Responses to “Is it worth it?”

  1. gamecock43 Says:
    1243031941

    I understand where you are coming from. Personally, i think he will work 60 hrs for 1 or 2 weeks and then be really burned out. He will cut down on the hours voluntarily.

  2. dmontngrey Says:
    1243034639

    If it's only temporary, can't he give it a shot and cut back hours later if need be? I hardly see DH these days between his full time job and his part time volunteer job. Yeah, it's not ideal, but he's getting some GREAT hands-on experience in the field he wants to work in. It certainly isn't going to last forever and I'm learning to be more productive in my free time.


    Good luck with finding a solution that works for both of you!

  3. whitestripe Says:
    1243043051

    are they expecting him to work 60 hours a week for a long time, or just a month or two? if it is just a month or two, if it were DF and I, I would accept it. if something has a timeframe, it makes it easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel. DF works from 6am-5pm, and for a few months (a couple of years ago) i would work from 9am-5pm, then 5.30pm-10.30pm, 6 days a week. i would be asleep when he got up to go to work, and then he would be asleep when i got home from work. the only day we saw each other was sunday. while it was hard, i knew it was only for a few months, so i persevered. but if they expect this from him for the forseeable future, i would consider negotiating.

  4. lizajane Says:
    1243054170

    Hopefully they can negotiate a little. 60 hours a week is very tiring. It's a lot easier when you're younger, of course, but still it's easy to burn out. It's wise of him to discuss it up front with them so everyone can manage their expectations.

  5. cassandra Says:
    1243059381

    It will be for only the summer. Mid-August it will change to a half day on Friday and a full day on Saturday (most likely). I know I should grin and bear it since it will only be for a few months but I'll miss him. Normally our schedules are very similar so it will take a little bit to get used to not seeing him so much. I think he'll make a decision tomorrow. I will support his decision, no matter what it is.

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