Hard Work Pays
Posted by John Draper | Filed under Budgets, Money Management
I’m always surprised when I come upon people who are struggling to make ends meet and are working a 37.5 hour work-week. I’ve just finished working with a fam that was in serious trouble. They weren’t making enough money and had dug themselves a hellovahole using their credit to fill the gaps. They weren’t living big. They weren’t playing hard. They were just not making enough money. But when I told Himself to find a way to bring in another $750 net a month, he balked. He thought it was outrageous that I was expecting him to work another 10 whole hours a week.
I lost my cool, I have to admit. I bellowed at him, “You have a child. You’re having another. You better start working harder.” Then I turned to my crew and asked, “Who here works less than 60 hours a week.” Not a man jack put up his/her hand.
While it’s easy to look in at people’s lives and say, “They have so much”, taken out of context of how hard they are working it means little. Now, I’m not one for exchanging all of one’s life energy for money or stuff. Quite the contrary. But if you aren’t making it to the end of the month before you get to the end of the money the only solution is to Make More Money.
What’s so wrong with hard work anyway? When did it become unnecessary to make enough money – no matter how hard you had to work – to keep the home fires burning? I’ll tell you when: When we got our grubby little hands on credit and decided we could spend money we hadn’t yet earned instead of simply earning more money to spend.
Once upon a time our parents and grandparents worked really hard for what they had. They bought homes, paid for cars, kept us shod and clothed, and had enough for a vacation every five years or so. Nowadays, we want to buy homes far bigger than we need, get a new car every two years, have enough shoes and clothes for a family of 12, and vacation every year. These are our rights. And we don’t think we need to have earned the money to pay for it. Whazzup with that?
There are lots of people who work hard and still have it tough. I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to all the lazy doofuses out there who think that just because they put in their 7.5 hours today, they’ve done as much as should be expected. Really? You don’t have enough money to make sure your kids are safe, but you worked hard enough today? Sorry, I’m not buying it.
I live in a rural area. Out here there’s no such thing as Nine to Five. Most of the people out here regularly work a twelve hour day. That leaves six for family and six for sleep. Why do they do it? Because farmers don’t get to clock out. Because even those who have viable farming operations have at least one member of the fam with a full-time job on top of the farming.
The same is true for people who are White Collar Workers. Successful executives and entrepreneurs don’t get to work a half-week, as we like to call it. If we’re going to make our businesses fly, we’ve got to bust our asses.
There are ways to find balance. I’ve been self-employed for just about forever. When I had my kids I knew I couldn’t do t Seven to Seven any more because my kids needed me, so I said Ta Ta to my consulting career and found another way. I became a freelance writer. I’d get up at 4 a.m. to write. I’d stop at 7 when I got the kids up; when they were safely off at school I’d be back at the desk, writing, writing, writing. I’d stop at 3 to get them at school and we’d sit in the playground until 5 when we’d head home for supper. When they were safely tucked into bed, I’d read, cook up a storm, or do whatever else I loved to do. I did that for 10 years until we moved to the country.
Everyone has to find their own path. Everyone has to do what works for them. But believe me, if you aren’t working hard enough to keep bread on the table without going into debt, it isn’t working for you and you need to Make More Money. Get a second job. Get a third job. Get a better job. Find a way.
A very successful bank executive – the head of lending as it happens — once told me that when she and her husband started out, they’d both do their day jobs and then they’d go clean bathrooms in a commercial building at night. Hey, man, whatever it takes.
November 10, 2008 at 7:24 am
There are many ways of making more money. We’ve rented out our basement apt for 5 yrs. It’s more than paid for the initial renovation costs.
No tenants at the moment – so we’re investing in doing repairs and renovations in the apt. Then once the new year rolls around the new tenants will find a new and improved apt.
I’m also fortunate to get a small royalty for some books I had published..
November 10, 2008 at 9:21 am
Gail, you’re an inspiration.
November 10, 2008 at 10:49 am
25 years ago we were down to our last $34 after paying all the bills. With 4 young children at home, I took a job working in a convenience store. I worked from 6- 12 6 nights a week, and eventually took on another shift from 5-12 on Saturday mornings. I left for work as my husband came up the drive. This saved us from going into debt and any child care costs. Fast forward 20 years. My husband has a heart attack – and no disability!! I worked during the day, and started working at a small video store one night a week, and the hours grew until I worked 21 days straight, with a couple of nights off and then the cycle started all over. As well I tutored students in math and English before I raced off to the store. When my husband went back to work as a commissioned salesman for a very small company ( hence no disability insurance) he took on a part time job at a big box hardware store to supplement our income.
It was hard. but you have to do, what you have to do. Thankfully we have no debt- mortgage is paid off, cars are free and clear. Now we can wait out the economic storm.
November 10, 2008 at 10:52 am
Excellent point. I don’t get the people on the show who think they are rightfully entitled to anything they want without having to work for it. The culture of credit superceded the idea that we need to work hard for what we want and it rendered the need to prioritize needs over wants unnecessary. With the looming economic recession, I do believe that this is changing.
November 10, 2008 at 11:26 am
Growing up my one of my father’s favorite saying was if you need more money, you have two choices, spend less or make more. This is so true. I really enjoy working on 37.5 hours per week and having the rest of my time for family, recreational and spiritual pursuits. So we just make our lifestyle fit into the amount we make. I am not lazy, I just don’t want to work more…so instead, I chose to spend less.
November 10, 2008 at 11:45 am
I agree with Kelly. Some people are working 12 hours a day so they can have all the stuff they think they need. I am content with my 37.5 hours as well. I like to have time for family, church, and hobbies.
But if you dig a hole for yourself, yes you will have to work more to make more.
I find we have such a culture of entitlement, people think they have to have the latest gadgets, fancy holidays, eating out several days a week. Thankfully, I think people may be coming to their senses and looking for more simplicity. Life is a lot fuller when you are not concerned with acquiring more “stuff” and focus on friends and family.
November 10, 2008 at 11:48 am
I bellowed at him, “You have a child. You’re having another. You better start working harder.” Then I turned to my crew and asked, “Who here works less than 60 hours a week.”
Sounds like Gail is becoming less and less patient these days.
Can’t say I blame her. I’ve lost track at the number of times I have shaken my head at the TV while watching the shows. Just waiting for the episode where she snaps! heehee
November 10, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Part of it is that people got used to having every evenings off and weekends off as employees. If you can afford the luxury, fine.
How hard is it to load the laundry machine while watching TV or cleaning the washroom? Fold laundry during your favorite TV program.
Time management:
What do you spend the rest of the week doing?
How many hours shopping? How many hours watching TV? How many hours at the computer (for fun stuff)? How many hours playing video games?
Compare that to # hours working, home maintenance, time with family members, time volunteering/spiritual.
Gail likes for people to do a financial budget. Try a time budget!
You might find that you have an extra day per week or a few evenings for a part-time job and you might value to time off better!
November 10, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I must say I’m happy with the 37.5 hr work week, but I recognize that it’s a luxury that I’m able to afford because I make enough money to cover my expenses.
November 10, 2008 at 2:35 pm
This post bothers me. I think the assumptions on which it seems to be founded are largely false. Most people already spend too much time working, and nobody should have to work more than 40 hrs/week to make ends meet in a basic way. You’re blaming individuals for what is a social problem–not having a living wage.
November 10, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Not everyone needs to have a second job. If you make enough money to cover your expenses and you have no debt that’s great.
The couple in the show didn’t even have enough to cover their expenses – that’s a huge problem. That’s where they either need to find a better paying job or a second job otherwise they will never ever get out of the hole they created.
November 10, 2008 at 3:12 pm
There are social issues at play here as well as personal choice issues. yes we all need to find how to live within the amount of money we earn, BUT, my father and father-in-law both did NOT finish high school and yet were able to make a living wage for their families (neither of their wives worked while they had young children). because they could find jobs that paid LIVING WAGES. Unfortunately there are so many “mcjobs” now that do NOT pay people a living wage. I worked at a large grocery chain when I was attending University. Only ONE person there was considered a Full-time employee and could work 40 hours per week. Everyone else was considered part-time. Yes, people can make a personal choice to further their education – but I get very frustrated when we don’t acknowledge the role class and generational poverty plays in conjunction with a global economy that rewards HUGE corporations for paying employees a minimual wage with NO benifits.
My husband’s company was recently taken over by a huge company that has decided that they can save millions by removing the benifit plan that has been in place since the company opened. It has become clear that the company is trying to “encourage” employees that have been there for 20 – 25 years to leave – they can hire someone and pay them less – they have gone to a two tiered package – if you are a new hire you will NEVER make as much as the person who was working there yesterday. And yet – it does cost more for housing, food ect now.
So, yes people should live within their budget and should work as many hours as necessary to pay for what they want – but where does the role of the corporate world come in – where is the ethics and morals there? Because it sure seems that the goal is to pay as little as possible, change employees as often as possible and not take on any responsiblity for the people who are creating their product – but god-forbid if the executives don’t get their HUGE bonuses – for cutting costs by messing with the employees – and please don’t see find a new job – because this is a social issues – not just a personal issue.
November 10, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I’m torn on this one. I am lucky enough to make more than enough money to cover expenses working a 40-hour week, but if not I guess I would have to cut back on expenses or work more.
But why should someone be judged as being lazy because they didn’t want to work more than 40 hours a week? I do enjoy my job and I am not a lazy person, but I also enjoy a life outside of work.
November 10, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Here Here! Great post.
I once worked at a full serve gas station to make extra money and to get myself out of the house while the kids were in school.
While some of my family thought I had hit rock bottom to even consider such a low grade job, others seen I was having a great time, got to talk to a lot of tourists and regulars, lost a few pounds and toned up as well as being paid. On some occasions, a family member even came along to be my squeegee assistant, just because I was seeing all those great cars! It’s all how you look at things.
You know, so an extra bonus, I went home happy without any stress or apprehensive of the next shift!
November 10, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I think that run of the mill Joe that makes his budget every month with his 37.5hours a week job is not pointed here. It is the overspender Joe, the one that likes to stick his head in the sand and throws out the credit card bill when it comes that is the focus.
if you accumulate debt so high that you need an intervention from Gail and stares into the empty when she tells you that you need to work more to clean up your mess, then, Joe overspender, you are lazy!
November 10, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I think some people may be missing what Gail is trying to say here.
You’re not lazy if you don’t work more than 40 hours a week.
But when you’re working 40 hours a week (more or less) and still don’t have enough money to make ends meet, and a mountain of debt to go along with it all – and then you make a fuss when someone who is trying to help you suggests to earn more money – that is what Gail means by lazy.
I understand the earlier posts about Social issues, but that has nothing to do with what Gail is talking about here. There is (almost) always a way to earn more or spend less (or both!) to make the budget balance.
I don’t get it. People apply to be on the show because they need help. Yet they aren’t always very receptive in the ways that Gail tries to help them. I am surprised at some episodes that Gail even gives some couples any money at all!
November 10, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I’m a realitively young guy at 28. And I fell into some bad buy now worry about it tommorow attitude. My girlfriend also came into the same issues.
But now together we worked a budget and know how to live with in it. When we were forced to move the only places we could find were outside of our price range (Our city has a 0.1% vacency rate)
But I remember my father who was a National Sales manager for a Fourtune 500 company when I was a kid. He cleaned toilets at night to put food on the table. You need to support your family and you owe your children the right to grow up to their potential.
So when we couldnt find a place I was going to work IT durring the day, and flipped burgers at night. Lucky we found a place that was affordable (Only $50 more a month)
But I want some new things for the new apartment (A La-Z-Boy a new tv etc) So Im picking up odd jobs to earn the money. I might work my 37.5 a week, but I realise that i need more money and if I had kids, I know I would because they deserve more.
November 10, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Very well said, Great post Gail
It’s hard when you realize you just don’t make enough money to cover life and debt repayment. I had this wake up call two months ago and now it’s time to trim spending and make some extra cash. I work 9 hour days (plus 3 hours commuting) everyday. Do I want to work more then 40 hours a week? No of course not. Do I want to stop struggling and work towards seeing the light at the end of the debt tunnell? Absolutely! I got myself into this mess and if I have to work harder (and spend wiser) to get out of it, then too bad for me.
November 10, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I’m really glad some people here have posted about social issues. The level of working poor here in Canada is something everyone in Canada should be ashamed of and it feeds into cultural perspectives like the one Gail posted.
I would really urge Gail to go and take a working holiday in Europe sometime – particularly England (where I came from – I now live in Ontario). In England we don’t have food banks or food drives or the level of working poor that Canada has. It’s shameful that exists here and is perpetuated by big businesses who pay less than a living wage – and it then feeds into the view that you have to work more than 40 hours a week to pay the basics (I’m not talking about people who are irresponsible in their spending here). There is far far more to life than work and the North American culture is so unhealthy in this respect.
November 10, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Pat – I understand where you are coming from. I work for a company that has announced that starting 2012 there will be no more post-retirement benefits. That caused a backlash from everyone. But the way I figure it, if we work for large corporations, we are at their mercy.
I honestly believe that the only way to be truly financially independant and successful is to be self-employed. The tax benefits are phenomenal and you are never at the mercy of a big corporation. Just as some have stated that we live in a “society of entitlement” I feel that workers of large corporations (think Chrysler, GM etc who are struggling) have this same sense of entitlement; “How dare they lay me off, cut my hours, cut my benefits! etc” They can because the can and they do and they will.
Corporations don’t owe workers anything.
Signed,
Employee of a large corporation (secretly wanting to be self-employed)
November 10, 2008 at 5:31 pm
AWESOME POST GAIL!
November 10, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I’ve assuaged my twinges of guilt at working ‘only’ 37.5 hours a week by realizing that I haven’t taken any vacations ever – and I do get the money from that paid back to me. I must say that I think of vacations as a ‘yearly’ thing – because vacation time is GIVEN yearly by most employers! Every 5 years seems much more reasonable.
One of my goals is to be able to support myself on a McJob – I’m pathologically insecure about my employment. For this to happen, I have to be completely without a mortgage/rent/any debt payment. Once the mortgage is out of the way, THEN I’ll go on a vacation. I’m currently planning on an extravagant 2011 vacation!… as long as I’m still employed.
As far as a living wage goes, I think that minimum wage does give enough to strictly live on. But definitely not to support dependants or accumulate retirement savings OR pay any interest. I think one can get by with a roommate to split rent with.
November 10, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Thankyou Jay!
The following links are a little old in that they don’t refer to this year but maybe on reading them others might get a different perspective:
http://www.thestar.com/article/174739
http://www.growinggap.ca/files/Raising%20Ontario’s%20minimum%20wage.pdf
When I lived in England, there was huge opposition from the CBI (a business organisation) to raising the minimum wage – they forecast jobs would be lost etc.
The government went ahead and raised the minimum wage and instead of jobs being lost the economy benefited and individuals benefited.
In England we have holidays every year (including the first year of employment) – I think we average around 4 or 5 weeks a year plus of course bank holidays.
The work culture in Ontario is very unhealthy by comparison!
November 10, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Thank you Tasha for your post. I think that you have really helped to point out the gap between the “ideal” and the “actual.” In an ideal world, one would be able to support themselves with any job they so chose to work at. They would be able to have a balance of work hours and leisure hours at this chosen job. That is unfortunately not the case, and to be honest people, never was.
Not everyone in the job market is looking to support themselves on a single job. There will always be students and people who work for supplemental incomes in the market. The presence of these workers of a more casual nature ensure that there will always be those in the market willing to accept less pay for less responsibility. There is nothing wrong with this per se.
It means that businesses, looking to keep their costs as low as they can are able to pay less than a living wage and still staff their operations. I personally do not believe that the McJob was ever designed to support a single income family. There are many, many jobs out there that do offer a living wage. There are a great many programs that will assist individuals working to qualify for these jobs. They are not all glamorous. For those who are supporting a family, these jobs do exist. Sometimes things happen and even that wage is not sufficient. It may be through no fault of your own, but it is still your responsibility to either trade up your job for something that will get you through or to supplement with a McJob (and sadly perpetuate the cycle). Part of being a responsible adult is learning how to succeed based on the hand you were given. No one said you had to do it alone, but sometimes you need to be prepared to do what it takes until that hand improves.
November 10, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Great post, Gail. I have a post secondary degree but my situation is such that I cannot work full time and am also facing a shortfall each month(as many of you know thru my “getting out of debt” story) so I got a job at a fast food restaurant working from around 5.30am to 10 am in the morning (while I have my oldest at home to babysit the younger ones) 5 days a week. Not the easiest, best paying or prestigious job but the most convenient and helps bring in some extra cash right now, pride can take a hike. And as my mother always said “hard work never killed anyone” . So all you people out there, u decide if you want to be in debt for ever or do you want to put life on temporary hold for a couple of years and then have the best time ever for the rest of it.
November 10, 2008 at 8:22 pm
“The level of working poor here in Canada is something everyone in Canada should be ashamed of and it feeds into cultural perspectives like the one Gail posted.”
Why should I be ashamed just because my philosophy on working differs from yours? I don’t think people are magically entitled to live comfortably once they’ve worked 40 hrs/wk.
November 10, 2008 at 8:43 pm
As a college student I took anything that paid and didn’t interfere with school. 2 jobs (or more) during the summer too!
One thing no one has mentioned here yet….What about those employers that make their employees sign agreements not to moonlight? I worked for one of those. They said if I was found doing any contract or hourly work elsewhere (even in a different field) That I would be immediately dismissed. Good thing it was a job that I liked!
I only stopped working there because starting a family made the long hours too expensive (WAY too expensive) for childcare. Instead I took employ with a BORING part time job 3 predictable days a week and contract work to fill in the gaps from home.
Then after the 2nd child it did not make sense for me to pay childcare for 2 very young kids when my contract work could make up the difference easily. I was very very lucky that my husband is also working full time and loves me being home for the kids.
8 years later I am still self-employed exclusively, some months have been very lean, but it all averages out with careful planning.
I do miss things like a regular paycheck, the option of E.I. benefits and that sort of security that comes with a job, but this is the right thing for my family right now, and I feel blessed to have the option to work from home.
And I let myself moonlight all I want! LOL
November 10, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I am going back to work (just started the search since yesterday) again after being at home for a couple of years. My husband is losing about 10-15 hrs/week cause of the slowdown in the retail industry (for about 3 months or so….we hope no more), and we have tenants who are in a bind and are not paying their rent. Not a fun or terrible process, just did not think I would have to work again. I had always said I would do what is required, so required it on! It is a question of the right mindset and attitude, so dusted off the old CV and started sending it off.
Wish me luck folks ;o)
November 10, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Well I’m on maternity leave and I work 10 hrs a week at a job that also gets me a 50% discount on the product they sell. I do this because my maternity benefits allow me to earn that 25% of my benefit amount every week before it being deducted. I also do mystery shopping and earn a couple of hundred a month at that plus free products and design and sell custom scrapbook albums. Why do I do this when I have a gorgeous 6 month old son at home? Because I want better for him. His parents made mistakes and now have to pay for them…anyway I can. When I return to work in a VERY short 5 months I will be taking a job that has good pay but even better benfits and I will keep that part time job. Does it suck? Oh yeah. But I want to do so much better for us. I’m not lazy, never have been, worked since I was 12 years old so I know that hard work will pay off for me. We live in a very high cost of living area so that my husband can keep an enviable apprenticeship position to someday be a journeyman. I can’t understand why people would not think of making more money…absolutely stupid to me! You go Gail, I yell at them through the TV when they look at you like you’re crazy when you tell them to get more money. What the?
November 10, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Geeta, I’m so proud of you. You are working so hard. What an inspiration. You’re really doing what you need to do to your family, no matter how hard it is right now. Good for you.
November 11, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I’ve been flabbergasted by the lack of work ethic in the many twenty-somethings, I’ve come in contact with …
It’s as if they are appalled at the aspect of paying their own way -
“Why work, if mom or dad will pay my rent?”
As somebody who has had rental properties for over 20 years …
I can tell you this -
You ain’t doing your kids any favors by enabling them to not develop a work ethic!
Hell … make them pay for some of their college tuition, too!
We could always tell which young people had mommy & daddy paying all their bills -
They were the ones that had all the empty pizza boxes & empty beer bottles sitting outside the back door.
They were the ones that didn’t respect the rental unit.
The young people that may have been getting some help with tuition or living expenses, but also were working 1 or 2 jobs, always paid their bills on time.
They kept the place clean and in good repair.
I hate to generalize …
But I tell you it is so true – the kids that had to earn their way (at least a good portion of it) appreciated their education and the help they did receive with living expenses!
When did having a work ethic become undesirable???
November 12, 2008 at 12:45 am
What about those employers who require you to work lots of overtime without pay, and even frown upon recording “real time worked” on timesheets? Just because you are professional on a salary, doesn’t mean that you should have to consistently work 60+ hours a week for no additional compensation. While there are those who would argue that “keeping your job” may be part of the benefit/compensation (the employers I’ve worked for who demand this kind of OT spouted how this is part of being a “professional”), my experience is that it is an exploitive practice that leaves people burned out, frustrated and unproductive.
November 12, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Time and money:
An important point in earning and spending money goes with how you spend your time.
Is your budget sustainable?
Does your spending match your values?
Do you spend time according to your values?
If you want or need to spend it, are you willing to put the time into earning it?
Some make it with 37.5 hrs/week AND are happy that way. That is a life balance!
November 13, 2008 at 9:24 am
Don’t forget to look at your skills/talents.
I have made extra money taking wedding photos and painting pictures for people on commission.
Are you a good cook? Can you offer cooking lessons or prepare meals for a family?
Can you run errands for someone? House clean? Do laundry? Ironing? (people hate to iron).
Event planning?
Any good are home repairs? House painting? Think about your skills and figure how to market yourself!
Maybe the local pizza joint needs someone a couple nights a month? You might even have some fun!
November 15, 2008 at 3:17 am
I don’t understand how all this living wage and working poor conversation got started.
When I read this article I understood Gail to be saying.
“If you want to live a 60,000$ annual income life style then earn 60,000$ a year! Don’t work 37.5 hours a week and bring home 45,000$ a year and then wonder why your spiraling into debt! So go out and get a second job and make the 60,000$ a year you need to sustain this life style or learn to live within your means”
Most of the people I’ve seen on Gail’s show are making more then enough money to support a decent lifestyle but the problem is they want to live the lifestyle of the guy next door who’s making likely 20,000$ more a year then they are. People are obsessed with living the lifestyle they think they deserve not the one they’ve earned. So they get credit and live outside there means and then before they know it they owe more money then they make in a year!
I know this because I fell in then damn trap of “I think I deserve this” or “my girlfriends going on vacation so I should join her”. What’s a little more debt I’ll pay for it later! Well the piper has come and hit me with a reality check! So now here I am working a second job to bring in a needed 600$ (not extra) a month to help with debt repayment. Also to help shorten this time period of two jobs I’ve cut my cable, internet and heating since I am always at work and am not home to enjoy these things I’ve cut them off and keep the house at a crisp 16 degrees perfect for sleeping, housework and a lower gas bill.
The lazy people Gail were referring to are people like me (or old me) I think. I got the message she was sending out a couple hundred blog post ago when I noticing her repeating something about getting out of debt by spending less and making more money. But I bet she is just like the rest of us and hates to repeat herself so now she’s just getting more aggressive an shouting “Quit being lazy! If you’re in debt get out of it! Work more, spend less money!”
November 15, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Reformed, yup..this is truly the bottom line and it’s really that simple. We need to focus on what we earn and that alone, not what the neighbor, friend, relative is earning to acquire their stuff. Nobody’s entitled to extras. We have to earn$ first, then extras. When we can’t wait for stuff and want it now because of lack of patience, that means we have to work that much harder and faster to deposit real money into our bank accounts.