This post is part of a 30-day series called the 30 Steps Program to Financial Independence.
I vividly remember the last time I sent a recorded, signed-for delivery letter to my boss. It was Christmas Day in 2009. I can only imagine he had an interesting holiday! By the end, I really despised him for many reasons, mainly because he and another colleague were constantly pressuring and harassing me. They even went as far as installing webcams above my desk to monitor my every move.
That Christmas Day, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was ecstatic! I had been anticipating that day for months. I had planned everything meticulously. I worked just enough to keep a steady paycheck so the bank would lend me money to buy a flat. I rented out the flat to create some passive income. My freelance writing had grown to the point where it almost matched what I was earning at my day job. Plus, with the savings from not having to live in the expensive United Kingdom anymore, I realized I would have more money at the end of each month than when I was working for those awful people!
Maybe quitting your day job feels like a distant dream to you, maybe you haven’t even considered it yet. But why should you think about it? Imagine what you could do if you didn’t have to work today—pursue a personal project, go for a run, travel the world, visit friends. Sound appealing? If you’ve been following this blog series, I bet it does.
Quitting your job isn’t something to be done on a whim. It requires a lot of thought and planning unless you’re prepared for a rough journey. You need to figure out how to cover your bills, keep a roof over your head, and put food on the table.
For me, that meant moving to a cheaper country—Morocco. I embraced a simple life, enjoying the sun after three years in Britain. My passive income and freelance earnings were more than enough to cover my expenses. But what if my freelance gigs dried up? Even then, it would still be manageable, albeit less comfortable. I might have to cut back on things like going out and traveling or find more clients.
It’s nothing to be scared of, although it might cause some sleepless nights for certain people.