Jobs can be a great thing. They pay the bills, help you save money, and maybe even more. However, have you ever added up how much money your job is actually costing you?
Yes, your job may be costing you money.
In certain situations, your job might cost you more than it’s worth.
I have had countless readers email and tell me about situations where they are paying $1,500 a month for childcare despite earning only $1,000 a month. Or, there are people spending $1,000 per month on their commute for a job that earns them $1,000.
While these two situations seem like no brainers, surprisingly many people spend a lot of money so they can work!
Actually, everyone spends at least a little money to work.
Here are some average annual costs you may be paying in order to work:
- Childcare – $11,666
- Clothing – $600
- Food – $2,600
- Time – Priceless
- Sanity – Priceless
- Commuting – $7,000 to $11,000
- Outsourcing – $1,000+
- Missing out on life events – Priceless
Now, I’m not saying everyone should go into work today and quit their jobs. Your job probably has other benefits, such as health insurance or you may genuinely love your job.
What I’m saying today is that you may want to evaluate your options, think about the below when you are debating your next job offer, and come up with pros and cons to a position. You may even want to look for a new job that is more worthwhile than your current one.
As a personal finance blogger I am all for people earning a living, paying their bills, and saving for retirement, but you always want to be realistic with your options.
Below are expenses you may be paying in order to work:
Childcare
The average cost of daycare is $11,666 per year.
This is one of the biggest costs of working, and most people only pay for childcare if they need a place for their child to stay while they work.
Many times you may find your cost even higher than that, especially if you have more than one child in daycare or if you live in a big city such as New York City.
Clothing
For many jobs you will have to buy some sort of wardrobe that fits the company’s dress code.
This may mean khakis, business clothing, polos, or something else. Whatever your job may be, I’m sure you have to buy something clothing-wise in order to fit your company’s policies.
Let’s estimate this at $50 per month for work clothing, which is probably on the low end considering the average person spends around $150 per month on clothing.
Food
Your job may be costing you to spend more money on food in a few different ways.
You might spend more on food by going out to eat for lunch, emotional eating, snacking, and more.
You also may be spending more on eating out when you are not at work, because you might be too tired (or lazy) to make your own meals.
Let’s estimate this at $50 per week on extra food spending, which is probably on the low end.
Sanity
Towards the end of my day job I found myself spending a decent amount of money in order to keep my sanity, as I really disliked my day job. I was spending money on clothing, food, and more because I thought I “deserved” it for how unhappy I was.
You might be doing the same.
You may spend money on massages, getaways, clothing, food, and more all because you do not like your job.
Commuting
The average person spends anywhere from $7,000 to $11,000 to own a car each year.
While this amount of money may seem high, there is a chance you spend somewhere in that range too. There’s the actual cost of the car, fuel costs, car insurance expense, and car maintenance, which can quickly add up to a lot of money.
Let’s not also forget the amount of time it takes to commute. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average travel time to commute to work is 25.4 minutes, or approximately 50 minutes round trip each day.
In some cities, the average commute can be much longer. If you live in New York City, Chicago, or Los Angeles you may spend over an hour on your round trip commute every day.
Outsourcing
You may outsource certain tasks around your home because your job doesn’t allow you the time for them.
This may include lawn maintenance, house cleaning, meal prep, and more.
Let’s estimate this at $100 per month spent on outsourcing. Some people spend much more on this, whereas others may spend less. If you’re outsourcing each month, though, it’s most likely at least $100 per month.
Missing out on life events
Your job might also cause you to miss out on important life events.
You may miss spending quality time with your family and friends, you may be too tired to reach a dream of yours, you may be too stressed out to do anything outside of work, and so on.
Time
Time is something everyone wishes they had more of. If your job is costing you more money than it’s worth, then you are wasting a ton of time by continuing to work there.
There are 168 hours in a week. If you spend 40 hours a week working, 4 hours each week on your commute, and 5 hours every week getting ready for work, then you are spending nearly a third of your week on your job, and that doesn’t even include sleeping!
How much is your job costing you? Is it worth it?
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