
Ask HN: Quitting with no side income but a lot of savings? - catch22222
I’ve been working as a developer for the past 5 years or so and starting to get really burnt out. I particularly dislike my current job and have been contemplating leaving for a while. I started trying to work on a portfolio while learning new stuff so I could try freelancing instead of another full time job, but I really just don’t feel like programming outside of work anymore.<p>I want to just quit when my stocks vest in a few months and take a real break - traveling, learning a new (non-programming) language, seeing family and friends, getting back into my hobbies, and reflecting on what I really want to do in life. I’ll be turning 27 soon, have enough savings to last a few years, no debts, and no family&#x2F;dependents. It seems like this might be the last time I can take a risk like this before I have any real responsibilities to worry about. After a nice long summer vacation my plan is to work on my skills&#x2F;portfolio for a year or two and try to get enough freelancing work so that I don’t need to get another job. I figure I can always start interviewing again if my funds start running low, but I’m also not above driving for Uber or something if I need more money&#x2F;time to get something going. Maybe I’ll decide I don’t even want to be a developer anymore and do something else entirely.<p>The few people I’ve told about this plan have been supportive and think its reasonable. I’m mostly really excited about it too, but sometimes I can’t help but think I’m about to make the dumbest decision ever.  Not really sure what I’m looking to get out of posting this other than helping to clarify my thoughts writing about it. If anyone has gone through something similar I’d love to hear about what you did and how it worked out for you.
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lastofus
If you are worried about not being able to find a dev job after, I took 2
separate year long breaks during my 20s, and I don't feel like it has really
hurt my career or employability. When applying, if anyone asks why there's a
gap, I just reply: "because I wanted to take time off, and was fortunate
enough to be able to".

If anyone questions why you would want to take time off to live your life,
perhaps it's not a place you want to work anyways :)

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rajeshmr
I recently quit my job at 29, with a little savings which could let me stay
afloat for a few months. So far, i haven't thought about taking up another
"job".

I do not know the future, but what i was certain is that i didn't want to see
myself in the future doing what i was doing "now". So change was inevitable
for me.

If you feel, you need a break - you just need a break. Noone, but you can know
when the time is right. Instead of wasting your precious time, just go with
what you want to do. Take massive determined action. Let go, and find what you
want from life.

In your position, you can take this decision easily. Set a timeline and commit
to it, else you are bound to move around without any direction. Give yourself
6 months, and do some soul searching. When you set a timeframe, you create a
constraint and your mind becomes active to find all means to move you into a
position you want to be in.

If you do not have dependents, all the more better. Find real friends, talk to
real people ( not online, meet in person ).

Make connections, feel alive, do something you have been dreaming of but put
it off, exercise and feel better.

Good luck to you, and let us know how it turns out for you :-)

EDIT : i have done this twice, first was a short break ~ 3 months.

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catch22222
Congrats on quitting! Its very reassuring to hear this kind of advice. People
let fear of the unknown hold them back way to much, taking a calculated risk
can be good for you. Maybe not necessarily for your career but for your
development as a human. Glad to hear you've done it before too and the world
didn't end :)

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rajeshmr
Exactly! :) You ought to become valuable in the present economic climate! And
you become valuable by becoming a better human.

Follow your heart :)

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alltakendamned
Right, I could probably tell you about this for the whole evening, but here's
the summary.

I've done it (twice), it's worth it, do it.

A few things you need to know though:

\- Time goes fast, keep track of your money and start working again _before_
you run out. Best is actually to define a budget for this.

\- After 4-6 months of resting and travelling, it will have become the new
normal, you'll be well rested and ready for something new.

\- Once you hit that point, make sure you have clearly defined goals as to
what you want to achieve with the available time you have. Without those, time
will pass and you'll probably have little to show for it (except a good time)

Enjoy !

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namechecksout
I would suggest you really enjoy your break for a month, maybe two, and then
start doing some freelancer job, only on the projects you enjoy. I believe
it's important not to follow out of the routine completely and to keep oneself
disciplined, especially when it comes to work. Obviously, do what makes you
happy, but take into account that at some point you are going to want to/have
to come back to work.

~~~
catch22222
Good advice, I think that's more or less my plan. Even during my break from
programming I was planning on keeping a routine and getting better at my
hobbies.

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mod
When I think about these types of decisions, I make a list of the possible
outcomes.

Then I look at the very worst possible outcome and judge how bad it is.

It's never "dead." It's rarely "unemployable." It's often "basically the same,
with less cash in the bank."

Making this list makes the decision easy.

~~~
catch22222
Thanks for this, some of the best advice I've heard so far. Makes it really
hard to rationalize not quitting. Maybe I will have to get another job, maybe
it will be lower paying and I'll have less savings in the bank, but at least I
will have tried to live life on my own terms.

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bsvalley
From experience, here's a few things you need to know:

\- the job market is horrible in 2017, too many people are applying and the
competition is crazy. Especially if you've been unemployed for a little while
it'll be a red flag.

\- make sure to include annual expenses in your budget when you look at your
savings as your only source of income. Taxes, registrations, potential health
issues, unexpected bills, etc.

\- taking a break is amazing, being unemployed after your break is very
stressful and can sometimes be humiliating. No one will take you seriously,
unless you've spent your time trying to build a company or things like that.

\- make sure your professional network is very strong because you'll need
referrals to get back on a W2. It's that bad right now...

~~~
catch22222
Maybe I'm not paying enough attention but seems programmers are very much in
demand. I also live in a big tech hub and have very employable skills on my
resume, so not too worried that I won't be able to find another job in a
reasonable amount of time should I choose to. I suppose everything could
collapse during my break and there truly won't be jobs when I'm looking again,
but thats a risk I'm willing to take.

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zazpowered
I've done this before to work on my own projects. It turned out fine for me
but obviously you won't be making money during this time so you may be set
back on things like buying a house.

~~~
catch22222
Glad to hear it worked out for you. Not interested in buying a house any time
soon, but I probably will be someday in which case I wouldn't be able to take
a break like this and why I want to do it now.

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downrightmike
Try taking one of those breaks, where you don't quit, but can take 3-6 months
off. I can't find the word right now.

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catch22222
You mean take unpaid leave and then return? I definitely don't want to keep
this job, and pretty sure I wouldn't get it if I asked anyway.

