Flexible Work Arrangements – 17 Reasons Why Flexible Work is Superior to Full Time Jobbing – Part time jobs vs. Full Time jobs
Flexible work arrangements are on everyone’s mind lately with the ongoing pandemic.
After this is all said and done, I am curious to see how many people realize they prefer flexible work arrangements compared to the soul-crushing full-time grind.
In my case, I’ve been working a high paying part-time job since August 2019 when I resigned from my career in banking. Since making the switch, I typically work 20 hours per week now, so I have a lot more free time on my hands. Work revolves around my life instead of the other way around—I love it. In fact, I’m beginning to think I could never go back to full-time.
Here is why I believe flexible work arrangements are superior to full-time jobbing:
1. Every day is not the same
One of the most depressing parts about full-time jobbing is the repetition. Every day is the same.
Even those that prefer full-time jobbing hate Mondays, because it’s the longest possible time before their beloved two days off again.
Let me be clear—Full-time jobbing leads to an extremely boring, predictable life for 40 years.
Think about it…
For the next 40 years of your life, you will work 5 days a week with two days off. Perhaps that comes along with 4 weeks of vacation if you’re lucky.
You fill in the free time with a few milestones, trips, drinks, and visits to restaurants (after Corona). That pretty much sums up your existence before you retire and wait to die. Sorry for being so harsh, but that’s my view of full-time jobbing’s excruciatingly boring existence.
On the other hand, a Barista Fire job can add years worth of unknowns to life. Instead, the weeks become less predictable and more adaptable.
Even if you stay home and blog on your free time like I do, at least you avoid that feeling of hopeless emptiness at the beginning of the week. At least every day is not the same.
2. Less Tired
Another major advantage of flexible work arrangements is that you will be less tired.
Full-time jobbing demands 5 days a week, time to get ready, plus a commute.
Alternatively, flexible jobs typically offer the option to work from home, which avoids the commute and time for getting ready. In turn, you have more time to sleep in because time is used more efficiently. You can literally wake up, make a coffee, then walk over to your desk in your pajamas.
And even if you have a part time job that does not offer the ability to work from home, at least you commute less days per week. So regardless of your schedule, there is usually an extra day or two per week to rest.
3. Make Money for Yourself instead of making it for a Boss or Company
Of course, it’s possible to be a full-time entrepreneur and make money for yourself. But I’m referring to full-timers that don’t have time to side hustle.
Working in a large company or for someone else can be limiting. In a salaried position, it doesn’t really matter how hard you work because the pay remains the same.
Worst of all, most of your efforts and the profits contribute to the company’s bottom line, not your own.
But flexible jobs offer the ability to side hustle and keep all the profit to yourself.
4. The Stock Market is Open
People thought I was crazy for opting into a Tuesday/Wednesday off schedule when I worked at CIBC. But it worked for me because the stock market was open.
Although that full-time job offered weekdays off, most full-time jobs are a standard Monday to Friday.
That means I’d have to place limit orders or buy on rushed lunch breaks if I wanted to buy stocks. I don’t like that. It’s too messy.
I prefer to do a thorough analysis and compare stocks that I’m intending on buying immediately before I set the limit order.
Anyways, weekends are boring because the stock market is closed.
Many flexible work arrangements require work on weekends, which I don’t mind.
5. Complete Errands when it’s less Busy
I often think that a lot of things are backwards, but groupthink makes it difficult for others to see the bigger picture.
Apparently, the majority of the people on this planet want to all attempt to get to work in rush hour at the same time. They all want to grocery shop at the same time. And they want to enjoy all recreational activities with crowds and lineups.
It seems crazy to me.
I’d rather complete errands when it’s less busy. I would rather have a smooth commute to work, if I must commute. And I can’t stand large crowds or lineups.
Flexible work arrangements allow you to get your errands done when it’s less busy.
6. Less Commuting
One of the most awful aspects of work is the commute.
It’s actually offensive to be required to spend your own time and money to go to a less comfortable, less clean place to use a shittier computer than I have at home.
The less commuting the better. Flexible work arrangements are an even faster way to kill the commute than FI.
7. More Life Outside Work
I’ve written about the concept of work revolving around you instead of your life revolving around work.
I’ll say it again—even your downtime is used to prepare for work when you have a full-time job. You have to force yourself to sleep and meal prep.
On the other hand, flexible work arrangements reverse the crush—work fits into and supports your life. It also takes less from it.
Now that I work part-time, I am outside of work a lot more than I am there. So I get to create my own schedule and habits. I do whatever I want.
Related Post: Slow FIRE Financial Independence Update – What it’s like to work Part-Time
There is just a few days a week that I have to fit work into my schedule.
8. Feel Less Owned
Because full-time jobbing takes up so much life, I often felt resentful towards the next day.
I didn’t want to go to bed, because as soon as I did, I would have to wake up and force myself to work again.
I mean, I know I’m supposed to be grateful for a job and I truly am. But I can’t help feeling like I’m being forced to be there. Yes, I need the money and work is important. But it’s the same as how I felt when I was in school—I didn’t really want to be there.
At least Flexible jobbing allows you to take more control over your schedule.
Working part-time, especially in a very self managed position, allows me to feel less owned.
9. Full-time Jobbing is Fake AF
Back in 2012, my goal was to obtain a position at one of the big five Canadian banks. I did, btw.
This was around the time I became interested in investing and money.
Ultimately, I wanted to work my way up to their brokerage so that I could find a mentor.
I figured everyone would be as hungry to learn about investing as I was.
To my own surprise, I soon learned that banks are mostly just a bunch of suits.
Instead of finding a mentor, I found product pushers.
Obviously I met and worked with some great people while I was in that industry. But a lot of it was very fake.
It’s more about networking and dress code than knowledge. It’s more about sales than expertise. And it’s more about sending fake e-mails and maintaining a fake attitude to climb the ladder.
On top of that, there is a constant influence that turns you into someone you are not. They break originality down slowly.
10. Time to Think, Meditate, and Exercise
I often marvel at parents with full-time jobs.
I don’t know how they do it. They must not have any time to think. It must be all reaction and an acceptance of chaos.
But the beauty of flexible work arrangements is that they allow more time to think.
I probably wouldn’t have even included this point without my year off. That’s when the pace slowed down, and that’s when I realized how important thinking is.
Now, I don’t meditate. However, I do see the value in it.
Flexible work arrangements also provide more time to fit in the gym.
If you are truly on your own as an adult: meaning you pay your own rent or mortgage, buy your own groceries, cook and clean for yourself, then you likely know how challenging it is to make time for the gym.
Fortunately, flexible jobs make it possible to fit in quick workouts around your schedule.
11. Less Work to Take Home
This is probably a bad thing, but I never studied or placed an emphasis on homework during school.
I’d find a way to fit homework in last minute (if I had to), or while still at school. I always aimed to keep my personal schedule as open as possible for my own activities. At the time it was BMX biking and basketball. Now it’s blogging and investing.
The point is—most of the basic part-time jobs do not require you to take work home.
The only work I do at home is on my own personal projects.
12. Gamify Hours
Back when I had a salary, I often found myself extremely unmotivated to go to work.
Whether I went or not, I still got paid (unless it was an extended absence).
Of course, consistency was nice for budgeting purposes. But unless overtime was offered, there wasn’t any incentive to work more.
Part-time jobbing allows me to gamify the hours. For example, I am more motivated to pick up an extra shift or stay longer because it directly increases my pay.
13. Less Bureaucratic Environment
Yes, many large companies that offer part-time jobs still have a lot of yellow tape.
However, many flexible job arrangements are much less bureaucratic.
This is especially true if you have your own small business or side hustle, since it’s so much easier to make a decision. This isn’t such an unnecessary chain of command. There’s less loopholes to jump through to make decisions.
14. Save Money on Work Clothing
I almost despise dress codes as much as I despise commuting. Dress codes don’t make any sense.
If an employer expects their employees to dress a certain way, they should provide a uniform or they should cover the cost of the clothing.
It is an unnecessary expense that causes more problems than it does good:
- Need for two different wardrobes for work and outside of work.
- Requires more space to store clothes.
- Often requires dry cleaning.
- Dress clothes are expensive.
- Not to mention they are uncomfortable.
15. Save Money on Food
In order to save money on food with a full-time job, one must meal prep, have containers, clean the containers, and travel frequently with the containers.
Frankly, I don’t like that whole process. Hence why I’m notoriously bad at bringing lunches to work.
But if you work from home, saving money on food is almost effortless.
For example, I can see the kitchen where I am writing from right now. When I get hungry, I can walk over and turn the oven on. Alternatively, I could make a fresh sandwich or what have you.
They say the three biggest expenses are transportation, shelter, and food. Well, flexible work arrangements make it much easier to save money on food.
Plus it’s healthier, fresher, and it doesn’t have to sit in a container all afternoon with 30 other lunches in some old, gross fridge.
16. More Freedom at Work because Managers aren’t there
Since I’m an introvert and don’t like someone breathing down my neck, I prefer to work when managers aren’t there.
To be honest, I feel extremely awkward when someone watches me work.
I prefer a calmer atmosphere and more freedom over an office packed with people, distractions, and managers breathing down my neck.
Flexible jobs often provide the opportunity to work with less distractions.
17. More Time for Friends and Family
At the end of the day, part time jobbing and flexible work arrangements are about acquiring more time.
Related Post: FI-RE is NOT a Sacrifice – It’s Buying Time
However, having more time is only important if it is properly used.
Life is short and our time is limited, so it’s important to get the most out of it and to do what makes you happy.
As we’ve all realized recently as a result of this pandemic, the main ingredient to a happy life is good friends and family.
Flexible work arrangements provide extra time to make that trip to see your family when you’d normally be too tired with a full-time job. They allow you to match other’s schedules easily.
Furthermore, high paying part time jobs are absolutely perfect for parents in my opinion.
Concluding Thoughts
Obviously, flexible work arrangements have their share of tradeoffs.
They also are not for everyone, as some people enjoy their 9 to 5 routine.
If full time jobbing works for you, Ok great…
I’ll admit that the consistent payday offers a sense of security. And work has become a great place to develop friendships and relationships nowadays.
But when you consider all the advantages that flexible work arrangements can offer, it’s fairly clear that flexible work is the superior option.
I am not a licensed investment or tax adviser. All opinions are my own. This post contains advertisements by Google Adsense. This post also contains internal links, affiliate links to Amazon, Bluehost, and Questrade, links to external sites, and links to RTC social media accounts.
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