This might sound silly, but hear me out. There are two different scenarios that would cause you to consider quitting your job to save money. The first scenario is if you are a man or woman who just works to make extra money, and the other spouse earns the majority of your income. This scenario also requires that you have young children that need to be cared for. The second scenario is if your commute is longer than 45 minutes each way to work. Given the rising gas prices, food costs, and a stock market that has been stagnant, we really need to start looking at the value of our jobs. Here is the reason why you may want to consider quitting your job if your situation falls into one of these two scenarios.



Spouse working for extra money. If you’re making less than 25% of your household income for an extra job and you are paying for child care because of the extra job, it might not be worth it. Take your net income after taxes for the month, and then subtract all of the extra costs for having the job such as gas, child care, and extra costs for eating out more during the week. You’ll start to see that it isn’t worth it to keep that job. Now, this scenario doesn’t work if you both have full-time careers that make similar salaries.



The long commuter. Gas is at $4.00 a gallon, but it will probably rise to $5.00 a gallon. Paying $100 a for a gallon of gas on a Honda Accord is becoming more of a reality. So, if you have to fill up twice a week, because of your commute to work, you better be making some serious coin. There’s no rule of thumb, but if you end up spending $200 a week on gas, then you probably live too far away from your job. Start looking for opportunities closer to home. If there are none, consider doing a car pool with someone who might live near you. Websites such as eRideShare can help you find carpool companions.

Home-Based Businesses

I foresee an even larger boom for people starting businesses out of their home. We’re going to see more lawyers and CPA’s do business out of their house as well. Is this is viable option for you? Do you have a service idea that you can perform out of your house? Do you have a product you can sell out of your house? Think about all of the money you can save each month with NO commute to work. I bet some people are spending $400 a month on gas for EACH car. An extra $400 a month invested in a growth stock mutual fund for the next 30 years will make you a millionaire. Working from home is becoming a sexier option more and more nowadays. You can make it happen if you truly work hard to do it.

So, is your job worth it? It might not be if you’re commuting a long distance, paying for child care, and spending more on car maintenance and eating out at night.