![]() ![]() Hanson does not regret her initial decision to quit her job in Chico. WAS IT WORTH IT? Despite the turbulence, Ms. Hanson brings in an extra $800 every month writing freelance articles for local nonprofits, she plans to move to a cheaper apartment in the city by the end of the year. Though the position came with a raise, and Ms. Hanson quit that job and landed a role as a reporter for Courthouse News Service. Her rent more than doubled, and her car insurance went up. Hanson was used to in Chico, about three hours north of the Bay Area. But the cost of living in Oakland was far higher than what Ms. She found a new newspaper job at a local daily in Oakland, Calif., with a significant increase in salary. “But I was still very nervous about quitting.” I worked all the way through college,” Ms. “I’ve been self-sufficient since high school. The pay was low, she said, and she faced almost constant online harassment because of the subject matter she was covering. In June 2021, Natalie Hanson, 26, quit her position at her hometown newspaper in Chico, Calif., where she covered city government, housing and homelessness. ‘I was still very nervous about quitting’ We asked readers who’ve made that reassessment how it has affected their financial lives. “We saw so many different employment opportunities become flexible in their structures, so people started to reassess it all.” “The pandemic made people really think and take stock of their living situations,” said Cliff Robb, an associate professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Karles represent a group of individuals and families who have made a change and are now dealing with the financial consequences, for better or worse. The couple lost some income, but think they found something greater. Karle is growing beets, rhubarb, asparagus and more in her home garden. Karle’s chocolate bars at local farmers’ markets, and they foster cats in their home (no compensation for that latter task). The Karles feel they are living more purposeful lives. And despite the added stress, many feel that the decision was worth it. They’ve made it work by picking up part-time gigs on the side, giving up certain luxuries or, like the Karles, relocating to someplace less expensive. While some people are now in a stronger financial place and earning a higher salary, others who quit have faced financial hurdles. The so-called Great Resignation has been fueled by people who were tired of unfulfilling work, burned out by demanding jobs and the struggle to make ends meet. Last year, more than 40 million people left their jobs. It’s ridiculous how much happier I am here than I used to be,” Mr. “You don’t even know how much stress is on you until it’s gone. They’re instead enjoying thriftier activities like hiking and gardening. They have had to give up lavish nights out, but those types of temptations don’t exist in small town Montana anyway, they said. In total, the two together took an annual pay cut of $100,000 and now make around $70,000. Karle started his own artisanal chocolate company, a passion project that began in the early days of the pandemic. Karle took a job as a remote library system administrator, and Mr. Karle could quit and leave his industry if they sold their current home and moved somewhere with a lower cost of living. ![]() Karle, 43, who was working as an academic librarian. We started to think, well, how do we get out of this?” said Ms. “He didn’t like his job, the power grid was precarious and we’re two working professionals who both have careers. “It was 35 degrees in our house, and we were sitting on the couch, and I was like, ‘Wait, why the hell are we here?’” Mr. It paid the bills, sure, but it left him feeling drained and unsatisfied. Karle, who was working as a quality manager at a company in the oil and gas industry, was sick of his job. The Texas winter power crisis had begun, leaving them without running water or heat. It was February 2021, and the couple was living in Houston. ![]()
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