I Don't Want to Work Anymore But I Need the Money (2024)

Are you done working that stressful full-time job? Do you keep telling yourself, “I don’t want to work anymore but I need the money“? You are not alone. Many of us feel these conflicting emotions at some point in our life.

Most people feel stuck between the lack of desire to do their day job and the obligation to earn cash to meet their living expenses. So, they find themselves stuck in a never-ending cycle of lacking motivation and the pressure to bring money home.

According to a Global Gallup poll, around 86% of employees feel disengaged from their respective workplaces. That’s a lot! They don’t want to be in their current job, and they think working 8 hours a day is too much, or they’re not in a supportive work environment.

If this resonates with you, you might find this article helpful. Continue reading as we offer a few helpful tips to break away from the shackles of working somewhere that feel like a burden and how to bring a welcome change in your life for your well-being.

Why I Don’t Want To Work Anymore

What does success mean to you? While it has different meanings for different people, there are some societal expectations we feel obliged to adhere to in all instances in our life.

At school, you are expected to get good grades to find your dream job in the future. All through the early years of our lives, we are driven to work toward one common goal: to have a successful professional career.

But what if, even after all of that, you do not feel that sense of accomplishment you were hoping or striving for? That dream that had been deeply ingrained into our minds all these years, when turned into a reality, was nothing like you expected.

What could be the reasons for you not wanting to work anymore? We have shared a few common ones here.

Stress At Work

The corporate working culture can be pretty demanding. A position presented as a 9-to-5 on paper often typically translates into many additional hours at work. And we haven’t even started about our supposedly private time that we spend mulling over work issues.

The current working conditions are such that keeping our private lives separate from our work is impossible. The stress often builds up so much that we find ourselves crumbling under pressure with that overwhelming desire to give it all up and rid ourselves of the work tensions.

Lack of Time Freedom

Growing up, we all had hobbies. Some of us are fortunate enough to pursue or continue them in our adult years, while many had to give up on our aspirations or do things we loved to do earlier.

A strenuous job leaves little room for any other thing. You may find yourself struggling to achieve that work-life balance, let alone getting the time to do something you enjoyed doing.

Sometimes, that feeling of being stuck in a rut with nothing to look forward to can take quite a toll.

Lack of Motivation and Interest

Many people do not feel engaged at work and do not enjoy doing their respective jobs.

Sometimes, it is because of a lack of upward career opportunities. If your job is demanding and entails an arduous routine, it can cause burnout very rapidly. If it is not challenging enough, boredom and dissatisfaction set in.

The demanding nature of a job or doing mundane tasks day in and day out often causes people to lose their motivation and interest to perform with the same zeal they used to have. If you feel that way, you are not alone.

What Do I Do If I Don’t Want to Work Anymore But I Need the Money?

If you feel any of the things mentioned above, it is quite clear that you need a break or some relevant changes in your current circ*mstances.

It is important to reiterate that it is completely normal not to want to have a career anymore, and it does not reflect a lack of self-drive or ambition. It only means you want to do something different and feel good about it.

So what to do if you do not want to work anymore? Consider our list below for some helpful suggestions, starting from the most radical.

Create Passive Income Sources

While you’re still trying to get your groove back or firm up your plans for your new dream, or even if you eventually decide to stay put at your current workplace, you can do something profitable and start earning money without actively working on it.

There are various means to generate passive income. Who isn’t interested in building ways to make money while you sleep? Who knows? These ventures might even turn out to be your new calling.

Here are a few passive income ideas that you can get started on:

• Peer-to-Peer Lending. You pool your money with others in a P2P platform, enabling you to put in as little as €10. Then you invest it as a lender, basically acting as a bank, although you get higher interest than the current rates, earning your returns passively. Let me walk you through P2P lending with articles that discuss this venture’s basics and safety.
• Crowdfunding Real Estate. This is an option where a group of investors contribute a percentage of the total funding for a real estate project and then share the profits. The passive income part comes when the firm behind the deal, like EstateGuru, sends you regular payments from your investment’s fixed interest. Read the full Estate Guru review for more details on the platform.
• Index Fund Investing. When you invest in an index fund, your investment may be in the form of stocks, bonds, real estate, and more. However, you are investing not in an individual stock, etc., but in the entire index of the stock market, e.g., the S&P 500, which contains the 500 largest US companies. Learn more about index funds to start your investing journey.

Start Something on the Side

You may also want to work towards finding alternative sources of income since you still need to pay the bills. There are various ways you can still generate a considerable side income in your spare time while working at 9 to 5 corporate jobs.

You can work as a freelancer and use your professional expertise and experience to work at your own pace. You can do part-time work on weekends or make money from home through blogging or tutoring. Check out these odd jobs, apps, and sites that can be your source of extra income.

Freelancing offers you the freedom to choose what you want to do and how much you want to work, and it also offers you the freedom to choose when you work.

While weighing your options, these money-making apps and side hustle ideas can help you earn extra money on the side regardless of your next move.

• SwagBucks. Make money online by doing simple tasks like filling out surveys, using SwagBucks’ search engine, watching videos, shopping, and more. Read our full Swagbucks review for more details.
• InboxDollars. This app has online activities, such as playing games, surveys, watching videos, shopping online, and reading promotional emails for cash rewards. Check out our full InboxDollars review here.
• MyPoints. Get paid to share your opinions and complete online surveys. Here is our full review of MyPoints to learn more.
• Survey Junkie. With this app, you could make extra cash by answering online surveys or participating in focus groups. Read about our Survey Junkie review to learn more about the platform.

Start A Business

Do you want to earn money and enjoy it as well? Many successful entrepreneurs turned their hobbies into successful businesses. If you are passionate about something and feel you can turn it into a business venture, nothing is better.

It could be anything: you could sell your time, a product, offer a niche service, start a blog or digital channel, etc. Consider what interests you and how you can turn it into a lucrative business opportunity, creating your money-making machine while you’re at it.

Consider An Alternative Career Option

You always have options, but you also need to give yourself permission to redefine the traditional concepts of work, success, and satisfaction. Reflect on your changing needs, deep-seated desires, and vision for your future carefully before choosing the best alternative path for you. Your day job doesn’t need to be your passion.

If you feel your current job is the problem and you are not enjoying it anymore, a career change or an alternative might be needed. Think about it. Head to and browse through online job platforms like Upwork and Indeed to start your new career journey.

If your financial circ*mstances allow, you can find part-time work to get extra money. Check out Fiverr and our review of Flexjobs.

Start Earning Money On FlexJobs

Consider Your Mental Health

Are you working as an obligation to follow the societal norms of having a good career and making money to pay your bills? If yes, then it will have a detrimental impact on your mental health and impact your quality of life over time. If you are overwhelmed by the feeling of dread while going to work or find it a battle simply to get out of bed, you need help.

If you do not derive the same satisfaction or that feeling of fulfillment from your current job, you have a clear case of a lack of motivation.

Share your thoughts and concerns with your family or friends, whoever is in your support system. You can seek career advice or even help from a mental health professional.

Change Your Routine

Sometimes, small changes in our routine are all we need to feel and do better. Consider changing your current lifestyle to see if that is the problem.

Here are a few ideas:

• Make a healthy after-office routine.
• Incorporate small exercise sessions, yoga, or brief walks into your daily lifestyle.
• Make up your mind to leave your job at the office and not bring it home.
• Put your phone away and focus on what is in front of you.
• Go out with a friend or a family member.
• Spend quality time with your significant other or your loved ones.
• Try eating healthy meals or make the time to cook your own food.
• Make a habit of reading regularly.

Take A Break

Sometimes, we feel burnt out when we are following a very hectic schedule.

If your work routine has been very strenuous, you are likely overloaded and need time off to recuperate and refresh your mind. A break from your current routine can do wonders for your mental health.

Talk to your supervisor about taking a few days off so you can relax and gather your thoughts during that time. It can be anything from a few hours away from work to meet a friend for coffee, a few days off to recharge, or a couple of weeks to travel for a change of scenery.

If you’re serious about your break, you can also think about a mini-retirement, where you’ll be taking multiple weeks to multiple months off just to do something you want to do or take stock of your current needs, wants, and possible future goals.

Self-Reflection

It is time to ask some very pertinent questions. Consider what is really causing the disinterest in the job and lack of motivation.

Do you need to find a new place to start working, change your career, or completely stop working? Think carefully about what you want your life to become.

You need to make bold decisions or incorporate certain changes if there is a wide deviation from your current lifestyle.

What To Do Before Quitting Your Job?

So you have made up your mind and decided you want to quit your job. Before you take the leap, wait just long enough to make an exit plan and follow it to make a smooth transition into the next phase of your life.

It is not easy to take that leap of faith. Many people are held back because they fear losing their income source and are stuck in their situation, not enjoying it but only doing it out of obligation.

However, if you have a proper plan and prepare in advance, you will feel more confident about quitting.

Here are a few moves to start you off.

Make an Exit Plan

Giving up that job means losing the paycheck you get every month. Before you quit, consider your financial circ*mstances and decide how you want to go about it.

You must have a plan before you decide to leave. While you may feel tempted to get up and leave, plan ahead and know what you want to do once you quit.

Save Money

There is no way around it. You must have enough saved up to get by comfortably before you quit. If you have made up your mind about leaving, you must plan and start saving.

We recommend an emergency fund of 3-6 months of expenses. Factor in how long you expect to be looking for a job and what you’ll be doing in these months. When you have other sources of income, the emergency fund you need will be lower.

Cut Your Expenses

You would most likely have to cut back on your current expenses to save money. While we do not suggest extreme frugality, a little thriftiness will go a long way in helping you save money.

Avoid spending excessively on luxury items and stick to only the essentials for some time. You can have frugal fun while cutting your expenses, like doing things that don’t cost any money and saving money on groceries.

Another helpful step in cutting expenses is analyzing your finances to see where you spend most of your money. If that’s not where you want to be spending your money, you can easily cut back.

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Pick a Date

If you have decided to quit, you might as well pick a specific date for it too.

If you keep procrastinating, you can never act on your decisions. Having a financial goal will help you set a timeline for when you want to quit.

Acting on Your Decision to Quit Your Job

Life is much more than a successful career. Your job does not define who you are, and your success at work does not necessarily translate into a happy and content life.

If you love doing what you do, there is nothing like it. But if not, it is time to make tough decisions and act on them.

As soon as you step out of your comfort zone, you will realize there are many ways to earn money and feel good about yourself, something you are not feeling in your present circ*mstances.

Remember, only you can break out of that safety cocoon you have been nestled in all this time. If you do not act now, you will continue to wonder what quitting would be like while being bitter about your present circ*mstances. Many years from now, you may regret not making that choice.

Conclusion – I Don’t Want to Work Anymore And I’m Owning It

Given the various factors mentioned above, not wanting to work anymore is quite understandable. Again, remember that you are not alone in feeling that way.

You have perhaps already realized that while it’s challenging to break away from the vicious cycle of stressing out because of your current job and denying your feelings because you need a paycheck, you owe it to yourself to do something positive for a change.

Prepare to redefine your work and your life towards your maximum well-being. We hope that this will help you consider and plan a satisfying future!