Never Be Ashamed Of An Honest Day's Work

Saving Money Tip #60 - Never Be Ashamed Of An Honest Day's Work - In tough economic times such as these, people are being laid off from jobs they have worked at for years. Many are losing work in the only field they know. In some cases, both halves of a couple are being let go. And there are others who have just graduated college or finished a technical program looking for their dream job. And for these people who need to find a job to pay the rent or put food on the table, I say, "If you can't find a job in your field, then find a job that will pay you. If the job is legal and it needs to get done, and someone will pay you to do it, then take it. You should never be ashamed of an honest day's work."

I don't know where I first heard that saying. It may have been in a book I read. But it always stuck with me. If you are doing a job that is not illegal and not immoral, then there is no reason to be embarrassed about doing it. An honest job is a job. If it will help support yourself or your family, then not only is it something to not be ashamed of, but rather something to be proud of. This is true whether the job is cleaning up after the elderly in an old-age home or picking up trash in your city. These are jobs that need to get done to provide comfort for people and to keep our communities going. They are honest jobs. They may not be glamorous jobs. And they may not be clean jobs. And they may not be anyone's dream job. But they are honest jobs. And doing honest work is nothing to be ashamed of.

Shame comes to someone who thinks he or she is too good for a particular job and doesn't take it at the expense of himself or his family. No one is too good for an honest job. We are all people - skilled or unskilled - and none of us is too good for any type of work.

If you are one of those people who hasn't been offered a job paying you as much as you were making before or you haven't been offered a job in your particular field or with the benefits that you are used to, then I encourage you to take a job that has been offered you. Even if it's flipping burgers in a fast-food joint. It's honest. It pays money. And you won't be doing it for the rest of your life. And even if you are, if it puts food on the table for your family, who cares?

In Real Life (IRL) - I haven't worked in about a year and a half since my youngest child was born. And before that I was working part-time at an office where I used to work full-time. When I was there full-time, I had a pretty good position. I had been there longer than some others so I had a little bit of seniority. But when I went to part-time, my seniority went out the window. But I wasn't embarrassed. Sure I was taking instruction from people younger than I and who started after I did. Sure I used to have an office with a window by myself and now I was sharing a windowless office with someone else. But it didn't matter. I was doing the job that was offered to me on a part-time basis. And I needed a part-time job. They paid me and I was happy to be helping out my family in some way. It was nothing to be ashamed about.

Now I am in a position where I am looking for different work - work at night or on the weekend so I can stay home with my youngest for another year. And the jobs I am looking at pay about 1/2 or 1/3 of what I was making at the office. but I'm not too good for those jobs. So what if they are entry level and I've been in the working world for 15+ years? So what if most of the others I will be working with haven't graduated from college and I have my master's degree? I am no better than they are - perhaps more educated and maybe more experienced - but that's it. We're all out there trying to do the best we can with what is available to us. And that is what is available to me at this time. My working at this type of job will help my family's financial security. And that is nothing to be ashamed of.