The Downshifting
  Seven Year Itch !

Financial Outcomes?

Like a marriage, downshifting has it's ups and down, the good times, the bad.

I'm now seven years into my own downshifting experience and it's interesting to look back at these times, reflect on things I'd do better and the things which I miss from 'the previous life'.

What do I miss?
I miss the occasional glance in a shop window and going in to buy something on impulse, even if it were an extravagance or not.
My journey has led to quite a few hardships, I'm now down to having a Moped rather than a car. So travelling around in winter has it's downside in so far as general comfort and spending ages dressing up in about 5 layers to keep out the cold!
Not having a car also restricts me in some of the work I do. But where there's a will there's a way and you get round it.
On a very commercial and materialistic side, I miss buying presents at Christmas and birthdays. Luckily I have kids and grandchildren who prefer love to a carefully wrapped present - still miss seeing the surprise etc. Last Christmas I spent £20 on five presents.
But one must remember that not all downshifters have the same hardship. Mine is to a certain degree self inflicted. I chose a certain path, others may choose another and even be better off financially in some cases.

The thing which stands out the most is that I didn't start 'the sacrifice' soon enough. I allowed a little honeymoon period and in many things, tried to live the same life as before - this did not work! You get into thinking it'll be OK tomorrow as you have work coming in - but for any reason atall like customers cancelling a job or yourself getting ill, your plans can be thrown into chaos!

The thought of returning to a similar managerial role as before frightens me, so much so that I've even had dreams about it, waking up in terror of having to face the commute into work.

To say I'm hard up nowadays is a gross understatement. I am probably earning less than half the amount I was 8 years ago and putting inflation into that as well, I'm amazed I haven't had the bailiffs in yet. There have been a couple of times where I've uplifted a floorboard under the carpet and put my camcorder and camera into it just in case!
I still have a car, but it's on SORN. The chances of me getting it back on the road are slim. In fact, through fear of losing it, I've given it to my son. So it's in an outbuilding here, but not mine!

But there are good times I assure you, it's just a pity that money does make the world go round. In the summer I have a job which thousands of other people would love to do, looking after the cricket players at Kent CCC which involves the International teams as well. So I get to know all the stars so to speak. I get fed and they look after me very very well indeed. I would not change this for anything, it's the most successful part of my downshifting experience work wise.
Through winter I odd job and decorate and meet some lovely people in doing so.

Then there's family, I see them when I want to (and when they want to!) and this makes to having more a proper relationship. It's nice not having to arrange visits on weekends and around days off etc. You simply re-arrange your work timetable and do as you please around that.

So, the bad things
Money, money and money!

The Good things
See more of the family - Decide your own destiny
Work as and when you want - Less stress from employers
Choose your customers -Time to notice things more
More flexibility in work - (if you don't like it, change it!)
Enjoying the good times - Never forgetting..we're only here once!

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