$$$ or happiness

what is more important in you work?
would you take a pay cut or less prestigous job to be happier/less stressed?

happy
stress stinks
why be miserable every day

I'd definitely take happiness over $$ any day of the week. You could make millions and still be downright miserable with your life. Money can make you comfortable, but not happy.
However, I'm fortunate enough to rely on my DH for $$ if needed, so I'm able to make the decision.

Happiness..

You can always make $$ but you can't always find love and happiness!

$$$ - b/c it makes me happy.

Well, honestly working in a little flower shop would make me happy, but we would have to live in a box someplace if I did that.
I think the question is very difficult to answer. If I were dirt poor I highly doubt I could truly be happy. Not being able to give my children healthy meals or a good education would not make me happy no matter how much I loved my job. Making $500K per year and working 90 hours a week, traveling all the time, never being with DH would not make me happy either.
So I cannot really just say one over the other. I don't hate my job now- I hate the commute. I am bored at my job. I am unexcited by it so I am not truly happy BUT I also need my job. If I could find a job I loved for close to this paycheck I wouldn't hesistate to take it. Taking a huge pay cut isn't really an option for us now so I cannot even imagine doing it.

it depends. The industry I work(ed) in doesn't make me happy, but it helps to support us so that we can live the way we want. And gives me plenty of free time to do those things - I don't work holidays, nights, weekends (well, right now I don't work at all, but pretend I do)

If I gave that up and couldn't go to sushi every week, on vacations all the time, go shopping or splurge on little things for DH, come back to NY for every family event, pay off student loans and have nice things, take fun classes, have a good glass of wine, afford children & a house (someday) - would I be happy?

So I guess I've chosen $$ at work, so I can be be happy at home.

I want both.

In general in life if I had a choice ebtween those two, I would pick happiness over $$ any time. I didn't grow up with a lot of money but come from a family I love and that makes me happy. Of course if we had more moeny we could have done more things which could have made us happier but it might have changed other things making me less happy - if that makes sense.

As far as in my job and where I am with my career, I would take a slight pay cut for a job that I would be happier with or even take a step down in rank if it meant a happier job (as long as it had the potential for growth). As far as career, what makes me happy is making it on my own which means being both successful monetarily but in rank and prestige. I have a business/computer degree and what makes happy is seeing me put all that hard work to use and becoming successfully as a woman in the business world - who made it on her own.

I would rather be happy and take a pay cut...But IM HAPPY where I work

I agree with what Michele31 said 100% -- I acutally just went through this and was going to follow my 'dream' and take a more than 50% pay cut because I hate my job but financially it just cannot be done at this point in my life. Maybe in a few years I will venture down that road again

I am at that 'crossroad' that everone passes some time in life (Ok, almost everyone!) I am in the midst of a career change.

Taking a pay cut is SOOOO worth it to me at this point in my life. Of course I plan to work my way up, so to me, its just a temporary thing

I am going from the computer field to teaching. In my mid-20's I had teaching in the back of my mind, but I was so 'revved up' at work, that I was a bit selfish and not 'ready' to take the paycut and go into teaching. I took some grad classes then, and then just stopped because the corporate (I.T.) world was so good to me. Now that i'm in my late 20's, and I have a child, and I live in a great school district (and many great school district with opportunities all around me!) I have chosen with no doubt in my mind, that it's time to pursue this dream that lay in the back of my mind for so long...

To me, the question is:
*Would I rather commute 4-5 hours a day, pay LIRR and subway fare, get home late every night, pooped and barely any time to hug my son...but make a pretty penny..

*Would I rather slowly get into the teaching groove, take evening grad classes as I stay home with the little one, teach when I am certified (about a year-2), get a teaching job, years later move up the ranks in the Education field...(and wow, there goes that pretty penny again!!), just took a little longer to get to, but along the way, I was able to wipe my childs nose, giggle and make faces with him, and spend at least 20 more hours a week with him. Anyone that has a child knows how precious each minute is. It goes by too fast to miss a beat.

Is my choice worth it to me ??? Hands down. Absolutely !

Everyones lifestyle and circumstances are very different so this decision is a very personal and any decision you make is something that needs to work for you and your family.

I guess the answer to the question is I would rather be happy, take a pay cut, and work my way back up. But of course, although money can never buy happiness, it definately assists in those little things that make life enjoyable ! (DISNEY !???)

Im done

I had to make this decision a few years ago...AND I MADE THE WRONG ONE!!!

I was so happy at my old job...I loved the people there...but the money really blew...(at the time I was single and it was hard getting by)

so I found another job with a 40% pay increase!!!! sounds good right? NO!! I have been miserable and unhappy for 3 years!!! I have noticably more grey hairs...I hate sundays...that I can't enjoy my weekends...DH has told me to quit for 2 years...and I should have...

I'm sure this is all case by case...I was sure when I was interviewing that this place was so laid back and I really liked the people...but I was wrong...

sorry to be a downer

I'll have good news to share one of these days...

Well I dont see how I could possibly be happy if I had no money for my son to go to a good school, live in a nice house in a safe neighborhood, get the best medical treatments, eat well and have some nice toys to play with and when he got older know that he could go to any college he wanted to.
I would be sad if I couldnt give him the things that my parents were able to give to me.
I would take money over happiness because the money WOULD make me happy, I'd be able to give my children the best so who wouldnt be happy with that?