What is more important..$ or being happy

So, after getting a great job back in June (any college kids dream job) it was really neat for awhile.....

long story short i just cant do it, the position is for someone with alot more experience and knowledge of the field. It is an amazing opportunity, that is better left to be filled by someone who will be able to give the  company what it deserve and actually enjoys marketing!

I really feel i have missed my calling, and want to get back to doing work where i feel i am really making a difference in the quality of life for the individuals i serve.

But everyone say's the money is great and i am going to have school loans and bills to pay in the next few months....  but is the money really worth it?

All i know is that i have to fight back tears everday on my 1 1/2 hour commute to work... and then spend most of the day alone in traffic... when all i want is to go back to feeling like i make a difference someones life

What i am worried about is will i find my self regretting not getting through this for monetary reasons, but i hate to look back at my life and think "thank god that its over"...

Please i am so torn and need to know that i am making the right decision

Provided you make enouh dough "helping people" to survive on, then drop this job.  No reason to make yourself feel crappy if it's avoidable.

Thanks.. I guess I am just looking for some validation before turning in my letter of resignation tomorrow.

If your current job is making you miserable and you know you would be happier doing something else, then by all means, go for it. The only advice I would give is to make sure you have something else lined up before quitting your current job... you don't want to be kicking yourself later for quitting too early. Good luck! 

Suck it up and pay your bills off.  There's plenty of time to be happy later.

EVERYTHING is more important than money. As an argentinian irish pub owner once told me, "you must not aim to be the richest man in the cemetary". I know I risk sounding extremely cliche, yet the best things in life are free. You only "need" enough money as to do your part in asimilating with the rest of society and do all those things which we somehow chained ourselves to do out of free will, such as paying bills. 

3 hours in the car everyday???  Maybe what you need is a change in location, not in vocation(bam, rhyme!!)

To be completely honest, if you have school loans, it might be good to stick out a crappy job for a load of cash for a little while.  You can always switch careers after a few years if you still hate it.  Then you will have some experience and a good job reference to start over with. 

Or at least wait on the letter of resignation for a month or so.  Think about it some more, figure out ALL your options, work out the finances and make sure it works out before you give up your job. 

I am somewhat in the same position as you and have decided to go with a middle ground.  I found a career path that I like ok(not my top choice, but much better than what I was going to do) that makes a decent amount(not as little as my top choice, but significantly less than what I was going to do).  Maybe you can find something like that.  Or dedicate a hobby to something you love and let work just be work. 

Good luck!!!!

Original Post by bombacho:

EVERYTHING is more important than money. As an argentinian irish pub owner once told me, "you must not aim to be the richest man in the cemetary". I know I risk sounding extremely cliche, yet the best things in life are free. You only "need" enough money as to do your part in asimilating with the rest of society and do all those things which we somehow chained ourselves to do out of free will, such as paying bills. 

That doesn't really apply if you are in debt :/

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does pave the road to happiness.

This was helpful... i am not in danger of being in super debt...  i only owe around $10,000 total for school loans that i don't have to start paying on for another 8 months, so taking a pay cut wont kill me.. ill just have to save more

its just the window of opportunity to get my old job back is going to close by the end of the week...

Overall I now know what i want to do.. this helped put things in perspective

lol just worried about my current employers reaction

Thanks again everyone!!!

Original Post by meowert:

This was helpful... i am not in danger of being in super debt...  i only owe around $10,000 total for school loans that i don't have to start paying on for another 8 months, so taking a pay cut wont kill me.. ill just have to save more

its just the window of opportunity to get my old job back is going to close by the end of the week...

Overall I now know what i want to do.. this helped put things in perspective

lol just worried about my current employers reaction

Thanks again everyone!!!

Oh my gosh, don't worry about your current employer.  If you aren't worried about finances, do what makes you happy! 

Go get your old job!

(gotta say though, if I was 10,000 in debt, I would personally stay with the current job...that sounds like a lot to me.  It's all relative I suppose)

Instead of quitting, why don't you talk to your boss or HR and see if there is a way to make it better, then pay off your loan.  Might be nice to pay it off as soon as possible.

My opionion, do what you love. And always be open to new opportunities in the field you love. I worked for years in group homes for the developmentally disabled, I found opportuities on the side to do private consultation and was able to add some good money to my low pay from other jobs. You never know what will come around - stick to doing what you love.

I'm just wondering what makes this job so bad?  Apart from that commute - ouch!  You said it's for someone with more experience; so are they just giving you too much to handle?

Money won't buy Happiness but it sure goes a long way to get you there....

There is a tipping point...when you struggle to pay the bills and meet your obligations money can solve those problems. After you have enough, it makes no difference and prob will cause more unhappiness.

In the end at your age...money or no money will not make a dif so do what makes you happy. Travel the world, teach English abroad, wear flip flops everyday. Worry about the money when you are older.

ever seen devil wears prada? lol my boss isnt that bad but it really leaves me feeling inadaquate and just over all depressed...

Also i feel really bad about keeping it because i know there are so many other people deserve and need this job more than I do

I m gunna give it a few days.. im trying to decide to tell my supervisor first or the owner of the company... i know professional courtesy dictates sending in  my letter to the CEO, but i feel more indebted to my immeadiate supervisor

I know most people will disagree or berate me for this, but when I work, the bottom line is I work for a freakin paycheck (read: money) and not anything else.  So yes, money is more important than being "happy" at my job because the money I make from it makes me happy.

100% of the time I would take a job that pays more that I hate than one tha I like that pays less

Original Post by meowert:

ever seen devil wears prada? lol my boss isnt that bad but it really leaves me feeling inadaquate and just over all depressed...

Also i feel really bad about keeping it because i know there are so many other people deserve and need this job more than I do

I m gunna give it a few days.. im trying to decide to tell my supervisor first or the owner of the company... i know professional courtesy dictates sending in  my letter to the CEO, but i feel more indebted to my immeadiate supervisor

 But you've had this job for less than 3 months?  At the very least you need to give it more time before you decide to give up on what could be an excellent opportunity.  Don't forget, Devil Wears Prada had a happy ending!