10 Great Things About Working Full Time

While I have rarely had a full time job (I tend to like being self employed and making my own schedule), there are plenty of good things about working a basic 40-hour per week job:

1. I'm so busy with working I have no time to shop and otherwise spend money.  I'm literally in a metal cage (a security measure because we deal with money) so I don't have the opportunity to take a long lunch and stop by the mall, get a mani/pedi, or hit up a restaurant).
2. The earnings are adding up quickly!
3. I've (temporarily) kicked my coffee drink habit (a coffee frappuccino at noon will keep me up until 2am so I am forgoing these drinks until I no longer have to wake up at 6am).
4. It's great having co-workers!  Everyone is really nice and even though our group only works together for six weeks each year, it is like we pick right up where we left off last year.
5. It reminds me of the value of an hour of work (most of my work in the past was via contract--do a clump of work, get a clump of money.  When you are working for an hourly rate you really appreciate how much things cost--I can't believe people will work 40 hours for a name brand purse!).
6. I get my fill of socialization.  Most of my contract work is done alone, on my computer, with occasional call-in meetings.  At this job I am literally talking to hundreds and hundreds of people each day--many are really interesting (I met a famous poker player today who has been on TV playing poker for years!).
7. I realize how much time I should be taking advantage of in my regular daily life.  If I can get up at 6am, cook, clean, then work eight hours for this job, I should do the same when I don't have a job in order to a) exercise more, b) create more, c) learn how to knit and play the piano as I have been planning to do, and d) do all kinds of other productive things.
8. It's given me a new appreciation for how hard people work just to get by.  About half of my co-workers are younger people who regularly work in casinos and at other jobs while also working at this job to earn extra money (the other half are retirees like me).  After casual conversation, it reminds me that your average worker is working very hard just to cover the basics--rent, daycare, diapers, medical care, etc.  The more we can do as a community to help workers (universal healthcare would be a good start) the better.
9. I really appreciate my days off!  When you are retired, your days kind of blend together.  Now I really look forward to my days off!
10. It's kind of nice being a cog in a wheel.  While the work I am doing isn't mindless (I need to be accurate with a lot of money), it is simple and doesn't require a lot of executive decision making and complex thinking.  It's actually pretty relaxing!