[throwaway6390]

There's a lot of truth to this, but if you've never worked this kind of job, you won't be prepared. Working this kind of job is what made me really understand the value of being able to say "FUCK YOU" and quit/not worry about getting fired. It drove me to build savings and now I insist on having no debt and at least $10k in the bank. It also drove me to move to a cheaper city, find a cheap apartment there, etc. $10k isn't a huge amount to some of you, but it's enough to pay the bills through a decent job search if your fixed expenses are low. Once I paid off debts and had that buffer, my soul-sucking horrible job seemed way better since I no longer feared being fired. It even allowed me to quit that job abruptly and enjoy life for a few weeks before going back to work.

We're pretty smart in some ways, but too many of us live essentially paycheck-to-paycheck. In an industry where jobs aren't hard to come by, and the pay's pretty good, it's easy to fall into that trap. If you're doing this, stop! Do whatever it takes to break the cycle. Sell your car. Sell your unnecessary stuff if that helps to start saving. Stop acting as if your future paychecks are guaranteed. You have no idea what a weight off your shoulders it is to not fear losing your job.