Woman Explains Why She Refuses To Get A Second Job & Doesn't Care How 'Expensive It Gets'
No one should have to work two full-time jobs just to make ends meet.
@shayjo21 / TikTok A woman explained why she refuses to disrupt her work-life balance for the sake of living in this economy. In a TikTok video, Shay garnered a lot of support from viewers, who agreed that working adults in America shouldn't have to bend over backward to afford basic necessities or work tirelessly just to end up burnt out and stressed.
She claimed she would never work a second job despite how expensive everything is becoming.
"I don't know who needs to hear this but I felt compelled to say it," Shay began in her video.
She acknowledged that many of the basic expenses we need in America are becoming quite expensive, listing off the high cost of things such as grapes, eggs; houses, and cars.
"The one thing I do wanna say is, I don't give a damn how expensive it gets, I'm not working a second job. Y'all not about to have me out here working twice," she continued.
Shay joked that once the clock hits 5:30 p.m., she no longer has the energy to clock out and go to a shift at another job. “5:31 legs start buckling, knees going. 6 o’clock, vision blurry, can’t find my car. Okay, I can’t work two jobs,” Shay acknowledged. “So whoever needs to fix it, please fix it.”
She remarked that it's gotten to the point where working 40 hours a week at one job isn't sustainable anymore with the cost of living having risen over the last few years. However, despite Shay being aware of the difficulty that comes with being able to afford basic expenses, it's not enough for her to put aside her well-being.
"I'm gonna make it enough," she insisted.
More Americans are starting to seek out second jobs to make ends meet.
According to a study conducted by Primerica, a financial services company, three-quarters of middle-income Americans say they don't earn enough to pay for the cost of living. The pandemic only exacerbated the number of available jobs and the amount of people who were employed. While fewer people today are working multiple jobs, more Americans than ever hold two full-time jobs, amounting to more than 70 hours of work a week.
In June 2022, 426,000 people were working two full-time positions, compared to 308,000 in February 2020, according to federal labor data.
Work should not just have to be a means of survival. If working adults are forced to have multiple jobs just to get by, it will only lead to burnout, stress, and a decline in both mental and physical health. It's also important that people can cultivate a healthy work-life balance, and having to clock out of one job, just to go to another, doesn't leave much room for personal enjoyment outside of a work environment.
Shay's video isn't just a personal declaration and rent about the exhausting reality of living in America, but it's also a call that our society needs to encourage a life that extends beyond the confines of a workplace. This "American Dream" of working until we can't anymore shouldn't take precedence over the need for personal growth, joy, and the importance of having a quality life.
We should all be able to envision a prosperous future where no one has to sacrifice their health, happiness, and personal enjoyment to navigate the demands of this economy.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.