$15.50

Though the money is a bonus, I chose to work mostly because I was interested in being out among people in a different way than our life has given me the chance to be for the last 10 years or so. As you have read, I am enjoying this work a great deal; the cooking, the co-workers, the sandwich sampling, vegan bacon jam! What's not to love.

I am noticing an unexpected mental monetary shift this job has also gifted me.

I make $15.50/hour, plus tips, bringing my typical hourly wage to approx. $17/hour.

As of January 1, 2024, the minimum wage in NY state was raised to $15/hour.

For reference, the minimum wage in Iowa and Tennessee is still $7.25/hour. Vermont is at $13.67/hour and Virginia splits the difference at $12.

We could debate all day about what a living, humane wage looks like, but that's not what this post is about.

This post is about me now thinking about my time in a totally new way.

When we were living off Buds' salaried wage alone, or back when I was also working and salaried, I didn't think in terms of what an hour of my life was "worth." I would consider if a large purchase was worth a week of Buddie's time or not, but my thinking is now at a granular level.

When we talk about going out to dinner or when I wandered at a bookstore recently, before any purchase I am asking myself if it is worth a half hour of my life? Or an hour of my life? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. More often, it isn't.

The feeling may lesson over time, but for now, I like it. I like having a built-in limiter of expense.

The other piece of it is how it impacts our family life. For now, the three days a week I work are not causing reduction in our quality of life for the whole.

Because when it comes down to it, my time, and my family...we're priceless.