[Karrot_Kream]

Yeah I'm leaving a Big Tech feeling this pain now and it's exactly this. I stayed careful over the years to stay clearly within my means and have the freedom to walk away but still hold onto previous saved earnings. But I have coworkers who bought huge houses in high COL neighborhoods and nice luxury cars who feel too trapped to leave Big Tech.

[germinalphrase]

For you, does ‘leaving Big Tech’ also mean moving yourself/your family to a lower cost of living area?

[Karrot_Kream]

No because I've lived very frugally over the years and my partner also works in tech. For years we had no car and only recently bought one for the family. We stay well within our means and save most of what we earn. We have a small mortgage on a cozy townhome. Nothing we can't comfortably pay off on a non Big Tech TC.

[germinalphrase]

Nice. Good stuff.