What would you do?

I hope you don't feel like you should quit with agility.  Sure it can be expensive, but you have to have ONE thing that you do for YOU, you know?  Don't feel guilty about it.  Just cut back on other things, which I'm sure you already do.

My parents are ALWAYS on my case because I've adopted three cats and got my first one right after my sophomore year of college.  They think it's stupid I paid off my landlord (nonrefundable) to have cats and pay for the vet bills, etc, but I love my animals and can't imagine life without them.  I've NEVER owned a car, cell phone, iPod, credit card...yes, animals can be expensive, but so can all the other things that most college kids buy or feel entitled to have.  Having my cats is no more expensive than what most people spend on their cell phones and monthly plans, and I only have a cell phone because it's from work and for work only (half the time it's lost or dead).  Now my mom is on my case again because we are trying to move to a living situation that will be good for getting a dog and she's going on and on about how expensive dogs are.  I'd bet money that if I told her I was pregnant she'd be thrilled and not be like "oh, that's too expensive, you should never have kids!"  The one glimmer of hope is that I had one of my cats live with me when I had to stay with my parents for three weeks before my wedding, and had them babysit another cat while on my honeymoon and they all loved these two cats.  I think they are just jealous b/c they wish they could afford a dog []

My mom also thinks it's weird I volunteer so much time at the Humane Society like I should be doing something that gets me paid more, but volunteering honestly keeps me sane, dogs are my livelihood, and now we get cheaper vaccinations.

As far as leaving your current job, I'm soon to be in a similar situation in that I've become really close with my co-workers (I've had this job since I was 1 and my boss has gone out on a limb for me more than once, but as soon as my hubby gets his teaching certificate, we are planning on moving to a warmer climate where he can get a good job and I can quit to do what I really want.  Sometimes I feel quilty because everyone I work with really likes each other and likes their jobs, but I'm just doing it to pay our bills and get us the benefits.  But in the end, you really have to look out for yourself.  It sucks when close relationships are involved, but I keep telling myself that I am definitely replaceable and no one stays at the same job from age 18 to forever.  I hope when the time comes it won't be too awkward and they will understand...

ORIGINAL: tashakota

Callie, good advice.
1. Very satisfying
2. None, I'm the third employee at a Non-profit
3. Probably the same place, though they've added one employee for the last 3 years.  I know my co-workers do not make much more than I do.
4.Great area.  But these other jobs would also be in a great area, so this one washes.
5. I can work from home if need be.  I can take off early if needed.  We get to go to the conferences which are in different areas each year, this year Denver, next year D.C.
6. Money IS overwhelming everything. 

Jojo, I have also been there.  I don't get my nails done, my credit card debt is nill because it was paid off in December finally. We only have one car in the house and we split the bills on it.  I eat out once every two weeks most of the time.  Sometimes more, sometimes less.  I take my lunch to work with me.  I don't spend money on clothes every week.  It was painful to buy a new pair of sneakers last month.  I can't work from home if I don't have high speed and I can't do my side business of web site design if I don't have internet connectivity.  We don't have a home phone and I still have the phone I got with my plan 2 1/2 years ago and it works fine.  Oh and my car is used.  Still expensive but used. 

What I find I don't have money for is stuff for the dogs and my agility career.  I'm sitting here today wondering if I will have enough money to go to classes next month.  I probably won't.  I want to go to a trial in May in IL but am not going to go because I can't afford a hotel room for two nights or food while traveling.  I've signed up for a conference in August and will probably drive 1 1/2 hours each way for 4 days to attend so I don't have to get a hotel room that I can't afford.

I don't have extra money to save up to buy a new screen door for the front of the house because it's rotted through and hangs crooked.  I don't have money to help pay for a home equity loan to fix the siding on the back of the house that is rotted away or to get a septic guy in to find out why the darn septic keeps backing up.  These are not little trivial things.  I go to work and I do agility.  Those are my things, the things I do on a regular basis.  If I can't do agility as my hobby or have to give it up, I will probably be a miserable person and will not make it.  I've given up a lot of dreams over the years and I'm hangning onto this one.  Come hell or high water. 

Not to mention I was making $42,000 at one point and now I"m making $25,000.  That's a huge difference and that happened after the house and the car and all the other crap.  grrrr.....[>:]

ETA- I also have back issues.  Going to a chiropractor helps but I can't afford to go, even with medical benefits.  I have a $900 deductible and I can't afford it on this salary.

Maybe you could get a great weekend job.  Dog food companies are always looking for demo reps.  Basically you stand in a pet specialty store and tell consumers about the food you are representing.  You do it for about 4 hours on a Saterday, or even Friday night.  Some companies want you to demo every week, others just twice a month.  It can pay anywhere from $10 to $15 an hour plus you meet  people that could help you with your agility business.  Try By Nature.  They are looking for demo people right now because they just got into Pet Smart. 

It's not blackmail to go and get another job offer before you approach the board about more money. It's called having security.  Do you think for a second that your employers wouldn't think twice about interviewing for your replacement before they decided to fire you?  Most often, companies know for months ahead of time that you're going to get canned and they make THEIR contingency plans.  So why shouldn't you? 
 
This is corporate America, after all.  It's look out for #1 and don't step in #2.