I'm not self employed

Millions of full time wage earners don't get paid time off and holidays

That does help explain to me some of your situation. If you are not going home and are paying for other housing you may as well work. You and your family need to decide when other options may be better for all of you.
The newer technology won't replace atcually being together but is much superior to what was available 40-50 years ago. The longest I was away from my wife and daughter was the 10 months I was in Nam. Very limited calling options, so letters were the main communication. It takes a while to get re-acclimated and back into being home. At least it was for me. Funny that much of what gets missed when the family is young and growing becomes topics of discussion as time passes and we are older. Good to have those conversations even if they come later.
Bryce

What do you do, I'd I may ask?

Heavy equipment operator by trade, union even

honestly, I never heard of a union job that DIDN'T include vacation time and holidays.

even Correction Officers, etc. get time off...

which union do you belong to?

just curious....

honestly, I never heard of a union job that DIDN'T include vacation time and holidays.

even Correction Officers, etc. get time off...

which union do you belong to?

just curious....

I don't know any union tradesmen that get paid vacation from the employer that I work with

Laborers, operators, weldors, plumbers iron workers

honestly, I never heard of a union job that DIDN'T include vacation time and holidays.

even Correction Officers, etc. get time off...

which union do you belong to?

just curious....

You give out WAY to much info!!.
Been given alot of advice. Figger it out.

Ironworking that would send us our vacation check out in October. But it was not paid vacation it was the $60 a week that was taken out of our check and put in a vacation fund.. so self funded paid vacation. It was good for guys that couldn't habmndek their money and most spent it on x Mas.

Yotetrap30 it's 57 not 59 July 1st 2036 last day at work will be 3rd week of May I will have 5 weeks of vacation
And take it the 5 weeks before I officially retire. And I will put it this way. I make in a year what it would take me 2 if not for the ot. I don't need 1/3rd of my income to live on soon I will only need 1/4 So I'm able to pay things off reducing the amount of cash I need even further. Sure I could not work the ot and In 5 years be in the same spot I was 2 years ago or in the next year only have utilities taxes and insurance. That means I will need even less money. So I can still invest at a high rate and work less. Maybe invest in solar and reduce bills further. Yep there is about 3 to 5 years of missing out. Few are willing to trap their spending, drive old vehicles, and put in the hours with a goal in mind. Many will be jealous and are now of the options I have and will have. But they are not willing to drive a 27 year old vehicle, watch their spending or put in the hours. Yes I'm proud that I am on that will. I'm also well aware of the cost, and that's what's getting to me. Heck I drove home this morning and am going back to work tonight 5 hrs of driving
because my wife need some help with the kids. She didn't ask me to infact told me not to but I did because I needed to be home and take care of it. So 5 hrs of driving for 6 hrs home then 5 2.5 hrs back home at 3am in the morning. Only working 8 hrs tonight since in maxed out on hours.

Point is the crazy ot plan is to be temporarily yet I do wonder if I will have problems cutting back to only working a few of my days off month. With my schedule I only have to work 14 days out of 28 and I have 4 weeks vacation. So technically I only have to work about 5 months a year and get 7 days in a roll off each month, 2 3 days off and one one day off. Or I can double that amount of money and get the big ticket things done and have the ability to quit the job any time I want in a and take a lower paying job closer to home and live comfortably on the lower income in a few years. Or just quit working my days off just 16s when in at work and keep adding to my pension still make double the pay of jobs around here and live comfortably. But I will still be away but only 3 or 4 days at a time.
It's nice to have a lot of options not many do. Scaling back will be tough for me but will be necessary. May not even hit it as hard as I was planning the next few months. I realized a few weeks back it's not normal for your response to someone saying your working to much to be "well I only worked 80 hrs this week" and be serious since that's less than 96 and you took a day or two off and think 80 hrs is cutting back. Going by people's reactions I figured out thats not a normal mind set.

Basically all that rambling just to say I started out with the plan 2 December's ago to start to work a day or 2 off a month or week and 16 every day it was offered when I was there to get things done. Then I some how only take 6 days or so off a month and it's got out of control. The closer I get the worse I become. I realize it's a behavior pattern that needs correction. I Gere up poor started out poor and never want to go back.

"from the employer that I work with"...do you get paid vacation (or PTO) from the union?

This has been an interesting read.

I don't know any self-made, successful people that work "just enough." They work their (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) off.

These are successful professional types, tradesmen, blue collar oilfield friends, farmers, etc. Again, you have to balance family and well being.

It's like anything else--a man has freewill. If he wants to be financially successful, he generally has to earn it. Nobody gives it to him--unless the punk inherits it or just gets lucky.

If a man just wants to get by, that is his choice--just stay off the dole and don't resent others for achieving more--both are serious problems in this country on the right and left.

Last thing, there is value in teaching your kids to work hard by example while also teaching them the balance of family and well being.