My friend worked for minimum wage this weekend
By George Barnett Reid 👀 · August 12, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
My friend worked for minimum wage this weekend
"haha you're such a loser" I said, but when he explained, I realised I was wrong
"I spent hours talking to great people, outside, on a sunny afternoon. then watched the sun go down with a quiet beer."
This hit me
Firstly, I obviously didn't call him a loser.
Second, we get quickly caught up in earning more, whilst often slowly sacrificing enjoyment.
When I left Amazon, my first month in the new company I earned double the last month at Amazon.
But I enjoyed it less (I didn't last long there).
In contrast, when I pruned mango trees in the Australian outback at 18, I didn't earn much, but I have incredible memories from it.
If you're thinking of jumping ship right now, because the money is greater where you're going - pause for thought.
Equally, if you're thinking of not taking that really exciting opportunity, where you'll be working fully remotely, can spend more time with your family, but are earning slightly less - pause for thought.
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Here's a snap from the same Australia trip where I worked on a party bus in Cairns slinging tickets to anyone that would talk to me