A little back story. As some of you probably already know, I graduated from college in May 2010 and work full time in a hospital IT department. FI graduated a year behind me in high school and changed his major a couple times, so he's still a full-time college student who worked part time delivering pizzas. We were both living with our parents and saving money for the wedding, until this past August, when we got our first apartment together.
At FI's job, there has been a new store manager for a couple months now, who I will admit is...we'll say PMSing a lot. (Actually, if FI has been 100% truthful in his description of her, I think she may be an untreated biploar.) She'll be fine for a week or two - even nice and sometimes apologetic for her previous behavior - then she'll go on a tirade.
For a while, she was keeping FI so late past the end of his shift that he was having trouble doing his homework. Then she decided that he should have to work on Sundays. FI has always had Sundays off, ever since he started, because working on Sunday would interfere with his sincerely held religious beliefs. It is against the law for an employer to knowingly interfere with your sincerely held religious beliefs, and if they fire you for them, you can sue. So FI talked to the assistant manager and the assistant manager said "no problem man" and took him off the schedule for Sunday. The store manager walked into the store the next day when FI was there and yelled out "[ASST. MGR.'S NAME] DOES NOT MAKE THE SCHEDULE! I MAKE THE SCHEDULE! AND YOU'LL KNOW THIS, BECAUSE YOU'LL NOTICE THAT [ASST. MGR.'S NAME] IS NO LONGER ON THE SCHEDULE!" That's right folks, she fired the assistant manager for letting FI have Sunday off.
For a week or two after that, she decided to punish FI by not giving him any hours at all. One night in particular he came in to the store at 4:30, she didn't give him a single delivery, and then sent him home at 6:15 with no money in his pocket. (Pizza guys bring home their tips and mileage reimbursements in cash every night, and that's their primary source of income, since they make less than minimum wage due to being "tip workers.") During this time, several of FI's coworkers quit. He wound up being the sole remaining employee from when he was hired.
Then all of a sudden everything was fine for a couple weeks. She was, as I said before, even nice and apologetic. Until last night. Apparently, a couple of orders got confused and wound up being delivered late due to the mix up. Well here comes the tirade. The store manager went into the store yelling at everyone that they were idiots, they were making her look bad, and if they didn't like her yelling at them they should get over it because it was only going to get worse.
Now, FI always calls me and chats with me while he's in the car delivering pizzas. I like that, because there have been several tragedies in the last year or so in our area where pizza delivery guys are getting mugged and carjacked and even murdered, so I like hearing from him and knowing that he's OK. Last night I was sitting on the couch watching SYTTD, when FI called. He was on his way to a delivery, and he told me that as soon as he finished his shift tongiht, he was quitting. I tried to talk him down. I tried to ask him to stay until he got a new job. Nope. Until after Christmas? Nope. At least until the wedding? Nope. At first he didn't even want to put in a two weeks' notice, but I did at least convince him to do that.
Now, I make so much more money than FI that it's not even funny. To break even and pay all the bills, we were needing FI to contribute $130 per month. (A.k.a. it's not like we're gonna be homeless - we just have to not use as much electricity and not go on dates and clip some coupons, etc.) The bad thing is that now that he doesn't have a job, we have to not only cut back by $130 per month, but we're not putting ANY money in savings, and if an emergency comes up, we're screwed. And I thought about postponing the wedding and honeymoon, but I just literally yesterday paid off the last vendor for the wedding. The only remaining expenses for the wedding: officiant donation (we're meeting with him on Monday), 3 groomsman gifts, 2 usher gifts, and FI's parent gifts (we're supposed to go buy those TODAY). So putting off the wedding would actually not help anything at this point.
I am just feeling some mixed emotions. I'm worried about finances. I'm scared FI won't be able to find a job. I'm scared that if he does find a job, he won't be able to find a one that lets him have Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off work - and take off whenever he puts in a request - and work with his class schedule. I am actually P.O.'ed at FI for quitting. You don't think I have crappy days at work? You don't think I sometimes want to quit? But I don't, because I know that I'm not the only person who depends on my income. It was irresponsible of him to quit before he had a new job lined up. It was selfish of him to quit without discussing it with me first. I am having a hard time being supportive of him right now, because I really just want to punch him in the face for not "sucking it up" and toughing it out. Maybe that makes me cold, but it's what I'm feeling right now. And then I'll think about it for a second and be glad that FI isn't gonna be in as much danger anymore and I'll get to see him more often for a while.
CN
FI quit his job 6 weeks before the wedding without really discussing it with me first. If we make a few simple cutbacks we can still afford the bills on my income - and there's no use postponing the wedding or honeymoon because everything is pretty much already paid for. I am having mixed emotions about it: worried about finances, scared he won't find another job that caters to his college schedule, mad that he was selfish and irresponsible by quitting before finding another job, relieved that he won't be in such a dangerous job anymore, and glad that I will see him more often.
I could use hugs and prayers.