How long have you been saving equity for your house?

Is such a life even worth living? Senseless excessive consumption is certainly not desirable, but targeted purchases, even in the high-priced segment, are in my eyes worthwhile (this also includes a house with appropriate equipment)

Shortly after graduating, my standards were so low that I consumed less than the Hartz standard rate – and I had everything I needed. No real needs went unmet, and a 10-year-old bike and 5-year-old clothes did just fine. Over time, this has naturally shifted somewhat (leisure clothes are now more like 10 years old, but my bikes have become very expensive) and now I have great respect for anyone who has to get by on Hartz their whole life. But, to your point: It’s all a matter of attitude; you can also do very well without all the stuff, even if, thanks to your salary, your checking account regularly "overflows" and you then invest it.

If I want to finish work and the supervisor comes in wanting to discuss something, I say "sorry, come back tomorrow"

In what job does something like this happen? Regardless of salary or workload, this is certainly an absolute exception. In my opinion, it only works if you are a highly qualified expert with specialized knowledge or have a very conflict-averse boss.

In my opinion, this only works if you are a highly qualified expert with specialized knowledge or have a very conflict-averse boss.

Well, I feel flattered :D
If I say this now, there will probably be an uproar again.
I am a financial auditor and finalize tax returns. I've been doing this for almost 15 years now. Accordingly, I have experience. Supervisors often ask unnecessary or pointless questions. If the boss wants something checked that, in my experience, is pointless because it brings 0.0 added value to anyone, then he can do it himself. And yes, I tell him that too. After all, he can't fire me :D

It is always better to let money work for you.

It is already twisted – earning money with money is also taxed lower than earning money with work.

If I want to finish work and the supervisor comes in wanting to discuss something, I say "sorry, come back tomorrow"

In which job does something like that exist? That is definitely an absolute exception regardless of salary or workload.

It is a question of company culture. Both the categorical "no, I’m off work" and the expectation that employees naturally stay longer are unfortunately widespread and partially condition each other. If, as a person who takes personnel responsibility seriously, I constantly demand overtime from my employees and managers – regardless of the level – I have to consider what is wrong in my organization. In which job does something like that exist? It is more a matter of the company than the job description. In some industries, it is unfortunately almost non-existent.

Sounds like an indispensable specialist for the company.

@hamsphire yes, there is some truth to that. If the boss always takes longer, there is something wrong with the structure. And if you have an important private appointment, as a supervisor I don’t come down hard like a boss. On the other hand, I also don’t have employees who drop the mouse at exactly 5 pm (drop the pen, hardly anyone understands that anymore), when there is still something urgent to do.

Sounds like an indispensable specialist for the company.

@hamsphire yeah, there’s something to that. If the boss constantly needs longer, there’s something wrong with the structure. And if you have an important private appointment, I as a supervisor don’t come down hard like a boss. On the other hand, I don’t have employees who drop the mouse exactly at 5 p.m. (drop the pen, soon no one will understand that anymore), when there is actually still something urgent to do.

Really hard to say... It really depends on the company philosophy or the internal structure. With a 43-hour week in a normal salaried position, I would definitely drop the pen at exactly 5 p.m. With a 35-38 hour week or similar, you can also consider doing a few overtime hours - no question!

Ultimately, the employer should ensure that overtime stays in proportion and that with a reasonably high number of weekly hours, they don’t also demand overtime "on the side" (this is usually how it goes - especially in medium-sized companies). I believe that many employees put up with too much and that even nowadays, people still kiss the boss’s ass... With decent qualifications, however, this is definitely not necessary in today’s labor market situation :)