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<\/p>\nFacing career burnout and a marriage breakdown, Ian Betteridge knew he couldn\u2019t carry on in his well-paid corporate job. So, he made a life-changing decision that would leave him \u00a320,000 a year worse off.<\/p>\n
During his 16-year-long career in product management, Ian, 44, held managerial positions in airlines, utility companies and the education sector, managing to hang on to them through nail-biting rounds of redundancies and economic downturns.<\/p>\n
\u2018I dodged a bullet a few times in the rat race, especially working in the travel industry,\u2019 says Ian, from Chertsey in Surrey.<\/p>\n
\u2018From 9\/11 to the financial crisis – any kind of world event affects the travel industry. But I managed to survive and my career even progressed. But the last challenge, Covid, was the final straw,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n
The strain of the pandemic and the unexpected breakdown of his marriage sounded the death knell for Ian\u2019s corporate life. He could not face the thought of staying on the same path until retirement.<\/p>\n
But financial responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders.<\/p>\n
Approaching his 40s, with two young sons, a mortgage and a \u2018messy breakup\u2019 to navigate \u2013 Ian had a tough decision to make.<\/p>\n
\u2018I was at a crossroads in my life,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n
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Ian Betteridge took a forensic\u00a0look at all his spending habits and his attitude to spending every last penny on luxuries he didn\u2019t need<\/p>\n
Gardening had always been a hobby for Ian, from helping his mother in their garden at home to working in a gardening centre while at college. And, during the dark times he was experiencing, it had been his solace.<\/p>\n
He decided to turn his passion into a business.<\/p>\n
Ian knew he would be facing a big drop in his \u00a357,000 annual salary but decided that, with careful planning, it was a risk worth taking.<\/p>\n
He started by taking a forensic look at all his spending habits and his attitude to spending every last penny on luxuries he didn\u2019t need.<\/p>\n
Ian went through every direct debit and standing order in his bank account and reviewed his daily outgoings to look for ways to slash them.<\/p>\n
His Sky Sports and Cinema subscriptions were cut immediately. Then he switched his broadband, mobile and energy providers to get cheaper deals using comparison websites. He also signed up for a water meter, so he could lower his bills by using less. Since quitting his job he\u2019s saved on petrol costs and cut his holiday budget<\/a>. His frugal actions have saved him around \u00a3350 a month, and he can still save around \u00a3200 a month into his pension.<\/p>\n \u2018I now know exactly what my outgoings are, so I know how much I need to earn,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n Lifestyle choices such as a car upgrade every two years, buying top-of-the-range trainers and taking four annual city breaks have all been sacrificed, too.<\/p>\n To get his business off the ground, Ian advertised weekend and evening gardening services through online platform Nextdoor, which allowed him to reach his community.<\/p>\n To wean himself off his full-time product management salary, he started his new business outside of his nine-to-five office job at first. It meant working seven days a week, and until 9pm during the summer nights, so that he could establish his new life.<\/p>\n After just two good reviews on the Nextdoor platform, the phone started ringing.<\/p>\n Within a few months, Ian had around 30 regular customers and felt financially secure enough to ditch the day job and leave his corporate life for good.<\/p>\n In the latest tax year, he earned \u00a337,500.<\/p>\n Our wages typically peak between the ages of 40 to 49, according to the Office for National Statistics. This makes turning your back on a salary that\u2019s likely to be the highest it\u2019s ever going to be a life-changing decision.<\/p>\n Starting a family, career changes or taking a step back to care for loved ones can all have a massive impact on your earnings and should be planned for as far in advance as possible.<\/p>\n Claire Saunders, financial coach and owner of Mint Coaching, advises those facing a big mid-life income drop to use a three-step approach: planning, tracking and trialling.<\/p>\n \u2018Early planning creates calm,\u2019 says Saunders. \u2018If you\u2019re starting a new career, how do you want your days to look and where are you getting your customers from? It\u2019s important to work out a business plan and look for ways you can move gradually into entrepreneurship while still in your old job.\u2019<\/p>\n If you\u2019re cutting back to part-time hours to take on a caring role, map out what your new earnings will be, your pension entitlement, and research any benefits you may be eligible for.<\/p>\n Next it\u2019s time to track your spending, says Saunders. \u2018You need to get into the nitty-gritty, day-to-day spending\u00a0\u2013 and separate essentials from non-essentials.\u2019<\/p>\n Cancel any non-essential direct debits and switch, where possible, to cheaper service providers to claw back enough money to support your leaner lifestyle.<\/p>\n Household bills, insurance, debt repayments and your pension should all be considered essentials.<\/p>\n
![\"Claire](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/105861199-15501329-image-a-2_1769513427627.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Within](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/105861197-15501329-image-a-11_1769513646296.jpg\")
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