Just don’t have kids to focus on working even harder.

You are not replaceable for your family

Wanna bet?

This is the fucking truth. Money is never worth missing important moments.

I can't afford to have children.

I worked at a company for just under ten years, the last four with pretty much constant crunch, putting in 12 to sometimes 18 hours daily as a SALARIED EMPLOYEE. My marriage was on the rocks and I finally had enough. Found a new job working no more than 40 hours a week for a promotion and far more pay. My reward for all that extra free work was my former company refusing to match salary and me not getting a shipping bonus for a product that had shipped before I left.

Don't be like me. Get out and find something more fulfilling.

The difficult part is that I’m not working late by choice, but by obligation. I don’t want my family to remember me losing my job and any downstream effects from that.

Luckily there’s only a few weeks per year that are crunch time and require me to stay late.

You're also not replaceable for your friends. Don't work hard and play hard - just play hard. Your company will get rid of you as fast, if not faster, than they hired you.