James Altucher says the same thing--keep your day job while working steadily towards self-employment and growing several potential streams of income. I have been at my current workplace for nearly two years and plan to leave by next spring. Over the past year, I've doubled my number of freelance clients (I'm an editor) and have co-organized several weekend events for a literary organization. I also moved four months ago from an expensive condo to a co-op and am paying 30% less on living expenses. I'm about to sell my old car as both the insurance and constant repairs don't justify keeping it since I usually take public transit for work. I don't have a cell phone and I don't have any debt either. Right now I'm making myself indispensable at my workplace as I'd like to potentially approach them later as a work-for-hire consultant. There are really so many opportunities to carve out one's work life these days and in the meantime I'm simply learning as much as I can. For those interested in learning new skills--or brushing up on old ones, I'd recommend Lynda.com.