Burnout Sabbatical Planner
PROCalculate exactly how much money I need for a 3-month career break. Covers health insurance options, expense reduction, tax optimization, and realistic savings targets.
Example Usage
“I’m burned out from my tech job making $95k/year. I live in Denver, rent is $1,800/month, and I’m single with no dependents. Help me calculate how much I need saved to take a 3-month sabbatical. I want to understand my health insurance options and if there are any tax benefits I should know about.”
How to Use This Skill
Copy the skill using the button above
Paste into your AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
Fill in your inputs below (optional) and copy to include with your prompt
Send and start chatting with your AI
Suggested Customization
| Description | Default | Your Value |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly housing cost including rent/mortgage, property tax, HOA | 2000 | |
| Current annual gross salary for tax planning | 80000 | |
| Planned length of career break in months | 3 | |
| Cost of living area: low_col, medium_col, high_col | medium_col | |
| Whether user has dependents (spouse, children) | false | |
| Current health insurance source: employer, spouse, marketplace, none | employer |
A comprehensive financial calculator for planning a 3-month career break to recover from burnout. This skill helps you determine exactly how much money to save, navigate complex health insurance options (COBRA, ACA marketplace, spouse’s plan), identify tax optimization strategies during your low-income year, and create a realistic pre-sabbatical financial checklist.
The Burnout Sabbatical Planner provides personalized calculations based on your salary, location, family situation, and expenses. It includes real-world scenarios from urban professionals in medium COL areas to families in high-cost cities, so you can see what sabbatical planning looks like for situations similar to yours.
Key Features
- Personalized Expense Calculator: Track essential vs. discretionary spending and calculate sabbatical-adjusted monthly costs
- Health Insurance Navigator: Compare COBRA, ACA marketplace, spouse’s plan, short-term insurance, and travel insurance with pros/cons for each
- Tax Optimization Strategies: Roth conversions, capital gains harvesting, and withholding adjustments for low-income years
- Pre-Sabbatical Checklist: 6-month, 3-month, and 1-month preparation timelines
- Honest Feasibility Assessment: Red flags that suggest delaying your sabbatical
- Real-World Scenarios: Detailed examples for different income levels and family situations
Who This Skill Is For
- Burned out professionals considering a career break
- Anyone planning extended time off between jobs
- People evaluating financial readiness for unpaid leave
- Workers exploring FMLA, sabbatical, or career transition options
What You’ll Learn
- The exact formula for calculating minimum sabbatical savings
- How ACA subsidies work when your income drops mid-year
- Why COBRA might not be your best health insurance option
- Tax strategies that could save you thousands during your break
- When a sabbatical is financially risky and what alternatives exist
Research Sources
This skill was built using research from these authoritative sources:
- COBRA Continuation Coverage Questions and Answers Official U.S. Department of Labor guidance on COBRA eligibility, costs, and 18-month coverage limits
- Healthcare.gov Special Enrollment Periods ACA marketplace enrollment rules when leaving employer coverage
- IRS Publication 590-A: Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements IRS guidance on Roth conversions and low-income year tax strategies
- IRS Capital Gains Tax Rates 2025 0% capital gains bracket thresholds for tax-loss harvesting during sabbatical
- Kaiser Family Foundation: 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey Average employer health insurance costs and COBRA premium estimates
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditure Survey Average American household spending by category for expense benchmarking