An IT buddy of mine who recently was part of a big corporate cut, is now offering Consultation Services. He will go into small companies and homes and consult on setting up network/workstation or other infrastructure related things. He does pretty well, and there is really a lot of companies out there that have not clue on how bad their environment is setup. Internet Security is another stong area he gets a lot of business. If a company likes his ideas then he gets to go in there and set up the environment.
Of course benefits are very important, and very expensive if you don't work for an employer. If you have a spouse, maybe you can go on their plan. I don't really LOVE my job either, but the benefits are great, and I have a huge 401K and Pension that will be nice once I retire.
Good Luck
ps: you could always become a car salesman
no pun intended
