Is money everything?
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- citizenBrain
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I have two job offers right now, need a bit of advice here.
Job 1:
Drive Distance: 8 miles
Drive Time: 15 minutes
Job Title: NA (Maybe AD)
Salary: NA (65-76ish)
Room for Growth: No. Not any higher I could go. 100% design and some direction.
Company size: 20 people
Benefits: GoodJob 2:
Drive Distance: 48 miles
Drive Time: 1hr 12 minutes (on a good day)
Job Title: E-Commerce Director of 5-6 designers.
Salary: 135k - 140k
Room for Growth: No. This is as high up as one could go. Not much design, more managing.
Company size: Fortune 250
Benefits: FantasticWhat would you do? Sactifice nearly 4 hours a day commuting for a massive salary putting on massive amounts of miles on your gas guzzling car, or, money isn't everything, work at a small company close to home making a decent enought wage to slowly get yourself out of debt, but not enough to get yourself out of debt in 3 months like the other job would allow?
Any ideas?
Thanks.
- e-pill0
couldnt you take the higher paying job with fantastic benefits and save more than ever and move closer to your job...??
just remember that once you pass the $119k mark your tax bracket changes.
- Mimio0
Yes, earn more and retire early.
- Jaline0
It depends on what you like.
Do you mind commuting? Do you need the money right now? Do you like working with a smaller group of people?
Personally, I'd go for the second one for now since it has a higher pay and, according to you, there isn't much room to grow at either place. I already take like 45 minutes (one way) getting to school everyday.
- ********0
Money is everything.
And whoever said it cannot buy happiness... is poor.
What is up with the no room for growth?
That sounds like a personal problem.
- mrseaves0
does sitting in the car in traffic bother you, or relax you?
it makes me crazy, but a friend of mine drives 1 hour each way and thinks of it as relaxation time.
- blaw0
i spent 2-1/2 hours commuting for nearly a decade and it didn't bother me in the least.
until i started working close to home and realized how much more life i had in a day. i wouldn't go back to the long commute.
ha, ha... bullshit. for an additional $60k i probably would.
*and "didn't bother me in the least" isn't quite accurate. some days it would be 5:00PM, works out and you just want to be home, but you have to fight traffic for 1+ hrs. first.
- citizenBrain0
Moving might not be an option e-pill as I'd be moving closer to my job but that would mean my wife would have farther to drive to her job. She's already driving 30 miles or so. But then again, with that salary she might be able to go part time and stay home with the kiddies. I'm at a loss here, I just don't know what to do.
- blaw0
one hand: those kiddies aren't around forever.
other hand: tuition is insanely expensive.
nice problem to have though.
- fusionpixel0
Money is not everything but if I was single and in your situation I would take #2 and would move closer to the job location. I would do this not just for the raise but the experience and I think this would help to continue getting better gigs in the future since this would look "nice" in the resume.
Now, if you rather take orders and do the designs and dont like management positions, plus you live among your friends/family/gf/bf/or/whatever then all the money in the world wont be worth it to exchange all that for the raise.
Car, house, pay debts, more money... that all can wait. Being happy at your job, being close to family and relatives and happines.. that you cant buy (for everything else theres mastercard)
- Nairn0
Bluntly - no.
Money's great if you're enjoying life - but if earning that money makes your life miserable, it doesn't matter how much you've got - you'll still be miserable.
The most depressed I've been in my life is the point when I was making the most money - luckily, I feel I learned early in life that 'Stuff' doesn't make me any happier - it just makes moving house harder.
I think it depends on whether you're still at the age where you're happy to have work utterly dictate to your soul..
Heck, even if you are - that extra commuting time could be spent on earning money from freelancing?
Just my 2 penneth worth - each to their own.
- ********0
Also in situations like these, I make a list of Pros/Cons for each endeavor.
Be honest, and that should really make the decision for you ... or inform you that you are willing to go with a job with more potential cons than pros if the pros are in fact like ... lots of cash money.
- harlequino0
Hmm, that kind of commute is not a big deal for that kind of salary difference, IMHO. You'll probably get used to it real quick after those checks come in.
- e-pill0
I'm at a loss here, I just don't know what to do.
citizenBrain
(Sep 4 07, 07:36)i think since you are married that this is some3thing you need to discuss with your wife. you need to share with her your feelings about your goals for youself aas well as your family. she needs to be more involved in this than any NTer should be. you need to discuss the prros and cons of each job offer you have and weigh them out with your already fully packed lifestyle with kids. speak to an account and really see the numbers that each job will bring you. weigh it out and make some comprimises for your family and take the higher paying job. you said it has FANTASTIC BENEFITS and you have children and a wife??! the answer should be spoken for then and there plain and simple...
good luck...and talk it out with your wife.
- fusionpixel0
But then again, with that salary she might be able to go part time and stay home with the kiddies.
(Sep 4 07, 07:36)heck! with a 50K raise I would create a budget, ask the wife to stay home with the kids while you go out to make the dough. nothing wrong with that. just think how different life will be withyour wife not having to worry driving to work and spending more time as a "family"
- citizenBrain0
Mimio: I thought of that too and I like the idea of it to be honest.
Jaline: I hate commuting, especially around here. People drive like complete a-holes and 9 times out of 10 I can't help but think to myself while driving "Gosh, I can think of a hundred other things I could be doing right now"
That commute time would be on a good day, I'd guess that with traffic I could hit 2 hours.
And we could really use the money right now. We're doing ok and keeping our heads way above water but some previous credit card debt is making it hard for us right now. We're putting as much as we can to each card each month but it leaves little for us to spend on each other.
With 130k (which would double my current salary) I could wipe that debt out in less than 4 months.
- Nairn0
Actually - one proviso - if you could get away with doing the well-paid job for a year or so, it'd probably be worth it. That's 2 years worth of your other salary choice, you'll get premo experience and you'll be able to go back and mop up later.
- citizenBrain0
Nicely said fusionpixel.
- harlequino0
remember with the higher salary, that changes your employment options for the future. You can now credibly "command" that kind of salary from someplace else. Or it can put you in the pool of candidates more easily. Assuming oyu have not had that kind of salary at some point already.
- citizenBrain0
Hmm... all great responses here, thanks a ton for all the good advice. I have no idea which way I'm leaning towards right now but the only thing that keeps coming up in my mind is "Mo Money = Mo Problems"
:(
I have a difficult decision on my hands.
Thanks for listening.
- fusionpixel0
Money is everything.
And whoever said it cannot buy happiness... is poor.
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flavorful
(Sep 4 07, 07:35)what is your definition of happiness... for some is spending their check with their friends over the weekend waking up monday morning with a headache and with no idea what happened. While others happiness is having just enough to enjoy their wife, kinds and family. Going to the park, having a family reunion.
So in the end you cant tell some one that he/she is not happy just because they dont have the dough, while some others you can give them a million bucks and still feel they are not happy