Posted on 04/14/2015 2:29:17 AM PDT by newnhdad
Just recently started a new job and I feel very lucky but I really despise it. I am starting at a pretty descent salary but it's not as important as the miracle of finding any employment in Obama's economy. I have to drive a long way to and fro and mostly through idiot filled DC traffic and I swear nobody actually watches the road anymore, they just tap on the smart phones. It takes about three hours a day to commute (1.5hr each way) so I'm no longer seeing my kids and eating meals with my family six days a week. The children's schooling has suffered without me being home hounding them to do their homework and studying with them. They've both been sent to the office for outbursts since I've started.
It's a solid company and the boss is very supportive but there is zero room for advancement, I would just be getting raises (5% max), no promotions which really isn't a bad thing because I really don't like managing people's problems.
Now for the big question.. This friggin job is keeping me up nights, I've dropped about fifteen pounds in the past two months and I'm taking Ambien just to get some rest and it's only going to get busier.
The job will pay about $30K per year more than a job at the local retail chains so, is it worth it?
Only you can really answer that question. I would suggest you pull out a sheet of paper and divide it into two columns. One column you put all the positives about the job; the other column you put all the negatives about the job. Then decide.
Yup, that is a good method.
It’s only worth it if you can keep your head together and not fall apart as a human being!
In 2010, my old job was coming to an end. The new offered job? In Arlington, Va. The wife didn’t care to move....the pay was roughly $30k more than before...and having a car made no sense (I did public transportation while I was there). Zero promotion chances....somewhat nice people to work around....no overtime. I looked at everything and after six weeks, I circled my calender and said “three years and gone”. I would either take less pay to move onto a better deal, or just do early retirement.
In the end, I left after 3.5 years and accepted early retirement.
The added weight was simply looking at stress in DC, crime, bizarre people with mental problems (some even working for the government), and municipal corruption being more than obvious. I could probably write a 300 page book of the 1,200-odd days I stayed there and played out this ‘opera’. I suspect you will evaluate the gains and losses, and eventually circle the calendar in the same fashion. Life is fairly short...you might wake up in six months and have some health condition which determines a lesser life. Rather than be unhappy....I’d seek to find a path where there is some happiness and enjoyment out of the opportunities of life you’ve selected.
Agree with the others have been saying. Don’t know your family situation but can you get in earlier so that you can leave earlier so that you can eat with/nag your kids?
No. Absolutely not. It’s going to wear you down, wear your car down, wear your relationships down, wear your work performance down, wear your wallet down in gas costs. And that’s just in spring/summer. Winter is another hell to worry about.
Is moving closer to your job a possibility? Otherwise, I would say that based on what you have said already, you need to look for a job closer to home.
Look at it this way. With drive time you are working 11 hour days and getting paid for 8. Add to that the worry factor that keeps you up at night and it seems like more time than that is JOB.
Since you don’t seem to care about advancement at this point for whatever reasons, would another local job with the potential for overtime, more hours or the like be any worse? Couple that with the added gasoline, upkeep, work lunches and morning/evening quick stops for food, etc. and those are all deductions from that income. There is also the other potential added cost of takeout meals, sitters, daycare or whatever that are add-ons to that job.
My first qualifier would be “do I really like doing this job?” or is it the money. If you don’t like it now, you won’t ever like it and you’ll eventually end up dreading that ride in the morning and praying for the drive home.
That happened to me. I even got to the point where I started taking the long way to work in the morning. I lasted 6 months at that job. Best thing I ever did was quit, even though it was a very well paying job.
What’s the alternative? Where do you want to be in five years? Will this job help you get there or hold you back? Would you be willing to relocate for a better job paying less? Questions to consider. Remember, you’re going to a job every day that pays the bills. It’s work. It’s not a party.
Agree with others here. Also, you can start looking for another job now; no need to wait. I know you’re probably burnt out from looking already, but hopefully you can move past that. Also, there’s this idea that you shouldn’t job hop. However, I’ve known a couple of people who did exactly that and the new employers didn’t seem to care at all. When you’re currently employed, you suddenly look a lot more attractive to other employers!! Lol! Anyway, I’d do the list method and see what you do want in a job — and start looking for that job now.
Since it is around the D.C. area, using the metro system may be an option to reduce driving stress and allow time to decompress between work and home. Wireless technology may provide face time with the kids during the metro ride.
Relocating closer to your place of work is another option.
Annualize all those extra expenses (e.g., if you have to fill your car one additional time per week because of the commute, multiply that weekly cost X 48 or 49...depending upon how much PTO you earn).
Subtract those extra expenses from your annual compensation.
Add the actual weekly hours you work and your commute time and then multiply by 48 or 49 (depending upon PTO).
Divide your net compensation by the hours you spend and you get your effective hourly compensation.
That is the number you should compare against an hourly wage if you stay local. If it turns out that you're only making net $5 per hour more for all the hassle, stress, and heartache, is it worth it? Only you can say.
Consult with the family and start looking for a job in a state and area where you can live closer. Consider the school system and whether there’s an income tax. Make a list of areas and evaluate it from the perspective of each family member. Best of luck.
You are obviously giving up a lot for that extra $30k. Without knowing your financial circumstances and chances of finding another job closer to home, it’s imposible to say if tat $30k is worth it.
Is the $30k your gross amount before tax? If yes, then the addional take-home pay could easily be only $18k at a 40% combined state, federal and local tax bracket.
I’d the $30k on top of a previous job at $30k? $70k? $150k? In other words, how critical is the extra cash to you making ends meet? Or does it provide additional money for the kids college or just ease some money worries?
I personal set an upper limit of a 20 minute commute when I was in my late 20s and have managed to meet that goal for 35 years of work. Hours spent in a car commuting are gone from your life for good and you never get them back. I was fortunate to choose to live in an area with abundant jobs where, in good times, you can find new close-by jobs quickly.
Now that the kids are gone, I am happy I made the decisions I did. I was able to spend lots of time with them and attend most of their events and share in all their joys and help them cope with disappointments.
That’s a tough decision that only you can make. It sounds, though, like you may be paying a high price for the “bonus” of $30K. The suggestion to relocate is worth considering, if that is possible. Good luck with your decision,
“What’s the alternative? “
Well, you say you live in the DC area? It’s my guess that DC has some of the most generous “Free Stuff” programs in the country. So, sit down make a list of these programs and their value to you. Then do a net net comparison to your current earnings. You might find yourself better off eating at the government trough. Would you please post your analysis here on FR? Heck, I just might want to move there and join you at the trough :)
Maybe you can find employment in some other area—Texas and Oklahoma would be some ideas. The economy of both states is good—little to no snow in the winters—and the wide open spaces and blue skies are nice. another plus is that they are both Red states!
I think you would find taxes in both states lower, too.
I got a job paying $50k/year in Houston. My commute is 30 minutes to and an hour home. My job is boring and inside all day. I’m only staying until January. Then I am moving to Central America. Fortunately my kids are all grown.
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