Now living car free, wish to continue, job offer questions

[mpop]

I know a long subject but it covers most of what I am going to say here. Right now I am going to be getting a new job. Lets call them Company A and Company B. I am going to take with Company A, to the point where I pritty much have accepted. But I don't want to tell Company B, no because I have accepted to Company A, no I am not trying to force them to make a higher offer. But When they make an offer, I want to be polite and say that amount X from Company A is worth more to me then amount X + Y from Company B. But I am not sure what Y should be, I have several ideas of what needs to go into Y, but I don't know how to value them all. What is Y? Well what the thing is, that Company A is only a 30 minute walk from where I live (max), Company B would be a 30 minute drive (min). So as you can see with Company A I still don't need a car, but with Company B I would feel force to get a car. So Y is the anual cost of that car, and things related to it, things I have put into Y that I know the cost to would be anual gas (~2160), car payments (~2400, assumming an average car payment is about 200 a month), and anual mantinace (I am guessing here but lets say $2000) so after all of that the known costs to me is 6560 more a year. But there are other things I am not sure on what dolar amount to assine to them, and they are, I hate driving (no I am not a car-free person for envromantal or political reasons, I just hate driving. When I drive I am not the person I should be, I sware to much, I get stressed out. etc.). Also I do want to exercise a bit more, and working at Company A gives me that since it is biking and walking distance. Also for the last 5 years I really wanted to work at Company A, I just heard of Company B 3 weeks ago. So given those what value would you assign to them, so when Company B makes an offer, I can say (kindly) thanks but Company A has offered X and do to these reasons (all the car ****) it is more like X+Y to me, then thank them and move on.

[powers2b]

Keep it polite and tell them you have accepted a position that is more in line with your career goals.
Be sure to thank them in writing for expressing interest in you.

Enjoy

[Juha]

What kind of distance do you mean by the "30 min. drive (min.)"? Around here it could be anything from 15 km to 60 km. I currently bike about 31 km round trip, and would imagine something like 50 km round trip would still be doable. Beyond that it would start to take too much time for me.

--J

[mpop]

Well, I am in Pittsburgh, they (Company B) are in Monroville, the shortest route is 13.94 miles (this is avoiding highways, the highway one is 14.71 miles and it takes about 30 minutes in a car with no traffic, mapquest says 21, but I have find it more like 30, on the bus it is about 45 to 60 minutes) all mile numbers are from mapquest. (http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?go=1&do=nw&rmm=1&un=m&cl=EN&qq=hltF3hzNT9tNhURP0HLlhh9UYBmHRqyBceg4Gkon14D8uewLk7pjHQ%253d%253d&ct=NA&rsres=1&1y=US&1ffi=&1l=&1g=&1pl=&1v=&1n=&1pn=&1a=512+N.+Neville+St&1c=Pittsburgh&1s=PA&1z=15213&2y=US&2ffi=&2l=&2g=&2pl=&2v=&2n=&2pn=&2a=2420+mosside+blvd&2c=Monroeville&2s=PA&2z=)

[Dahon.Steve]

I know the cost to would be anual gas (~2160), car payments (~2400, assumming an average car payment is about 200 a month), and anual mantinace (I am guessing here but lets say $2000) so after all of that the known costs to me is 6560 more a year.

I think you're real close to the actual cost but also understand this is NET of taxes so add an additional 20% of gross and it's now $8,200.00! That's a lot of money! We haven't included your time, depreciation or replacement costs into the equation.

The important question is, how much more money this new job is going to pay. I doubt you'll be able to squeeze an additional 15K from the old job unless they really like you. Keep in mind that even though the new employer will pay you an addtional 15K, your net after all your expenses is 5K!

[mpop]

Well the new job at Company A, that is the one I want to work for, is a massive jump in pay for me (with out adding costs, infact with them my costs of other things go down from what I am paying now) . And one thing I forgot to put into the equation is insurance so we are even adding higher money (I am assuming $100 a month) so Company B would have to offer a lot more then I am getting now, just to be equal with Company A (and all things being equal, I want to go with Company A)

And thanks I forgot to think about taxes in that number, we are now appocing 10k a gross for just adding a car (that is insain, I never realized how much I was saving by not having a car, for those of you that have a car just think what you can do with an extra 10K a year)

[Roody]

I would be nice to Company B, just in case Company A falls through.

[attercoppe]

Company B doesn't really need to know why you aren't taking the position with them, they may not even ask. As Roody says, be nice, and as powers2b says, write a friendly, general "no thanks" letter.