Bike Forums - Give up commuting ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rms13 (Post 15553372)

I live in Los Angeles, I make $73k/year and I live just over a mile from work. Which means I have a sub 10 minute commute by bike. A few months ago I got an offer which I turned down several times until the offer was about $100k/year. I took the job and had to commute via my 17 mpg suv about 11 miles to work which took about 90 minutes each way in traffic because I had to use the dreaded 101 and spend half my commute on the surface streets in Hollywood. One day I had to go to Santa Monica to a client and it took 2 hours to get home. Two weeks in, I called my old boss and asked if I could have my job back. Luckily he really appreciated my work, I left on good terms and they hadn't filled the job yet. So I gave up the extra 40% income and went back to my old job and I've never been happier. My life style is much better now. I am saving about $80/week on gas. I am home in 10 minutes and can enjoy an evening hike or bike ride with my fiance. And the simple fact is that my lifestyle was not going to be any better by having an extra $30k per year (before taxes). I am not going to make any recommendations to you and your situation but I will say think really hard about what is important in your life. For me, having extra stress of sitting in gridlock and losing 3 hours a day of my life are not worth any amount of money.

Rms, my situation is near identical to yours. One thing I wouldn’t want to happen is to take the job, and end up hating it – not just if the job sucked part, but the commute as well.

I probably wouldn't be able to come back to my position though - if I leave.

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzman (Post 15554193)

If schools for the kids is not a factor- in other words a good school district to a worse one- then I'd take the job and eventually move closer to work.

Non-issue. Kids are really young and we are homeschooling for the first few years.

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Originally Posted by nashvillwill (Post 15554898)

I think the more important consideration is what the working hours will be like. Will the hours be the same? Will it afford you time to ride your bike in leisure time? Or will you suddenly find that the 40% raise also requires 40% more working hours? If this cuts into your personal time and you suddenly don't have leisure time to ride/spend with your family/other things you love, then take that seriously. I'm not saying not to take it, I'm just pointing out that the money and commute may not be the only factors.

Working hours would be similar. I’d probably be on call. One perk is that I’d get every other Friday off by working 9 hour days. However, it would take away a good hour or two per day with my kids – which bothers the heck outta me.

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Originally Posted by deeth82 (Post 15554949)

I'll echo what some others here have said: Money isn't everything.

Step back and start listing the positive things taking this job would add to your life, and then list all the positive things you've got going at your current job...finish by listing the [known] negative aspects of each option. The only positive thing I can think of at the moment regarding your new job is money, but perhaps you might have less financial stress at home due to money not being quite so tight. Perhaps other things might be improved with more money, but the biggest question for me is "Am I volunteering for more [unnecessary] stress?". For me, I don't want to stress any more than is necessary, as stress itself negatively impacts our health, and thereby our long-term happiness.

I've been offered 3 positions since 2006 worth anywhere from 20%-40% more pay, but when I sat back and listed the good points of my job versus the good points of taking the other jobs (along with the negative aspects of both) I've realized that money alone wouldn't make me happy. Even though money is tight right now, my work stays at work...I'm on call 24-7, but the occasion to call me in is quite seldom in practice, and my regular hours are 8-5, Monday-Friday. On top of that, my retirement and health benefits here are quite good; better than what the other companies could have offered. In the future, if I have the luxury of deciding where I want to work, I hope to have something near enough to home for bike-commuting. It's something that's great for my health, as well as my wallet.

This is simply my method for making the decision...YMMV.

I agree with what you are saying wholeheartedly. If money were everything, I’d have accepted the offer already. However, my does talk, and offer improvement in quality of life. But like I mentioned earlier, I don’t want to put my personal “hobbies” or desires against the long term future of my family. If that makes sense.

Great idea on the lists, I think we are going to sit down and do that tonight with my wife. We’ve been discussing pro’s/con’s lately. It’s funny, I always seem to find more cons and my wife always seems to find more pro’s. She even joked and said I could get a new “N+1” with a salary like that. My reply was that I wouldn’t have any time to ride it.. lol.

Thank you for sharing your personal experience. My position is very similar to yours at this moment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by caloso (Post 15555284)

Is the commute also going to take away surf time too? Will you have time to do any of the things you enjoy?

Probably. I surf on my lunch breaks sometimes now. When I know a swell is coming in, I’ll come in a little early, and take a longer lunch.

I will have time to do things I enjoy, but significantly less. But as mentioned before, I’d get every other Friday off – which I don’t get now.