Pay cut for no commute - is it worth it ?

rightjob

Im conflicted about a new job offer ive accepted already, the big attraction to me as it reduces my commute from 1hour each way to 5mins.
Im in sales so the roles are commission based, my current salary and commission are significantly better than the new job however the commission in my current job is difficult to earn in my current job so I would estimate the pay cut in moving will be approx. €10-15k per annum which is a concern.
Im only in my current role 1year, the people in my current job are very nice and I am not stressed or under pressure and I feel like I could be leaving too early however the new job is probably more interesting than my current job as the customer offering is relatively weak in my current role. The main reason for considering the change is it will mean no commute however I keep having second thoughts

Any advice is welcome.

hognef

Don't forget the monetary cost of your current commute, and remember that cost is likely post-tax. €2500 of petrol or diesel, say, would require a pre-tax income of around €5000 (assuming top rate of tax).

endabob1

I dropped 5k a few months ago and I am much better off
I reduced my commute from 160 mile round trip to 10
Financially I am better off because of the savings on fuel & service costs to my car which is on the verge of collapse after a year of hard driving plus I have more time to myself even though I tend to work longer hours at the new job, the old job was zero pressure but a 3 hour daily commute was no fun. Now even if I do an extra hour a day at work I have an extra hour to myself - I even go home to check on the dog some lunchtimes!!
From a work life balance I would recommend it but do the sums, you will probably be amazed at how much you can save on a short commute

endacl

You can’t buy time.

What would you do with the extra time that you don’t do now?

Krombopulos Michael

I took a different job with a pay cut to reduce my daily commute from approx 3hrs total to 1hr 20 mins total and it was well worth it.

my wife and I just had a small baby when I took the new role for lesser money, so to shorten my commute meant I was there more to help out as well as getting home when its still day light.

I was driving the M50 daily and over the months it was becoming more and more congested I was leaving home earlier and earlier to get to work on time.

Best decision I made, but as mentioned above, do your sums and make sure you can manage on the lesser wage.

seamie78

after you factor in time and money spent on commute you may find it could in fact be a payrise

Sleeper12

My daughter went from 60 minutes drive each way to 5 minutes each way. She gets 45 minutes lunch but has enough time to come home for lunch and go up to her room to chill for 5 minutes before going back to work. She's not earning as much but her quality of life is much better.

I think only you can answer your question. If you are saving hard for a mortgage then the higher wages might be the way you go. If you are at a stage in your life where you can afford what you need & work closer to home than closer to home might be the best way

Stone Deaf 4evr

i dont know if you have family or not, but nothing in life is more important than time with them.

dbas

Sounds like you could have increased wages within a year with this crowd anyway if their offering is better anyway, and its more interesting and 5 minutes from your house?

How exactly are you having difficulty making this decision?

Plenty of options these days for good workers if it doesn't work out anyway so go for it I say

rightjob

I have a family including a new born but she is no trouble. It would be good to have more time in the evening rather than getting home tired.
I also like the idea of being able to go home at lunchtime or being able to go for a jog and shower/change at home and perhaps even go back to do evening college although ive had that idea for a long time. My current commute is the M50 which once the schools are back is a drag and takes an hour each way and more if theres a crash, my current employer does not do homeworking although has said he could be more flexible meaning i could probably get one day a week from home.

The money drop should not be a big problem, however it feels like its a backward step financially/careerwise (although job title is the same) plus i have only been in current job 1year and they are good people/low stress etc.

salmocab

Assuming you run your own car as opposed to a company car your saving a good bit plus probably a toll if it’s the m50, diesel and tolls add up plus extra wear on your car. Sounds like you know all this and the only thing casting a doubt is the fact that you like your current job which is a big factor. Extra time at home with the family is invaluable and as kids age it’s the difference between coming home and saying goodnight or coming home and going to the park for a walk or a game of football.

randomrb

rightjob wrote: »

The money drop should not be a big problem, however it feels like its a backward step financially/careerwise (although job title is the same) plus i have only been in current job 1year and they are good people/low stress etc.

If you feel like you may not feel as challenged in your new job then that is important however if it is just based on where you think your career should be then it is less important when you look back.

There are also all the little things you have to spend if you are not home as much that adds up whether its getting people in to do the odd jobs you don't have time for or not being able to cook as much and ordering in

colm_mcm

It really depends on how much of a chunk €15k is on the earnings you have now, Could you see yourself having to work longer hours to make enough money to cover your commitments in the new job? Have you an idea of the money you would realistically make with commission in the new job?

OMM 0000

It depends.

If I was using the commute to better myself, e.g. practicing Russian in the car, I would miss this aspect of the commute.

But if the commute was just a pointless, horrible waste of time, I think it would grind me down.

I have always chosen jobs close to my home. If my home was not close to the job, I moved. I strongly believe in personal comfort and happiness. We only have one life, so I'm not going to waste it doing a job I dislike, or living in a way which makes me unhappy.

If you can afford to live on the reduced salary, I would go for it.