Author Topic: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?  (Read 10624 times)

MacGyverIt

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Mustache community, I'm faced with a life-changing decision and I'd appreciate your input.

The scenario:
I've lived overseas for a while in a job I really dislike. I dislike the managers, my co-workers are nice but I'm not social with them (they have families, I'm a single guy). So I'm pretty isolated and this will likely continue for the next 2-3 years. Benefits are free housing while I'm overseas, bonus pay (~$400 a month) and the ability to retire ten years earlier which is obviously a huge deal.

Recently a major medical issue has brought me back to the States and I have the opportunity to choose to return or stay. Benefits of staying would be to have a social network again, to live in a clean, safe environment and to return to "normal", all good things for the mental health and spirit (IMO). Drawbacks are I'm renting my low mortgage condo out, so I'd have to get an apartment at greater expense (~$1800) in this high cost area but I could then avoid having a car and use mass transit instead.

The logical, non-emotional decision is to go back, swallow the bitter pill and deal with life for the next 2-3 years. Get over the downsides of isolation, hating my 40-60 hour work week, etc. so I can retire earlier than later (if I can stick with the job long enough to retire). Returning to the job over there is the best financial decision.

The other side of the argument is life is short, live in a place where there are friends and family, live as low cost as I can, etc., because staying in the States would likely be the best mental/emotional decision.

I don't want to regret losing my early retirement option but I don't want to be in an unhappy situation for 2-3 years of my life either.

Welcome your thoughts and questions, this is a huge life-changing decision for me.

Thanks,
Mac

Tyler

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2015, 09:37:47 AM »
I feel for you.

Several years ago I worked in a job (really a career path spanning a series of jobs) where heavy time in China (30%+) was expected. I almost always traveled alone, and with local 6-day work weeks and the time shift where US emails pour in every night, work seemingly never ended. It was really fun at first, but after a while the isolation became overwhelming. I was depressed and my health, happiness, friendships, and marriage were all struggling.

Your message reminds me of my thought process. It even shares a logical fallacy that I also suffered from -- that your current company is your only option and a significant pay cut is required to have a normal life.  Guess what. There are many companies out there that highly value your international experience and want it around the office in the US to learn from. Find one of those, and you'll turn your current negative into a huge positive.

I eventually made the conscious decision to find a job that did not require so much travel. Now I can't imagine making such a personal sacrifice for a company again. It's your life. Live it in a way that makes you happy.


James

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2015, 09:42:07 AM »
You need friends and family, if you can't find it overseas then move back to the states. Having said that, seems like you could change your overseas situation a bit by making friends outside of work? But I disagree the logical decision is to go back, being logical also means incorporating happiness and long time well being into the decision. I would certainly be wary of assuming a move the the states will solve all your problems, but if you are greatly unhappy in your situation working overseas, I would definitely make a change.

pbkmaine

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2015, 09:54:23 AM »
If you would like to move back to your old place, why not strike up a conversation with the renter? Ask them if they would be open to moving earlier, perhaps in exchange for a payment from you.


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sirdoug007

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2015, 10:04:43 AM »
Life is short and the best part of life is time with people whose company you enjoy. That is the goal of FIRE, to maximize that time.

Isolating yourself for 3 years is not worth whatever the pay delta is. 


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Cassie

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2015, 10:30:22 AM »
When work is taking that big a toll on your health, etc it is not worth it. None of us know how much time we have left on this earth. Do what makes you happy.

MacGyverIt

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2015, 11:03:22 AM »
It was really fun at first, but after a while the isolation became overwhelming. I was depressed and my health, happiness, friendships, and marriage were all struggling.
Yes, this is exactly how it has worked for me as well. Initially there was the rush of an exciting new environment, a new type of job to learn and challenge myself with but then reality has set in and the new environment isn’t a great one (isolation, dirty living environment) and the work situation is miserable. 

You need friends and family, if you can't find it overseas then move back to the states. Having said that, seems like you could change your overseas situation a bit by making friends outside of work? But I disagree the logical decision is to go back, being logical also means incorporating happiness and long time well being into the decision.
Making friends outside of work is a challenge, I can only speak in pleasantries with the local language and I’m not sure how to go about making friends in a non-English speaking environment (not sure if that sounds weird?), I’m studying the language but it does take years to become truly proficient. You raise a good point, I’ve been so focused on FIRE that I’ve made the mistake of Mustachian = making enough money and savings to retire early and overlooking the HAPPINESS goal. Mustachianism is about quality of life through, among other things, FIRE.

If you would like to move back to your old place, why not strike up a conversation with the renter? Ask them if they would be open to moving earlier, perhaps in exchange for a payment from you.
This is a great idea, it hadn’t occurred to me. I don’t want to ask the young guy to leave — he’s been a terrific renter and I don’t want my medical and personal issues to cause him difficulty.

Life is short and the best part of life is time with people whose company you enjoy. That is the goal of FIRE, to maximize that time. Isolating yourself for 3 years is not worth whatever the pay delta is.
When work is taking that big a toll on your health, etc it is not worth it. None of us know how much time we have left on this earth. Do what makes you happy.
My current medical issue has raised my awareness of this issue. There are no guarantees that I’ll be happy but I am 80% certain I’ll be happier back in the States. But retiring in 9 years rather than 19 years is a huge, huge deal and I am 100% certain I’ll be thrilled with retiring in 9 years with the rest of my life ahead of me. The odds are slim I can swing another overseas assignment down the road if I tell my company I think it’s best that I stay home.

My company has great benefits and they try to do right by their employees but the downside is, it is incredibly demanding — one of those jobs that poses a real challenge to work/life balance. I’m definitely considering a professional change, utilizing the international travel and technical skills I’ve gained over the years.

SwordGuy

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2015, 11:24:00 AM »
Are you sure the work-life balance problem isn't in your head instead of in the company's?

There are ex-pat communities and quite a few locals probably speak English.

matchewed

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2015, 11:33:52 AM »
Here's the thing. You could leave and gain your life back.

Then you also can control the costs of your life and make that 10 years extra much much smaller.

Or you can stay and be absolutely miserable.

Seems like a simple decision to me. Happiness and the ability to craft the life I want far out weigh the money. The money is just a tool.

Bertram

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2015, 11:41:12 AM »
I've lived overseas for a while in a job I really dislike. I dislike the managers, my co-workers are nice but I'm not social with them (they have families, I'm a single guy). So I'm pretty isolated and this will likely continue for the next 2-3 years.
...
Get over the downsides of isolation, hating my 40-60 hour work week

It has been my experience that some times when people hate a certain job, than it is not an immutable property of that job.
- You don't like your managers? It's probably a communication issue. Work on communicating what you think could change  and how it would also benefit them. Learn more about why they are doing what they are doing by talking with them. etc. etc.
- You are not able to socialize with your coworkers because they have families? They may not go out to party on weekdays with you, but you can still socialize with them. Via other common interests, and even guys that have family do not spend it 100% with family because that would be very unhealthy for them and their family. Get to know them, find common interests, show interest, invite them out, and you'll find things will work out.
- Working 40-60 hours - well that does leave less time for recreational activities. However when you're working 60h a week, you are not concentrated on tasks all the time, spend some time networking and planning lunchs outside. See if you can add variety to your work via side projects and so on. Work on your attitude/mindset that you are not a robot/machine to fulfill the needs of the company, but that you (must) have certain freedoms in your work/work-time. I hear "I'can't/not possible" often when saying this, but the truth is once your actually do it, you'll find there's much less resistance than you imagined. (I am not talking about Office-Space levels of "this guy has upper management written all over him", but still at worst it won't hurt you, at best it might actually help how you are viewed). And even if it turns out to be one of those workplaces that do punish workers, you can always look someplace else...

Obviously that's all very general blabla, but you get the idea - take the higher paying job and change it into something you enjoy.

mustachianteacher

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #10 on: December 26, 2015, 11:45:27 AM »
You said you could be 80% happier if you returned to the US. That clinches it for me. Three years is a long time to be almost 100% less happy than you could be. Ten years is a relatively short time, though, when you feel happy and fulfilled, and when you are never at a loss as to what to do with your time, whom to spend it with, etc.

Plus, is it really 3 yrs. vs 10? Sometimes when I think something is a black-and-white issue, I realize after taking the leap one way or another that it really wasn't. Suppose you come back to the US, settle in happily, and then some new money-making or money-saving opportunity arises? I firmly believe that happiness begets happiness. Take care of yourself -- your health AND your happiness -- and the rest will fall into place.

Tom Bri

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #11 on: December 26, 2015, 06:49:27 PM »
I did something similar while working in Japan. I had a fairly boring job that paid great money. I took a contract that had me working 12 hours a day for one year. It was hard, but I stuck out that one year and then went to work for a different company making almost the same but for more reasonable conditions.
How old are you?
Is the health issue resolved, or continuing? And, will it inevitably get worse if you stay?
Will returning home help resolve the health issue?
Can you bear the thought of taking one more year there, and during that time make the big bucks, while also investigating other companies that you could work for?

arebelspy

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #12 on: December 26, 2015, 08:20:57 PM »
No amount of money is worth 2-3 years of unhappiness for me.  Years of my life are worth much more than that.

I see two solutions:
1) Don't do the option that makes you unhappy
2) Do the option, but choose to be happy

Either one works, but don't choose the unhappy option, and then be unhappy.

I debated posting this, but figured it might actually help, despite it perhaps coming off as obvious.  Many people don't see #2 as an option, they feel like they HAVE to be unhappy if they choose an option like that, rather than realizing happiness is mostly a choice.

Good luck!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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MacGyverIt

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2015, 09:39:44 AM »
How old are you?
Is the health issue resolved, or continuing? And, will it inevitably get worse if you stay?
Will returning home help resolve the health issue?
Can you bear the thought of taking one more year there, and during that time make the big bucks, while also investigating other companies that you could work for?

I’m 46, the issue is continuing and I don’t know if it’ll get worse whether I’m in the States or overseas. It’s an all-or-nothing situation, if I return then I’m obligated to stay until 2018 so I really have to make the best decision for me/my future/etc. within the next two weeks.

I see two solutions:
1) Don't do the option that makes you unhappy
2) Do the option, but choose to be happy
I understand what you are saying and totally appreciate it. I enjoy living there when it isn’t work related, for sure. Bear with me b/c I’m trying to avoid specifics but my current medical leave is related specifically to recovering from what happened in my overseas location and my employer is concerned (understandably) that returning could trigger a lot of negative reactions/PTSD-type symptoms. I see their perspective and I can’t predict how I’ll respond either, part of me wants to return to prove to myself and others that I can overcome this and another part of me recognizes my support system is here in the States and if I need to call to vent/talk to someone, there’s a big time difference that makes it a challenge.

If I give up this opportunity, it is very likely I’ll have a much lower possibility of getting another overseas position again -- which is a big loss for my personal and professional goals. It’s tough because I can make a convincing argument either way.

Staying in the States has positives and negatives, returning to an expensive overpopulated urban area is inherently stressful but on the plus side, friends and closer to family.

arebelspy

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2015, 09:47:12 AM »
Some therapy would be worthwhile, IMO, to work on how big the issue is, and try to find out if it's managable, or better to avoid, or what.  A professional opinion and work on the root cause is probably well worth it, whichever option is chosen.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Tom Bri

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2015, 02:52:06 PM »
Well, reading your response, I have changed my opinion. I can see why this is tough for you, since it is your future at stake. I am now leaning towards staying in the US. Why? I have worked with managers I didn't get along with, and in spite of other congenial coworkers, the job simply wasn't worth the stress. 46 is not 25. Stress is a killer, and if your health is at stake, I'd go for the lower-stress position, and try to make the best of that.
How long have you been Mustachian?
Can you make up the difference ($400/mo plus $1800/mo housing?) by following basic mustachian ways? You mentioned not getting a car, but housing is the problem. Are there any really low-cost options near where you work? Get too low-cost and the stress goes back up, but maybe there is a middle ground.
No idea what you field is, but is it something you can take to another company, in a less expensive area and still make good money? That seems like the ideal option, but may not be depending on what you do.
Regardless, best of luck and hoping it works out.

MacGyverIt

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2015, 06:21:20 PM »
46 is not 25. Stress is a killer, and if your health is at stake, I'd go for the lower-stress position, and try to make the best of that.
How long have you been Mustachian?
Since 2011 or as late as early 2012, I remember MMM's revised the website several times over the years.

Can you make up the difference ($400/mo plus $1800/mo housing?) by following basic mustachian ways? You mentioned not getting a car, but housing is the problem. Are there any really low-cost options near where you work?
There are no low cost options that are close enough to bus lines to avoid a car and keep the commute under 3 hours a day. If I'm running my numbers correctly, the difference on returning vs staying will be around $2400 per month or a total of $74,400.00 for the remainder of this job. I know we've got a lot of well-off Mustachians, but that's a huge amount of money from my perspective. At 46 I'm only worth a total of 500k, 418k in investments+what portion of the condo is mine and I owe 171k on my condo.

No idea what you field is, but is it something you can take to another company, in a less expensive area and still make good money?
It's something I'm looking into for sure but until I can find another job I'm at an impasse.

EDIT: Realize I'm sounding so obsessed with money and I haven't provided the entire "why" -- a big push for me to make this extra money is to retire earlier so I can help my parents out in their twilight years. By the time I can retire - I'm projecting in 2024 - my parents will need my help so I want to retire early and help them out. They are debt free and own their home and two apartment units, but they did not invest in an IRA or 401k so one prolonged illness would wipe out the money they'd make from selling the two apartment units.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2015, 07:34:44 PM by MacGyverIt »

Tom Bri

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #17 on: December 27, 2015, 08:36:40 PM »
Okay, that info helps. By the way, I have been making about $17k the last few years, as I went back to school, and I'm older than you. The numbers some people on this forum throw around astound me. Anyway, sounds to me you are doing fairly well, but don't want to lose momentum towards your goal. Makes sense.
How bad would the job be, if you went in with just one more year in mind? Would you be able to tolerate management, knowing that was your plan, one year and gone, as you looked for a different position?
Is this a situation that can be improved by a 'fuck-it, I'm outta here' attitude?

MacGyverIt

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #18 on: December 27, 2015, 10:37:26 PM »
How bad would the job be, if you went in with just one more year in mind? Would you be able to tolerate management, knowing that was your plan, one year and gone, as you looked for a different position?

Unfortunately it is an all or nothing situation. I either take this unfortunate situation as a means to stay in the States or I go back for the duration of the contract, mid-2018.

pbkmaine

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #19 on: December 27, 2015, 11:28:43 PM »
Stay here, at home, and be healthy and happy.


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MacGyverIt

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2015, 02:12:42 PM »
I'm going to credit the positive vibes I received from my fellow Mustachians. I've decided to stay home and get the care I need to improve my quality of life and today I found a perfect job opening with a very well respected company where a dear friend works, he's referring me and I will talk with their recruiter next week. According to glassdoor.com they offer at least what I'm making now, so I have to figure out just how much more I can get away with asking for, ha!

I'm feeling pretty amazing right now and I'm really thankful to everyone for taking the time to provide such constructive food for thought. It made a huge difference for the better!

arebelspy

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2015, 04:08:39 PM »
That's awesome!  Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

MacGyverIt

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #22 on: December 28, 2015, 04:39:48 PM »
That's awesome!  Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!

Thank you, brother!

Adventine

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #23 on: December 28, 2015, 05:04:31 PM »
Glad to know you've found what sounds like an excellent solution! Do keep us updated.

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #24 on: December 28, 2015, 05:37:20 PM »
!!! Hope it works out!

Bearded Man

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #25 on: December 29, 2015, 06:54:18 AM »
I would try to tough it out as long as possible. If you do 1 more year even you shave a lot of time of FIRE. If at that point you can't stand it at all, it is an easy decision to come back.

justajane

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #26 on: December 29, 2015, 07:02:04 AM »
So glad for you! I'm just a stranger on the internet, but it makes me happy nonetheless to such quick job results for you and the ability for you to have a happier life now instead of years in the future.

arebelspy

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #27 on: December 29, 2015, 08:40:18 AM »
I would try to tough it out as long as possible. If you do 1 more year even you shave a lot of time of FIRE. If at that point you can't stand it at all, it is an easy decision to come back.


I'm guessing you didn't read for further details, or the latest (semi-) conclusion post.  :)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

MacGyverIt

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #28 on: January 01, 2016, 05:14:50 PM »
So I have another MUCH EASIER question to throw out in my new work saga. Still with my current company for now and I'm hoping to land at a work location that is metro/bus accessible.

I'm still waiting to hear on work location but in the meantime at my former overseas location I had a 2003 Toyota Matrix with 134k miles on it. Bought it sight unseen from a co-worker, I've barely driven it and it seemed to run fine (I barely drove it)... however there are rust spots on the hood and roof. I never crawled under the car to check for signs of rust but as I'm getting through some of these PTSD symptoms and can think more clearly, I'm concerned the car has rust in more locations than just small spots I've seen.

Got NO problem driving the car otherwise; it's a Toyota, it'll last another 100k if I'm good on the maintenance but I don't want to ship a car back only to find out, after paying to register/new tags, there's a lot more rust/possibly on the undercarriage(?), so I'll have a car to get rid of (while still waiting to see if I even need wheels here).

QUESTIONS:
I've never had to deal with rust issues on a car, is it worth bringing the car back and god forbid paying for repairs on a 13 year old but only 134k car? (No idea what repairs could run in this scenario.)

Hoping to delay shipping the car until I know if my work location will be bus/metro accessible but if I'm forced to make a "ask a co-worker sell it there locally" or "ship it back and hope there are minimal repairs", which way would you bet and why?

Thanks again for the help and input, it is really reassuring to know I can run my questions and thoughts past a caring, solid group of people and minimize potential screw ups b/c my thinking is still pretty muddled. (It took me an hour to remember my condo's address yesterday and I still can't remember the zip. The PTSD stuff is a weird road to navigate...)

I have some great friends here but they are FAR from Mustachian, when I mentioned hopefully taking metro/bus to work they looked at me like I grew another head... :-D
« Last Edit: January 01, 2016, 05:41:53 PM by MacGyverIt »

Kwill

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #29 on: January 01, 2016, 05:40:17 PM »

QUESTIONS:
I've never had to deal with rust issues on a car, is it worth bringing the car back and god forbid paying for repairs on a 12 year old but only 134k car? (No idea what repairs could run in this scenario.)

Hoping to delay shipping the car until I know if my work location will be bus/metro accessible but if I'm forced to make a "ask a co-worker sell it there locally" or "ship it back and hope there are minimal repairs", which way would you bet and why?

Sell the car locally. If it turns out you need a car when you get back to the States, you can buy somebody else's 2003 car with 100,000+ miles with the proceeds and possibly save money after you figure in the shipping cost. In fact, if you're relocating to Massachusetts, you can buy my 2004 car with 116,000 miles and a smidgeon of rust. Or check Craigslist.

Also, consider roommates and other options to lower the housing cost.

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #30 on: January 01, 2016, 11:51:06 PM »
Unless shipping is free or virtually free, I say sell it. I have dealt with rusty cars, and it can be a real pain. Also, US safety standards are higher than almost any country. Toyotas for sale in Japan are a lot thinner and lighter than the same model in the US, for example. Better off selling it and buying in the US, if you really do need a car.

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #31 on: January 02, 2016, 12:49:58 PM »
Unless shipping is free or virtually free, I say sell it. I have dealt with rusty cars, and it can be a real pain. Also, US safety standards are higher than almost any country. Toyotas for sale in Japan are a lot thinner and lighter than the same model in the US, for example. Better off selling it and buying in the US, if you really do need a car.

Checked with the office than handles shipping all my stuff back and they WILL ship the car back FOR FREE as part of my belongings. So the shipping is free... but is that still worth shipping the car back if the rust spots I saw on the hood, door frame and roof indicates there is/could be rust in the under carriage? I didn't note any rust spots on the lower parts of the doors but I may have missed it.

The car is worth just over 4k, could rust repairs run more than this? (Maybe that's a dumb question...) I've read in other forum discussions to not spend more on the car than its actual worth.

What I like about this 2003 Matrix is that it's just old enough to be fairly old school, very basic car without all the fancypants electronics. And I had all the windows tinted since I've had multiple skin cancers, I'd have to tint the windows of any untinted car purchased here which is another few hundred in expense. (But that is still cheaper than lots of rust repairs...)

Tom Bri

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #32 on: January 02, 2016, 02:55:49 PM »
Suggest you post this question as a new topic, so the car-nut people will notice it.

Kwill

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #33 on: January 03, 2016, 12:26:31 PM »
Checked with the office than handles shipping all my stuff back and they WILL ship the car back FOR FREE as part of my belongings. So the shipping is free... but is that still worth shipping the car back if the rust spots I saw on the hood, door frame and roof indicates there is/could be rust in the under carriage? I didn't note any rust spots on the lower parts of the doors but I may have missed it.

The car is worth just over 4k, could rust repairs run more than this? (Maybe that's a dumb question...) I've read in other forum discussions to not spend more on the car than its actual worth.

What I like about this 2003 Matrix is that it's just old enough to be fairly old school, very basic car without all the fancypants electronics. And I had all the windows tinted since I've had multiple skin cancers, I'd have to tint the windows of any untinted car purchased here which is another few hundred in expense. (But that is still cheaper than lots of rust repairs...)

That seems an optimistic valuation of your car. I am hoping to get $2400 for mine, but it's a Buick Century with some damage to the rear bumper. Did you try getting an estimate online? http://www.kbb.com/

Window tinting isn't legal everywhere in the States, so you might want to double-check the rules for your state. There was a sign explaining that when I last got my car inspected.

But if you can ship back your car for free and if it seems like it will pass inspection in your state, then why not just bring it and not worry about the rust too much unless it actually becomes a problem affecting how the car works?

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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #34 on: January 03, 2016, 12:43:56 PM »
Vehicle worth varies a ton by location.
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Re: 2-3 Yrs of Miserable for Long Term Gain or Happiness at a (Literal) Cost?
« Reply #35 on: January 03, 2016, 09:16:46 PM »
Posted the car-specific questions under "Risk of Car with Rust - Ship it or Sell it?" in the hope of getting some gear head suggestions :)