Job selection -40 hrs w commute or 50 hrs, no commute

[406MtnFire]

Hey everyone,

First off, thanks for your time in reading this. I am looking to make a career move and my options are both okay, but not great for me. Curious how others have chosen a similar decision on selling your time?

I am lean FI with 60% rental real estate and 40% index funds. Will work for a few more years to approach FatFire

The technical engineering portion of my work and my coworkers are great. The office politics and boss are making me open to other opportunities.  Getting burned out with getting up early and commuting. New job wouldn't change my start time.

I want to buy another house in months to years (probably wait for the interest rates to rise and prices to fall).

I'd really enjoy the freedom of entrepreneurship. Currently looking into my own business ideas, and home inspector side hustle.

Career options:

Current job:
-Been working as an Engineer at a mine for 5 years.
-Suspect I'm topped out on their pay scale. Expect 3-4% raises
-Currently have a 40 mile commute each way
-Work 40 hours per week
-$100k salary, 5-10% bonus, 8% 401k match

New job prospect (Waiting for offer)
-10 min commute
-Larger mine, similar work I'd find fulfilling
-They want me to work 45-50 hours per week
-Asked for $115 - 120k salary, 5% 401k match (no match the 1st year), unknown bonus

If I had to choose the better use of my time between driving and working for "free" - working is at least learning something new, contributing, and not spending money on gas/ vehicle wear & tear, and the dangers of time on the road.

Other options:
-Counter offer with my company for higher salary (I'd guess they'd do it with resentment)
-Get a govt job in my area, my friends who have them have great work/ life balances
-Continue current job and maybe go down to 32 hours
-Become a home inspector (live off this income and let my investments grow)

Curious what others have done and if they were happy with their decision. Thanks again.

[MrThatsDifferent]

I’d go with new job.

[nereo]

At first glance…

Are you seriously willing to work 25% more (all of which would be considered “overtime”) for what appears to be roughly 10% more in talk-home pay when you don’t actually need more money??

If you are ‘leanFIRE’* now already, the only move I’d be considering is one that reduces your overall work burden.  A slight (ever so slight!) bump in pay isn’t going to move your ‘fatFIRE’* date around more than a couple of weeks at this point.

I like all of your ‘other options’ much better.  Negotiate for a 32 hour work week at your current job would be my top move - having gone from a five day to a four day (involuntarily) I can say the difference is transcendent, even with a reduction in pay.  Suddenly you have a 50% increase in your weekends.

[Rdy2Fire]

At first glance…

Are you seriously willing to work 25% more (all of which would be considered “overtime”) for what appears to be roughly 10% more in talk-home pay when you don’t actually need more money??

If you are ‘leanFIRE’* now already, the only move I’d be considering is one that reduces your overall work burden.  A slight (ever so slight!) bump in pay isn’t going to move your ‘fatFIRE’* date around more than a couple of weeks at this point.

I like all of your ‘other options’ much better.  Negotiate for a 32 hour work week at your current job would be my top move - having gone from a five day to a four day (involuntarily) I can say the difference is transcendent, even with a reduction in pay.  Suddenly you have a 50% increase in your weekends.

I agree with this ^^ thinking however I'd probably try and negotiate with the new job for less hours for less pay to lessen the commute

[davisgang90]

I'd stay where you are for more pay or negotiate fewer hours at new job.

As others have said, since you are Lean FIRE already, you should be working less, not more.

[terran]

I'd be concerned that "45-50 hours" is them trying to weed out people who will put their foot down about working 40 hours ("hey, we told you when you took the job there would be overtime") but also a low ball to not scare too many people away ("well yeah, 45-50 is more typical, but we really need you to work 60 hours this week because reasons..."). On the other hand, if you're confident you can count on 45-50 hours, then you're already working that much, but some of your work time is spent driving. If you could find a 40 hour job without a commute that would be better though. Maybe finding a remote job would be an option?

[nick663]

Without the commute factored in, I would lean towards the first job.  I don't like the 45-50 hours language as a starting point.

You mentioned buying a house fairly soon.  Could you move closer to your current job and reduce that commute?

[cool7hand]

If you are ‘leanFIRE’* now already, the only move I’d be considering is one that reduces your overall work burden.  A slight (ever so slight!) bump in pay isn’t going to move your ‘fatFIRE’* date around more than a couple of weeks at this point.

I like all of your ‘other options’ much better.  Negotiate for a 32 hour work week at your current job would be my top move - having gone from a five day to a four day (involuntarily) I can say the difference is transcendent, even with a reduction in pay.  Suddenly you have a 50% increase in your weekends.

+1

[Tester]

If you are ‘leanFIRE’* now already, the only move I’d be considering is one that reduces your overall work burden.  A slight (ever so slight!) bump in pay isn’t going to move your ‘fatFIRE’* date around more than a couple of weeks at this point.

I like all of your ‘other options’ much better.  Negotiate for a 32 hour work week at your current job would be my top move - having gone from a five day to a four day (involuntarily) I can say the difference is transcendent, even with a reduction in pay.  Suddenly you have a 50% increase in your weekends.

+1

Exactly my thoughts - you are lean Fire.

Your current "time for work" includes the commute, so let's say it is 50 hours too.
During the commute you can at least listen to music.
New job, those 50 hours will be work.
Just making sure you will like it and not get burned out.

I would go for less hours.

[NotBadForADad]

Hey everyone,

First off, thanks for your time in reading this. I am looking to make a career move and my options are both okay, but not great for me. Curious how others have chosen a similar decision on selling your time?

I am lean FI with 60% rental real estate and 40% index funds. Will work for a few more years to approach FatFire

The technical engineering portion of my work and my coworkers are great. The office politics and boss are making me open to other opportunities.  Getting burned out with getting up early and commuting. New job wouldn't change my start time.

I want to buy another house in months to years (probably wait for the interest rates to rise and prices to fall).

I'd really enjoy the freedom of entrepreneurship. Currently looking into my own business ideas, and home inspector side hustle.

Career options:

Current job:
-Been working as an Engineer at a mine for 5 years.
-Suspect I'm topped out on their pay scale. Expect 3-4% raises
-Currently have a 40 mile commute each way
-Work 40 hours per week
-$100k salary, 5-10% bonus, 8% 401k match

New job prospect (Waiting for offer)
-10 min commute
-Larger mine, similar work I'd find fulfilling
-They want me to work 45-50 hours per week
-Asked for $115 - 120k salary, 5% 401k match (no match the 1st year), unknown bonus

If I had to choose the better use of my time between driving and working for "free" - working is at least learning something new, contributing, and not spending money on gas/ vehicle wear & tear, and the dangers of time on the road.

Other options:
-Counter offer with my company for higher salary (I'd guess they'd do it with resentment)
-Get a govt job in my area, my friends who have them have great work/ life balances
-Continue current job and maybe go down to 32 hours
-Become a home inspector (live off this income and let my investments grow)

Curious what others have done and if they were happy with their decision. Thanks again.

I recently ran into this situation myself.

I had multiple job offers, and a counter offer from at the time current employer.

I knew that I WANTED out of my current employer even when they offered me to match one of the offers.

Here's the break down:

1) 40-60minute commute to another state, 100K salary for a management position. Similar industry to the one I was in. Small company.

2) 6 mile commute over the bridge for $85k salary for estimator position. Big GC, over 200 employees.

After factoring the commute, wear and tear, and the state taxes.. I went with #2.

Taking #1 would have resulted in about a 9% decrease from option #2.

Here's what I like. I sleep in until the last possible minute before I shower, make coffee, and drive 7 minutes to the office. I then leave work at 4:30 and I'm home at 4:45 if I don't stop at the market.

I have a stay home wife and a 3 year old. Our expenses are covered and we live modestly off my income. Being home every night, not stuck in traffic, not paying $100s in gas to get to a job, not waking up an hour earlier to get to the office... all make a huge difference.

[nessness]

Could you negotiate with your current job for ~3 days/week WFH?