Recently my wife and I moved about 600 miles to a bigger city so she could take a great job that she loves. I was fortunate enough to be able to transition within my firm, but into a general position from the specialist position I had occupied previously. What this means is that I now take any cases that come in the door rather than what I know and like. In other words, I really don't like the work I'm doing now, and worse, I am now working for a couple of real jerks. My stress level has gone through the roof since my transition. Chances of promotion here are much worse.
Of course, to complicate matters, the folks at my old office want me back desperately and have offered any number of enticements to bring us back, including a larger office, taking over several clients (which would set me up for easy promotion in two years), etc. With the promotion would come a big jump in pay ($138k next year > $175k) and a bunch of other benefits. I worked in the old office for about 4 years and considered those folks my true friends, and I enjoyed working there. But I digress, because the wife said "no" to moving back.
I have the opportunity for a full-time position working from home, in my specialty. If I took the position, we could move close to my wife's job (she is currently commuting ~15 miles each way) and into a smaller, cheaper home. The caveat is that I would take a big cut in pay, from my current salary of $133k to $75k. The reduced pay would also mean significantly reduced hours and increased job flexibility, as well as greater control over my work. I have never worked from home for any length of time so I do not know if I'll go out of my mind or not. These remote work positions are fairly innovative in the legal field, and it remains to be seen whether they will be stable in the long-term.
We don't have any kids, nor are we planning to have any. We do have significant student loans ($150k) that we are paying down aggressively. Obviously a $60k cut in pay would hinder our progress, but with the new position I would have flexibility to travel with my wife during summers and holidays - as a schoolteacher, she gets much more time off than I do. Retiring early is a goal of mine but I consider a flexible position like this one an end-goal - something that I would do once I am FI.
Anyway, I just wanted to type this out and see if I can get some thoughts. Would you take a big cut in pay for no commute, low stress level, and flexibility? Would you harass your wife until she agrees to move back to our old home (we are still trying to sell our old house)? Would you suck it up and work the 12 hour days for the a-holes for the extra dollars?