Possible job offer on the way- exchanging higher salary and more prestige for convenience and easy commute

15 Comments

1. AnonymousSeptember 10,2025 at 3:20PM UTC

   The job that pays a little less could be worth the increase in your mental and physical health, if this is your highest priority.

   I took a pay cut to be able to work remotely since 2017, which has mitigated all the stress related to commuting and improved my mental and physical health.

   Working from home, I can also take a few deep breaths or take a quick walk around the block after extra frustrating meetings.

   Hope this helps.

2. AnonymousSeptember 10,2025 at 3:41PM UTC

   Think about the next 2 years as a snapshot and use that to decide if stepping back makes sense. If it does plan your decision around that and if you can reclaim time and gas money in that use that to further your education and to make time for you! You can never regain that and since time is precious use that for whatever makes your soul sing.

3. AnonymousSeptember 10,2025 at 4:19PM UTC

   Remember this, don't wait for someone to move you, move yourself. If there is an offer, it meets 3 criteria you already set: a lateral move that you are creating, financial savings from gas and wear and tear on your car, and finally, your mental and physical health. No one has a crystal ball. The day you begin interviewing is the day you made a decision to date others and leave your current working relationship. Take the role if offered and you will not regret it. You will be most regretful if you stay in your current role, and brood over all the things you mentioned that bother you. Finally, remember this, you can always make more money but you can't make more time.

4. AnonymousSeptember 10,2025 at 4:20PM UTC

   Closer to home and reducing stress, YES! A little less salary is worth it. Plus you don't know what will come up in a coiple of years to advance your career (without an MBA if you choose not to pursue).

5. AnonymousSeptember 10,2025 at 5:19PM UTC

   Why on earth project what might be in the future? That is such narrow fearful thinking. You live in the here and now. While it's always wise to consider all angles of an offer, I don't see the value of living in fear and constraint of what might be. Enjoy your life now and create a great career. Tomorrow is unpredictable and you can't live there.

6. AnonymousSeptember 11,2025 at 3:16PM UTC

   Exactly. You will build a life based on what ifs while everyone else is living their best lives.

7. AnonymousSeptember 10,2025 at 6:44PM UTC

   I took a step backwards for better working conditions and less pay and I actually ended up saving more.

   Being less stressed gave me the space to think about what I really wanted and needed for myself and was able to pivot.

   As long as money is coming in, you're not going into debt, and you're reasonably happy - this is not a bad.

   It's actually a smart move to act as a 'reset'. This is a golden opportunity in what it can represent.

   Once you experience less stress and get more time back in your life, you'll see what other's are saying.

8. AnonymousSeptember 11,2025 at 12:58PM UTC

   Your mental health is worth something.

9. Jessica JonesSeptember 11,2025 at 1:58PM UTC

   I left a job I was otherwise very happy at because my commute was easily an hour in traffic most days and there were no public transportation options. I miss the company but I don't regret the decision. That drive was soul-sucking; each week I'd have less and less energy by Friday, and felt a little bit less rested the following Monday, and knew I was circling the drain. Now I'm *motivated* to work, love what I'm doing, love my coworkers, am getting paid better... and all with a flexible-hour WFH job that allows me to take time off smack in the middle of the day to take my partner to her medical appointments. The job I left? They had a partial RTO mandate a while after COVID, and I definitely would not have had the options I do now.

   My next job turned out to be a shitshow, but I could take the commuter rail in and that was nice... and it served as a launch pad for me to find my next job which I stayed at for 5 years; this next job also converted to WFH with COVID, and taught me the value of WFH. I was let go in 2023 and found my current job about a month later, and it's still WFH which I am absolutely eternally grateful for.

10. AnonymousSeptember 11,2025 at 5:26PM UTC

    As long as you can still pay your rent or mortgage, eat well, and pay your other bills, a cut in salary is well worth it in exchange for a happier, lower-stress life. If you commute a long distance to your job, not only is that higher gasoline and car maintenance costs, but indirectly, it's higher food costs because you are more likely to be too tired to cook and get takeout or meal delivery, which adds up quickly. Instead of paying a doctor or therapist, it's better to have good physical and emotional health in the first place, and gaining back nearly two hours per day will really help. Ultimately, trust your gut; it sounds to me as if it's telling you to take the new position, but you know yourself best.

11. AyianSeptember 12,2025 at 12:50PM UTC

    Gaining your time back is deeply valuable. Consider the ability to take your time in the morning, having more time to unwind before making dinner, or even just having the time to make dinner!! There's a lot more of your life to live that's currently wasted on your 2+ hour daily commute.

12. Alexis GladstoneSeptember 12,2025 at 1:01PM UTC

    I once took a job in an industry I had been in an knew I didn't like. The main selling point for me was to get the 3 hours (round-trip) of commuting time back. While the job didn't last, my life-style and sanity were worth it.

13. OLIVIA JOHNSONSeptember 12,2025 at 3:14PM UTC

    Hi there,

    Great options to have! In a market where others are deep into the search, you have surfaced with two great opportunities and a good challenge to have.

    A good ole fashioned pros and cons list can still do the trick. What are the pros in taking the new role and what are the pros in not taking the role.

    Some things to keep in mind;

    I also completely agree and appreciate that you recognize that a cut in expenses is also an increase to your discretionary income for other expenses or as disposable income.

    As a notation, it was shard for both roles that there is concern for peaking out in varying ways.

    Also, time is money and time is time that you can't get back.

    Hope this was helpful. Would love to know what you come up with.

    Coach Olivia

14. AnonymousSeptember 14,2025 at 1:51PM UTC

    I live in a major city here and had a commute that required me to take a bus and 2 trains to get to the office because it was in an odd location. It was a bit over an hour each way + the hour it took to get ready and get out of the house every day. That was 14 years ago and I will NEVER go back to losing 3 hours of my life every day because an employer is all about butts in seats as a sign of productivity. I have been fully remote since then. Take the easier commute. It's soooo worth it!

15. Eloisa JacintoSeptember 17,2025 at 7:36PM UTC

    Congratulations on the new job. If it were me, I would think about where my priorities lie and what possible doors can be opened with my choice. Good luck!