Need advice on new job (Ronkonkoma: income, home, company)

[samnyc]

Hi All,

I am little confused, need your advice. I already had fight with my wife about this...

I currently work at L.I, it takes me 10 minutes to go to work and I make around $80K. But I got new job offer in city for $105K. I am excited and I want to take it. But wife is not happy. She saying that it will take me two hours to go to city and two hours to come. I will waste four hours every day. I live around Ronkonkoma, but it will take me 15 minutes to get their from my home. From Penn Station, I need to take another train to the new job. Plus I will be paying city tax. Plus LIRR & Subway fee. Is it worth taking my new job???
I am sure many of you go to city and who live in L.I. Please advice.

[Danielle Westbury]

Originally Posted by samnyc

Hi All,

I am little confused, need your advice. I already had fight with my wife about this...

I currently work at L.I, it takes me 10 minutes to go to work and I make around $80K. But I got new job offer in city for $105K. I am excited and I want to take it. But wife is not happy. She saying that it will take me two hours to go to city and two hours to come. I will waste four hours every day. I live around Ronkonkoma, but it will take me 15 minutes to get their from my home. From Penn Station, I need to take another train to the new job. Plus I will be paying city tax. Plus LIRR & Subway fee. Is it worth taking my new job???
I am sure many of you go to city and who live in L.I. Please advice.

just my 2cents but I wouldnt do it. what happens if there is a delay in the train so the 15 mins could be 2 hrs one day... and what happens if there is an emergency at home and u need to leave right away and have to wait for a train.. you would be making more money but add up everything else and like u said and it would be probably add up to more than the extra income plus money isnt worth time away from ur wife and family.

[fyrisle]

The quickest time you could make it from door to door would be roughly 1 1/2 hours if you took the 6:23 AM from Ronkonkoma. That train ride is an hour and seven minutes. I myself ruled out commuting from Ronkonkoma because I get fidgety after 45 minutes on the train but each person is different. Also wanted to note that you won't pay a city tax unless you are employed by NYC.

[LIOC]

I am/was in the the same spot as you. But I did and still do choose to stay at my job here on the Island. I looked at what i would be giving up and the money was not worth it to me. I enjoy my family and a lot of things a get to be a part of because I work close by.

That being said if my family was struggling I would take the job for the minute. Nothing feels better then knowing your family is taken care of. So look at the pro and cons and go with your gut.

There will always be higher playing job in the city. And if you are good at what you do they will aways be available if you deiced you need to look out there at some point.

[VoyagerMan]

I would do it. In fact I did almost a year ago. I worked for news 12 and had an opportunity to work for Fox News, so I did it. The money was better at Fox and I wanted to expand my knowledge. I loved that I only worked 15 minutes from where I lived, I was the senior at my position and I was very comfortable at News 12. But I am glad I made the change. I'm not as far as Ronkonkoma, I'm about 15 minutes closer to the city. I hated it at first but I am pretty mush used to it. There are delays sometimes of course, but I deal with it. I bought a moutain bike that I ride to the station and then from penn to work (15 blocks and 2 avenues away) and then back again after. A monthly ticket costs me $250 a month, more for you if your coming from Ronk. I get reimbursed about $160. I get more overtime and the overtime is much better because of the pay rate.

Get an mp3/video player, a cell phone with internet, an occasional book and maybe a hand held game system and the ride will fly by.

The one negative is that I do lose time with my family and time is priceless. But life gets a little more comfortable when you have more income. Just gotta make the best out of the time you do have available.

[rocafeller05]

I guess everyone is different. I would say NO. My family and personal time is more genuine than the extra money. Why not tell your company the other offer you have and see if they will give you a raise? Wouldnt hurt.

[VoyagerMan]

I should have clarified that we also needed the money and that is wasn't "extra". My family is very important to me which is another big reason why I took the job.

[hbumbles]

i had a very similar situation and i opted to stay with the li job. my salary was comparable to the original poster and the nyc offer was comparable as well. the job in the city would have been really exciting but i could not escape the words of my grandfather - no matter how much you love your job, don't ever forget - you go to work everyday because you need money and you must always do what is best for your family (which also includes you). so, no matter how interesteding the city offer is - i looked at the cost of the commute and the lost time and there just wasnt enough of a benefit. ofcourse, you have to make your own choice, but to me it seems like a no-brainer. if the new offer was considerably more $, the job in the city might become attractive.

[xbure9x]

I did that in the past and regretted it big time. Of course, my job offer in the city was only $8K more than the job I had on the island, but I was single at the time and just saw the $$$.

your city offer is a big jump, however, now that I am married and have a son, there is probably no way I would do it, working in the city can really just suck the life and time out of you, so if you do choose to do it, be prepared for the changes. It sounds like it wouldn't be so bad, but after a while it gets to you.

I would never trade 3 hours less with my son for a raise, unless we are talking silly money of course

[omigawd]

If your wife is that dead-set against you doing it, tell her to get a job to make up the 25K difference. That should quiet her down a bit.