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I had a friend who changed jobs, because she wanted her own office. She was in a front cubby at her old office, and felt like everyone "dumped" their work on her desk. So, she now is at a new job, with her very own office...and she is SO MISERABLE. The boss is rude, the people she works with are crazy, everything is reactive, instead of proactive. She has more work, same pay, and she would take her old job back in a HEARTBEAT. She can't find anything else, she has been looking for two years...so...be careful what you wish for...
Great feedback on all and I thank you for your honest opinion as I really will take it to heart.
After thinking hard about it, I do feel blessed for what I grown with my employer and I should appreciate what god has give me for my family.
I do / am aware if I do move away back to the mid-west, I will be taking at 40% pay cut, but of course all debt be paid and to live 'simpler'. With all this being said and thought of, I plan to stay put and plan more vacations as I keep growing my 401k and not cash any of it out.
I guess I should just look at maybe future retirement back to the mid-west and just keep putting $$$'s into my investments for now as I am in a good financial situation as some are really trying to get ahead out in this crazy & competitive job market.
The whole "find a job before you move" advice here is nice in theory but highly unlikely. No one is going to hire someone out of state unless you work in some niche profession. I have always tried to land jobs before moving. Had I waited till I found one, I would never have moved. I've orchestrated 4 interstate moves without jobs lined up and have been fine in all of them. I know of others who have done the same.
I would save up as opposed to tapping into your 401k though. 401k should be the very last option. Especially since you have a family to support not to mention the current state of the job market. Don't rush, plan, research, etc.
Great feedback on all and I thank you for your honest opinion as I really will take it to heart.
After thinking hard about it, I do feel blessed for what I grown with my employer and I should appreciate what god has give me for my family.
I do / am aware if I do move away back to the mid-west, I will be taking at 40% pay cut, but of course all debt be paid and to live 'simpler'. With all this being said and thought of, I plan to stay put and plan more vacations as I keep growing my 401k and not cash any of it out.
I guess I should just look at maybe future retirement back to the mid-west and just keep putting $$$'s into my investments for now as I am in a good financial situation as some are really trying to get ahead out in this crazy & competitive job market.
Sounds like a plan...as for wanting to move, I was going to say that yes, you are from there and miss the snow but your kids are not. It is a huge adjustment; we did it two years ago and it has been different than we thought. We thought we'd get seasons but we basically have 6 months of winter, 2 months of spring, 2 of summer and 2 of fall--very short if you ask me.
Coincidentally, we used to live there when we did not have children and were so done with it; no zoo, one park (zilker), more license plates from other states than we'd want making the streets too congested, done with the 6th street scene, the dell trail of lights was a joke, etc. I can empathize w/your boredom but for now enjoy your state-tax-free state, food is cheaper, and your winters are so tolerable.
I like adventure and like to move. We relocated almost 3 yrs ago and I wouldn't mind moving again. but it would be a mistake financially and to be honest, it really bums me out at times. I wish the economy was different. Although we are financially in a good way now (compared to our home town and a major reason we moved) this area lacks a lot things I desire. So I am thinking maybe when my son graduates high school, we might revisit the idea of looking for a new destination.
One thing I want to mention is my son was very excited about moving as well. Take your children's excitement with a grain of salt. Kids really do not understand a relocation. My son started his new school with his head held high and I was so proud of him. He really seemed to just click in our new locale. The problem is he started hating it right away and felt he couldn't tell us. He hid it from us. We knew we would have to move again within the same area (to buy a house) and that meant another new school. He was going to go to Jr high so in a way we didnt think it would matter much since he would be changing schools anyway but he started to get depressed. It was slow and there were a few things that stood out to me but since he was a preteen at the time, I kind of figured it was the age. We decided to seek counseling for him because he just wasnt himself. A lot came out in the sessions. He said he had been bullied at the first school because that particular elementary school was kind of tight knit and closed minded (the city was like that so we chose to buy a house in another area). Also his old friends from our hometown stopped returning texts and so forth. Everyone was moving on without him. That crushed him. He didnt want to ruin it for us because we seemed happy so he kept his unhappiness to himself. He started to shut down and figured his new school would be like the last and didnt want to try to get to know anyone. The whole thing really upset me. He is doing much better now and is making friends but it took a while. As much as I would like to try a new place, I cant move again because that would be the wrong thing for my son. I have to put his needs first. That is just my little personal experience but just wanted to mention it because my son was so on board with it all in the beginning. I was ignorant to how the move would affect him.
** If I do plan to cash out my 401k, I do not plan to spend it away on garbage or stuff we don't need. Its just to get us by until income starts coming back in. Once that goes, I plan to get what I have left out of my 401k and reinvest. On top of that, if my NEW employer offers a 401k, I plan to be extremely aggressive into contribution into it.
I think if you're unhappy where you are and you think you'll be happier elsewhere, then move!
But cashing out the 401k is a very bad idea. Not only will you have to pay taxes on any amount cashed out, but you can never make that money up again. Instead, you should keep the 401k or convert it to a self directed IRA, and furthermore in the future you should always take the maximum IRA deduction. That might seem excessive but some day when you're old you'll need it and you'll be glad you saved as much as you could.
Save up a bankroll living fund before you move, and spend that, not the IRA.
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but it would be a mistake financially and to be honest, it really bums me out at times. I wish the economy was different. Although we are financially in a good way now (compared to our home town and a major reason we moved) this area lacks a lot things I desire. So I am thinking maybe when my son graduates high school, we might revisit the idea of looking for a new destination. 
He started to shut down and figured his new school would be like the last and didnt want to try to get to know anyone. The whole thing really upset me. He is doing much better now and is making friends but it took a while. As much as I would like to try a new place, I cant move again because that would be the wrong thing for my son. I have to put his needs first. That is just my little personal experience but just wanted to mention it because my son was so on board with it all in the beginning. I was ignorant to how the move would affect him.
