I just wanted some opinions from the forum regarding my situation. Right now my boyfriend and I both work from home for different companies and really enjoy the lack of commute and quality time at lunch/etc.
That said, I was offered a job that’s not from home and pays considerably more (30% increase). I’m underpaid because of my telecommute status, but together we still do well above the average here in San Francisco, and plan on moving to Portland next year. We have no debt, no plans for kids, and are not big spenders.
Would you personally keep the gig I’ve got from home or go for the $
Probably I’d keep working from home. While you might think that you’re underpaid, you have significantly less in expenses, and you also have more time because you’re not commuting.
If the new job would offer some advancement opportunities, or opportunities to learn new skills, though, I’d take it.
Yeah, if you can get on with your current salary, and the increase is “nice” but not “necessary”, I’d stick with home as well.
30% is a big jump, you’re right. But that can easily be eaten up in commuting costs (gas, car insurance/mileage, bus/train tickets) and assorted other working out of home costs, like new clothes for the office, the cost/temptation of buying lunches, office potlucks, the cost of going to the gym where previously you might use free time to go for walks/runs/work out at home etc. etc.
My commute is 3 hours a day - I leave home at 05:45, get in to work at 07:15, leave at 15:15 and get home around 17:45. If I worked from home, there’s 3 hours I don’t get paid for, that I can’t do anything else with because I’m stuck on a bus or in traffic. So think of the extra 30% as pay for your commute time as well. Does it still break down into a decent per hour rate?
It’s 50k versus 80k. My boyfriend’s a software developer, working from home at about 80k. We live in San Francisco, so it’s super expensive (our rent’s $1700/mo, but are planning a move to Portland by the end of the year (we like it there and everything’s less expensive than the bay).
How would the commute to the job be from Portland vs San Fran where you are now?
That’s the other benefit of working from home that you need to weigh against taking an office-bound job - if you want to move/need to move. If you’re already working from home, it’s just a case of making sure you can still access the networks you need from wherever you move. If you’re working in an office it becomes a juggling act of where you can move htat’s still convenient to the office, if there’s another office you could be transferred to that’s closer, figuring out new traffic patterns/public transport routes etc.
In the end you’re the only one who can figure out if $30k pre-tax is worth it. Are there any other benefits to the job that might tip your hand? Better health insurance? Free onsite gym? Discounts for associated retailers?
Yeah, thanks for the advice/feedback Sierra. That’s kind of my other motivator-if we know we want to move eventually I am not so sure taking a job that’s headquarted here is a great idea. I also am not so sure the increase in salary justifies the crazy expense of living here.
In terms of benefits/etc I’m covered under my boyfriend’s plan so no real need here. The benefits are otherwise very similar.
I’d have to get a hefty salary increase to work out of the house as well; the flexibility and ease of working from home is really hard to beat. All the little things add up - the ability to do laundry during the day, or throw something in the oven during the day for dinner that night, or take a ten minute break and water the plants are all things that can’t really be quantified.
That said, working from home is not entirely expense-free. Depending on your gig, you have to buy your own equipment and supplies, make sure you have office space in the house, and also account for the expense of getting out of the house at times. For example, both Mr. Athena and I work from home. We definitely have a larger house because of this (need room for 2 offices - we’d kill each other if we worked in the same room) and we go out at least once or twice a week simply to get out of the house. When you’re at home 24/7, suddenly going out to eat - even if it’s low key and mellow - gets really important. Heck, I’ve gone and done low-priority errands during the afternoon just because I haven’t left the house in 2 days and am going stir crazy.
Overall, though, working from home rocks. I’m totally spoiled; I think I’d gnaw my arm off if I found myself in a cubicle job again.
I quit my job several years ago, and now work at home for a lesser income. I do the work I love to do, and that trumps all other considerations. I have not regretted that decision for one second.
