Looking to vent I guess but also advice/learning about others experiences would be great.
I have a very mentally and physically demanding job making 66.7k/year (that’s before taxes/etc.). In my field, I never thought I’d even make this much. Pre-Covid, this was a dream salary. Anyway, I’ve been working this job for 7 years or so and it has some perks, but things are changing. They want me to relocate to a higher COL area, but because it’s a federal job and they’re on a different pay scale, I would actually make less after the move. This area ranks high on most expensive rent in the country. They would not adjust my base pay to compensate bc government.
I currently own (or the bank owns) my home that I bought pre-Covid with a 3% interest rate. I couldn’t afford to rent or buy at the new location, and it seems crazy to walk away from 3% mortgage. But, the area where I live currently doesn’t have a lot of jobs in my field. There is one that would be a 22k/year pay cut, but would also be a lot less responsibility, both mentally and physically. I stand a very good chance of getting this job.
My third option would be to renew my current position on an annual basis and ride it out until they can’t justify my location anymore (I’m a term). This seems like maybe the best choice, but the extra labor that goes with this job is massive and I’ve been so incredibly burnt out. Do I just suck it up so I can keep affording groceries?
I’m sorry this is jumbled and vague. There are a lot of factors and I also don’t want to share too many details. I will happily clarify what I can in the comments!