To those who have experienced both sides of the spectrum, please weigh in how you see fit.
The question: what is more important in your life, making more money and hating your job or making less money but you enjoy what you do?
I (30M) have always been happy in any job I've ever been in, no matter how bad it actually was, but have never had the opportunity to make a decent wage. I've worked in warehouses, winding coils for electronic transformers, to managing a tax agency, marketing campaigns, successful social media advertising etc and currently started in sales almost 2 years ago.
Like I said, no matter how bad the situation, I was always happy, but every position I've been in has never paid more than 20 bucks an hour. (California)
Recently my wife heard back from a job she's been applying to for 5 years and took it. She is about to move back in with her parents 8 hours away from my house. I have been applying for 3 years and am in the running for the next spot that opens up. (Could take years being union)
Right now, I am in a job with no Healthcare, dental, 401k, paid holidays or even overtime for that matter. It is a dead end, but I am happy. I love what I do and the people I work with, my wife and I barley scape by as is and the new opportunity literally pays double what we're use to with full benefits and everything my current job doesn't offer. There's no room for growth and the 10 year employees I now work with are at the same wage as myself not even 2 years in.
I am 100% going to take the offer whenever it does eventually come through, I'm just worried I will hate it. But considering I've been in some of the most stressful environments with some of the most toxic managers you can think of, I can still think back to every job I've been at and truly say I was always happy while working there. Do you think this would change?
I'm at the point in my life where I'm trying to get it together and feel I've wasted so much time investing in companies that are not going to benefit our future. I can't just sell my house and go with her because I have my mom living with me and she doesn't have a plan b. Once we both get employed with decent pay, I'll be able to take care of my current mortgage for my mom then my wife and I will hopefully be able to afford a new one together and start fresh.
It's a big step for me, I've been in a 10 mile radius my whole life and she's moved around the States growing up as her dad was in the military. I have no issues with her parents and have no problem moving in when the time is right. We plan to work, save money for a year or 2 and get us a place whenever we are able. I plan on moving in with her parents in the next 12 months if I'm employed or not and I will send money back home in that time frame. It's just all happening so fast, 1 day we're both here happy, the next she's starting a new job (which I encouraged) and moving 450 miles away while I stay back to hold down the fort. It's all so crazy, but for the 1st time in my life I feel I'm ready to just say fck it and try instead of staying in my comfort zone trying to make ends meet. Being away from my wife for 12 months is something I would never want, but my biggest worry is my mom, she doesn't have a retirement and no income. If I sell the house she has no where to go and no other family that can help us out. I've been doing my best and will never abandon her on the street, it's just time I focus on the family I'm trying to build instead of the one I was born into, I hope that doesn't sound as wrong as it feels saying. It's just hard man, and I'm so torn but have made up my mind, I just hope I can look back and agree with my now self that I made the right decision. Of course if I sell the house, my mom could come with us when we get a new one, but I just feel we've had to share our home for the last 6 years and my wife deserves her own. That's the 1 thing she wants more than anything.
Sorry for the rant, vent or whatever you want to call it but that is just a snippet of my current situation. By the chance any reddit Wales out there see this, check my most recent post on my profile and if you like what you see, offer me a gig. I feel that video shows who I am and my morals on the deepest level. If not, no worries lol this isn't the reason I'm here and with or without you we will put in the work together and eventually find our happily ever after. With that being said, I just hope it is exactly that, I hope we are happy and can look back at these months and decisions as the foundation of whatever is to come…