OK guys..

having the maturity of years is not helping me with this.. and I've spoken to a lot of people who havn't a clue so - I'm pitching here for advice..

At the moment I have a very well paid secure job (pays me 50% MORE than UK average wage) BUT I only have to work about 25 weeks a year. Full pension plan, health, get to the gym everyday etc etc..Life is tough as a lecturer.

My wife trebles my salarly but can't look after the kids (I am primary carer - collect at school etc).

In my free time (which I have plenty of) I play poker and do some web stuff. I dont pull out any stops on this and make mayber $15k a year (tax free)..

We already own the house, cars - capital rich (actually fall into the Goverment formal definition of "wealthy").


A job comes along (very senior,virtually running an online learning compnay with very robust financials - i.e makes a profit has been in existance for 40 years). The salary is 30% more of what I'm on but with prospects..A great challenge but complete life turn around (I'd have to work!!)

I think I could double thier turnover in four years and end up as MD. BUT... I'd lose time with the kids (especially hoidays), probably not see the wife for ten years and lose time with the poker...

What would you do???

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Fuck it?
Surely your time with your wife and kids is more important than more money?

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A good education is expensive but ignorance costs more.

I agree with Gryff but given my age my advice is worthless.

I owned my own company for 3 years. During which, I hardly had time with the wife and kids. I made almost 4x what I'm making now but it wasn't worth it. I have what some would call a less then glorious job now, but I get to camping with my son, I get to help my oldest daughter with her homework ect. I wouldn't trade my life for the highest paying job out there.

Nobody every put on their grave stone "I wish I had spent more time at work!"

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Trons
JstTrons
Toyotatruck

We had the thread bob that said, Money doesn't matter if your not happy.

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Move up the academic hierarchy.

Prestige and money without the work (it's what I did).

it all depends on what is improtant to you.

Would this job give you wife a chance to have more time with the kids?

If it means both of you being out of the house all the time, I would say definitely not, the kids will suffer.

When we had kids my wife left a job where she was bringing in over 40K a year, and would probably be over $50k now, and I took a big pay cut to move away from 12 hour shifts (I have money back now though).

I have never understood why people have kids if they do not want to raise to them.

You just need to look at the happiness factor, bro.

Are you comfortable, satisfied, and HAPPY with how things are right now? Being able to see your family as you please, work little but get paid great, bring in a nice second income with poker, etc.

Or do you think you all would be happier with you making more money? If the money you are pulling down now can give you and your family exactly what you need and want, and you're all happy, why change it?

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BOSS

by the sound of things, you are financially stable at the moment and have a pensionable job which should mean you will be financially stable in the future

Gordon Brown reckons you are wealthy so, imho, once you are financially secure in life, the next step is to have a healthy home life which it also sounds like you currently have.

obviously, im not putting money before family but rather putting their security first which includes financial security.......to me, this includes being able to look after them now and also have funds available to look after them in the future

changing career at this stage may increase the financial security but does it need to be increased?

im guessing that the only reason you may consider this is the challenge it presents.....is the challenge worth completely changing your lifestyly or not seeing your kids except when they're sleeping in bed at night or not seeing your wife except first thing in morning and last thing at night?(this may actually be a yes )

i dunno what age your kids are but, again imho, having a parent, rather than a creche, care for them on a daily basis is very important......obviously, not everyone is in the position for this to be possible but when possible, it should happen like this

this turned into a slight rant but only because i know someone in a similar position as you who took on the new opportunity......his youngest kid hardly knows him and his wife has turned into the village bicycle.....as for him, hes working and drinking himself to death due to the pressure of it all

Edit: above two posts made in meantime and basically say what i said, with a lot less words

Yeah, I think it's all about what really seems most important to you. If you're looking for a "challenge" the new job seems like a viable option. However it seems like there's a bit of a sacrifice for it.

I think it's just a question of what you'll enjoy doing the most, where you are right now, or a change in lifestyle. Dosen't sound like you're having a tough time making ends meet now with plenty of time to enjoy doing what you like and spending time with the family....You just have to determine for yourself what you would enjoy the most, best of luck.

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