Major decision

[HydroSqueegee]

Money and career advancement aren't everything. Sure you might be making twice as much, but you might also be twice as miserable because you can't see your friends and family very often. I guess it really depends on how often you see them now and how much you care. $30k extra per year is probably $1800 to $2000 a month after taxes. That's enough to fly home every few weeks if you want to, but you're not going to be able to just call up your friends and grab a quick meal or see a movie. You'll probably miss some family gatherings because you just don't want to fly home for a day or two.

Personally, I wouldn't do it, especially if I'm not going to enjoy the new job much more. At least if the new job was really rewarding, you could get some joy out of that. Instead, you're going to have to derive your happiness from phone calls to friends and family, spending time alone, and meeting new people.

you'll pull home roughly $1600 after taxes, insurance, 401k every paycheck if paid every 2 weeks making 60k a year (ask me how i know)

ive worked the 30k a year job in an area with plenty of friends. Its nice, but 60k a year is much nicer and making new friends isnt hard. You can live quite nicely on that much cash a year. You can make more new friends and their is lots to do in colorado.

If you're young and single, id say go for it. thats a huge jump and if it offers career advancement that your current job doesnt, take it! You have to move out and on your own sometime in life. Take the leap. You will be surprised at how refreshing a change of local can be. A nice fresh start.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Your prospects in PA are getting slimmer by your own admission.

Unemployment from a 30K job will be rough to live on - your life style will be severly cramped.

Come out to Broomfield and try the job for a year. If you are not happy with the job, but the area, look around - there are opportunites. Or if you feel a need to head back - you can start a search using the internet. Either way, at least you have job from which to start a search.

 

[CRXican]

In this economy, for that kind of money I'd move to just about any state without hesitation. You may not love the job but you can stick it out and save for a while and look for something else once you're more settled.

 

[gorcorps]

If you move to Colorado you can drive to Golden and get some free beer at the Coors brewery. Just PM me when you're going and I'll head over too =P

 

[crashtestdummy]

Move. You'll be able to make friends wherever you go. Hell, for an extra $30k/yr (or $570/week), you could fly back every weekend and still come out ahead (not that I'm suggesting it, but just making a point).

Also, it'll be good for you to learn how to move without a support network. You'll never feel trapped that way.

 

[D1gger]

Take the chance and do something new with your life. Moving around and living in other parts of your country will do one of two things.

You may find that you love Colorado, or somewhere else that you have never been to, or you will come to realize that your home town/state is the best place to be, but at least then you won't have any doubts.

 

[rcpratt]

you'll pull home roughly $1600 after taxes, insurance, 401k every paycheck if paid every 2 weeks making 60k a year (ask me how i know)

To get more specific, in Colorado I would expect $1564.01 every biweekly paycheck for a $60k salary.

Yes, I am a dork with a spreadsheet to know these things. That's assuming 8% in 401k, filing single with 2010 tax rates, 4.63% CO income tax, no additional local income tax, and approximately $600/yr in benefits cost.

 

[angminas]

I only read the first page.

Don't listen to the people telling you to move just for the heck of it, you've got to get away, you're not grown up until you live far away from your parents, etc. Make a real decision.

I've never actually lived in Denver, but I've visited there many times, and I was born in a small town in Colorado and lived there until I was 8. It's a really special place, with all kinds of fun things to do and beautiful places to visit, but you'd better not hate snow if you live in the mountains.

If you do go, decide not to hate the job. Decide that you're really glad for the opportunity and you'll make the best of it. And I don't mean cognitive dissonance- have a true positive attitude or take a pass. Remember that there are billions of people who would love to have the worse job with half the pay you're making now, and appreciate how well off you really are. In fact, do that before you go, and it may help you with the decision.

 

[vi edit]

Don't listen to the people telling you to move just for the heck of it, you've got to get away, you're not grown up until you live far away from your parents, etc. Make a real decision.

A lot of us aren't saying that moving away is a step to being an adult. We are saying that moving to a different area outside of your comfort zone gives you new experiences and can make you a stronger, more independent person. It has nothing to do with "growing up".

 

[angminas]

A lot of us aren't saying that moving away is a step to being an adult. We are saying that moving to a different area outside of your comfort zone gives you new experiences and can make you a stronger, more independent person. It has nothing to do with "growing up".

I thought that becoming a stronger, more independent person and growing up were pretty much the same thing. A large percentage of ATOTers place way too much value on independence for its own sake, as opposed to the ability to stand up for oneself when necessary. They get independent mixed up with alone; they get strong mixed up with hard. They think the ability to stop caring about someone is a mark of maturity. Wrong.

It's kinda hard to phrase what I'm trying to say; let me try this. Someone said something about, you can make friends anywhere. Well, there's some truth in that, and making new friends can be a really good thing. But I think that statement is more true / useful for consolation in a situation where there's less of a choice, as opposed to justification in a situation where there's plenty of choice. ATOT broadcasts a lot of misanthropy, and yes, people are imperfect; but they're not disposable. You can make new friends, but they won't replace your old friends. If they're real friends, they will miss you, and you will miss them. On the other hand, if you don't have real friends there, moving might be helpful.

I'm not trying to jump on anyone, and maybe I phrased my first post a little hastily. I was responding to ATOT in general more than anything specific in this thread. What I'm saying is- don't let the antisocial stuff poison your decision, OP. Don't count people as little or nothing, and don't consider the ability to turn your back on them for money or "new experiences" to be the pinnacle of manhood. Know the value of friends and family.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Do it man. Unless you're really happy with your life now, go for it.

 

[Miramonti]

The world is your oyster...get away from the east coast before it get's BP oil on it.

Seriously, assuming you're not in a major awesome relationship right now, you're nuts if you don't give it a shot. Not for the money, but 'because the money' allows you to have a much different life experience that could be very rewarding. It's plenty reversible if or when the time is right.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

The no-go on the relocation sucks. I haven't read every post, but have you done the cost-of-living analysis?

Just remember, work to live -- don't live to work. The fact that you're losing your job soon puts even more pressure on you for the decision. Do you have ANY other possibilities in your home state?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Don't count people as little or nothing, and don't consider the ability to turn your back on them for money or "new experiences" to be the pinnacle of manhood. Know the value of friends and family.

:thumbsup:

You're going to hear a lot of "just do it!" from the ATOTers just based on money. Have you visited Colorado? Do you like it? Personally, I would never move for a job unless I absolutely loved the area regardless of salary.

 

[nerp]

Double your money? Do it. You're not 60-years-old.

 

[Regs]

Try not to think to far ahead and try not to think negatively about any decision. You cannot plan for all the consequences of your choice. It is natural to fear change, but it is fear that holds a man back and creates the most regret in a persons life. The trick is to not let fear run your life.

 

[vi edit]

ATOT broadcasts a lot of misanthropy, and yes, people are imperfect; but they're not disposable. You can make new friends, but they won't replace your old friends. If they're real friends, they will miss you, and you will miss them. On the other hand, if you don't have real friends there, moving might be helpful.

The OP is 30. I'm 32. My "best friends" are 2 to 3 hours away. They are my college buddies that I still email on a daily basis or phone a few times a month. We're all busy in our own lives, families, careers, ect. But we still make time for ourselves. Moving away doesn't mean you lose your existing friends. It just makes things more interesting to plan around. I don't know the OP or his habits. So I can't speak for that. If he's used to going to the bar every Tuesday & Thursday to play a dart league with them that's hard to replace. But you can do the same thing elsewhere. You aren't turning your back on them. Email/skype/cheap airfare still make that stuff possible. And if anything else you make more out of the time you have when you do get together.

Moving away really just shows you who your real friends actually are.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Repost? Perhaps not, as you now have the job offer in hand.

As I said earlier (and virtually all have said in this thread), you should give Colorado a try for the adventure if nothing else (and you've given plenty of other reasons like losing your job in PA and getting twice the money in CO for the same sort of job!). It doesn't have to be a one-way trip; you can always go back to PA if you don't like it. Better to go and find out what it's like than to always wonder about "what might have been".

Start packing!

 

[pontifex]

The no-go on the relocation sucks. I haven't read every post, but have you done the cost-of-living analysis?

Just remember, work to live -- don't live to work. The fact that you're losing your job soon puts even more pressure on you for the decision. Do you have ANY other possibilities in your home state?

i've looked at cost of living sites but i'm not sure how to use them. if I understand correctly, it should be fine, but i have no idea how old the data is. everyone mentions this but no one gives any info on it.

No possibilities in my current state. I've been looking for the past year and a half and had maybe 8 interviews in that time with no prospects.

 

[pontifex]

:thumbsup:

You're going to hear a lot of "just do it!" from the ATOTers just based on money. Have you visited Colorado? Do you like it? Personally, I would never move for a job unless I absolutely loved the area regardless of salary.

never been there. always been fascinated with the West though. I hear it's very nice in the area that I would be moving too.

 

[clamum]

I'd most likely take them up on the offer and move. It might be hard moving away from what you know as familiar but I think it would be for the best in the end.

 

[pontifex]

looking for apartments online and like every single one that I look at that is in a price range I would feel comfortable with seems to get horrible reviews. Hell, one apartment had several reviewers that mentioned people trying to sell drugs to them or trying to break into their apartments.

How do you find a good apartment without paying high prices?

 

[purbeast0]

looking for apartments online and like every single one that I look at that is in a price range I would feel comfortable with seems to get horrible reviews. Hell, one apartment had several reviewers that mentioned people trying to sell drugs to them or trying to break into their apartments.

How do you find a good apartment without paying high prices?

well that is where you have to research the cost of living.

you say you live in a pretty rural area of PA, i bet the cost of living there is pretty cheap.

best way to find an apartment you like is to visit colorado one weekend and just go 'shop' for apartments.

 

[zinfamous]

never been there. always been fascinated with the West though. I hear it's very nice in the area that I would be moving too.

What, Colfax Avenue? :sneaky:

I missed if this is Denver or not....anyway, Denver is actually the top "sun days per year" city in the US. Miami is 2nd. Because of this, and the 5k elevation....there is also a lot of skin cancer. Bring some sunscreen.


I'm not a huge fan of Denver, but I could live there for a spell. I would move for the skiing, though. A place like Boulder is more small townish...but probably too many hippies for your taste.

 

[gorcorps]

What, Colfax Avenue? :sneaky:

I missed if this is Denver or not....anyway, Denver is actually the top "sun days per year" city in the US. Miami is 2nd. Because of this, and the 5k elevation....there is also a lot of skin cancer. Bring some sunscreen.


I'm not a huge fan of Denver, but I could live there for a spell. I would move for the skiing, though. A place like Boulder is more small townish...but probably too many hippies for your taste.

Boulder is not a small town... it's where the massive CU campus is and overall Boulder is pretty damned big. But it is crawling with hippies.