money vs time when picking a job

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It seems like most jobs that pay big money want you to work long, long hours, sometimes move far from home, and you get your time off in big chunks (sometimes not that much). Or, you can get a job in any city, that doesn't pay that great, but A) you get to be home every night B) you can live in a regular city and have more socializing opportunity C) usually much more sane hours.

I am gonna try going for the money... probably move to a small northern town and work on the road for 2 weeks at a time, but make insane cash. I will miss my home town, but life here is so lonely anyways. If I get a job here, it will likely either A) pay s**t or B)I'll still be working long hours and even if I am making a lot of money, it won't be the kind you make up north.

My only family that I talk to is my parents, and I feel very frustrated trying to make friends or meet women in my town. So the money is way more attractive to me than time, I am just scared I will live as a workaholic and have zero life outside of work. But if I live here, I feel like I'll still be a social loser and/or poor so I'm screwed anyways.

What is more important to you? Money or time?

Time is more important to me but in your present situation maybe money now will buy you time later.

One part of the equation is taxes. The more you make the higher your tax rate, so add this on top of less time for other things, stress (which can give rise to health problems), and having your job be your life. Assuming you are single, lets say your big $ job pays $120K in an average major city, you would only take home a little over half, or about 70K. Now, of you took a sane job with less pay, say $60K, you might take home $45, or 75%. Your hourly take home rate would be higher.

If you do take the higher paying job, make sure you can stand the heat, and you really need to like the work, and those you work with. Also, have an exit strategy so you can respectfully kick back in several years, and downshift a little.

Time is much more valuable to me.

Beyond a certain amount, money is pretty useless. And trading time for more money is even more pointless. You use up more time to earn more money, but you can't begin to enjoy the extra money you have because all your time is used up.

There's always the idea of saving up and coasting on the money, but in terms of risk/reward I find this idea lopsided. You're saving for a future that isn't guaranteed, and forging time now for some potential time in the future.

Most of the things I enjoy don't require that much money... old school video games, making jokes, laughing, writing electronic music (this could be a money sink... but it doesn't have to be), studying/philosophizing, listening to music (this could require a bit of money, but I can slowly build up a collection of used cds).

If I had a family/kids to support, my mindset might be flipped... but time is much more valuable to me right now.

Having worked a $18/hour job in 07 and a $65K job in 08, I've learned something:

Jobs pay either 'enough' or 'not enough'
The $18/hr job paid 'enough', and I was far more happy at it.

The 65K job required insane hours, and by the time I lost it, I had severe and permanent headaches due to sleep deprivation. Seven months unemployed right now, and my sleep is still a wreck. The headaches haven't gone away, either.

Also, the take home at the 65K job was pathetic, since the costs of living in the area I was in + the medical expenses caused by the long hours ensured that I had nothing left over.


If I were given the choice, I'd have stayed at the $18/hr job.

Now, I have to wonder if I'll ever work again.

Right now, way things are, take the job either way. They don't come along that often.