# Need help making a job decision....



## nosliw (Feb 8, 2010)

I've been offered my old job back. 50hrs a week (hourly pay, not salary, anything over 40 ISN'T overtime) and it's an hour away from home/farm, in the city, for $10,000 less per year than I was making the first time around.

I also applied for a Rural Postal Carrier position, which I got. The days I would work vary. I'm guaranteed 2-3 days a week. I have to provide my own vehicle, but get .50 a mile and $18.50 an hour. The hourly pay for the other job offer is better, by a few bucks per hour. I'll have to buy a delivery vehicle.

I have 20 cows to feed and put up 2 cuttings of hay on about 100 acres in a years time. I'm 30 years old. My wife is pregnant and the baby is due in January. It's our first kid, so I'm a little freaked out.

I could really use the GOOD money of my old job. Even though it's still 10,000 less per year than i was making, it's still good money. HOWEVER.

-I hated that job with a firey passion for many reasons (mostly things about the job that were against my morals)

-I hated driving an hour to get to work and an hour to get home.

Should I take the old job back for the money, regardless of how much I hated the job or how I went against my own morals to do it?

I'd like to think I could get into something around the house besides farming for some extra cash, and do the postal thing and come out in pretty good shape. I'm full of good ideas to make a little extra cash, but don't enjoy taking risks, so I'm usually pretty reluctant to jump into new ventures without careful consideration.

Any advice or words of wisdom?

Monday is supposed to be my first day at either place, so I have to make a decision between now and then.

Thanks for any help.


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## Blue Duck (Jun 4, 2009)

If you can make it work financially I would go for the postal job. I grew up with a dad that worked an hour from home and we would see him for about 20 min. at supper time and a little more on weekends. The family and the farm (about 600ac at the time) suffered greatly. Dad had a huge collection of flashlights and slept very little. Good health insurance is also important to consider.


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## nosliw (Feb 8, 2010)

Good point on the insurance.

My old job only offers to pay my insurance (abt. $125/mo). My wife works about 5 minutes from home and her job provides insurance for us.

Insurance at the postal service is non-existant until I'm hired as a full time employee, which could take years.


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## Blue Duck (Jun 4, 2009)

Disregard my reply. My wife read it and pointed out if momma isn't happy nobody's happy. It would be best to discuss it with your wife and do what is best for your family's future.... Time or Money....

Something else to consider is if it is a hundred mile round trip to the better paying job @ .40/per mile for fuel, maintenance and wear on a vehicle that would be 40 dollars a day and if you work 10 hrs/day that would be 4 dollars/hour or over 5 dollars before taxes


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Wish you the best...just thoughts to maybe consider...

As stated earlier the wife has a big play, but it may help to do a pro/con list and as stated above figure in the extra costs...fuel, food, stress for not liking the job, longer hours away, vs, home more, help with the kids, having to have reliable vehicle to deliver mail may be costly. all good points that require you to pencil some things out. A foot in the door with a government job may open other options in government elsewhere. Also, going back to school if you want could be a plus when working fewer hours. Wouldn't happened to have been in the service in the last ten years would you? Great education benefits available under the post 9-11 GI Bill that could be helpful. Think all the options out and talk them through with the wife. If she remains working that helps on the insurance end, which is so important these days...and it also matters if it is a good policy.

My wife and I talked it all out when we started having kids (I was in the service then) and decided my wife would stay home...it made up for me being deployed a lot...we had less for years than others...but once we figured out the extra costs of her working to include full time child care...it was worth her staying home...kids have made us proud. That may be an item to consider as well. Home more days may allow some savings there if you have flexible back-up care when the post office calls you in. I wish you the best of luck with your decision...life is short so I would not count out the happiness factor, but you still have to pay the bills. I am sure there are other things...talk them out and I bet it helps...Good Luck my friend.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

What ever you do... DON'T GO BACK TO YOUR OLD JOB! Life is too dam short to not be happy with your job, especially when you have to do things you don't believe in. You WILL get by and you'll be a whole lot happier without it. Best of luck to you!


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## Greasy30 (Mar 15, 2010)

Money is nice, but it is not everything. I have realized the importance of family since becoming married and having a child with my wife. Now all I want to do is work minimum and get home to the family.

If you hated your first job and and walked away because you were not doing things that you thought were morally right then why are you considering going back just for 10K. Yest that is a lof of money but is it worth your happiness.

Like you said, you could grab some odd jobs, or maybe try to get in one more cutting of hay and sell, or try to patten one of you ideas.

Like mentioned earlier, if you can get your foot in with a govt. job it could open new doors down the road.

Good luck with figuring out what you are going to do, but if your are still really struggling ask GOD.


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## nosliw (Feb 8, 2010)

I know things would be easier to afford if I took my old job back. But if I hated it then, I'll hate it now.

And the worse part is that I'll be making 10,000 less per year! It doesn't sound like a lot, but that's a little less than $200 a week, before taxes.

I'm not sure. I keep thinking about how much "easier" it will be for my wife and kid if I end up taking my old job back and making decent money again. They can both have the things they want and need.

I wish I had taken my time off and concentrated on other small business ventures instead of putting so much time and effort into the farm. Maybe by now I'd have a plan.

I really don't want to burn a bridge with the postal service. I think it's a job some people would die for. It's a great opportunity to make some extra money if you're standing on solid ground in a farming operation. My farm operation isn't that solid though.


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## Byron Seeds (Jul 30, 2008)

Here you go! 20 cows==savings account. 100 acres==income. You may have to invest some money to make some money and you sound like where I have been. First question what does your wife want? Secondly, no job is worth any amount of money if you don't believe what you are doing is right. If so we would all be selling drugs and prostituting our wives! Don't be afraid you have to trust. I was in your same position a few years ago. We had 3 kids, I was trying to get a better job. To get the better job required a 20,000 a year pay cut to hire, however in two years I would be making more than I was prior. I took the job and it has worked out very well and now we have 4 kids. You could make really good money with your cattle. Look at your marketing plan. Do you sell yearlings or finished calves? Do you sell them at a local sale barn or market them for freezer beef or specialty buyers (grass fed/organic)? You can look at raising purebred animals and selling breeding stock. All of these ventures have most of the same yearly input costs, but they all pay better than the salebarn. You could also increase the number of animals you have which should increase your margins. The cattle market should be good for a few years, numbers are still declining. Look at buying hay/feed instead of buying equipment, or hire someone to harvest. It appears you have a good start just needs some tweecking(?). Take the postal job as it has flexability. Use an old junk vehicle as it will get abused. Talk to your wife!!!!!!!! You don't need to add extra stess. Live simple, not like the neighbors. More money brings more stress. 
Finally you may think I'm crazy but that's ok too...If you not involved in church you have to find God give him your worries, pray about it, follow him and amazingly it WILL all work out in some mysterious way.

Good luck


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## nosliw (Feb 8, 2010)

Well......

I've been back at my old job for 4 weeks now. I can't say much has changed for the better. If anything it's a far more screwed up place than it was before. I don't enjoy it at all, I just kinda tolerate it.

I still have an opportunity with the postal service. I never told them "no". My orientation is supposed to start on Monday and I'm still confused as to what I want. My wife wants me to make the decision, she says she can't make it for me.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Think about it this way, if you hate your old job that much, working there is not in the best interests of your health. While she's not working at the moment, the wife has gone thru a nuclear stress test, two echocardiograms and several other tests because of chest pains. The chest pains were found to be non anginal in nature and it was the specialists view that it was stress/anxiety over her then upcoming disability hearing. Since we have postponed the hearing and got her thru all the tests, today is the second day in a row with no chest pains. Strangely enough even after being told she needs her pulmonary valve replaced, she's still not having chest pains as once she gets thru the surgery, the specialist almost guarenteed her quality of life will improve.

Life's too short and has enough stress even doing a job you love to be stuck with a job you absolutely hate.


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

I work for the Post Office in Cincinnati. We have been told that who ever is not full time [Regular] will not make full time. They are starting something tomorrow that will have some drivers come in and do split shifts. I do have good insurance but you can get insurance through the Post Office as a part time employee [PTF]. If you are talking about being a casual or a sub-rual carrier that is a different thing. It is like they are contractors that provide their own insurance and vehicle. Check what you are getting into at the Post Office because they are trying to contract everything out and as the people retire, the Post Office has plans of using part time people instead of making anyone full time. 
kyfred


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

It appears to me that with the time and money that you are spending driving 2 hours minimum each day, I would think that the postal job would be much better and less stressful and they would be paying YOU to drive. I would think that you could also find some odd jobs to supplement your income. Farmers are always looking for hired hands ( I know I do) that can run machinery and do basic mechanic work. Life's to short not to enjoy your family. You will regret it later. Believe me. Mike


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## nosliw (Feb 8, 2010)

well, i decided to stick with my old job due to one reason.

money.

i couldn't risk giving up the money in exchange for a part time job that may even become LESS than a part time job should the USPS decide to go with 5 day delivery.

id have to buy another vehicle, and i'd have a real hard time paying the bills based off what i'd be making just working 2-3 days a week.

the wife wants to go part time at her job after the baby is born, too.

i think it'll work out this way. i won't be as happy, but i can get my debt paid off much faster and I think it will put me in a better financial position a few years down the road. i'm still paying off my tractor and my cows, have a bit of residual credit card debt from my irresponsible youth, and my student loans.

if i had been making money at the farm or owned it, i would have definately went for the USPS job, but i'm still trying to get some decent hay equipment and get livestock paid for.

thanks for all the advise guys. it was a tough decision.


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