No Stupid Questions

To me, work is a means to money. The ultimate goal is to do the least and get the most. Getting more money doesn't mean you have to care more about your job. Always take the money

The grass might not be greener and maybe you should keep the better paying job, but you should keep in mind that living a life filled with stress is like eating a little poison evey day. It's not a huge deal, each individual dose, but it adds up.

Stress hormones do their own damage, but also - when my mental health sucks, I don't bother to put on sunscreen. I don't eat right. That adds up, too. Of course when money's tight, you can't avoid stress. But even if you don't change jobs now, you should probably be looking to change something soon. You're at an age where the consequences of that stress will start to pop up. Me too.

I don't know if you should take the new job, but I do think you should consider your mental health a high priority. Under money, maybe, but other people have given good advice here on various pros and cons to consider with that.

Make sure it's not a "the grass is greener on the other side" situation.

I really hate my job but need the money.

If you "need" need the money, you don't really have the choice.

Also, it's turbulent times, it might be smarter to get that bag now while you can.

Can you still pay your bills and save some with a 20% cut? If so, go for it.

That's a really tough question...

Is it even worth it? I really hate my job but need the money.

Need the money? If you need it, then that basically settles it. You can't leave your current job if you need the money.

However, the question is moreso if you actually need it. Have you considered downsizing your apartment/wherever you live? Have you considered cutting costs here or there (subscriptions, for example)?

One thing's for sure: your mental health is invaluable. You can't afford to have a mental breakdown, and you don't deserve to live a miserable life.

See if you can restructure your finances to fit the 81k salary, because a low-stress job like that is surely much better than the hellscape you seem to be navigating currently.

One thing to add: don't stop looking for other opportunities. Maybe this one isn't ideal because you may need to cut costs, but there could be something even better out there! Don't stop looking for the perfect opportunity for you.

Just my opinion, of course.

I spent about 20 years doing sales and I hated every minute of it.

I now have a consistent office job where I wear quite a few hats, but there's no pressure for me to convince people to spend their money on crap they don't need.

Not having the urge to step on the gas and plow into a cement wall on your way to work is worth far more than that 20%.

I would take a 20% pay cut in a hearbeat to have a nicer job. Then again, I know that the safety nets are a lot better in my country than in the US (?).

Have you made exact calulations on where you could save some money?

I used to work in medicine and the docs would all say that Nurses eat their young. Nursing is a rough job.

I don’t have any way to give you a yes no answer on taking the 20% cut.

Your calculus is:

• Can you afford it?
• How would that negatively change your lifestyle?
• What is the total stress level reduction?

The salary difference is 21K, That boils down to a 612 reduction a pay check using 30% tax etc rate. Also I imagine your place has a 401K or some other retirement annuity that they do percent matching on, so what will the decreased pay do to that?

Can your monthly bills absorb a 612 reduction?

A 20% cut will cause X amount of stress in your life. Is that X amount less than the reduction of stress the new position will offer?

The kick in the ass is, when you make enough money it doesn’t matter, when you don’t make enough it is all that matters.

I did not take a 20% cut but I once took a job that was a pay cut and smaller future earning potential than the one I had because it offered me a better QoL.

It was so worth it… but again it was no where near a 20% reduction.

Here is an option. Can you take the 20% reduction and pick up OT or another part time job to offset?

The grass is always greener on the other side. If you aren't happy with one job, I'm afraid you won't be happy with the other. Just because it sounds easier, doesn't mean you will enjoy it. It's not the job that's making you miserable, it's your frame of mind.

I know that's hard to hear, but it's true. You don't go looking for happiness and peace, you create inside yourself. The only way out, is in. If it seems at any point like it's the whole world against you, it's more likely you against yourself.

I'd say stick with the nursing job, but talk to a mental health professional and figure out what's really bothering you.

If you really need the money, why are you asking this in the first place? It shouldn't be a dilemma at all if you need the money