You're a single mom, do you take this job?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would take it as long as you have reliable child care coverage and you do some digging to understand whawt 20% travel really is (one day a week? one week a month, etc) and that it doesn't creep up to 45%.

Its not just the financial boost now, it also places you on track to keep moving up and secure not only your own future and retirement but also help your child.

[Anonymous]

The new job sounds great except for the travel. That's a lot of travel to cover. Are we talking overnights? Away a day every week or a whole week every five? Are you going to end up needing half a day for transit on each end of the trip? If you had live-in help from a significant other, a grandparent, a nanny, or some other arrangement it would be more reasonable. Your large village sounds great, but you will still be scrambling a lot to get the kids where they need to go and make sure they are supervised.

[Anonymous]

Yes, because at that income, it makes a difference. But you will need to think about how to handle child care when traveling.

[Anonymous]

Even if childcare can be strung together, that means at least 20 percent of the time, the kids are going to be shuttled around, possibly not sleeping in their own beds, not able to participate in their activities. Im assuming not everyone in the village is willing to sleep at OPs house, lives around the corner, and has time to drive them back and forth like a parent would. It could be pretty disruptive and we don't know the ages or if they lost their dad in a traumatic way.

[Anonymous]

If your childcare is your parents or someone else who is really able and willing to step up, go for it. I'd love to know how old your kids are. If they are late elementary, they are becoming more independent, and it's less of a heavy lift to watch them. If they are toddlers, it's a different ball game.

Also what will the travel look like? Is it a week at a time or a day a week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op Here..

I currently pay $1210 per month for a marketplace health insurance plan and we don't have vision or dental coverage right now.

I have a great village - huge close extended family and lifelong friends. Obviously I can't take advantage or burn them out but in general they are all eager to see my kids when they can. Also have some dependable college aged sitters I use as-needed.

Money wise I'm "ok" - I own a house, kids in public elementary school. Retirement and college savings are not overflowing but they exist. I'm on an ok track to retire by 67ish and college will likely be half covered. Obviously more can help a lot in this economy but I'm not dire.

Absolutely would not take the new job. Having a great village is great, but they can't straight up raise your kids 20% of the time. Untenable.

You've got a workable solution on medical, your money situation is manageable. Stay where you are.

[Anonymous]

Op here- you all are echoing all the thoughts I've had rolling around.

Kids are going into 1st and 3rd grade.

The travel would be 3 consecutive overnights per month in NYC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here- you all are echoing all the thoughts I've had rolling around.

Kids are going into 1st and 3rd grade.

The travel would be 3 consecutive overnights per month in NYC

On the plus side, that's a fairly dependable route on the train so you are less likely to be stranded for weather, etc. It's tough with those ages, though. They need a lot of hands on supervision and caretaking without even getting into activities schedules. I wouldn't do it unless I had a grandparent or aunt/uncle willing to commit to staying at my house while I'm gone to be the stand-in parent. I think it's too big of an ask for friends or paid hourly babysitters.

Is there a potential option 3 our there for you? A higher paying job with benefits and no travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op Here..

I currently pay $1210 per month for a marketplace health insurance plan and we don't have vision or dental coverage right now.

I have a great village - huge close extended family and lifelong friends. Obviously I can't take advantage or burn them out but in general they are all eager to see my kids when they can. Also have some dependable college aged sitters I use as-needed.

Money wise I'm "ok" - I own a house, kids in public elementary school. Retirement and college savings are not overflowing but they exist. I'm on an ok track to retire by 67ish and college will likely be half covered. Obviously more can help a lot in this economy but I'm not dire.

Absolutely would not take the new job. Having a great village is great, but they can't straight up raise your kids 20% of the time. Untenable.

You've got a workable solution on medical, your money situation is manageable. Stay where you are.

Completely agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op Here..

I currently pay $1210 per month for a marketplace health insurance plan and we don't have vision or dental coverage right now.

I have a great village - huge close extended family and lifelong friends. Obviously I can't take advantage or burn them out but in general they are all eager to see my kids when they can. Also have some dependable college aged sitters I use as-needed.

Money wise I'm "ok" - I own a house, kids in public elementary school. Retirement and college savings are not overflowing but they exist. I'm on an ok track to retire by 67ish and college will likely be half covered. Obviously more can help a lot in this economy but I'm not dire.

Take job #2 for SURE in your case. No doubt.

[Anonymous]

With children that age, I say stay where you are and keep looking.

[Anonymous]

You cannot do this with college aged sitters and friends. If you have a co-parent, you need to make sure your agreement gets updated so they take the kids when you have to work, or the same relative needs to agree to come live in your house those three days a month.

If you are a single mom by choice, you did not have these kids to not raise them.

[Anonymous]

Fellow single mom doing the no benefits in order to work remote hustle too. I get it.

I could not manage the travel. I don't have that type of local village but I also wouldn't want to be away that much and worry about lost time if I did. I would stay put and keep looking for a W-2 with benefits that is remote. Though that barely exists which I also know first hand. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

1st and 3rd? Remember the shitshow of summer camp and all the holiday breaks. You traveling during these periods, of which some will be unavoidable, will eat into both the increase in salary but also your sanity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here- you all are echoing all the thoughts I've had rolling around.

Kids are going into 1st and 3rd grade.

The travel would be 3 consecutive overnights per month in NYC

3 overnights I think is doable if you can figure out the childcare. How hard will this be? If you don’t have friends, finding someone 5 consecutive days a month might be a challenge.