How much is WFH worth for you?

[Anonymous]

Everyone here has so many good ideas and questions and perspectives. Thank you so much!

[Anonymous]

You may never have to do laundry again! Outsource it immediately. You could even get someone to come in and prep your meals too before you get home. Relatively speaking not too expensive.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the person above who did the math assuming OP currently makes $100k. After tax, and the incidentals and "outsource costs", OP's extra annual income would be maybe $35k. I'd guess even less. OP says she doesn't need the money, so i'm guessing her DH makes at least $300k or more. So current HHI of $400k, and she's talking about upending everything for $35k cash a year? Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the person above who did the math assuming OP currently makes $100k. After tax, and the incidentals and "outsource costs", OP's extra annual income would be maybe $35k. I'd guess even less. OP says she doesn't need the money, so i'm guessing her DH makes at least $300k or more. So current HHI of $400k, and she's talking about upending everything for $35k cash a year? Nope.

It's going from $250K to $440K.

[Anonymous]

Zero if a 4 mile commute. I would actually rather be in office.

I like WFH because of long commute.

[Anonymous]

No way. I’d keep my wfh job. I can’t imagine being stuck in an office doing what I could do at home. I want to enjoy my house, my garden, my pets, my kids, my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way. I’d keep my wfh job. I can’t imagine being stuck in an office doing what I could do at home. I want to enjoy my house, my garden, my pets, my kids, my life.

What do you do that you refuse to do it in the office?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the person above who did the math assuming OP currently makes $100k. After tax, and the incidentals and "outsource costs", OP's extra annual income would be maybe $35k. I'd guess even less. OP says she doesn't need the money, so i'm guessing her DH makes at least $300k or more. So current HHI of $400k, and she's talking about upending everything for $35k cash a year? Nope.

It's going from $250K to $440K.

I will crawl the 4 miles for 400k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's your age? Any kids at home? If so how old are they?

I love WFH, but I would give it up for a 75% raise. I'd outsource housework more.

OP here. I am 45, married and no kids. Great idea on outsourcing housework - I did not consider that.

OP - what is your reason for not being more excited about the job? Are you feeling like it's not valid? Are you trying to talk yourself into saying yes but something is holding you back?

Congrats either way - it's an exciting offer, whether it helps you see that you really value what you've got or it's a great new opportunity.

I'm scared for the change! I've gone soft working from home and if I don't like it I can't hide in my room, LOL. I'm not in love with my current job, but it's what I'm comfortable with. It's that whole "getting outside your comfort zone" thing. Could be worth it, but it might not be.

I am the PP and yeah I gotcha! Though those numbers you posted about what you'd be earning are pretty staggering. I am also Gen X, also 50/50 introvert/extravert, and also sometimes miss my days of working in an office - but 90% of the time I most certainly do not. I don't earn anywhere near what you do, and it would take a lot - a lot of money and/or a lot of interest in this new job - for me to go back into an office, for many of the reasons you describe. But for that kind of money? I think I'd at least try!

If you switch and don't like it, can you go back to your job? Or consult or something? Is there an offramp if you try it and decide it's not for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. I’d keep my wfh job. I can’t imagine being stuck in an office doing what I could do at home. I want to enjoy my house, my garden, my pets, my kids, my life.

What do you do that you refuse to do it in the office?

NP, but my problem is that the office is awful. The lighting gives me migraines, the monitors are way too small compared to what I have at home, i have to share an office (yay germs), the windows don't open, my officemate is on a different team so half the time I have to go find somewhere else to perch with my laptop so we aren't both talking all over each others meetings, and there is a daycare downstairs so it's 10 hours of crying babies or headphones. I do not get a lot done in the office beyond conference calls and survival.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the person above who did the math assuming OP currently makes $100k. After tax, and the incidentals and "outsource costs", OP's extra annual income would be maybe $35k. I'd guess even less. OP says she doesn't need the money, so i'm guessing her DH makes at least $300k or more. So current HHI of $400k, and she's talking about upending everything for $35k cash a year? Nope.

If you don't need the money, I wouldn't do it.

If you are a single mom or have a dh who makes less money, that extra 30-40k after expenses might be worth it.

[Anonymous]

I asked almost this same question 6 months ago and everyone said don’t do it.

I did and:
1. I actually LOVE being in the office. I am so much more productive, and much better able to leave work at work.
2. The money did ultimately matter - it let me outsource the things I no longer had extra time to do.
3. The job was very very worth the move.

[Anonymous]

I know your question is mainly regarding WFH, but are you factoring in the increase in hours/stress etc. that must come from such a huge pay increase? Unless you are severely underpaid now, I can’t imagine a job paying 450k to be anywhere near the same level of responsibility/hours/stress as a job paying 250. So consider the potential double whammy of lack of WFH/longer commute and a more stressful job in general. Congratulations btw!

[Anonymous]

How much is 75% of your salary? I think that's also relevant, not just the amount of the raise.

I just accepted an offer to go from FT WAH to 3-days in-office (partial days are fine). Commute is about the same, especially as I can stagger to avoid the worst traffic. It's a large percentage increase that amounts to 6 figure pay bump. I don't think if I would do it for less than $50K. I have elementary-aged kids, though, so there is a trade-off in terms of managing childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the person above who did the math assuming OP currently makes $100k. After tax, and the incidentals and "outsource costs", OP's extra annual income would be maybe $35k. I'd guess even less. OP says she doesn't need the money, so i'm guessing her DH makes at least $300k or more. So current HHI of $400k, and she's talking about upending everything for $35k cash a year? Nope.

It's going from $250K to $440K.

So OP is in a high tax bracket but would still clear $100K net, by taking an extra hour every day to commute plus potentially making some aspects of daily life a little more logistically complex. That’s something like $400/hr marginal pay for an hour a day with some inconvenience. For me it’s a no-brainer: do it. That much money can offer significant changes to quality of life or retirement.