Taking a Job for Less Money

[ree-Xi]

So the area has a lower cost of living. What about the commute - will it take more or less time? What about parking - paid, free, or subsidized? Will you have to change how/what you eat for lunch? For example, are you going from somewhere that has an affordable cafeteria to a place where there's no cafe or local restaurants and you'd have to brown-bag it?

Ask for more vacation time, bonuses (they come out of different budgets), flex-time, work-from-home option, commuting assistance (if there's public transit) or parking assistance (if it costs $$ to park, like in Boston it's $30 a day if you don't know where to look), better benefits in general, or other things that can help make up for the lower pay. You never know until you ask!

If you can live on the salary, and it's in your dream industry/dream job, then go for it. If there's a big chance that the sacrifices you have to make will make you resentful or regretful, make sure that you will be able to live with those feelings.

Good luck!!

[*winter*]

I'm going from government job to government job so there's no negotiating.

Parking is free. I have no idea what the commute will be like, because it depends on where I find a place to live. Hopefully it will be shorter than the one I have now.

I'm totally fine with bag lunches. I have to eat out several times a week now because I travel for work and I could do without that expense.

I don't think I would regret going there, but it still scares me.