Took a pay cut for a job with a shorter commute 3 months ago and it changed my whole outlook

I was driving 45 minutes each way to a sales job in Phoenix that paid $55k, and last spring I switched to a data entry role 10 minutes from my apartment for $48k. After factoring in gas, wear on my car, and the stress of traffic, I'm actually saving about $200 a month and I'm way less tired at the end of the day. Has anyone else found that a shorter commute is worth more than a bigger paycheck?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencerm4626d ago

Used to think money was everything. Took a $7k cut moving from 1 hour each way to 15 minutes. First month I was nervous about the loss. Now I get home with energy to cook dinner and walk my dog. That extra hour of my life back is worth way more than the cash.

gibson.elizabeth26d ago

Real talk. Time is the only thing you can't buy back.

the_wren17d ago

@gibson.elizabeth said it best but let me add something. Have you ever thought about how we treat time like it's endless until one day it's not? We all know someone who worked themselves into an early grave thinking they'd cash in later. @gibson.elizabeth, your post hits different when you realize most people spend their best years chasing stuff they can't take with them. Money buys comfort sure but it can't buy back a single sunset you missed cause you were stuck in traffic. I'd rather have less cash and more memories than a fat bank account and a list of regrets.