so ummm... yah

[Erv]

I got another job offer for a contract for 9 months in OR. I turned down the last one, but, I am highly considering it. Basically I get extra cash for a car, room and board, and travel. Plus, I'll be making 1.5 times my yearly salary in those 9 months.

Yet, I am somewhat hesitant. I have a stable job, good income, and am well rooted here. All of which I would have to let go. So the question is, is the money worth it? Now with this contracting, I should have no issues maintaining a steady income, even with contracts, plus making the extra money will allow me to take a real vacation.

Some other concerns will be whether or not to drive my car to Oregon. Where I will live when I move back. If I will move back.

[chuck schultz]

I might've given it a try if I were young and single, just to have time to take a good look at the west coast. I hear it's pretty nice in that part of the country. I knew somebody who went to coastal Oregon for a while, came back to NY, and then moved back for good.

You might give this calculator a try, to see if 1.5X salary is worth uprooting for - http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costo...tofliving.html . There are a number of other cost comparators on the web, too, if you search for them.

If you are smart with your money, you may be able to build a pretty good nest egg, which you could save towards retirement or use as a down payment on a home, etc.

I'm assuming that, in your business, you have pretty good prospects for either another contract job or a "normal" job when you are done there. If not, you may burn up your "bonus" before you get back in a groove.

There may also be tax implications to working as a contractor vs. as an employee, including self-employement and Oregon state income taxes, and maybe a business license.

I'd definitely take the car. It wouldn't do it any good to sit for that long, without special preparation.

Here's a link to the Oregon Region SCCA - http://www.oregonscca.com/

There's one race track that looks busy, with drag racing, club racing, and more - http://www.portlandraceway.com/ and Thunderhill is in northern California - http://www.thunderhill.com/index.html

Looks like they have a strong rally community there - http://www.oregonrally.com/

You might also have to learn to drive in snow. In real mountains.

[EWaugh]

If I had the chance right now for something like that it would have to pay real well for me to take it. But then I have a house and I'm not single. I took the unsafe route once and it didn't pay off for me, so I'd be hesitant to do it again. Maybe I'm just complacent though

[aufoxy]

It would take a lot more than 1.5 times my salary to get me to move to Oregon. I think that I would rather be somewhere where I know I'm happy and well-rooted than to be somewhere where I'm making slightly more money.

[Jedi1]

In this economy job security means and awful lot more than aything else. How secure is your job here and if you left your current position would you have no problems picking up another contract or permanent position when this contract ends?

[Erv]

all valid points, you are slightly missing one though, its 1.5 times the salary in 9 months. Another thing you guys are missing is, all living expenses are covered. so my salary is gonna be considerably more than only 1.5 times. My living expense budget is rather high, around 75$ a day

i am fairly sure, that I could get another position after the contract expires.

ive never been to OR I have been through it. I already know how to drive in the snow as well.

[Jedi1]

SOunds like your already there. If the bases are covered and you want to experience OR then honestly, I say go for it. You're young and I don't think there is really anything keeping you here. Go see the US and let someone else pay for it. If Enterprise wants to move us again, we're gone. I don't see why you shouldn't see what else is out there if that's what YOU want to do.

[Erv]

not decided just playing devils advocate, i am playing both sides, on other forums too...

[Cholewa]

If you don't have to pay for room and board, just food... there is no reason you shouldnt.

[Erv]

lol... my food balance is 75$ a day... god i suck at typing when i am thinking

[Cholewa]

So basically, what you're trying to figure out is: Should I take a 9 month trip to the land of microbrews and volvos, and basically get paid to breathe the entire time I am there.

or:

Stay home and pay the same bills i've been paying, and see the same people (that is actually the good part) and pretend like the opportunity never came up.


If you get paid 1.5x your normal rate, plus travel expenses, housing, and per diam, what is stopping you? If you live by yourself right now, all you need to do is open all the breakers, turn off all the water, and have someone get your mail for 9 months. You could probably pay a few months rent at a time with the money you'd make away, and be able to save a good deal at the same time. Opportunity calls, what's the worst that could happen?

[VroomGrrl]

all valid points, you are slightly missing one though, its 1.5 times the salary in 9 months. Another thing you guys are missing is, all living expenses are covered. so my salary is gonna be considerably more than only 1.5 times. My living expense budget is rather high, around 75$ a day

i am fairly sure, that I could get another position after the contract expires.

ive never been to OR I have been through it. I already know how to drive in the snow as well.

"Job security" is pretty much a joke unless you have a written individual or collective bargaining contract that assures you continued employment. You may feel secure, but legally, in a "right to work" state, without a contract, you can be let go at any time for any reason - or no reason at all. People often think they are indispensible, that their loyalty to an employer will be acknowledged, that they've been there 20 years and surely the guy they just hired will be first to go in tough times, etc. And they are often disappointed when it turns out that's not the case. "Secure" = contract. Period. Otherwise, the idea of "security" in a job is an illusion at best, and a costly mistake at worst.

The reason I say all that is to say, wouldn't it suck if you stayed put because you thought your current job was "secure," only to be shiz-canned after turning down an opportunity like this? Hate to go all doomsday on you - I just want to encourage you to not assign too high a value to "job security" in this equation. Especially with current economic conditions.

Sounds like a good financial opportunity for you by the numbers. You will make in 9 months what you would have made in a year, and either your living expenses will be covered, allowing you to save a ton (if you don't maintain your place back here) or your expenses to keep your home going back here will be covered by your housing allowance, and your expense situation will be about the same.

Don't forget to consider your tax situation. If you go from "employee" with fed & state withholding to "contractor" with no withholding, you will have an additional expense of 7.5% of your income for self-employment tax - that you will have to come up with at tax time, unless you save all along. I think with self-employment, you have to do quarterly federal taxes now - I'm not sure. Don't know if OR even has state income tax. I'm sure there are some contractor folks on here who could tell you about the quarterly thing. By the same token, while your tax expense may go up 7.5%, you may have other expenses that are deductible as a contractor (which were not as an employee) which would negate any net loss when it comes to taxes. Consult your tax professional!

You mentioned time off, and that taking the Oregon job would allow that. Money is obviously not the only issue - if you are working so hard you can't enjoy what you earn, then the time off the new job would afford might figure more heavily in the equation than the purely financial considerations.

And there are other non-financial considerations, sense of "home" and how badly you would miss your friends here, how easily you would expect to make friends out there, etc. Would you be a blue dot in a red state or vice versa? Have you been itching for a change? Have you always wanted to live out west? Do you like cold weather? Things like that.

It's a tough call and I wish you all the best with making your decision! Please keep us posted.

[aufoxy]

I'll have the 16oz filet with my $75/day food budget, thanks...

[EWaugh]

I'll have a whopper and pocket the other $70.

[Erv]

i actually have a signed contract, but, that is not what i meant by security i meant my job is always being hunted for.

Thanks for the pointers and things to think about, that's why i posted up on a bunch of forums to get some input