So here's the deal, for those who haven't heard. My employer restructured. Part of the restructuring includes relocation for a lot of employees....me included.
I was offered a relocation package to go to Bethel, CT. Bethel is in Fairfield County, which is considered part of the NYC metropolitan area. $$$$
I was offered a cost of living adjustment that doesn't quite cover the cost of living difference. I'm finding rooms that rent for more than my apartment (I live in a 1,000 sq ft one bedroom loft for $800 per month). By rooms, I mean literally a bedroom in a house with 3 or 4 other people. $900. Rent on my apartment out there is at least $400 per month more. And, believe it or not, taxes are higher out there. WI is one of the highest taxed states, but they actually found one higher to move us to.
They're building additions on to the new office and it looks like it's going to be a really cool building, but I'm just not sure I can afford to live out there. I'm all about advancing my career, but not if it means a huge step back in my standard of living. My work supports my personal life, not the other way around.
So at this point I'm thoroughly frustrated. I'm happy I got an offer because a lot of people are losing their jobs these days. Don't get me wrong, the offer isn't necessarily a bad offer (there are a lot of details I'm leaving out). It's just not good enough to be a no-brainer. And to be fair to the company I work for, I think they were very generous with the deals they offered in terms of timelines, and I think they treated everyone with respect (unlike some of the horror stories I've heard of how other companies handle this stuff). It's not fun, but it makes business sense. That's life.
Everyone is telling me to go because it will be good for my career and I'll get to work in a state-of-the-art building with one of the premier brands in the bicycle industry. All of that sounds appealing, and I kind of want to go. But I keep crunching the numbers and things aren't quite adding up. I'm a single dude so I don't have anyone to help with expenses. I'm on my own. If I can't find a place I can afford, it doesn't matter if I want to go or not.
Obviously, I'm not going to post how much money I make, but I will say this: I make enough money that I think I should be able to afford a decent one-bedroom apartment. That's what I find the most frustrating about the apartment hunt right now.
But I'm not giving up and I'll probably go out there for the cookout if nothing else.
Who knows, maybe I'll find a place I can afford and all will work out....
...or maybe my parents should clean the basement and be prepared for my arrival if I take the severance package and I'm unable to find a new job....
...just sayin.
2 comments:
Mike sorry to hear about your situation. Sounds like they are doing everything they should to help out those who want to move. If you go, I hope you keep in touch and everything goes well. I don't get some people in some places can be so ridiculous with renting.
Best of Luck and I hope it works out in your favor either way.
Good luck Mike! I am confident you'll be able to make it work. Also remember that you might be able to negotiate a little more if you need to, especially if you bring some good stats. Or you can live 30 miles away and get a built in 60 miles of riding every day! :)
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