Looking for life advice

[Camaro45th]

So normally I’m not one to post about my personal life, but I am at a crossroads and I need to choose a path.


Im looking for those maybe were in a similar position, granted this is a NY firearm forum, but bear with me.

I currently have a good job, have a good salary. But at the blink of an eye, I could be out of work at any time. If I were to say at said job, I would currently have 28 years left to retire. Benefits after retirement currently are not that great. And probably wouldn’t get better in my opinion. It’s construction, so it’s hard on the body. No paid sick or personal days. You don’t go to work, you don’t get paid.


I have the opportunity to get onto a civil service job. 22 years and retire with full pension, full medical, sick pay, holidays, personal time, vacation the works. Would be able to retire 6 years earlier.

The 2 biggest issues: very large pay cut, and having to stay in NY for the next 2 decades +.

Wife and I were talking about moving down south. Could sell the house and buy something outright basically brand new with no mortgage. But nothing lined up as far as work. Better quality of living....


To quote The Clash: “Should I stay or should I go?”

My wife is supporting me 100% in my decision to make the job switch, although financially we’re going to be hurting for a while. She’s not fully on board with the move scenario as of yet but knows of people that have moved and are very happy. So she’s entertaining the idea. She works now and is looking for a new job in a very competitive field so she’s unsure if she will get something else. She doesn’t make very good money but she’s doing OK.


What would you do?


Thanks in advance

 

[Jem45472]

Personally I would take the better long term job. That doesn't mean you can't still move out of state down the road if you wanted.

 

[spat]

I wouldn't want to bet on NY state remaining solvent for the next 2 decades.

Corporations have some really slimy ways to wiggle out of pension obligations. Governments even more so.

 

[ECU Pirates]

I wouldn't want to bet on NY state remaining solvent for the next 2 decades.

Corporations have some really slimy ways to wiggle out of pension obligations. Governments even more so.

People always say “they have to pay pensions, it’s in the state constitution”. When my goes totally belly up what are they going to do? Print their own money? To the op. Get out as soon as you can. I’m stuck for another 15 years. I was set to go then divorce ruined that. My son lives with me and I can’t take him out of state if his mom isn’t ok with it. So here I shall remain.

 

[Uzi]

Maybe I'm crazy, But a "better quality of life" seems like a no brainer to me. I couldn't give two shits about retirement and how much money I was pulling in if I was unhappy with life.

 

[spat]

People always say “they have to pay pensions, it’s in the state constitution”. When my goes totally belly up what are they going to do? Print their own money? To the op. Get out as soon as you can. I’m stuck for another 15 years. I was set to go then divorce ruined that. My son lives with me and I can’t take him out of state if his mom isn’t ok with it. So here I shall remain.

It's in the state constitution, right up until they change the constitution because they can't afford to pay them anymore.

Or they leave that and just add conditions that make it worthless.

Or they don't change it at all, but decide they're going to tax it at 70%.

They have many ways to screw you.

 

[ECU Pirates]

Maybe I'm crazy, But a "better quality of life" seems like a no brainer to me. I couldn't give two shits about retirement and how much money I was pulling in if I was unhappy with life.

I was so much happier in North Carolina. Living here most likely will take years off my life.

 

[Acer-m14]

Pensions .. ask the X Kodak employees what they went thru

 

[Uninformed and Compliant]

Take a god damned vacation in the state you're considering a move to. Do it this summer. If she likes it, and the weather, and you won't get killed by hurricane or drought or flood? Then sell the house and GTFO.

And let us know where you end up, a bunch of us may be joining you.

 

[Carlos Hathcock]

What's the civil service position?

 

[togmaster]

Get good at what you currently do and start your own construction company.

 

[Deplorable Me]

With your current job skill, can you get supplemental education to put yourself in a supervisors or management position? How about business education to take your skill and start a business, train people to work for you? Those would lead to paths out of this state and ease physical stress on the body.

How about sales as related to the products you use on your job?

Not sure what tier level NY is on for new employees but with each generation the contributions by state become smaller.

NY goes through boom and bust cycles in construction. In Buffalo I think with all the UB downtown medical buildings up and running and the Riverbend project constructed the state money, Buffalo Billions funds are about leaned out and we're going to see some local hard times.

If you want to see what future state jobs will become, look at state jobs in other states and how lean they are. NY IMHO will be leaning out.

Upgrade your job skills, find a parallel related job and go that way ultimately getting out of NY.

35 years ago the wife and I leaned out our spending and learned to live modestly. Lots of toys we wish we had but now glad we never did. We're boring people but have weathered a number of bad things and kept our heads above water. Living within your modest means will put you on the right path.

 

[Blimey]

Civil job doesn't sound overly compelling to me. You will get retirement, but less pay. Why not take the pay difference between what that job is and what you have now and invest that instead? You can max out a Roth IRA, put more money into a 401k or 403b or whatever your employer has.

Thinking about retirement now is absolutely critical and key and mandatory and you're right to do it. Not sure your age, etc. but contribute early in retirement.

I've looked at some federal jobs recently and the pay is hilariously bad. Not sure how state is, though.

Construction can be bad on the body so you need to move into management in some capacity. A guy who sold me a new roof yesterday used to be a roofer and was thinking of getting out but now does sales instead. He clearly much preferred it (and I bought the roof!).

As for moving to another state it's certainly a chore so be careful with it. The costs of moving a house are just extremely high. And there are things NY has going for it, like schools and in most of upstate NY traffic isn't that bad. You will make gains south and also suffer losses. I still think NY is a great place to raise kids--just not a great place to retire (financially speaking this is).

IMO quality of living is not better in the south. The traffic can be terrible, and it is around most southern cities of any real size.

 

[Bustedknees]

The other side of retirement is dropping dead..
It's all a crap shoot..

 

[ArmedCorgi]

It's a toss up. Honestly the way things are going in this state, it might not be worth it. It's looking more and more like we are headed for a single payer health care system. If that happens you can kiss having great benefits goodbye. Not to mention what other great ideas and laws these ass clowns have on the list moving forward into the next 20 years plus of democrat rule here in ny.
I'd bet you could find a construction gig anywhere you go. Sell your house, move, get a job and then get a better job. Enjoy freedom.

 

[Camaro45th]

Thanks for all your responses. I am in my mid 30s and the job in question is Sanitation. I’m currently in a manger position in the construction gig but I’m still breaking my ass. Could I be in a better position? Maybe sometime in the future but not for a while. I still have guys who are in their 50s who still have to break their ass working with tools and such.

 

[Toecutter]

Being skilled with your hands, you will always find work. Take the civil job for benifits, and start a side hustle with your construction skills.

 

[Celt]

About 24 years ago I got out of college with my criminal justice degree and a girlfriend that was pregnant. I needed to start working right away I got lucky to get into commercial construction in NYC. I started as a laborer then became a carpenter. While I was doing that I was taking police tests throughout the state. Eventually got called and told my employer I was going to leave to pursue police work.

My employer told me if I stayed in construction and used my head I would be able to climb the ladder to a supervisor's position where I would make over six figures a year. . I weighed all the pros and cons and I decided to stay in construction in spite of better job security and better retirement with a civil service job.

The things that made the biggest difference for me were being a father and having most of my weekends and holidays to be with family. I've been in a supervisor's role for close to twenty years now and what I have found in commercial construction is that you create your own job security by being a hard worker and a good person. Although, at 45 years old Im starting to stress about retirement and I need to start doing something now.

Sometimes though, cant help but think that if I went into LE that I could have retired last year and then done anything I wanted with the rest of my life.

 

[ArmedCorgi]

Sometimes though, cant help but think that if I went into LE that I could have retired last year and then done anything I wanted with the rest of my life.

Or, you could have been shot and killed in the line of duty.

 

[BDinPutnam]

Hell, @Celt if I had enlisted when I originally wanted to I would be six years shy of retiring nicely myself. As it is I have probably 20 years to go though I am looking forward to probably a more comfortable retirement having been in the private sector.

I posted earlier but somehow deleted my own post. @Camaro45th not to pry but is what your wife does portable (even if the industry is competitive)?

I would be wary of getting hooked up with any state job in any state. Those benefits that look great right now, are not going to look so great 20 years from now.

On the other hand, you need a plan so you dont wake up at 50 with a totally destroyed body, and no retirement plans.

Tough call.

PS: which of those jobs / industries do you WANT to do for close to 30 years in one capacity or another? That's a long ass time (coming from someone who's been in an industry for nearly 20).

 

[Justincase]

I would have your wife look for a new, better job wherever you guys are looking to move to. If she gets one, you move. If she doesn't, you stay. Then if it turns to shit, you can always blame it on her.

Mostly kidding about the last part

 

[Jmac00]

Thanks for all your responses. I am in my mid 30s and the job in question is Sanitation. I’m currently in a manger position in the construction gig but I’m still breaking my ass. Could I be in a better position? Maybe sometime in the future but not for a while. I still have guys who are in their 50s who still have to break their ass working with tools and such.

I have been busting my ass for 30 years in the HVAC field. Im 65. EVERYTHING on my body hurts, EXCEPT my hair? Im going to TRY and retire in 2 years and Im OUTA HERE. After the 4th of July I have an 2½ton a/c going in an attic, there is literally no room up there, it's going to be a one man job and I'll be mostly laying down. I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD to this job

Civil service is dependent on ONE THING, a state budget. Budgets leave little to no room for a raise, ever. Unless a union can force one.

In construction, you could work anywhere in the country. You're in your mid-30's, you got a lONG WAY to go. Vacation in a place you'd like to move to, apply for a job down there and see what they pay, then GTFO of New Yorkistan.

Good luck, IF I was you, I'd be gone already

 

[ECU Pirates]

Or, you could have been shot and killed in the line of duty.

Very rare. More likely to die in construction I believe.

 

[1075tech]

Pretty much in the same boat. I had that state job in my early 20s. Absolutely hated it and left after 8 years. I would have been retired by now, or dead. So, for last 30 years been doing various skilled labor or driving jobs. The small family-owned company I worked for was sold to a large corporation.

I knew I only had a few years left at doing what I was doing. I figured if I could make it another 5 years, I would be lucky. Then an opening came up in corporate and I took the long shot and applied. I got the job! Instead of crawling on the ground, in and out of basements, attics, and trenches, I now work in Health and Safety. I sleep better and my ibuprofen budget has been slashed.

For now, I am covering our mid-Atlantic region with most of my work in eastern PA. I can't quite get the mrs to agree to move to PA. (I don't have enough work in Va to make it feasible to move there). She says PA's not far enough south. I did apply for the position in our Chattanooga/Atlanta metro region but that went to someone that already lived there. If I could get her to agree to move north, I'd switch territories and take our New England/Northeast region and look at New Hampshire.

There will be more opportunities though that hopefully I can get out of here.

But to OP, I'd probably look out of state. You won't make the $$ in most cases, but the cost of living and slower pace will offset that.

 

[Bustedknees]

" who are in their 50s who still have to break their ass workin "
That's me.. just till I die though..

 

[Gonzobird]

Civil service jobs can go just as quick as non-goverment jobs. With that said it is depending where you live in this state. Small towns/counties are more likely to have those positions for the next 22 years as people are needed and they hang onto the jobs. It is a hard choice. You won't make as much and the retirement tiers in this state are a bunch of shit right now. I am waiting to see how many people FUAC decides to lay off from the MTA when he can figure out how to do it.

If you were going to be in some sort of Law Enforcement job i would say do it right away.

Civil service looks good and yes there is job security. Honestly I sometimes want to go work for the DPW as I could see my job with my good pay and benefits go up in a poof of smoke in a blink of an eye as well. I am sort of in the office space(the movie) zone only with a wife who doesn't work and two kids I need to make sure are happy, feed and comfortable and I stress about it everyday.

Hard choice. I would do a pro and con write out.

Advice my last boss gave me --> when you make your choice don't look backwards it won't help after the fact.

 

[Camaro45th]

Ok so I’ve read everyone’s posts. I’ll try to answer. Wife is a teacher. Yes she can go anywhere. I can use the skill set I have on the side for side work.

So the “plan” is that if I take the job, I could get into the law enforcement side. I have a criminal justice degree which may help me get a little further.

As for guys busting their ass in their 50’s, please don’t get me wrong or my words twisted. I’m not saying in your 50’s you can’t hustle anymore, our bodies are constantly breaking down. Who is have knee surgery, who’s back is messed up? Now you are out of work with bills piling up trying to make things last until your better to go back: if you get there.

 

[Mosinitis]

My advice is simple. Go with your dream. When people don't do that, they have the biggest regrets.

 

[Carlos Hathcock]

I ran my own residential remodeling company for over 10 years. I did EVERYTHING from design, drawings, to digging my own foundations and sales. My body told me it was time to move on. I was busy year round, did great work, had a great reputation, but no business management background. I paid all my bills, made some headway, but in the end I didnt end up where other "successful" companies landed.

 

[GOPerfect]

Up until about five years ago, I had a pretty decent job. Pay was more than alright, benefits were lacking as was the retirement. I was 45, I thought I was getting too old to start over. I needed something more. I took what I decided would be my finale civil service test. Low and behold, I got hired. I was quite nervous about starting over. Five years later, one of the best decisions I ever made.