Slightly higher salary/ longer commute

[Imtootired]

Just want to get a general consensus. I am in Aus but have converted to GBP as most posters will be in the UK. I am a single parent with a mortgage. At the moment I have a job that’s pretty relaxed and half working from home that pays 37k pa. I have been made an offer of a different job that would be 44k but all outside the home and more stressful with possibly an hour in traffic each way. I am just getting by as is but often running out of money before my next payday. Life with kids before and after work is already hectic. Would it be worth it to take the higher salary or not?

What are the long term prospects in each job? Don't just look at now, look at what each one will offer in 2/5/10 years.

And look at any hidden costs/other benefits beyond salary, stress and time.

I guess you have to consider the time you’ll lose by commuting and add in the cost, you’ll leave home earlier, be home later add in how much it is to get there and back? Is that an hour in traffic each way on a good day?

Once you take that into account how much extra would you be ‘earning’?

I wouldn't as the 2hours per day travelling wouldn't make the sacrifice worth it. Would you be paying out for extra childcare?

I don’t know for sure about longer term prospects for each job because they are both government and both contracts. My current one is customer service/payroll for health staff and the other would be dealing with complaints and investigating disruptive behaviour of public housing tenants so might hear of bad situations and get abused and sworn at. The higher salary is a higher level position which means I could possibly apply for higher level positions after.

Yes I am definitely on the side of not taking the other one as the extra money may get eaten up on petrol and buying lunch. No extra childcare costs though