What would you do....?

ryan86uk

What would you do if you had the choice.....

Option 1

Stay working 3500 miles away from home earning good money (tax free/no national insurance) paying £1800 a month off a £85875 mortgage and being able to go out when I want / buy what i want.

or

Option 2

Come back to the UK, back to friends and family working an average job (say 16-18k a year). Just having enough to cover bills and the odd night out.


Im single, 24.


I don't hate my job but i do miss my friends and family. The location i am at gives pretty much a nil % chance of ever getting into a relationship with a woman! Which i wouldn't mind one to be fair!

Friends and family say I should stay out here! But, what would you do? I have been out here for just over a year now.

Thanks.

Ryan

linz

Hmmmm, I don't know where you are, or what your priorities are in your life at the moment, but thinking back to when I was your age i'd be inclined to stay put, on the better wage, as you don't hate the job, and save as much as possible while you have the opportunity to, then come back to the UK in say a couple of years time, hopefully when this recession is over and done with and there are more jobs to be had and when you are still young enough to find mrs right. But that's me, maybe other people will think differently.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

ryan86uk

Thanks for your opinion, appreciated! I just don't wanna leave it too late to settle down! Most of my friends are settling down now. Although I am by far the most financially better off out of my mates this it vastly compensated by them having relationships & jobs that are livable so to speak!

originalmiscellany

Option 1 for a few years. Would be amazing, once in a life time opportunity and you're young enough to enjoy it! And house prices will drop in the next few, so when you're home in 3 years, you'll come home to a much smaller mortgage and have some memories; you don't get a second chance at life.

ryan86uk

originalmiscellany wrote: »

Option 1 for a few years. Would be amazing, once in a life time opportunity and you're young enough to enjoy it! And house prices will drop in the next few, so when you're home in 3 years, you'll come home to a much smaller mortgage and have some memories; you don't get a second chance at life.

I guess you're right. I don't want house prices to drop lol! Not now anyway! A year ago i did!

LilacPixie

No idea what you do but my dad is an engineer and he spend ALOT of time in the middle east/africa when I was little securing our financial future. I am guessing the 86 in your name is year of birth so your 24/25... do another 4 years and you will be clear of your mortgage under 30 and set for life... 30 is not too late to settle actually no age is too late to settle when you meet someone you want to settle with..

forgot the point of my post... my dad missed alot of out growing up chasing the cash, you have the opportunity to be financially secure before kids (if you want them) and really seeing your kids grow up is more precious than anything

Jonbvn

As an ex expat I would say option 1. It set me up financially for life.

adwat

Stay abroad and pay off your mortgage. As for your social life, maybe if you let us know a bit more about where you are etc. we could offer some advice?

abouttimetoo

Hi Ryan86UK

Your dilemma is one quite close to my heart, I've lived in hotels for work now during the week for 8 years and alsd has some short spells abroad. Those around you mostly don't fully appreciate the situation and can often just point out what they perceive to be good e.g. money, climate, hotels, lifestyle but as you no doubt know the truth is it's bl**dy hard at times isn't it and I don't know about you but I can never seem to articulate to others the sacrifces you make and how lonely it can be.

You don't say whether your job is a permanent one or a secondment,, I guess I'm wondering about how easy it would be for you to come back and get a job?

You are younger than me so I think that plays it's part and as some of the others have said this could be a one-off opportunity to earn these sums and put the rest of your life on a great footing.

Only you can decide and you say you 'don't hate your job' so that's good but you don't say you love it and I'm guessing if you've posted here you must be a bit unsettled.

Is there a compromise e.g. could you move to a different country with your company that would bring financial benefits but where you'd be a bit closer to family if you wanted to make a weekend trip etc?

Regards
ATT

romylou_2

Ryan

You appear to be in a very enviable position. You're only young (24) and single. If you are on good money where you are, stay there and milk it for as long as you can.

The job market in the UK is rubbish at the moment due to the recession. If you can pay as much off as you can and put some money away for a rainy day, then when you do come back to the UK, and find a lucky girl to settle with, you will be financially stable.

It will be nice not to have to worry about things. My advice is stay put for now. Good Luck.

ryan86uk

Hi all,

Many thanks indeed for the replies, all of which made good reading! Seeing as I have had so many replies I feel compelled to give you all some more information about my work situation.

I will try and keep it quite brief but to summarise I joined the RAF (As a Mover) at 18, done just over four years service. I left because the whole "military lifestyle" just didn't suit me. That was a bit crap seeing as I had always wanted to join the RAF! Strange how life pans out, eh? I left the RAF in 2008 then started working at Birmingham Airport. This is where I found myself in the situation a lot of people find themselves in. I was working stupid hours to make barely enough money to pay my bills (rented house + the usual house bills). Even though i rented with a friend and everything was split in half, I was unable to save money. Although I stayed in the black all the time.

After eighteen months of doing this I couldn't help but keep thinking how am I ever going to move out of the situation I was in? Naturally, it is the family norm to grow up, get your own house etc etc...and i wanted to get my own house.

I was fortunate enough to have been passed on a contact email address from a friend of mine, who also was in the RAF albeit 20 years prior to me but needless to say he done the same job as I did in the RAF. I naturally sent off my CV and brief cover letter.

The job I applied for (and got) was to work in the middle east (Doha & Dubai) again, doing EXACTLY the same job as I done in the RAF. I was happy with the job I done in the RAF just not all the other crap that went with it. I came out here in Jan 2010 and started saving as much money as I could every month. I came back to the UK in November and started the house hunting. In the time Jan to Nov I had managed to save just over 30k (I had around 9k savings prior to starting this job). I found a house I liked, put an offer in and that got accepted. Then I came back out here and let all the solicitor bits and bobs happen. My house finally completed last week.

My sole objective of coming out here was to get a house and I've done that but do i come home? I want to live in the house I've worked for! Life out here is "alrite" but I would much rather be at home doing a 9-5 lol!