New twist to my brewing situation

[PalmettoStatesport]

So here goes, I get home from work yesterday and my wife informs me that we are now expectant parents... Definitely great news there, and we are both very excited.
However, we are both heading out of town next weekend for an in-person interview for me three states away, and I am seeking some advice.
Should I stay at my current situation, where there is no worry about a lapse in insurance, etc. or do we try to work out a deal at the prospective paper, pack up and move knowing that we probably aren't ready to take on any more expenses at least for nine more months?
Please help...

 

[boots]

If this is truly the job of a lifetime, take your chance and go. In most jobs, you'll be able to sign the wife and unborn up after the probation period.
Good Luck and Congratulations.

 

[cranberry]

You need to provide a lot more details, starting with whether it's a better job. Pay the same or better? What are the benefits like long-term? Advancement opportunities. You can work through a short-term cash-flow crisis if there's something at the end of the rainbow. The best thing to do for your growing family is to get into the best financial position you can on a long-term basis, even if you have to take a short-term hit.

 

[PalmettoStatesport]

It is potentially more pay, better opportunities for both my wife and I, closer to my wife's family, less stress, and more opportunities for advancement at the potential place.

 

[boots]

I think you already have your answer. GO FOR IT!

 

[cranberry]

It is potentially more pay, better opportunities for both my wife and I, closer to my wife's family, less stress, and more opportunities for advancement at the potential place.

Sounds like a go, then. Being closer to your wife's family might be a good thing with a kid on the way. Depends on the outlaws, though. I like having mine close but not so close that they don't call before coming over.

 

[I'll never tell]

It is potentially ....

Are you going down to HOPE you go up?

 

[PalmettoStatesport]

well a formal offer has not been made yet, that is why i said, potentially...

 

[SCEditor]

You're having kids? That's scary. Kidding, of course. Congratulations brother.

 

[spnited]

It is potentially more pay, better opportunities for both my wife and I, closer to my wife's family, less stress, and more opportunities for advancement at the potential place.

If all of this is true, what's the question?

 

[JayFarrar]

Built-in babysitters, that's all I got to say.

 

[moonlight]

As a new dad, I can confirm this: Every decision you make from now on must not be based on what's best for you. It's about the kids. At least it ought to be. Child(ren) change priorities.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

Congratulations on the kids.
Even more of a reason to get out of South Carolina. No place to raise kids (unless, of course, you're taking them to Jersey).

 

[Ace]

PSS,

You may run into a 90-day period before you will be allowed to be on the company health plan. You should look into paying full freight in the interim via Cobra or something.

Also, you need to try to find out if they will treat the pregnancy of a pre-existing condition or something and not cover the cost of the delivery. That would be a wallop in the wallet.

Now, the HR folks may not have all the answers, but it's better to try to hash it out beforehand.

And you may find it hard to fork over $500 or $600 a month for health insurance those three months (if there is a 90-day probationary period) but if it makes a difference over whether your insurance has lapsed or not, it will pay off in the long run.

 

[SCEditor]

Congratulations on the kids.
Even more of a reason to get out of South Carolina. No place to raise kids (unless, of course, you're taking them to Jersey).

Hey, I'm a product of South Carolina public education and ... wait, I'm proving your point.

 

[SF_Express]

As a new dad, I can confirm this: Every decision you make from now on must not be based on what's best for you. It's about the kids. At least it ought to be. Child(ren) change priorities.

Well, that's always the thing to say, and I'm not disputing. But doing what's best for you very well COULD wind up being best for your kids. Unhappy, underpaid work environments aren't particularly conducive to happy familys.

Also: Not saying it's easy, but I did a 3,000-mile job move in the middle of my wife's second pregnancy. I started the job on Dec. 7, and he was born on March 4. So it's doable.

 

[boots]

Congratulations on the kids.
Even more of a reason to get out of South Carolina. No place to raise kids (unless, of course, you're taking them to Jersey).

Hell no. There's nothing new about Jersey. If given the two choices, stay in S.C. You may live to a ripe old age being there.

 

[AllenCone]

I took a job while my wife was several months pregnant.

Because of the 90-day insurance rule at my new newspaper, I had to use COBRA. Because my wife was pregnant and I was the husband, we both needed to be on COBRA. However, I was able to put my other son on a separate hospital insurance plan.

COBRA worked fine. Turns out with the COBRA PPO it picked up 90 percent of the discounted costs. My new job's plan would have paid for 80 percent. Remember you are not paying for the company's insurance for 90 days.

Depending on how high are you medical expenses (including COBRA), it may be tax deductible. I believe you can file of your costs are 7 percent of your adjusted gross income.

Also, there may be a little difficulty in find a doctor. Some docors refuse to take over a case from another doctor. I remember we had to search out several doctors, and that was before it became harder for doctors to get malpractice insurance.