Bit of advice needed.
Looks like i may be getting offered a redundancy 70 - 80k.

STAY: Job pays 95k annually for 8 hour shifts, set roster and home to wife and kids every night. Can return as a casual after 3 years if there are jobs going.

GO: Take the package and try get a job up north, have nothing teed up yet and only skills are machine driving. eg: cn, gantry and heavy fork tickets.

What should i do?

Line something up north then jump -
Advice is a bit base-less without knowing how the budget looks. (This is just the $ budget - the social one can be tricky).
If you have $95k coming in and $95k going out then look before U jump
If you have $95k coming in and $45k (mandatory spend) then do some research - jump use the time to skill up and go North.

Out of town work is best enjoyed w/o a young family as a rule but there are plenty of exceptions.

I had a ball travelling and time-off on rigs as a kid.

Good general tip is always keep skilling up.

AP

Hey Baba,

Hard to answer without knowing your age and job opportunities... and age of your kids (and how well your wife will cope with you having an away job).

If you take the package have you thought about getting into commercial construction rather than mining? This would allow you to stay local and maintain the family time...

BabaORiley said...

Bit of advice needed.
Looks like i may be getting offered a redundancy 70 - 80k.

STAY: Job pays 95k annually for 8 hour shifts, set roster and home to wife and kids every night. Can return as a casual after 3 years if there are jobs going.

GO: Take the package and try get a job up north, have nothing teed up yet and only skills are machine driving. eg: cn, gantry and heavy fork tickets.

What should i do?

probably don't ask for reliable advice from a bunch of internet nerds like us !!
if only someone would offer me 70-80 k to stop working!!!
anyway .............
talk to an accountant or financial advisor.....no point taking the cash if the taxman takes half... as big kerry (packer) was fond of saying "it's every australians' job to minimise their tax ...those p*&cks don't spend it well enough for me to give it away to them ".....enviable situation to be in...as i don't have any dependents and no -one else to consider ...Me I would be taking the cash in a flash and going on holidays for a few years..ie "fool and his money is soon partying"...
your family considerations move the tryline quite a fair bit from a financial viewpoint......maybe just sit down with your missus and "do the numbers" on how much you need to get by/live well/ be happy baba....hard one eh?

otherwise if you hate the job your doing then its a cinch!!
nice to have a choice "choose wisely grasshopper"
bit of cliche' but a good one

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

or on the other hand

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"
— Hunter S. Thompson

Eddie would go

My 2 cents worth is ......

......to remember that as your kids get older they cost a lot more to run.

If it's a close call on your wages now then make sure any job you move to will pay more.