Making Sacrifices

When you come to a point where you must decide which sacrifices are worth it, how do you know which is the right choice? Here's where I'm going with this: Richard has an opportunity to take a job closer to home (in Rio Rancho). But, if he takes it, he will also take a major pay cut. At his current out-of-town job he makes an hourly wage PLUS per diem (which cover living expenses with lots of surplus). The job in Abq would be the same hourly rate without the per diem. Also, he may be cut back up to 8hrs each week.

If he takes the job, he will be back home with us. He'll be able to spend all week with his family and see all the "little moments" in Isabella's growing up.

Being away all week is hard, but now is probably the best time because Isabella is young enough to not realize or be too deeply affected by her daddy being gone. It is obvious that she loves him and she gets so excited to see him the morning after he gets home! But, she doesn't wander the house all week looking for him--like he's "missing."

So, is it worth the sacrifice of missing out on the day-in day-out of her baby-hood to save up more money and get ourselves in a better financial situation. Or, will we regret all this time that he's missing out and wish that we had done thing differently? It's not necessarily a choice between work/money and family/Isabella, because he does spend the weekends with us and we make enough money to cover bills and still have fun (either way).

I think we're leaning towards temporarily postponing the move back, to try to put more money aside in savings. And, by the end of the summer, he'll be ready to come home (1 year after starting the job). Any thoughts, opinions, stories of your own?