Travel time
I've probably ranted about this before, but why oh why do people forget all about time when they decide on a new job? OK, so someone's offered you a job that pays £35,000 p.a. in the big city, but if it takes an hour each way to get to and from the office, that's likely to be at least two hours of each day completely wasted (OK, you could perhaps read a book or listen to an audio device, but it's still not exactly leisure time), not to mention the stress involved with travel delays and the considerable cost in travel expenses (petrol, rail fares, etc). Factor all that in and most people would, I'll warrant, consider that a local or from-home job at £20,000 would actually be preferable. Me, it takes me 10 seconds to get to my office, 6 if I run. And I can work (or not work) according to my own iniative and inclination. And if I had to go out and get a 'proper job' again, I'd only consider something local - it's the travelling that costs and the travel...