<prompt> Human: I currently work in an office in town. My take-home pay is about 580-600week, including 5-8 hours of overtime, which comes to about 38,000 annually before taxes. I currently have no benefits but only spend maybe 20week on fuel. There are no other opportunities for advancement with this company, although I have already been given two raises since I first started a year ago. I am, however, very concerned about the stability of my current employer. Honestly, the owner is in bad shape financially, cuts corners in his operations, and is in poor standing with a lot of government agencies. It is a very real possibility that I could come into work one day to find the whole company has been closed down by any one of these groups. On the other hand, he has taken a lot of my suggestions to heart and made some important changes, and if Im able to help him pull through, I may see some very substantial compensation. Theres a fair amount of risk by staying, but there is also an opportunity for a big payoff. So, between the job insecurity and the fact that Im going to be a father next spring, Ive been searching for a new job. This past week I was offered a position with another company doing basically the same thing I am currently. The job comes with health insurance, shortlong-term disability, term life insurance and 401k w 0.50 to the dollar matching up to 6. The company is also stable, and is in fact growing faster than it can keep up with. There are a few outside opportunities for career advancement, although there is no set career path. Wage increases are considered on a performance basis. The job is out of town and would require me to commute about 50 minutes each way, which I estimate to be at least an extra 2,500 in fuel consumption annually.This potential employers first offer was 32,000 annual salary. I told them I was currently on track to make 38,000. This morning they came back with an offer of 35,000. I told them I would need something in the low 40k area in order to break even. They do not know I dont have any benefits right now. They said 40k was almost certainly not possible, but that they would get back to me on Monday. I said I am flexible, willing to negotiate, and that I dont want this to be a deal-breaker.I am hoping I may be able to negotiate 36,500, but right now the offer sits at 35,000. I am completely on the fence and dont know if I should take a 3,000year pay-cut 2,500year increase in fuel expense in exchange for benefits, job security, and an outside chance at career advancement.Advicesuggestionscomments? Please help!EDIT: My girlfriend has health insurance, and it would be cheaper to put the baby on her plan than mine if I took the job. Plus, since were not married yet, she cant add me to her plan.Moving is also an option, but she works here in town where were currently set up. So moving would make my commute less, but would make hers longer. Plus, I would rather me be on the highway than her, especially in bad weather.EDIT 2: By career advancement opportunities, I mean the guy I would be working for has several small private companies. He also is part owner of a larger, publicly traded company. On the private side, the position I would be coming into would be as far as I can go. But, if a position in his public company became available, I would at least have consideration for the position. So its not like Ive got a career path laid out in front of me. There is a chance to advance, but Id consider it an outside chance.EDIT 3: Thank you everyone for your responses. The position is in the accountingfinance field. I dont want to go into much more detail in the off-chance someone over there is a redditor. Its the end of the day on Monday and I have not yet heard back from them after I gave them my counter-offer on Saturday. At this point, Im down to three options:1. Ill tell them that Ill eat the cost of gascommuting if they are able to match my current pay.2. If they make an offer of anything less than my current pay, trying to get other benefits. My first request would be tuition reimbursement should I decide to go back to school part-time. Other options would be extra vacation time or lower premiums on health and term life insurance.3. If theyre not willing to negotiate on either of those offers Im probably going to pass. Its too much time and money lost for what I consider a lateral move. Yes, I would gain some job security and an outside chance at advancement, but the benefits are mostly negligible, as Ive already been quoted similar benefits for about 100month young and healthy, yay!. The only loss would be the matching on the 401k, which I may not be able to afford to contribute to anyways.Im open to any other ideas regarding what I could try to negotiate.  <response>: Are you really doing the math here?1. an effective 5,500 pay cut using your math. Thats 32,500 per year pretax, pre-insurance, and pre-retirement. Thats 230 youre missing PER PAYCHECK before youve even taken out the extra that youll spend on your benefits2. If you take advantage of the 401k matching, plan to dock your pay by another 2100 per year 87.50 per paycheck. Were now up to a net loss of 317.50 per paycheck yes, this money makes itself back in retirement, but consider that you may not be able to afford to contribute right now and its as if the benefit doesnt exist at all3. For health care, youll probably contribute around 40 per paycheck depending on the plan you choose. Net loss: 357.50 per paycheck. Beware of the dirt-cheap plans with annual deductibles that youll never meet, effectively making it so that youre paying for not having health insurance unless you become extremely sick.TL;DR: Make sure you are prepared to take a 357.50 hit PER PAYCHECK 8,580year. I highly doubt that you can afford that with a baby on the way. Unless you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that your employer will close its doors any day, I would seriously consider not taking this job.Also, dont forget that with a 50 minute commute each way, youll be waking up an hour earlier every day and getting home to see your family an hour later. Commutes are a huge source of unhappiness in workers, so if you dont think youre up for doing that for years on end, again, I would reconsider. 