Seriously tough decision...

[anthai.lu]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but where would you be going? I think that would play an important role for me. A lot of factors on the destination (quality of life, safety, culture etc.)

Only you know how good or bad your current relationship is. If you guys are serious and see yourself together long-term, I think this would be a great opportunity for you. Not only financially but personally. At 24 years old, you still have the rest of your life ahead of you and now is the time to travel, experience new things and "find yourself".

Plus, when you eventually get back, you will be in a much better financial situation with zero debt. You'll be hard pressed to find any job where you can pay off your debt within a year so this is a very rare opportunity for you.

[terces]

As a veteran navy wife, I have to chime in.

It sounds as if the opportunity you have is not only good financially but also for career growth. If you are career oriented I would do the deployment. Anything that gives you an edge over someone with the same education helps these days.

As far as the deployment… if a relationship is meant to last it will. 10 months may see like a long time but after it’s done and over you'll wonder where the time went. Plus with Skype, email, etc. it makes it so much easier. I survived on snail mail that would come every few weeks. And the fact that you have your SO’s support is a big thing that will make it easier. Not every person can handle the separation. And just think how much better life will be for the two of you after the deployment. I can’t imagine you have much time together working two jobs.

In regards to the car, if you are keeping it just don’t let it sit and not run during the 10 months. That’s not good on a car.

[Vpxggmr17]

Appreciate all of the feedback. Let me address some of the most recent posts.

First off, I am a guy haha, not that it creates much of a difference for the sake of this forum, but just to get facts straight.

Secondly, the location would be on base, in Afghanistan. So safety is obvioulsy a factor into this decision, etc. However, there are just certain skills, achievements that cannot be accomplished stateside that I have to consider in this situation as well.

Third, I think we have been realizing that 10 months is manageable, especially with techonolgy the way it is and that neither of us fear straying.

Lastly, I would have to resolve the car situation because you are correct, letting it "sit" for 10 months would be horrible for it.

I couldn't agree more that the ability to go away for 10 months and come back exponentially financially stronger is the major plus here. The career experience/growth I think is second to that. I am a highly motivated individual and career has been and always will be a major driving force in my life.

That said, all of the factors do have to come into play. I have parents who are split on the concept. I have the relationship which would obviously take a lot of work to maintain (but I'm 100% willing to do so) and then I have the career/financial aspects. It's a lot to balance and while nothing from this situation may come to fruition, the fact that the prospect excites me and is a real possibility is driving this internal debate.

[siggy_freud]

Appreciate all of the feedback. Let me address some of the most recent posts.

First off, I am a guy haha, not that it creates much of a difference for the sake of this forum, but just to get facts straight.

Secondly, the location would be on base, in Afghanistan. So safety is obvioulsy a factor into this decision, etc. However, there are just certain skills, achievements that cannot be accomplished stateside that I have to consider in this situation as well.

Third, I think we have been realizing that 10 months is manageable, especially with techonolgy the way it is and that neither of us fear straying.

Lastly, I would have to resolve the car situation because you are correct, letting it "sit" for 10 months would be horrible for it.

I couldn't agree more that the ability to go away for 10 months and come back exponentially financially stronger is the major plus here. The career experience/growth I think is second to that. I am a highly motivated individual and career has been and always will be a major driving force in my life.

That said, all of the factors do have to come into play. I have parents who are split on the concept. I have the relationship which would obviously take a lot of work to maintain (but I'm 100% willing to do so) and then I have the career/financial aspects. It's a lot to balance and while nothing from this situation may come to fruition, the fact that the prospect excites me and is a real possibility is driving this internal debate.

I say go for it. Not many opportunities like this come up, and having that type of experience in-country will not only look great, but give you some credibility with others in the field. Living on base, especially under your circumstances, would be tough with a significant other, so I understand why it would be a long-distance relationship. But if both parties are on board, don't pass this up. Yes, it's a dangerous place, and that needs to be factored in, but if you're up to handling it, you'll get no equal experience here stateside.

As for the car, look into some car-share programs where you may be able to rent out your car for the duration of your work. Or leave it with a trusted friend/family member and keep making the payments yourself. Cars are okay to leave sitting, so long as they're driven for a few hours a month and the fuel is stabilized/refreshed.

[red92s]

My brother entered the Peace Corps a couple months after he started dating a nice girl. They saw each other twice in the two years he was overseas. They are now married and have two kids.

I started dating my now-wife right around the time I signed a two year commitment to work in India, and she was disappointed but supportive. That project fell through and I only worked internationally a couple months, but we were prepared for it.

10 months really isn't that long. $100k in liquid cash at your age sets you up pretty well for continued financial stability. It sucks to feel like you are prioritizing money over relationships, but there is something to be said for the quality of life that comes with having 20% down for a house, no debt, a full emergency fund, and the ability to tackle retirement savings aggressively in your mid-20's. That's a pretty tempting springboard. Gut feeling is that if you've toughed it out 2 years working as hard as you have, 10 months apart won't be a deathblow to the relationship if the other person is on board.

[cypher1]

Vpxggmr17, not to move off topic, but you mentioned being a defense contractor. I'm taking a guess your background is more strongly IT related? This opportunity reminds me of others I know ran through DoD with companies like ITT Exelis for sending you to other countries for up to 1 year contract. If that's the case, it's not too easy to get those kinds of contracts, especially with clearance. The people I know who did it said safety wasn't an issue for them either. If this the type of contract support I think it is.

[Vpxggmr17]

Vpxggmr17, not to move off topic, but you mentioned being a defense contractor. I'm taking a guess your background is more strongly IT related? This opportunity reminds me of others I know ran through DoD with companies like ITT Exelis for sending you to other countries for up to 1 year contract. If that's the case, it's not too easy to get those kinds of contracts, especially with clearance. The people I know who did it said safety wasn't an issue for them either. If this the type of contract support I think it is.

I am not in IT. But I do know what you are referencing. I guess there is a strong current demand for what is being advertised but again, details at this point are minimal as I've just started the pursuits of this process.

I have the credentials for set position, but not the experience (which is the main reason I'm trying to go gain some). That said, I do have the connection, the knowledge that the recruiter is in my same building, that I am an internal candidate and possess the other requirements for application.

[EEinNJ]

Financially and career-wise this prospect makes dollars and sense. Lifestyle and relationships are another matter. If Afghanistan sucks (and I'm pretty sure it does- people don't go on vacation there!) and your partner bails on you, 100 grand won't seem like such a great deal. On the other hand, it may be your ticket to a bright future. I've known guys who went to Iraq, but they got periodic visits home- make that and an early exit clause part of your deal and you'll limit your risk.

[Vpxggmr17]

Financially and career-wise this prospect makes dollars and sense. Lifestyle and relationships are another matter. If Afghanistan sucks (and I'm pretty sure it does- people don't go on vacation there!) and your partner bails on you, 100 grand won't seem like such a great deal. On the other hand, it may be your ticket to a bright future. I've known guys who went to Iraq, but they got periodic visits home- make that and an early exit clause part of your deal and you'll limit your risk.

I know 100% he won't bail. That said, my concern lies more with leaving in a sense of abandonment. I'm the main supporter here so it's hard for me to just peace out.

I guess what this comes down to is me feeling selfish for wanting to go do something like this, both for the financial/experience aspects, knowing what me being away for 10 months will do to him, if that makes sense. So I've been trying to explain what this would mean for us, and he understands, but it doesn't make the prospect any easier. Not that I assume it ever is easy, and working in the field, I don't know how military families all over this country do it successfully but props to them.

In regards to traveling stateside, for tax purposes and in the R&R guidelines, Continental US travel is not permitted and even if it was, would invalidate the tax free aspect.

[JoeP]

How about a mid-deployment meetup in someplace like Dubai? I've heard really good things about that city: lots of clubs, shows, night life, etc.

[scfr]

1. Please make sure you know what coverage you would have in case of permanent disability and that you are comfortable with it. Don't take anyone's word for it. Get it in writing. Speaking ONLY from a financial point of view, permanent disability would be even worse than death. If you could not work for the rest of your life and had high care needs, how would you pay for that?

2. If you can accept the risks and have an adequate safety net, go for it. The biggest "financial bumps" my husband & I got were when we did something a bit risky: When my husband quit a salaried job to start his own business, and when we moved half-way across the country to a place where we did not know a single person.

3. You may want to write out your plan for exactly what you will do with the money you will be earning. You don't want to be one of those guys who risks life & limb just to blow it on a fancy set of wheels.

Keep us posted.

[Vpxggmr17]

1. Please make sure you know what coverage you would have in case of permanent disability and that you are comfortable with it. Don't take anyone's word for it. Get it in writing. Speaking ONLY from a financial point of view, permanent disability would be even worse than death. If you could not work for the rest of your life and had high care needs, how would you pay for that?

2. If you can accept the risks and have an adequate safety net, go for it. The biggest "financial bumps" my husband & I got were when we did something a bit risky: When my husband quit a salaried job to start his own business, and when we moved half-way across the country to a place where we did not know a single person.

3. You may want to write out your plan for exactly what you will do with the money you will be earning. You don't want to be one of those guys who risks life & limb just to blow it on a fancy set of wheels.

Keep us posted.

Disability and god forbid, life insurance will all be planned out prior to departure as I've been told.

I couldn't agree more, the higher compensation is due to the inherent risk. That said, it is much safer than other areas in the region but obviously I'm not naive enough to ignore the fact that it's still risky.

My plan can't take place until I would find out exactly what the salary picture would look like and where I currently stood financially at that time because I'll be in a much different place come later in the year. That said, my current plan is to travel/relax with a very small portion of the income for the 11th month I'm required to stay overseas. Then the rest will be split between 401k investments throughout my tenure, maximizing my Roth for both this fiscal year and next, bulking up my emergency fund from it's current $10k to $25k and using the rest as a foundation for a house down payment for the future.

[scfr]

Disability and god forbid, life insurance will all be planned out prior to departure as I've been told.

I couldn't agree more, the higher compensation is due to the inherent risk. That said, it is much safer than other areas in the region but obviously I'm not naive enough to ignore the fact that it's still risky.

My plan can't take place until I would find out exactly what the salary picture would look like and where I currently stood financially at that time because I'll be in a much different place come later in the year. That said, my current plan is to travel/relax with a very small portion of the income for the 11th month I'm required to stay overseas. Then the rest will be split between 401k investments throughout my tenure, maximizing my Roth for both this fiscal year and next, bulking up my emergency fund from it's current $10k to $25k and using the rest as a foundation for a house down payment for the future.

Sounds like you have a good general plan in place, and can assign some specific numbers once you know more details.

As far as the travel/relax budget, maybe you could assign a percentage even before you know how much money you will be receiving? There are many Saving Advice members who like to travel and find it fun/challenging/rewarding to see just how much bang we can get for our travel bucks. We aren't looking to "travel cheap" ... we are looking to travel well on a budget. It means we spend time researching & planning & hunting for the best deal. You sound like a planner, so you may enjoy doing the same!

Here's a link to my blog entry on my trip to DC & NYC several years ago: DC & NYC Vacation: WOW!: scfr's Personal Finance Blog

[Harlem]

Good opportunity does not come frequently . I think it's the high time to catch those and go ahead. Don't bother about the relationship, if it is meant to be preserved then it will never be lost. But yet, you understand your situation well, so decision is yours. Don't get pressurized. Best wishes for you.

[Vpxggmr17]

Are you sure the 120k in tax is tax free or do you have to pay the international tax rate? If the job is able to further your career and offer you a huge resume boost, no doubt about it, you should take it. However if you only want to get the job as a way to pay back debt, I suggest you don't take it. Often taking an international job will present hardships when coming back to the United States and taking a similar position. The time for readjusting will also be rather difficult. What you can do is start making more than minimum payments on your loan first (student loan interest is higher than car currently) and then pay you car loan. You aren't in that much debt and there should be no reason to quit your 46k job. It is a good paying job and your life will be going uphill from here but I must say you bought quite an expensive first car!

100% tax free. There are no international tax rates in operational areas.

It will both bring me a lot of capital and also boost my career from where I stand currently.

Yes, I have a good job at the moment, but there is little to no growth on my current contract.