u/Free-Entertainer684

I've been working as an AWS developer for around 16 years, and I feel my salary is probably a bit too low for my experience.

My current job is honestly pretty great. Good, fulfilling work, great colleagues, low stress, I can usually finish on time, and the work-life balance is excellent. I'm not in Dublin, so my living costs aren't crazy either. I'm also planning on buying a house a couple of years down the line, so I'll potentially have a mortgage and family responsibilities. My wife works as a Salesforce developer and earns more than me.

The downside is salary growth. With the increases of 3-5% I'm currently getting, I expect my salary to remain fairly low compared with what I could potentially earn elsewhere.

I feel I could probably get a significantly higher salary by moving as I've tested the waters before, but I'm worried about giving up the WLB and stability I have now, especially with buying a house on the horizon. I could realistically stay where I am until retirement as most people do in the organisation.

For those who've been in a similar situation, what would you do? Take the money and move, or stay with the comfortable/stable job?

Edit: Adding more info. The current market test gives me least €25k more than what I'm currently getting

Edit*2: It's €60k to €85k(at least)

Just for some context, my partner and I are traveling via Dubai airport. Long layover of around 12 hours. Don't wanna spend our time in a hotel room. We like to drink but we don't do that before flights. How would you spend your time here?

Just for some context, my partner and I are traveling via Dubai airport. Long layover of around 12 hours. Don't wanna spend our time in a hotel room. We like to drink but we don't do that before flights. How would you spend your time here?

For some context, I'm kind of a beginner myself as I started running in the last year or so. I just did a couple of sub60 10k runs and my wife only accompanied me a few times to train with me. Needless to say, she recorded very bad times for both of those runs. Now, I've been trying to get into a routine of running thrice a week, and my wife has been joining me. The problem is that we're at very different fitness levels and running paces and I find myself constantly slowing down, stopping, or waiting for her to catch up. I don't mind doing that occasionally, but it makes it difficult for me to keep a consistent pace and get the type of run I'm aiming for.

I've suggested that we run separately, with each of us going at our own pace, and then meet back up afterward. To me, that seems like the simplest solution. But I get the feeling that it hurts her feelings or makes her think I don't want to run with her, which isn't the case.

I genuinely enjoy spending time with her, but I also want these runs to help me improve my fitness and maintain some consistency. Has anyone else dealt with this as a couple? If so, what worked for you?

Worked 16 years as a backend dev(python, aws mostly) and I don't know what this "bubble" means fully but I guess it's about adoption till it becomes a norm like the time automation, cloud etc was a big thing once and then almost every company has adopted it now. Jobs are still being cut(seemingly due to AI) and a few of my friends are not able to get back in the workforce till date. I wanna quit my job(for personal issues) but everyone's telling me to wait it out till the "bubble bursts" but they only have vague idea about what it is. They say I might not be able to get back into the workforce at a later stage if I quit today.

Also, what should I upskill myself on at a later stage to get back to work once I'm ready?

I saw a video once where Arnold was suggesting people to suck in air and tuck in tummies for a smaller waist. Do they work?

My company provides health insurance that covers 50% of the premium for my spouse. My wife recently started a new job in Ireland and is currently on a Stamp 1 CSEP permission, while I'm in the process of moving to Stamp 4.

While my employer offers spouse cover at 50%, her employer doesn't provide her with free health insurance. The only benefit available through her employer is a 7% discount on a Laya policy.

We're trying to decide whether it makes more sense for her to:

1. Buy a personal health insurance.

2. Take out her own Laya policy with the 7% company discount.

3. Stay as a spouse with the 50% contribution.

We're particularly concerned about maternity cover, waiting periods, and overall costs if we become pregnant in the next year.

Has anyone compared similar options in Ireland? What would you consider when making this decision?

Thanks in advance!