You should never threaten anyone when trying to get a raise. You simply lay out why you think you deserve it and if they don't agree then you find a new job, but you never mention that fact to your employer. The people who aren't afraid to actually move on are the ones who get what they deserve. Far too many people are afraid of moving to another company and it holds them back immensely.
I wouldn't recommend ever going to your employer with another offer and letting them counter it. Your days will be numbered there once they find a replacement for you, since you're clearly disloyal. You never never accept a counter offer.
Counter offers should be treated as temporary holdover for a variety of reasons. The issue listed above is definitely something that can happen, but accepting a counter offer from a company you clearly aren't all that happy at (or else you wouldn't have interviewed elsewhere) is only a bandaid, you'll be unhappy again in a matter of months.
Well, we talked about Monday on the phone. I just got an email back from the recruiter saying she had to leave unexpectedly today and I should have it Monday morning. It somewhat raises my bullshit alarm, but they've chased me so aggressively over the last week that it would be strange to delay now. I know for certain that no one else is vying for the job.
To be honest, the whole structure and title thing just preempts drama with pay rates, experience and streamlines performance reviews and the like. It takes some burden from management and HR staff and puts it on the 'system'. Helps keep payroll and cost centers in check, etc.
Have you asked them why you have yet to be promoted? I have a friend who I once found out had gone without a raise for 3 years because he was 'being polite' and they just didn't do reviews until you asked for one (or a raise) to avoid paying you more. lol.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. My current job got into that Friday rut with the job offer and a screwup which made a long weekend for me but on Monday it was all cleared up.
Our retirement savings goal is way ahead of schedule (we are both looking at retiring around 45). We typically only use our bonuses for fun things... Our salaries go towards savings, our investments, and to basic necessities (mortgage, food, gas, my cigar budget, bourbon budget, beer budget, her wine budget, child necessities). We are actually pretty frugal with our money (if you don't include our spending for our 'vices' such as bourbon and wine), but we do like the nicer things in life when we do spend however. We make great combined income but we went for a smaller home (smaller compared to what our income level usually supports) as a large one wasn't needed. We'd rather have land than a large home in a neighborhood with small yards.
I'd say go for it. As it has been brought up in this thread before, a standard 4-year degree's value is almost non-existent and is very common now (not to say it isn't good to have). With an MBA, you'll definitely stand out and will do wonders for later internal promotions. It will almost always pay for itself later on (I have never seen it not with us and the people we know).
