[markem]

IMO, time off is worth about 1.5 my pay rate. I get relaxed, get non-work things done, get recharged, all that.

Dunno about your situation, but here are some things that I would consider:

1. Is there a limit after which I am unable to accrue more PTO?
2. If there is no limit, if I am fired, quit, or retire, do I get it back paid?
3. If there is no limit, can I use it in large chunks in case myself or someone in my family has a serious medical emergency/condition/life altering event?
4. Even if there is a limit, might I want to have a large chuck some day?
5. Do I have short-term disability insurance. PTO can be used to cover the gap until long-term disability kicks in (you have it, don't you?).

In 1988, when I left the Boeing Company, I lost about 250 hours of sick time that I never used (back then, there was a strict separation between sick and vacation time). Nothing that I could have done about that, but if I stayed until retirement, the hours would have been rolled in to my retirement calculation - at least at that time.

It's a bit tricky to recommend in your case, but if you need the money, go for it. If you aren't going to lose anything by hanging on to it, then I say save it since the 90% of your hourly will hopefully be higher in the future.