I was in the same position as you were 2 years ago. My job that I loved (we were like a little family) was amalgamating with another firm due to ill health of our owner. This was July/August and I would have got till Christmas out of it. Jobs were becoming scarce and one of my old colleagues wanted to get me to work where he had moved to. I went to the interview and was unsure but more negative than positive, but like you thought well Christmas could come and I will have nothing.
Started in August, hated everything about the place, the commute, the regime, the location, some of the people....after 2 weeks knew I had made a massive mistake. By November started sending off CV and am lucky got where I am still today. Started there 1st December. However, the 4 months I did in a job I hated were like a lifetime. If I knew the job I am in now was coming down the line, I would have stayed put in my old job and waited till November then taken a month off. Hindsight is a great man.
If it were to happen to me again now, irrespective of climate, etc, if I knew I would hate the job, I would not take it. I am lucky though that I could take a few months to a year out if need be.
Hopefully you will get the 1st job you like, even with the money is less, when I was in a job I hated I would have swept the roads just to get out of there!