How long...

Laurieann137
Laurieann137 Posts: 95 Member
edited December 20 in Chit-Chat
I know this might not be the exact place to post this, but FB seems to be a bad place these days to post anything! So I'm going to ask the most supportive friends I have! Here goes:

How long would you or do you commute to work? I'm looking at possibly getting a new job and it would be almost an hour and a half commute one way. It probably wouldn't be permanent as we would eventually move, but just wondering if I'm insane to even consider this. I already communte 40 minutes each way, but this would be double that. This job isn't even in my current field, but I'm thinking I need a change and this might be a good change for me and my family. I don't even have a formal interview yet, but have already got a call back inquiring about me. I called them, but they were not available so I left a message and am waiting for them to call me now. Anway...Thanks for the input!

Replies

  • kymillion
    kymillion Posts: 791 Member
    I know this might not be the exact place to post this, but FB seems to be a bad place these days to post anything! So I'm going to ask the most supportive friends I have! Here goes:

    How long would you or do you commute to work? I'm looking at possibly getting a new job and it would be almost an hour and a half commute one way. It probably wouldn't be permanent as we would eventually move, but just wondering if I'm insane to even consider this. I already communte 40 minutes each way, but this would be double that. This job isn't even in my current field, but I'm thinking I need a change and this might be a good change for me and my family. I don't even have a formal interview yet, but have already got a call back inquiring about me. I called them, but they were not available so I left a message and am waiting for them to call me now. Anway...Thanks for the input!

    I did 1 hr and 30 before... and I actually liked the time in the car there and back as I had a time to wake up.. and a time to wind down.. so it worked for me .. plus I am a huge car singer so... it was like being a rock star for almost two hours a day ....pretty much like music lessons.... . ;) but it depends on if its worth it to you, gas, time , money all that ,..
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    My commute is 3.5 miles. The longest I would be willing to commute would be and hour.

    JM
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Totally depends. Is the salary and/or benefits worth the increased time and money that the commute would cost?
  • cushygal
    cushygal Posts: 586 Member
    My commute is 2 miles and personally I wouldn't drive over 20 minutes to get to work.

    I don't like to drive.
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,339 Member
    Mine is 2.5 miles, but I walk it, so it takes me around 40 minutes. I've commuted an hour before and LOVED it. Like someone else said, that was ME time.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Do the math and see if it's worth it for you. Consider that your 40 hour work week is now a 55 hour work week, and the amount you'll spend a week on gas... is the hourly rate still worth it?
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    For me, personally, it would be too much. 45 minutes is about my limit. I still see my commute as work time, and that's far too much 'live to work' and not enough 'work to live' for my liking. I'm very much a 'work to live' person.
  • pwittek10
    pwittek10 Posts: 723 Member
    my longest commute was 2 hours, I love audio books so by the time I got home I was totally relaxed
    It worked for me
    It was only for 3 months,
    I still remember that time as "me" time.
    I say go for it!
  • lizzybethclaire
    lizzybethclaire Posts: 849 Member
    I have a 50 minute commute and gas and tolls are killing me. I am looking for something closer. I personally wouldn't do it. The commute will take a huge toll on you and your wallet.
  • jsuaccounting
    jsuaccounting Posts: 189 Member
    My commute averaged 1.5 hours each way for a couple of years. However, I only drove for about 20 to 35 minute of that. I took the train for the rest of the way. It was do-able - I listened to a lot of pod casts and stood up on the train to minimize the amount of time on my butt! I also traveled for work, sometimes on-site for two weeks at a time, that helped.

    Recently, I moved coser in and can now walk to a train stop. It takes about 30 minutes including a half mile walk. Life is much better.

    My brother has an hour commute each way (little traffic though) - he works a long day so it is pretty stressful.
  • amanda52488
    amanda52488 Posts: 260 Member
    The longest I've done is 1 hour each way, I hated it!! I always ended up stopping to get food on the way home because I got hungry hah. I could never do 1.5 hours, but some would like it I guess.
  • jamfan
    jamfan Posts: 124 Member
    I grew up in the country so driving anywhere was 45 mins. I did an 1:30 commute for years. You get used to the time in the car as it becomes part of your routine. It must be worth it & consider gas being $5 a gallon plus an oil change per month. Also if you live where it will be terrible weather in the winter you should consider that as well. If you can fit the time into your schedule & make it work, you'll get used to the drive. But it's less time to workout.
  • flyingwrite
    flyingwrite Posts: 264
    I only live 22 miles from work but it takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half to get there thanks to traffic. So, I spend that time listening to NPR and some pretty awesome music. It's practically the only alone time I have so I try to use it wisely.
  • Mindywhitley
    Mindywhitley Posts: 12 Member
    I think it depends on the type of traffic you have. When I lived in Kansas, I drove 55 minutes to go 49 miles and I didn't mind it too much. I currently live in the Washington DC area and before my office moved to it's current location, it took me 1 hour 15 minutes to go 17 miles. It was awful. Now it's only 20 minutes and I love it.
  • sktllmdrhmz
    sktllmdrhmz Posts: 1,799 Member
    Kinda random thing to consider, but how nice is your car? Noise, vibration, and ride quality can be killer, and something that's unnoticed on a shorter trip can turn into a major drag after a while.
  • msudaisy28
    msudaisy28 Posts: 267 Member
    I've never had a commute to my office more than 45 minutes before - and that drove me nuts. That being said, the past 8 years of my life were spent in a career where I worked at my client locations a good chunck of the time, so my commute would vary based on where I was actually going and I spent roughly 50% of my time outside of my office. So some days I would luck out and have a 10 minute commute and the next week I would be at another client which was an hour and a half commute.

    I don't mind being in the car, and its a great way to get some "me time", although that me time isn't very physically active. I listened to NPR and that's how I kept up on current events (no need to surf the web, watch the news, or read the paper anymore!), rocked out to music, or listened to audiobooks.
  • 10acity
    10acity Posts: 798 Member
    I've had a couple of hideous commutes in my time, and I am not a fan. As a previous poster mentioned, it just felt like I was working that much longer, and that had a huge impact on my frame of mind. I arrived home angry and it would often take at least 30 mins to subside before I could actually get on with enjoying my evening-- by which time it was nearly over, anyway. I'm much happier now with a 20-25 min commute.

    It's notable that both commutes were so hideously long (anywhere from 45 mins to 3 hours, depending) entirely because of traffic, though (downtown Phoenix at rush hour, and then the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel at rush hour.. nightmares). Had I been actually driving the entire time, I'm sure it would've been at least somewhat less painful. I could see the "me time" argument if you have kids-- I'm single with no children, so I don't generally count a commute as such. My guess is it depends a lot on your general disposition and personal circumstances. Definitely something to think hard about though, I think!
  • Laurieann137
    Laurieann137 Posts: 95 Member
    Thank you for your responses!!! They are great and a lot to consider! To answer some questions:

    My commute would be almost all interstate driving. Really only 40 miles down the road from where I work now. I just got a "newer" car and it has pretty good gas mileage. If I liked the job, then we would move to where I would only have the 40 minute commute again. I LOVE audio books and I can connect my MP3 player to my car so I know I always have good music. I love the ME time, but just didn't know if I was insane for considering this long of a commute. If the job is what I think it would be, then it would be fun and has the potential to pay quite a bit more than what I am making now. I know my kids don't want to move and we really like the school distict we have. However, my husband and I are not content in our jobs and we have lived no further than 15 miles away from "home" our entire life. We want to expand our wings, and give our kids opportunities that maybe they wouldn't have otherwise. It's just scary to leave somewhere you have been your entire life!
  • jillica
    jillica Posts: 554 Member
    I commuted for 4 years - one hour each way.

    1.) I didn't have kids then. There is no way I could have done that if I did have kids.
    2.) How are you as a driver? I enjoyed driving, listening to music, and gathering my thoughts. My friend was just the opposite - driving an hour long commute stressed her out - the down time, the other drivers, the weather.

    Good luck.
  • dlyeates
    dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
    My last school was a 1 1/2 hour each way commute and I did that for 3 years....but I was trying to find something closer to home. My school is now 45 minutes from my parents/childcare....30 minutes from home.

    Think about gas and type of car. If you are changing careers completely also consider that you won't have as much time off as in the schools.

    PM me and let me know what is going on!!!
  • rebecca_d35
    rebecca_d35 Posts: 131
    I wouldn't do it. I have a 45-minute commute each way, and when I add it all up over the weeks, months, years, I'm depressed about how much extra time I spend away from my kids. I have a great job, but the commute is a killer. There's no way I would double it with kids at home.
  • michelle850
    michelle850 Posts: 65 Member
    I'm biased since I don't want you guys to move, but Matt did 50 min commute to Black River falls for a year and hated it after a while. He felt like he was never home. And did I mention I don't want you guys to move...EVER!!!!! ;)
  • Stacyagilbert
    Stacyagilbert Posts: 1
    Just speaking from my experience with my husband working an hour away for a year and a half. It was very exhausting on us all. If you think it is short term and you can move closer, that's great, but in our situation, we knew we weren't moving closer to his work. It was hard for me because I had to do everything for or with the kids. He wasn't close enough to take them to a dr appt, and missed a lot of school and sporting events.

    Now my sister drives an hour back/forth to work each day, but she loves her job and wouldn't trade it for the world.

    Best of luck what ever you decide.
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