£1.40 a litre

IveSeenTheLight

Graham_Devon wrote: »

You can make it simple yes.

But you keep wanting to apply a one stop shop to everyone.

So you can make it too simple. Which is what you are doing, by giving suggestions everyone already knows about, but as everyone works differently, doesn't always apply to.

Each to their own.
If you are in an unfortunate position that you cannot car share / take the bus / train / walk / cycle etc etc etc then that's you in the minority.
For the majority, there is a change in expectations of how we need to live.

I've lived close to (walkable), medium (cyclable or three buses) and driveable (car shared due to 60 miles commute, with no train options)
the thing is for most people there are many options, while for you, it seems you don;t have the same options

PasturesNew

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

I know quite a lot of people that have a 40-50 mile commute to work and get into car share schemes.

I worked 50 miles from home a few years back, commuting daily. On my first day I asked about car sharing - I was the only person from my town that worked there; everybody else lived in the next county (away), or in completely the opposite direction to me in my county.

Also, most of the others were women with kids, so they left on time all the time, whereas I was expected to stay late/turn up early most days.

There were no trains, the bus would have taken over 2 hours and wouldn't have run early/late enough for me to get to work.

Driving was the only way. It was a few years ago, but I was already aware that the petrol (at 75p/litre) and keeping the car on the road, was costing me so much I'd be better off "taking any job" locally, while mulling this over I was laid off and so for the next 2-3 years I worked in my town and walked to work.... but guess what, that now looks !!!!!! on my CV and it pretty much killed attempts at getting another "good job" ever again.

Edit: I just ran the travel planner for that journey. First bus of the morning leaves at 06:38 and I'd arrive at the town (not the office) at 09:48. To get home I'd be able to catch the 18:10 and arrive back in my town at 20:50. No idea of cost as the travel planner doesn't tell you the fares. But it's 3 buses each way.

PasturesNew

I am trying to rent somewhere to live, so far the only affordable one is a caravan in a field in the middle of nowhere, not even a path outside on the road. Proper "nowhere". What this gives me is space to park, a bit of outside space and a rent 2/3rds of a 1-bed grotty flat in a town.

People tend to live away from towns because it's cheaper/safer. e.g. I can spend £450 on a caravan with a small garden/parking, or £600 for a tiny 1-bed flat with no parking and all kinds of noise/criminals/drunks outside in the street, not to mention having to put up with communal hallways and people thundering about banging doors.

Then there's a change of circumstances. I can work close to where I live, but what if I lose that job? (happens a lot), next job might be 40 miles in any other direction.

IveSeenTheLight

PasturesNew wrote: »

I worked 50 miles from home a few years back, commuting daily. On my first day I asked about car sharing - I was the only person from my town that worked there; everybody else lived in the next county (away), or in completely the opposite direction to me in my county.

Also, most of the others were women with kids, so they left on time all the time, whereas I was expected to stay late/turn up early most days.

There were no trains, the bus would have taken over 2 hours and wouldn't have run early/late enough for me to get to work.

Driving was the only way. It was a few years ago, but I was already aware that the petrol (at 75p/litre) and keeping the car on the road, was costing me so much I'd be better off "taking any job" locally, while mulling this over I was laid off and so for the next 2-3 years I worked in my town and walked to work.... but guess what, that now looks !!!!!! on my CV and it pretty much killed attempts at getting another "good job" ever again.

Edit: I just ran the travel planner for that journey. First bus of the morning leaves at 06:38 and I'd arrive at the town (not the office) at 09:48. To get home I'd be able to catch the 18:10 and arrive back in my town at 20:50. No idea of cost as the travel planner doesn't tell you the fares. But it's 3 buses each way.

Do you think this is standard?

I find it strange that you were "expected" to start early and stay late, whilst others left on time regularly.
It's also strange that whilst your position would seem to be a business requirement with the extra hours and all that you were then laid off.

I must admit, I dont have experience of people travelling 50 miles without common options of alternative transport.
I'm thinking of the worst case where there was people travelling 65 miles to get to work due to their preference of living area, but still there was at least two to consider car sharing and they also for a while commuted by train between the towns and then got a local bus to work.

It seemed that you were considering the option of working more locally (which you ultimately did) and is something that many would consider when working under the conditions that you had to endure.

P.S. I recall seeing on telly a woman who travelled each day from Leeds to London and then back again via train for work. she practically had less than 8 hours at home and if IIRC she also had children.
Not ideal in my eyes, but those were the options she chose.

I have no qualms about thinking that with the price of petrol, many will consider the vast options they have to reduce their petrol consumption. Not ideal for all, but there is likely to be a huge reduction in road miles used

IveSeenTheLight

PasturesNew wrote: »

I am trying to rent somewhere to live, so far the only affordable one is a caravan in a field in the middle of nowhere, .

Hi PN.
Please don;t take this as condiscending, but we regularly hear about your personal situation, lack of jobs, lack of affordable renting options.
It's not an ideal situation, but it is something that some people have tried to assist you with showing you links to UK wide jobs.

If it's not working in your current location, do you really need to consider making a change to have different options?

RenovationMan

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

Hi PN.
Please don;t take this as condiscending, but we regularly hear about your personal situation, lack of jobs, lack of affordable renting options.
It's not an ideal situation, but it is something that some people have tried to assist you with showing you links to UK wide jobs.

If it's not working in your current location, do you really need to consider making a change to have different options?

I keep getting people mixed up on here. I thought PN said s/he had a large deposit of about £200k or something, but then you read his/her stuff about long-term unemployment and living in caravans. Who am confusing PN with?

Davesnave

RenovationMan wrote: »

Who am confusing PN with?

You aren't confused. She has enough to buy outright, when she's sure......It's not clear when that will be though! That money, like my rebuilding fund, is untouchable.

IveSeenTheLight

RenovationMan wrote: »

I keep getting people mixed up on here. I thought PN said s/he had a large deposit of about £200k or something, but then you read his/her stuff about long-term unemployment and living in caravans. Who am confusing PN with?

Your not confusing PN with another.
IIRC her fund is way more than you think, possibly more than double that.

If she were to consider moving round the country, she'd be able to get a really nice place bought outright and still have a nice sum in the bank

RenovationMan

Davesnave wrote: »

You aren't confused. She has enough to buy outright, when she's sure......It's not clear when that will be though! That money, like my rebuilding fund, is untouchable.

Ah! Thanks.

That money is also like a large part of my overpayment money as well. In a bond and (mostly) forgotten about.

Graham_Devon

Graham_Devon wrote: »

By April fuel economists are saying.

Well, £1.40 for diesel, £1.36 for Petrol, average price across the UK.

Ta da.

Officially there.