Commuting Distance

Elfbert

I used to commute from the South Coast to London, two hours each way.

Then I moved to London, and since then my work has moved too...so now I cycle 1.5 miles and am far happier!! (My cycle to catch my train used to be 1.5 miles, at 5am.)

My cousin does Prague-London..flies into London on a Mon morning and back to Prague on a Friday night!! Not for everyone, but it seems to work for him.

sew109

JoeJester wrote: »

IMO. Any commute that takes more than an hour, the job isnt worth it. I don't care how much you're earning.
Having a life is more important.

So you would rather be unemployed than have to spend and hour each way commuting ? I spend 3 plus hours a day commuting so my family can have a life rather than an existence on top of that I would rather do anything than be unemployed.

Sure I could probably get a local job if my wife did the same but then my daughter would be in child care from 8am until 6.30pm that would be great wouldn't it.

So all in all I think my commute is worth it even though it's longer than an hour.

redpete

Started off 1.5 miles and 10 minute bike ride, then office moved and it was a 4 mile 20 minute journey, then office closed and new job was 50 mile drive and 1-2 hrs each way, then moved office and is now 15 miles and 30-40 minutes each way but not usually in the office so mix between working at home and travelling anything from 35 to 200 mile drive or further often with overnight stays.

How much I'd be prepared to commute depends on the job and reward.

kevsan

sew109 wrote: »

So you would rather be unemployed than have to spend and hour each way commuting ? I spend 3 plus hours a day commuting so my family can have a life rather than an existence on top of that I would rather do anything than be unemployed.

Sure I could probably get a local job if my wife did the same but then my daughter would be in child care from 8am until 6.30pm that would be great wouldn't it.

So all in all I think my commute is worth it even though it's longer than an hour.

Absolutely agree with this. This is the decision we took, yes i travel a long way to get to the office, but the payback is that we have a nice house and my wife has the choice whether to work full time, part time or not at all to look after our youngest.

I also look at it another way, for all the pain and aggro of a long commute, it means i've got time to work off the stress of the day, put all the problems aside and that when i go through the front door i can focus on the family. My work never follows me home.

MrJester

sew109 wrote: »

So you would rather be unemployed than have to spend and hour each way commuting ? I spend 3 plus hours a day commuting so my family can have a life rather than an existence on top of that I would rather do anything than be unemployed.

Sure I could probably get a local job if my wife did the same but then my daughter would be in child care from 8am until 6.30pm that would be great wouldn't it.

So all in all I think my commute is worth it even though it's longer than an hour.

To be clear. No I would rather be working doing anything for any pay for any commute, I have a lot of experience in being unemployed and I never wish to be there again.

But I feel that I/you/we are worth more as human beings than to spend more than lets say 10 hours of the day doing someone elses bidding (and getting to/from that). If I was running my own business or etc it would be different because it would become my passion. But I'm talking as an employee.

I don't see what's so bad about care for your child, if you pay enough and find the right place then being in nurseries or etc are actually a great experience, as a child I loved it for the brief period I was in one. Expanding social skill and behaviour at such a young age, its great for development, surely.

It genuinely saddens me a bit when you say 'so my family can have a life' - what about your life? I respect your efforts and such, I really do, good on you, but I feel that you are worth more than living a life mostly to provide. Other than having the proud feeling of having provided for your family, what else can you get out of life for yourself. Its not about being selfish, but just about getting the balance right.

I'm not a hippy or anything, I just personally find it odd that people will give up so much of their life every day for someone else's profit (ultimately).

Hope you can understand from my point of view, that's the way I feel on it.

SailorSam

Previous thread on the same subject

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5012550

Zelazny

Distance isn't really the issue for me - it's time. I'm currently about an hour from work, and that's further than I like. I wouldn't want to have to go any further

MrJester

Zelazny wrote: »

Distance isn't really the issue for me - it's time. I'm currently about an hour from work, and that's further than I like. I wouldn't want to have to go any further

Yeah the distance doesn't matter really.. only if its costing you £ on petrol. Its the time it takes out of your own life, is where I find issue.

lulu_92

I currently commute 33 miles, but it's not that hard, takes me around 45 minutes as I have to drive out of my town, onto the a50 and get into the city through all the school traffic.

I fill up £40 per week and that's more than enough, this month I've spent about £140 on fuel (since 18th August.)

Spidernick

wiogs wrote: »

I know people who live in various parts of the UK and commute to London.

They work 3 or 4 days in London so the commute is well worth the money.

Have you heard of WILLIEs?:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2014/20/rise-of-the-willies

I read somewhere that the average person commutes about 45 minutes each way to work. For more than half of my working life I've commuted longer than that.

I used to cycle into Southampton but my office has now moved to Reading (over 50 miles away). It is very common for people to commute to London from Southampton (at £5K a year before tube!) and even Bournemouth.

I get to work from home a day or two a week and can still go to the Southampton office, but I wouldn't want to commute every day to Reading (which is hardly an inspiring town!). Saying that, I do not envy the person who works five minutes' walk from work: I did that when I first started working and it made me incredibly insular. We all need a change of scene, I feel.