Commute vs salary

EnterUserName

2.5hr commute for 3x salary sounds like a good deal to me!

I thought I'd update this thread on my latest ramblings...

To the poster who successfully planted the 4 day idea into my mind... Thank you sir (or madam ) Based on that I've re-run the maths. I suspect a 30% salary reduction is in order for a job within an hour a day commute (failed to find anything closer).

However... a reduction to 4 days in my current job would be only a 20% reduction (if accepted under a statutory flexible working request).

So... On paper at least 4 days with a long commute is about the same as 5 days with a short one in terms of financials and time BUT I get a 3 day weekend under the former due to the compression...

I will continue to seek opportunities closer to my home however I will also simultaneously serve a statutory working request too :beer:

Savvy_Sue

EnterUserName wrote: »

I will continue to seek opportunities closer to my home however I will also simultaneously serve a statutory working request too :beer:

Do your homework before you put this in: the employer is obliged to consider it, and your reasons for requesting should be irrelevant. What is important is to try and ensure that they can't immediately make a business case for turning you down.

So, what's going to happen on the day you don't work? Will your work need to be covered, or can it wait?

If you ask not to work on a Friday or a Monday, are they more likely to turn you down than if you asked for a different day (yes I know that only gives you a two day weekend, but at least think it through)?

If I read you right, you're offering to work four longer days: will there be any security issues with you arriving early / leaving late? Is there a lone working policy?

And so on ...

Nickvale

As you don't actually have far to go have you considered a scooter, motorbike or electric bike for your existing commute? Cheap to run, usually no problems with congestion, winter clothing is pretty good these days and it's not that hard to get training that should keep you safe.

MEM62

I'm considering the same thing. Moved out to Hampshire to buy a place with my OH three years ago but still work at LHR. The commute is around 1hr 15 each way on a good run but can be considerably longer if there are issues.

I might be able to find something locally but would be looking at a similar 25% drop in salary. I could make that work with minimal impact on lifestyle as I am currently salary sacrificing 25% of my salary into my pension. The sticking point, of course, is that I would not be building my pension pot so aggressively which would put retirement plans back by a few years.

Both the commute and the job suck at the moment but I am trying to stick it out for another couple of years and then maybe take something local. By that time the pension pot will almost be big enough so can just sit there with whatever growth the market will afford it and a more modest contribution from me until I am ready to take it.

Morata_

Quality of life! I’ve just taken a £180 monthly net pay cut! My commute has gone from 1.45hr a day to 20 mins!

Using the time to go to the gym/swim and be home to spend time with my children after school!

Unless you are talking major £££ difference id want to be as close to home as possible!

silvercar

My son took a job with a longer commute for a 20% increase in salary as it came with far better prospects.

pimento

I'm about to retire (April 5th) from a job with a 2 hour each way commute. I've been doing it since 2001 and am now retiring early because I've had enough.

I've worked out that I will save quite a lot of money that I spend just being at work, buying lunches and work clothes etc but the real saving will be the cost of the commute - an eye watering £5300.

I'm with the majority here. Take the lower pay and have the time.

ninnoodle

I agree with the lower pay and less commute option. Also, here is a great (albeit American but still relevant) article on the real cost of commuting. It was an eye opener for me and a real turning point.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/

kiwi77

I am very fortunate and the envy of many friends in that our office is a 5 minute walk from home - I know i am fortunate and would never complain but I am well aware that this convenience is a hindrance to career progression .... do it if you are not seeking to climb the greasy corporate pole but be aware its easy to find yourself 'stuck' when the alternative of restarting a long commute to go to a better job is just too unpalatable to contemplate. I have made my peace with the fact that I won't meet my full professional potential - but the upside of that is I don't really have stress, that we save a LOT of money not just in commuting costs but also in the time I have to cover domestics like batch cooking, getting the washing in at lunchtime etc - our evenings are our own which is great. This coupled with my husband working at home one day a week makes having the both of us working full time and a toddler do-able. I am the only mother of young children I know that works full time - and a lot of this is down to not having a commute. This is going to pay huge dividends over the longer term as I have not had any pension contributions breaks (and I get full annual leave entitlement) so even though I don't earn as much where I am now as I could do elsewhere - it should all even out in the end? Good luck with whatever you decide .... life is for living !

TheAlex

I mostly enjoy my commute, though it is only 1.5 hours in the morning and an hour in the evening, so 2.5 hours total.

If driving, I listen to podcasts (or Spanish language lessons) that educate me or make me laugh.

If on the train, I read (magazines or short stories) or work on personal projects like creative writing. Sometimes I get more done in a 20-minute train journey than I would in an hour at home.

If cycling, I'm exercising.

If I had children, maybe I'd think differently about a lower salary i.e. I'd look for a longer commute to escape.