Is a 45 minute driver too long?

cameron1590

Up until recently I had been doing a two hour commute (two hours each way). Yes it killed me and yes I was glad to see the back of it!:rotfl:

EdGasketTheSecond

I've been doing 4hr commutes a day (2hrs each way to be clear) for the past 15 years. It's a waste of your life but a job puts food on the table so I guess its a trade off money vs time. In school holidays the time reduced to about 3.5 hrs total due to reduced traffic.

mattyprice4004

Totally down to you; it varies from person to person.
I used to do an hour each way and hated it, but it was a means to an end.

jimmo

Each to their own.
Back in the days before mobile phones I knew someone who commuted 2 hrs each way by train. He really enjoyed those "precious" hours when neither his work boss nor his domestic boss could get hold of him and would occasionally enjoy a G&T in the buffet car
Later, when I was on the road, I avoided like the plague having a hands free set up in the car for exactly the same reasons.
Give me a car radio and a not too congested road and I am really happy in my own little world.

As others have said, its up to you.

CreditCardChris

facade wrote: »

Assuming the OP works 40 hours a week, there is another £80, if the OP were on £8.21 an hour that would be 10 extra hours money for 4 1/2 hours more work.
This will all be taxed at 20% so really an extra £64

Then there is petrol, maybe an extra half gallon a day, say £14 a week




Overall, the OP is up by £50 a week, for working an extra half a day.


Comes down to whether he wants to make £50 for an extra half day.


My commute is 40 mins in the morning, nearer an hour at night, and as curlygirl1971 says, the older I get, the more I resent it, especially the going home.

I know the extra money isn't much but also the opportunities are greater. A few years with one of the larger companies and I could be making a fair bit more. I think I'm going to go for it.

mcpitman

CreditCardChris wrote: »

I know the extra money isn't much but also the opportunities are greater. A few years with one of the larger companies and I could be making a fair bit more. I think I'm going to go for it.

Why not, nothing ventured nothing gained.

I would advise trying the route in rush hour if you can, or seeing if you can track the route times in real time on Google maps (all as previously suggested).

Personal experience, after being made redundant, I was successful in an application for a job 2 hours (each way) away from home. Did that for 4 years, then the opportunities that role presented gave me a chance 2 years ago to join a company within an hour of home.

Best advice I can give you, is relax on the commute, don't rush/speed. My 2 hour commute used to take about 10 mins less when driving "spiritedly" than it did relaxing. When cruising and taking it steady i got to work (and back to home) in a far better relaxed mood.

Good luck :beer:

wh_em

I went from a 20 minute commute to a commute of 45-1hr. Before I made the change I absolutely dreaded it but now I barely even notice the time. I changed my car about 1 month into the commute because I realised that driving a 1.2 manual fiesta on the motorway and then several roundabouts was making me miserable. I now have a much bigger, safer and quieter car that's an automatic (audi a4) and that has made all the difference. Download some podcasts and audiobooks or listen to a talkshow radio to keep you entertained

NBLondon

Jonesya wrote: »

Before you decide, is it definitely 45 minutes during the rush hour? Have you driven the route at the time of day you'll be going to/from work?

Just ask because what looks like a reasonable drive can sometimes be a night-mare during peak times.

mcpitman wrote: »

I would advise trying the route in rush hour if you can, or seeing if you can track the route times in real time on Google maps (all as previously suggested).

Definitely check it out if you can. I used to drive 7 miles from South London to East London which could vary from 40 minutes (school holidays with no issues) to 90 minutes (problems crossing the big river). I tested out the options between public transport and driving while going for interviews. Personally - I went for speech radio rather than audiobooks.

pinkteapot

Last year I did 45 mins each way. I've just moved house and now it's only 20 mins.

What type of driving are we talking? Town or motorway?

Mine was a fast run on clear motorways (deserted far north-west) so the driving wasn't at all stressful - never any jams - but my commute was 40 miles each way. I put 20k miles on my car last year. I'd worked out the petrol cost before taking the job but didn't give enough consideration to the wear and tear on the car. Naturally I had more repairs last year than in lower mileage years. And I had to service it twice to maintain service history! I also started to realise how much sooner than planned I'd be looking at replacing my car.

So - high mileage brings its own issues. If it's a shorter distance on slow roads that has it's own considerations. I couldn't handle 45 mins through a jammed-up city. As others have said though, it's all down to personal preference.

I did find it tiring. I'm surprised what a difference cutting it in half has made to be honest. You'll be losing best part of an hour a day of time you'd otherwise have to yourself.

Over the years I've ranged from a 15 minute walk to a 90 minute train commute... I definitely put a good value on a shorter commute!

alan_d

My previous job involved visiting customers all over the country, and varied from 3 miles away to 400. I clocked up serious mileage on my car, and it wasn't unusual to spend longer in the car than on-site.
I then did about 6 months commuting in-and-out of London by car/train/underground, about an hour each way. Generally hated it.
Then I found a home-based role - it paid less than the London one but no commute and longer in bed, as well as the ability to do school runs etc make it excellent. Serious savings on car running costs also, obviously!
Quality of life improvement is better than earning a fraction more in my opinion.