How far is your commute to work?

PasturesNew

I did a weekly commute of 100 miles each way for a year, then a weekly commute of 200 miles each way for 6 months.

Working more locally I did a year of 50 miles each way.

The biggest issue is the cost of commuting -v- the job/potential.

As your new job provides a company car then keeping a car on the road (they run out quickly if you do high mileage) isn't an issue. Also, if you are using your own car and it breaks down on the way to work there is SO much pressure to get it fixed, whereas if it's a company car you don't feel the guilt and don't have to organise it while still making the commute.

When I was doing 50 miles each way each day, it was taking up nearly half of my take home pay each month just keeping the car on the road and putting petrol in it to get to work .... which then meant I could afford the mortgage and half my bills, but I was going under rapidly!

Phirefly

PasturesNew wrote: »

I did a weekly commute of 100 miles each way for a year, then a weekly commute of 200 miles each way for 6 months.

:eek: man alive

PasturesNew

Phirefly wrote: »

:eek: man alive

I would say the 100-200 miles jobs were well paid. Although I did stay in some right dives of B&Bs in the week. In one I was the only girl, all the others were road digging crews and the lightswitch was hanging off the wall, the shoulder was mouldy and there wasn't even a bedside lamp when it came to comfort.

The 50 miles/day job wasn't well paid. It was a bad decision on my part in my desperation to "take any job". Live and learn. Got made redundant after a year of going further and further under financially (due to the commute cost).

But you do what you have to, even when the numbers don't stack up often, just out of desperation and other people sneering at you about taking any job .... because some people don't appreciate that many jobs don't pay the basic bills.



Oh - and 5 years on from that, no good jobs were around, so I have even now sold my house and moved 200 miles away to look for work!

Phirefly

you never fail to fascinate me

[Deleted User]

Wimps. I commuted from London to Dublin for 6 months once.

The free flights, 5* hotels, meals and drink may have compensated for it though

Phirefly

with a bit of luck my commute's set to become a couple of paces across the hallway

MORPH3US

Thanks guys, more info on me
- no kids yet thankfully
- the extra cost could mostly be outweightd (I would hope) by having a better fuel economy on company car (62mpg v currently 42mpg) although not sure if that would be via company fuel card or I pay and claim back....
- gf is currently looking for a new job and yesterday said she would quite like to live in a city nearer where I would be working reducing my journey to 30/40 mins, but also being right in the middle of the patch I would be covering when out and about.... - this is obviously not firm at the moment because it relies on gf finding a job in that area first, then cost of moving house!?!?! - may end up being bad rather than good...
- I do think I would enjoy this job a lot more than my current role which would definately help... and I think my prospects with this company to progress would be much better (bigger company = more movement) than where I am now.... PLUS with being a national company, there is potential once in the job to move to same job but nearer home...
- time value wise... morning wise, i'd probably just get up at same time and have breakfast in the office rather than at home meaning no time lost... in the evenings, would mean not getting home until 6:30 / 7pm so about 1 - 2 hours lost of sitting round on the couch watching hollyoaks etc...

Decisions, decisions.....

Phirefly

Probably tricky if you're working full time and can't get away, but have you tried the journey at the time of day you'd be commuting? No doubt you are aware of it and have anecdotal evidence, but it could help to actually do it to get a real concrete idea of how its going to be.

from everything you've said though, I reckon you're sold on it anyway and just looking for a bit of reassurance good luck!

Woby_Tide

2.6 miles about 10 -15 mins on bike depending on traffic and the wind.....or about 20 mins on a bus

as you say, if it's good for your career and potentially you'd move closer anyway then the extra commute may be worth it long term, if it's not going to help your career much then you could say that for £3k you're committing to an extra 2 hrs work(commute) per day, so say 400+ hours per year extra or about £7.50 or less per hour, whereas your current job pays around £11.50 per hour worked(ignoring the commute). Like all things you've got to weigh up what you feekl your time is worth to you (and also what impact either job will have on your career over time)

Phirefly

Woby_Tide wrote: »

for £3k you're committing to an extra 2 hrs work(commute) per day, so say 400+ hours per year extra or about £7.50 or less per hour, whereas your current job pays around £11.50 per hour worked(ignoring the commute).

true mse thinking