Current Events > Commute 10 mins or 45 mins to my new job? what do you recommend

(+) Yeah! (+)

This isnt a shot at you, but for that amount of money a long commute just isnt worth doing. It will take a toll on the car and gas will add up.

Can you get a similar or better job in the bigger city? I would keep the short commute until you can get a better paying gig and then move to the better place.

With the extra 70 minutes you get every day you can learn to cook. Not to mention the gas money.

@arcanine2009

@mastingman

there was a development where after talking to police both officers said they wouldnt recommend me living in the only options intown that are available due to bad area

In that case if that's legit, safety first.

@Arcanine2009

you dontthink maybe the cops are exaggerating etc

ima call a couple local businesses and see

Fuck that long commute

FlyEaglesFly24 posted...

Fuck that long commute

yeah im not looking forward to it at all

ryudo500 posted...

@Arcanine2009

you dontthink maybe the cops are exaggerating etc

ima call a couple local businesses and see

I don't know. I'd do some research in the area/neighborhood online.

What fucking job do you have that doesnt allow wfh? Ive been doing it off and on my entire career; I like having my commute consist of the bedroom to the bathroom to the coffee maker to the living room in a span of 10 minutes

It's insane how much a shorter commute contributes to higher quality of life. I went from a 30-45 minute commute to a 15 minute commute and it's incredible. I never want to leave this job.

samsungsalt posted...

What fucking job do you have that doesnt allow wfh? Ive been doing it off and on my entire career; I like having my commute consist of the bedroom to the bathroom to the coffee maker to the living room in a span of 10 minutes

To be fair, mostly only office jobs allow that.

samsungsalt posted...

What fucking job do you have that doesnt allow wfh? Ive been doing it off and on my entire career; I like having my commute consist of the bedroom to the bathroom to the coffee maker to the living room in a span of 10 minutes

Not everyone gets that luxury. Especially when the petty asshats in charge are obsessed with oFfiCe CuLtUrE (aka control).

Anyway, fuck a long commute. I used to have to drive 40-45 minutes to get to work and I utterly despised it. My commute is much better now (closer to 25 minutes) but even then sometimes I feel like thats too long lol. Be nice if places closer to me were actually hiring.

45 minutes twice a day is 90 minutes.

90 minutes in a 5 day work week is 450 minutes a week.

4 weeks at 450 minutes per week commuting is 1800 minutes a month just going back and forth. You're spending 30 hours a month JUST commuting.

Don't do it, it's not worth it.

It's really up to you and your sanity. I can share my experience and where I stand personally.

I will never go back to working a job that makes me drive a 1 hour commute that also has traffic. Back when I used to I got a salary bump, but the trade off was my sanity and time. Wake up 4:30am, get to work at 5:30, get off at 3pm, sit through traffic and get home between 5pm and 6pm, wake up the next day and repeat. I hated it.

The last straw for me was that one time I was stuck at a bridge to an accident closing the bridge. Didn't get home until 8pm that day and I was done with that job. Found a new job 5 minutes away (tbh I was lucky) a few weeks later.

Go for the shorter commute. I've been working from home since COVID started but I had a "45 minute commute" that I had to get up at 5:30 in the morning to leave early so it would actually be 45 minutes instead of 60+. I would often stay late too because it would always be 60 min+ on the way home if I left the office at 5:00. It was less stressful to leave the office at 6:00 when the traffic had died down but then by the time I got home it's late and I'm exhausted and have to go to bed early to get up at 5:30 again. Since I've been working from home, I can actually sleep in until 7 or 7:30 now and I'm much less stressed, not to mention the thousands of dollars I've saved in gas alone, plus I sign off at 5:00 and have those extra hours back.

Some things I haven't seen yet

Long commutes increase the risk of car accidents. Idk if you work long hours or physical stuff but more time on the road equals a greater chance of being involved in a wreck, even if it isn't your fault.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the odds of getting into a car accident are 1 in 103. This means that if you drive 103 miles, you have a 1% chance of getting into an accident.

The average driver will file a claim for a collision about once every 17.9 years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2019, there were about 6.76 million reported crashes in the United States. Considering there are over 225 million licensed drivers in the US, this implies that the average driver has a roughly 3% chance of being involved in a car accident in any given year.

Those numbers are reduced greatly by having a shorter commute

I've commuted 1 hour for 10 years, do it for the insurance (100% employer paid) and for the salary. But, after this long, I am starting to get tired of the entitled people and semi trucks.

if the house in town where I work wasnt in a bad neighborhood I would have taken it

ryudo500 posted...

if the house in town where I work wasnt in a bad neighborhood I would have taken it

If you don't feel safe then you don't feel safe but imo unless it's like a particularly bad neighborhood you're still better off with the shorter commute and in my experience people tend to exaggerate bad neighborhoods especially in small towns.

I spend about 10 years working with a 40-60 minute commute (traffic swings the time pretty wildly on a bad day) *each way*. I enjoyed the commute; it gave me time to decompress from my wife and children/coworkers, play some tunes or just enjoy some silent alone time. When quarantine hit, I started working from home full time and do not expect to return to the office anytime soon, if ever. The improvement in quality of life is immense. From the most basic "you get more available hours to do *stuff*, like sleeping" to the reduction in wear on your vehicle, it's significant. I really recommend trying the situation with the shorter commute, and if the variety of food options is a concern for you, either spend some time learning to cook (which is a GREAT skill to have in your pocket), or make the trip into the city every once in a while for a treat.

@froghunter75

just called the local businesses near there and they said they ever there at night but the one guy said he is 'strapped so they better not be foolin" but he wouldnt recommend living there but if you keep head down he sid its not bad but the projects are right behind the house \

@winterking

you are absolutely right I will cook more., im now worried more about safety.
if it was about money I wouldn't have taken this job I see this job as an investment to move up in this field if that makes sense. its in athletics and ned to start from bottom up, cant see myself being at this job for more than 3 years unless i get a def pay bump

ryudo500 posted...

found another town about 25 mins away that has rent 200$ cheaper than the 45 mincommute, not as much food options but I am now considerign that

What's the neighborhood/area for this option in terms of safety? This might be a good "split the difference" kind of deal.

Winterking posted...

What's the neighborhood/area for this option in terms of safety? This might be a good "split the difference" kind of deal.

ILL have an update tomorrow

@Winterking

found a place 22 mins away from work MAYBE available

its 1100/month which is 100-150$ more than the 45 min commute but its an aprt complex mainly for college students

its furnished and not sure how good bad the internet is, ima call tomorrow to see if I can get a spot and if so ask about internet etc

ryudo500 posted...

@Winterking

found a place 22 mins away from work MAYBE available

its 1100/month which is 100-150$ more than the 45 min commute but its an aprt complex mainly for college students

its furnished and not sure how good bad the internet is, ima call tomorrow to see if I can get a spot and if so ask about internet etc

See if you can find some folks that are currently living there, ideally permanent residents, that you can ask about the noise/social aspects of living there. If you want (relative) peace and quiet when you get home from work, you don't want to move into party central.

time is the most precious resource we are given and you can't ever get more, make good use of it.

@winterking
found a place thats a double bdrom 22 mins away thats 1400$ month all I have to pay is electric which is supposedly 30-60$ average a month

so either commute 45 mins for a 1 or 2bd for 970$ month no utilties or

1420$ month plus electric for furnished 2bd aprt

what do you guys think?

even with my 38k salary
a close friend says just take the 1400$ month even if 2-3 months you wont commute much because its only a place I wil stay for 1-2 years tops and can alwys get aprt cheaper after 1 yr and its furnished

@Arcanine2009

thoughts on that as well above ^

I do the 45-minute commute. During the busy season, it's a 5-day-a-week deal. There's something about it being 8-9 pm every day, while you are about to leave, but knowing you still have a whole 45-minute drive before you can even relax at home before doing it all over again tomorrow.

But if the longer commute job may open up more prospects than the short commute, at least factor that in your decision.

ryudo500 posted...

@winterking
found a place thats a double bdrom 22 mins away thats 1400$ month all I have to pay is electric which is supposedly 30-60$ average a month

so either commute 45 mins for a 1 or 2bd for 970$ month no utilties or

1420$ month plus electric for furnished 2bd aprt

what do you guys think?

Do the math. How much mileage you would be spending round trip with both locations based on the miles and traffic, as well as oil changes and car service every 5 months.

ryudo500 posted...

even with my 38k salary
a close friend says just take the 1400$ month even if 2-3 months you wont commute much because its only a place I wil stay for 1-2 years tops and can alwys get aprt cheaper after 1 yr and its furnished

I'm tempted to agree with them, assuming you can afford that monthly rent. Have you looked at your monthly budget? If that leaves you a little skint, how would you feel about/could you sublet the other bedroom or get a roommate?

PiOverlord posted...

before doing it all over again tomorrow.

is the same job just wondering where to get a place

most new coworkers think 45 mins is a lot

Winterking posted...

I'm tempted to agree with them, assuming you can afford that monthly rent. Have you looked at your monthly budget? If that leaves you a little skint, how would you feel about/could you sublet the other bedroom or get a roommate?

@winterking

i could get roomate but dont want to, after taxes I assume I make 30-31k and think after all my food gas expense i will still net money albeit not very much

they say since its furnished mostly all utlites that at worst ill be only making 250-350$ more monthly if I take the aprt thats 400$ less but that has no utilties paid for

If your in your 20s get the city experience.

Unless you have dogs stick then go with the shorter commute

as an aside dont get a dog

@UndefeatedGOAT

im not too social so not too worried about that but with my previous development

I think I will just number crunch estimates and see if immaking 200-300$ more or how much less if I do the longer vs shorter

ryudo500 posted...

@UndefeatedGOAT

im not too social so not too worried about that but with my previous development

I think I will just number crunch estimates and see if immaking 200-300$ more or how much less if I do the longer vs shorter

brother, im not even thinking about the time or the money, life isnt just numbers

i think if you can get the city experience out of you while youre young, and eat better food it would be nice

before i bought my place and covid and all that i worked in downtown vancouver and i wouldnt give back that experience for a marginal amount of time or money

yeah i understand

if the $970 place has base water for 60 and electric according to google is between 120-170 month then that would be 250 on top of my 970 rent which is still Ithink 200 cheaper than $1400 2bd place

i still need to figure out gas tho for the longer commute

I know the states is basically car topia yeah, so you have to take than into account.

I can take a train into the city

Shorter distance, easily. You can go out for more food options on the weekend when you actually have time for it instead of a rushed lunch period.

@PraetorXyn

I wish I could update my OP but here is the situation

situation

new job 38k a year after taxes rolly 30k (I know its low but im taking this job for 1-2 years as a huge resume booster as this field is kinda hard to get into, i know pay is dogshit etc but it is what it is )

Commute 20-22 mins, for 2bd 1420$ month almost all utilities included besides electric for 1420$ aprt is mostly furnished (aside from tvs)

or commute

42-50 mins away for 980$ a month but no utilities included, I think electric is going to be double here since this is in a bigger city if that makes sense

ryudo500 posted...

@PraetorXyn

I wish I could update my OP but here is the situation

situation

new job 38k a year after taxes rolly 30k (I know its low but im taking this job for 1-2 years as a huge resume booster as this field is kinda hard to get into, i know pay is dogshit etc but it is what it is )

Commute 20-22 mins, for 2bd 1420$ month almost all utilities included besides electric for 1420$ aprt is mostly furnished (aside from tvs)

or commute

42-50 mins away for 980$ a month but no utilities included, I think electric is going to be double here since this is in a bigger city if that makes sense

Its been a long time since I lived in a city but electric was pretty low for me at least. I was in a suburb of Chicago and it was like $35 a month for my 1 bedroom apartment. Where I live now its like $350+ lol.

I may have misinterpreted the OP though. I meant to vote for living in the smaller town, and I still lean that way with your explanation. I was pulling home $5000 a month after taxes (except when I was between contracts, and then I made nothing) when I had rent in the $1400 range. It seems like that would be a real struggle to keep up with on $38K a year, as Im assuming a big chunk of that money would go to taxes and insurance and investment etc.

My take home these days is less than half my salary, because taxes and insurance etc come out of it, 9% or so is invested into 401K, 3% into a company matched stock plan, and so on.

PraetorXyn posted...

Its been a long time since I lived in a city but electric was pretty low for me at least. I was in a suburb of Chicago and it was like $35 a month for my 1 bedroom apartment. Where I live now its like $350+ lol.

I may have misinterpreted the OP though. I meant to vote for living in the smaller town, and I still lean that way with your explanation. I was pulling home $5000 a month after taxes (except when I was between contracts, and then I made nothing) when I had rent in the $1400 range. It seems like that would be a real struggle to keep up with on $38K a year, as Im assuming a big chunk of that money would go to taxes and insurance and investment etc.

My take home these days is less than half my salary, because taxes and insurance etc come out of it, 9% or so is invested into 401K, 3% into a company matched stock plan, and so on.

after dental/health insurance plus tax. I think I would take home 2100-2300$ a month and then adding in rent etc @PraetorXyn

ryudo500 posted...

after dental insurance I think I would take home 2100-2300$ a month and then adding in rent etc

Yeah. Which would leave you with about $680-880, most of which would go to food, and would really cut into those more food options. With the small town, you could drive to the city on the weekend and have a few extra hundred to splurge on those restaurants a bit, when taking gas into account.

im assumign insurance would be 200-250 max proly less

out of that 600-800 i would prolly be paying 130-150 a month for gas and the rest for whatever

I will eye closely on my food intake as I do need to start learning to cook and eat healthier

ryudo500 posted...

im assumign insurance would be 200-250 max proly less

out of that 600-800 i would prolly be paying 130-150 a month for gas and the rest for whatever

I will eye closely on my food intake as I do need to start learning to cook and eat healthier

Another reason for the small town is you can get a grill / smoker and cook outdoors with a fire. Healthier, delicious, and fun. Apartments will get very pissy if you light a charcoal fire out on your tiny deck / patio.

@PraetorXyn

you think giveneverythignits still better to get the furnished 1400 one with half the commute compared to the 970$ one?

ryudo500 posted...

@PraetorXyn

you think giveneverythignits still better to get the furnished 1400 one with half the commute compared to the 970$ one?

I was advising the cheaper one, assuming that one was the smaller town. If the more expensive one is furnished though that may be a good reason to do it. If the cheaper one at least has appliances, you can make do with a futon and milk crates if you have to though.

PraetorXyn posted...

I was advising the cheaper one, assuming that one was the smaller town. If the more expensive one is furnished though that may be a good reason to do it. If the cheaper one at least has appliances, you can make do with a futon and milk crates if you have to though.

well cheaper one would be the 45 min commute @PraetorXyn

The shorter commute because you can never predict how the good the food is.