Commuting:how bad is it?

[dzneprincess]

I will be starting a new job next month and I am super excited. It comes with a great pay raise and more job security. There is a chance that in about 3 years I will be able to work closer to home. It isreally the only option I have in order to stay on with the company. I have 13 years invested already. Now that it's a done deal I am starting to second guess myself and am getting nervous about the commute. So I am looking for reports from people who commute 50 miles it more to work. Do u ever get usedto it? Whats the best vehicle for this. I am going to have to get a vehicle with better gas mileage.

 

[trip]

Part of the issue would be how long it takes to drive those 50 miles. In a rural area 50 miles is different than in a metro area.

You will get used to it - you may not like it but it will become routine. Listen to an audio book/ some good music or just enjoy the solitude.

 

[dzneprincess]

thank u for ur reply ...for the most part it is 65mp mostly highway

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I commuted for many years - 3 hours each way. It becomes a part of your life. You learn to enjoy that time - to make the most of it.

Just like everything else in life, it will be what you make of it.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

I think the time will be easy since you can go 65 majority of the time.

I am 7 miles away which takes about 15 minutes each way.

Jason

 

[dakcp2001]

My advice is always leave much earlier than you need to in the morning. The commute can be enjoyable if you have good music and a nice up of coffee but man if you hit traffic or are running late than the whole commute is 100% more stressful. If your always in a hurry it is very stressful. I got a speeding ticket and decided to start waking up half an hour earlier and my stress level was SO much better all day just having the extra time to chill out even if traffic was a little slow. It just made for such a better day. Invest in the music you like for your car, make sure your car is well maintained and tires checked often. Keep a blanket, flashlight, bottle of water etc in the car with you, I did have my car crap out on me once in the middle of winter & it was cold!

 

[tlmdisney]

My husband commutes 40 miles each way. He enjoys his commute very much he says it gives him time to wake and get focused in the morning and to decompress after work.

 

[rigs32]

Is it really worth thousands of dollars in taxes and the cost associated with a new car to save a few mpg? If you're driving a hummer right now, sure, but I would think in a lot of cases you're better off driving your current vehicle until it starts needing work then get a different one.

 

[prncess674]

If you are going to get another car, I suggest getting one with built in Bluetooth. I love that I can take calls from the car because the Bluetooth is built in the name of the caller appears on the in dash display and turns off the radio when it rings.

Will you have people reporting to you? When I used to commute I used to hold a Monday morning status call from the car. I had a few staffers call in from their car so it was very informal but it helped everyone get a jump on the week.

You mention that it is a 65mph highway, but that doesn't mean you can always travel at that speed during morning commute hours. I would prepare for a possible 1.5 hour commute. If it is in a downtown area, don't forget to add in time to enter a large parking structure, find parking, take parking elevator to ground level, then take high rise elevator to your floor. This alone can add 10-15 minutes.

 

[mrodgers]

thank u for ur reply ...for the most part it is 65mp mostly highway

Are you sure about that? 65 the entire way regardless of traffic? I use to commute 39 miles, all highway. I drove 90 mph along with everyone else up to a point. It took me an hour and a half to drive that 39 miles. Half hour for the first 30 miles (45 mph to the highway for part, then the 90 mph up to a particular point) and an hour for the last 9.

I was young, I barely got paid for it, but it was an internship for school so I was getting school credit for it. No way I would do that now married with kids. I am home at 3:30 now, half an hour before the kids get off the bus (so my wife can go to work.)

 

[MM27]

The mileage means nothing unless you know what the roads are like. I commute about 45 miles a day one way. I travel north on the Garden State Parkway and that means my trip can be anywhere from 45 minutes on a good day to my longest trip which was about 3 hours.

I'm in year 11 of doing this commute and while I'd prefer to be closer to home, it's really not that bad (on a good day )

 

[niccowboys]

I commute each way 68 miles, mostly highway and have been doing it for about 3 years. The first month was not fun, but now I am pretty used to it and just zone out during the drive. I also commute a few days a week which really helps, if you have someone you like to chat with it makes the time go by fast. There are plenty of ride share programs available if you don't already have someone at work, who might be interested in commuting. I would suggest taking the job and seeing how it goes, in this economy it's better to have a job. Good Luck!

 

[dzneprincess]

Thank u for all your replies. It is nice to hear from people who are currently doing this. I currently drive a ford expedition so yes I do need something smaller and more economical for the commute.

 

[kirstenb1]

DH has a similar commute. His is straight down 95 and he works for a major chemical company (located not in a busy traffic area), so it really is about 45 minutes. He drives an old beat Honda Civic. I'd cry if he did this commute in an Expedition, so I think you're smart to explore your options. I've been hearing that gas prices are nudging up again.

Anyway, it's not ideal, but it's a great well-paying job with good bene's.

 

[lspst8]

My comute is 45 miles each way, and while I don't love it, it isn't too bad. I go from one suburb to another suburb, so I don't encounter traffic unless there is an accident on the highway. I would hate driving into the city and sitting in traffic every day. At least I'm always moving.

Does your work have a specific start time? It also helps that I don't have to be here by a certain time. I can show up anytime between 6:30am and 9:30am.

I drive a Dodge Caliber with all-wheel drive. I'm kind of paranoid about winter driving, so I need the all-wheel drive. I usualy get about 28 mpg, so it isn't too bad.

 

[Pigeon]

I think it depends on you, your life situation and your attitude about driving.

I had about a 60 minute commute each way for a few years. It just about killed me. I never enjoyed it, and it never became just a routine part of my life. It was over two hours a day completely shot. I dislike driving, and found it to be very stressful. And when the weather was bad, it was a nightmare, sometimes taking over 4 hours one way.

I now have kids who are in a ton of extracurricular activities, and no way could I waste that much of my time commuting.

 

[jsmith]

From October of 05 til may of 08 i commuted from Metro Denver to Ft Carson-96 miles each way. After the first few weeks i got used to it-but if i make that same drive now at commute time i think i must have been insane. All of the drive was highway-and it rarely took more than an hour and a half south bound-but the drive back could be tough-especially on winter fridays when the weather was rough and the skiers were headed for the hills. As others have said-drive it ahead of time-in commute hours to get a fell for how long it will take-and then plan accordingly for bad weather ( i had a place i could stay if it got to tough-we can have some rough weather here in the winter) I drive a 2006 TDI diesel VW beetle which gets 55 mpg-i bought it as an alternative to our Chevy Tahoe-and i still love it even tho my drive is now 4.6 miles each way.

 

[tlbwriter]

I think it depends on you, your life situation and your attitude about driving.

I had about a 60 minute commute each way for a few years. It just about killed me. I never enjoyed it, and it never became just a routine part of my life.

I agree. My husband had a 40-50 minute commute for several years and really enjoyed it (he's always liked driving, and it was a peaceful drive). But it would make me crazy.

 

[tonilea]

I drive 35 miles one way to school three days a week. I kind of enjoy it. It is "me" time.

ETA: I drive a Caliber too! I get 31-33 mpg.

 

[lovesmurfs]

You do need to look into commute "time" versus "distance."

I commute into Chicago every day, for nearly 2 years. 1.5 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the afternoon. It's usually train and a bus from the station, so I can read, etc. on the train, but for all intents and purposes, it's over a 12-hour day -- 5:20 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., when I only work 7-3.

It sounds pretty dumb, but the thing I miss most is getting the kids out the door in the morning. (DS's a junior, DD's in 6th grade). DH (who works in town) does a great job, but doesn't always catch everything. He also picks up the slack in terms of sick kids, early pick-ups, doctors' appointments, etc.

Another problem is my doctor's appointments. Unless I can get an evening appointment, I have to take a half-day off, but then still have the commute in, so I often take the full day off. I love my job, and that's what keeps me going, though.

Books on CD (our library has them that are downloadable to iPods) are wonderful for the commute -- I've "read" more in the past 2 years than I ever had in the past.

Best wishes.