Commuting:how bad is it?

[AndreaDM]

I drive almost an hour each way. I really don't mind it in the morning because I like listening to talk radio. But when I get off work at 5, all I want to do is to get home! For some reason that drive seems so much longer. But, I like my job and my co-workers and if the roads are bad in the winter at all, I stay home, it's not like I get in trouble at work or anything so I've got a pretty good situation.

edited to add: Yeah, like a PP mentioned, I can't run home and pick up a sick kid very easily, that usually falls on DH since he's only 5-10 minutes away. Plus, I can't help at the school, go to the school to have lunch with DD or anything like that, but again, DH picks up that slack too, the PTA ladies and the teachers just love him because not that many dads volunteer at the school.

 

[vicb]

For years my DH has had a 45 mile commute, we live in the metro Detroit area. He just switched jobs within his company and now has a 50 mile commute (each way).

It stinks. No way of getting around that fact. He does not enjoy it but he accepts it. We are very lucky that for a reasonable fee he can participate in a car program (he works for a big three auto co). The program includes a car (not of our choosing, whatever they want to be seen on the road), insurance, gas and maintenance. It is a great deal for us.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to provide for your family in a shaky economy. I'm grateful he does it. I have an 11 mile commute to my part time job.

He listens to a ton of XM/Sirius radio while driving. And we try hard not to chat too much while he is driving home.

 

[budbeerlady]

We do it 5 days a week, Dd is also in school near where I work. 95% of our drive is highway and I would say semi-rural driving. It only really gets to me in the winter, I get really, really sick of snow. We listen to books on tape, sing with the radio and unwind on our way home. The other down side is when my co-workers leave at 5pm most are home by 5:15 and I am not walking in my door until 6pm by the time I quick grab Dd. So it makes for late nights and early mornings when we leave by 7am. You get used to it.

The wear and tear on the car is a pain, I get an oil change every 5 1/2 weeks. We would never buy a new car, putting on 2,250 miles a month it would be toast in a few years.

 

[crz4mm2]

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.

This.
Me too.
I would love better MPGs though.

 

[stm61]

I drive 40-something miles each way, 5 days a week. It takes me about an hour. I drive an Expedition. I would love to drive something with better gas mileage, but it's paid for and I don't need a car payment right now. The only good part is it's all rural driving. I stay on the same state highway, with a few turns to bypass a town, all the way to work. I don't really mind the drive, it doesn't feel that long really, but the morning drive does me in sometimes. I leave my house wide awake, extra large coffee mug in hand, and by the time I get to work I'm ready to crawl back in bed. Doesn't happen every day, so I'm not sure why it happens. My only other complaints, besides gas mileage, are the deer that occasionally decide to see just how awake I am, and the weather. Since it takes me an hour to get to work, and I'm driving south, the ice storm that has schools closed near my home, is just a rain storm at work. We don't get the same tv news channels, so I've spent a lot of time convincing the boss that I really couldn't drive over 35 mph on the way in, or that I really did have to wait for the trees to be moved out of the road, or, my favorite, the cows got out and I had to wait for them to decide to move.

 

[lovegrumpy]

My dh commutes but he rides the bus then the metro. When he was driving just to the metro he would come home mad all the time because of the way people would drive. He might get home later now but he is much happier.

 

[minkydog]

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.

No kidding. Glug, glug, glug. I have a Ford Expedition, too, but I only have an 8-mile, 25 minute commute 3 days away--totally doable. No way would I want to be drivng 100 miles a day, 5 days a week. You're gonna put 25,000 miles/yr MINIMUM on whatever car you drive. In 4 years you will be over 100,000 miles. I guess you have to figure the impact of car maintenance, tires, and insurance into your new salary.

 

[minkydog]

oops,double post

 

[spanks]

Oh, thats all??? 68 miles is all it takes to get to a credit union place with great service??? Mmm, long, long lonely rode to travel especially when ur driving back home to an empty place. Car pooling is a great idea, that is if you can find a friend. Sounds like you need several Disney vacations after 680 miles a week is spent zoning out.

 

[powellrj]

I don't commute per say, but I have a sales job that puts me on the road every day. I bought my car new in April and it now has over 25,000 miles on it and I really don't go anywhere except work.

I would avoid a really small car. DH drives a ford focus and I drive a ford fusion. He is also in sales, but he stays in town most days and his is stop and go/ in and out type of driving where mine is on the road for an hour, stop, drive another hour, stop.

His car is too small to be in for that long, but mine is the perfect size and gets around 33 mpg. I have gotten as much as 35. It also has the sync feature which is great! It has built in bluetooth and I sync my ipod to it. I download podcast and audio books so I always have something I am listening to or someone I am talking to on the phone. I have driven like this for over 10 years and have had 2 ford Taurus, 2 Toyota Camry's and now this fusion. I like the fusion the best. While I loved my camry, I do think I like this one enough that I would buy another before another camry and I never thought I would feel that way.

 

[DMickey28]

I used to commute a little more than that to college. I would not hit traffic until the last few miles into the city (small city!LOL) Then I did a similar commute to my first job in the same city.

I always left a little early to give myself time. I would bring my breakfast in the car (A smoothie, english muffin or bagel). When I got to work or the area if I had time I would go into Starbucks and get a coffee or Panera. Then I get a little time to get settled at my desk and stuff. I really didn't mind it at all actually ... this was before kids though. I think I'd feel differently now.

 

[englishteacha]

My commute is shorter, 25 miles, but it's on rural roads. It takes me from 40 minutes to an hour depending on weather. I've been doing it 10 years. My first 5 years were in a Dodge Neon. Good little car, no bells or whistles at all. The AC died towards the end. Ugh. The upside was 33 MPG. Current car is an older Chevy Malibu. I like it, but I miss my Neon now that gas is back to $3.20. I get around 25 MPG in the Malibu, better on the highway. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and the music that drives my husband crazy (currently the Wicked soundtrack and various Glee albums). As a teacher, I have to be at work at a certain time, and it makes it very stressful if I oversleep or there's something that impedes my progress. This year there have been 3 occasions where the main road to the town where I work has been closed. (never happened in the previous 9 years, and 3 this year?!) I had to go in a huge triangle, adding about 45 minutes to my commute. Thank goodness there was someone free to watch my class till I got there.

My advice? Plan for extra time. I hate starting my day stressed out. I try to leave early enough to have a few minutes of "me" time at school before the kids arrive for homeroom.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

It's also going to depend on how you feel about driving in general. My commute is 15 minutes, which is approximately 14 1/2 minutes too long for my liking. LOL.

Congratulations on the new job

 

[cluvsdisney]

I would look into a hybrid - one of my friends has a prius and averages 45 miles to the gallon and is able to use the HOV lane when she is alone in the car. Consider things like an iPod dock, built in Bluetooth and gps (in case you need to find an alternate route) to make the ride more comfortable.

good luck!

 

[Squirlz]

I commuted just over 50 miles each way for 3 1/2 years. Mostly highway and rural. You do just get used to it.

I got a MINI Cooper S to make the drive fun and safe.

 

[njmom47]

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 live VERY near said GSP and thank goodness I don't have to use it to commute to work! I used to though and the exit I get off is ALWAYS backed up. DH takes the Parkway to and from work but since he works 2nd or usually 3rd shift, it's a completely different story. His commute is 22 miles or so.