Commute - how much is it worth to you?

[escrow]

I currently commute an hour each way appx 4x/week, just accepted a work from home job to get rid if the commute, ha! If the new job was $20k less I wouldn't have taken it. If do it if you don't mind driving and the traffic isn't completely horrendous

[Deleted]

It would seriously depend on the time of day I would be commuting and the route. I did an hour commute up the 5 for about 5 years and it wasn't that bad, as long as I didn't have to go in on a Friday (it took 2x as long).I had a wonderful ocean view part of the way that made it so nice and relaxing. But if I had to just sit on the 405 for an hour in gridlock? I would seriously evaluate how much that $20k was doing for me.

[underwaterrhymes]

May 28, 2015 8:50:10 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I love that MM decided the reason they wouldn't take it is because they're all richer than ML on average.

Haha.

I saw that, too.

It made me laugh.

I work from home part-time and I enjoy it, but I have no benefits, and I need a higher paying job once this baby gets here. Commuting just 3 days a week, awesome benefits, tons of flexibility, and $20,000 more a year?

Sign. Me. Up.

[pantsparty]

Yes, I would. Not only because an hour commute isn't terrible, and you don't have to do it every day, but this will put you in a new earning category, and it's not likely you'll go back. Just load up on podcasts!

[kadams767]

May 28, 2015 9:07:12 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

This may be flameful, but I would honestly hate a five-minute commute. My commute is my me-time. lol.

Eh, I'd rather have the flexibility of 110 minutes of me-time to do whatever I wanted those days, rather than it being mandatory time spent in my car.   

[kadams767]

May 28, 2015 9:30:35 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

May 28, 2015 9:29:20 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Eh, I'd rather have the flexibility of 110 minutes of me-time to do whatever I wanted those days, rather than it being mandatory time spent in my car.   

lol, except that never happens.  The extra time would be spent chasing after the two-year-old, or doing dishes, or etc.  I appreciate the commute because it forces me into quiet time. 

That's when you pretend it takes you an hour to get home from work.  Go do whatever for 45-50 minutes after work and then go home. 

[underwaterrhymes]

May 28, 2015 9:51:43 GMT -5 mofongo said:

May 27, 2015 22:45:40 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

LOL.

I love the posters here and on MMMoms who are like, "OMG, No! I have kids! My time is precious!"

Like some of us who said yes don't also have kids and value our time.

Where is mmm talking about this?

In the flameful thread. It starts here: pandce.proboards.com/thread/449611/confessions-flamefuls?page=6

[pantsparty]

May 28, 2015 10:03:48 GMT -5 spearmintleaf said:

I'm in this situation. I just took a job commuting 1 hour each way, 3 days/wk, for a full-time salary. There is another lower paying job which is hourly right near my house and I was debating which would be better. I posted it all on MM. I decided to do a hybrid of both.

Since then I ran some numbers. The IRS estimates 51 cents/mile as the cost of commuting, which is what my old job reimbursed as well, so I used that. It's gas, maintenance, and wear and tear on your car. It turns out that even with only working 3 days/wk, I was still devoting $858/month to commuting costs. That's without tolls. I used that information and re-calculated, and I only need to work 23 hours at the lower paying job (with no commute) to make the same money I will make at the higher paying job (30 hours + 6 hour drive, 36 hour commitment). My new plan is to build up my hours at the lower paying job and switch over once I can; however long that takes.

I'd also be wary of the expectation to check email on your day off. It seems like a slippery slope of getting roped into tasks.

The flexibility sounds awesome and I don't know whether or not it's the right choice for you, but between taxes and commuting costs I'm not sure you'll have more money. Also I commute 5 days/wk right now and although I like my alone time, it is definitely draining. 60 mins each way.

Okay...but no one with a commute puts $858 into a savings account based on their commute mileage. This is laughable. It WOULD NOT cost you over $10k/year outright with an hour-long commute!

[bittybomb]

I would.  The 3 days alone would sell it for me plus GREAT benefits vs just good benefits?  Done.  The extra 20k doesn't hurt either.

I am curious though - driving commute or train commute?

[hulley]

I was going to say no until I saw three days per week. There isn't a lot I wouldn't do for that flexibility.

[pantsparty]

WTF I just read in that thread someone is sad her kid isn't going to be 6 feet tall because there are more advantages and more women want to marry tall men. I will have to inform my H he's a loser and was lucky to get me because he's only 5'10".

ETA: she did her calculation wrong so it looks like he WILL be over 6 feet tall! CRISIS AVERTED!

[pegasuskat]

I would - and would be thrilled to only work 3 days a week, enough so that the commute wouldn't matter at all!

[pantsparty]

May 28, 2015 10:32:03 GMT -5 mofongo said:

May 28, 2015 10:26:57 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

WTF I just read in that thread someone is sad her kid isn't going to be 6 feet tall because there are more advantages and more women want to marry tall men. I will have to inform my H he's a loser and was lucky to get me because he's only 5'10".

ETA: she did her calculation wrong so it looks like he WILL be over 6 feet tall! CRISIS AVERTED!

There are a lot of pretentious asshole comments in that thread, LOL. ML is poor? They are privileged?

The only thing that thread has re-confirmed for me is I like @this.

[wambam]

May 28, 2015 10:33:53 GMT -5 @this said:

I always get second-hand embarrassment when you guys link to our MMM stuff. Like I do when someone drops by my house unexpectedly and it's a goddamn mess and I have, like, my Nip/Tuck DVDs lying around that I was obviously recently watching. lol

I knew I liked you.

[pantsparty]

May 28, 2015 10:43:51 GMT -5 mofongo said:

May 28, 2015 10:37:53 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

The only thing that thread has re-confirmed for me is I like @this.

She should quit them and come here FT. It's no secret I have a HHI, but I'd still get super giddy over 20k!! 'But I guess after you factor in taxes and x,y,z, it just doesn't make any sense'. Who thinks like that?? mp is footloose and fancy free, she can do whatever the fuck she wants. You never LOSE 2 hours of your life, I mean, unless you're unconscious, or on a bad trip.

I get not wanting to give up that time especially if you have kids and need to secure more childcare. Probably not worth it. But to dismiss it because it will diminish your "quality of life" is a decidedly privileged point-of-view. OP has a choice, but it's snobby to not recognize not all people are in the same position of turning down money. 

[bittybomb]

That MMM thread is ridiculous and funny all together.

What is a SCRU?

[Deleted]

Where do I apply?

[msmerymac]

May 28, 2015 10:53:25 GMT -5 bittybomb said:

That MMM thread is ridiculous and funny all together.

What is a SCRU?

Spoiled Children R Us. It's shorthand for people who have had their parents pay in full for college, weddings, house down payments, a new car every 4 years in perpetuity, Manolo Blahniks, trips to Greece, etc, etc. Basically, you know, the reason many people on MM are able to afford more lavish lifestyles, unlike the poors who paid for our own weddings and shit. 

[itsme]

Yes

[bittybomb]

May 28, 2015 11:24:02 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

May 28, 2015 11:17:15 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Spoiled Children R Us. It's shorthand for people who have had their parents pay in full for college, weddings, house down payments, a new car every 4 years in perpetuity, Manolo Blahniks, trips to Greece, etc, etc. Basically, you know, the reason many people on MM are able to afford more lavish lifestyles, unlike the poors who paid for our own weddings and shit. 

I was a spoiled child, but $20k is still not a pittance!

To me it isn't even really about the money (and I get that that in and of itself is privileged) but how can they totally discount working 3 days per week versus 5?

[bittybomb]

May 28, 2015 11:39:30 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

May 28, 2015 11:36:32 GMT -5 bittybomb said:

To me it isn't even really about the money (and I get that that in and of itself is privileged) but how can they totally discount working 3 days per week versus 5?

Because it's not that? It's commuting 3 days and wfh 1-2 days.

I must have missed that because that is not how I read it.  Either way, commuting only 3 days a week and being able to work from home 2 is still, to me, worth it.  I commute now only about 20-25 minutes, and I would jump at that arrangement in a heartbeat.

[pantsparty]

May 28, 2015 11:44:00 GMT -5 mofongo said:

May 28, 2015 11:24:02 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I was a spoiled child, but $20k is still not a pittance!

If I get to a point where 20k doesn't excite me, I think I will need to re-evaluate myself.

ETA: I guess if you're making like super bank it would seem trivial, but still.

It's confusing because by their own admission, most of them are MM middle class* so you'd think $20k WOULD excite them.

_{*MM middle class = up to $300k in HHI}

[Elsa]

May 28, 2015 11:49:27 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

May 28, 2015 9:30:35 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

lol, except that never happens.  The extra time would be spent chasing after the two-year-old, or doing dishes, or etc.  I appreciate the commute because it forces me into quiet time. 

My dream is to find a job close to my house but not have my family discover I have a short commute. "Oh, sorry honey! Extra long drive today! What do you mean it looks like I had a pedicure?"

I have to admit....once or twice I've gotten off work early, not said anything and went and got my eyelash extensions.

"what do you mean I look wide awake, babe? I've spent all day at work!"
lol

[Elsa]

Oh and mp- I have an hour commute every day. I mean, its not my favorite, and we will eventually move closer, but its not what nightmares are made of either.

I'd quite literally cut off my left arm for that arrangement. I'm a righty. I don't even need it.

[Deleted]

I coined SCRU.

I am disappointed it has come to this.

[bittybomb]

May 28, 2015 11:53:07 GMT -5 Elsa said:

May 28, 2015 11:49:27 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

My dream is to find a job close to my house but not have my family discover I have a short commute. "Oh, sorry honey! Extra long drive today! What do you mean it looks like I had a pedicure?"

I have to admit....once or twice I've gotten off work early, not said anything and went and got my eyelash extensions.

"what do you mean I look wide awake, babe? I've spent all day at work!"
lol

I did this just last Friday.  My office typically closes at 3 on a Friday before a long weekend, and we unexpectedly closed at 1 instead.  I briefly considered telling my husband and then quickly realized how foolish that would have been.  I went for a manicure, pedicure and eyebrow wax instead.  Thankfully he's totally oblivious.

[Deleted]

May 28, 2015 11:44:00 GMT -5 mofongo said:

May 28, 2015 11:24:02 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I was a spoiled child, but $20k is still not a pittance!

If I get to a point where 20k doesn't excite me, I think I will need to re-evaluate myself.

ETA: I guess if you're making like super bank it would seem trivial, but still.

May 28, 2015 11:46:05 GMT -5 mp said:

This is also a completely unfair statement - so forgive me. But I also wonder, with the mom smugness going on - how many of these women are the breadwinners, or how many have the freedom to make that choice because their husband makes $$ or they have family money. MUST BE NICE - lol.

/unfair smugness

Really, though - it's just so easy to lose perspective, especially when you were very privileged in getting to the place where $20k is nothin'.

$20k is a significant amount.  It is absolutely not "nothing," probably unless you're making seven figures.  It is definitely something, even if it may not mean as much to certain people.

I have not read the MMM thread -- so take this with a huge grain of salt because I don't know what is being said there -- but I can understand why $20k would not be enough money for somebody to sacrifice a five-minute commute for an hour-long commute.  If you make [whatever amount of money makes you feel secure and comfortable], you may have the luxury of turning down $20k in favor of the shorter commute, and the forgoing of that extra $20k would not impact your life in any meaningful way.

Thus, to those people, the 275 hours or so saved per year is worth more than $20k, and that is their opinion.  This may not be others' opinion, but it doesn't make that opinion any less valid.

I will now go read to see if I agree they are smug.

(I hope this did not come off smug.)

[msmerymac]

May 28, 2015 11:39:30 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

May 28, 2015 11:36:32 GMT -5 bittybomb said:

To me it isn't even really about the money (and I get that that in and of itself is privileged) but how can they totally discount working 3 days per week versus 5?

Because it's not that? It's commuting 3 days and wfh 1-2 days.

Which is 6 hours/week of commuting, which would average out to a 35 minute commute each way over the course of a 5 day work week. PLENTY of people would switch to a job with a $20k increase, better benefits, and more growth potential if it meant a 35 minute commute 5 days per week. 

[kadams767]

May 28, 2015 11:44:00 GMT -5 mofongo said:

May 28, 2015 11:24:02 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I was a spoiled child, but $20k is still not a pittance!

If I get to a point where 20k doesn't excite me, I think I will need to re-evaluate myself.

ETA: I guess if you're making like super bank it would seem trivial, but still.

It's definitely not trivial to me, and I have no idea what is going on in the MMM thread you all are referencing, LOL, but I would still have to think long and hard about whether or not it would be worth it to me.  It's a lot of money in the concept of "Sweet, $20k raise!!" but breaking it down by what I'd actually take home, it isn't as great and is definitely something to think about. 

[vmars]

Yes esp since it's only 3 days per week. That money would make a big diff for us.