How far is too far of a commute?

[hermosabeach]

That depends- 1 hour is not bad if driving at 50-70

In LA- a 15 mile commute can be 1 hour to 1:30

The stop and start- over and over- is more wearing and tearing on your mind and your car.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Two words to make the trip easy.
HARLEY DAVIDSON!!!

 

[Hobo Hilton]

As you age.... "TIME" will become your most valuable asset. Many of us Senior's chased the big money jobs. Before committing to buying a house there are many things to consider... #1 Children. If you have no children then 1.5 hour drive (3 hours a day) is no big deal. If you have children in activities, there will be an issue. #2 Family / Friends - How far will they be from your new home? Driving back into the mega city for a weekend event will be difficult to swallow.

Perhaps this is the "Y" in the road for many things. Could be time to relocate to another State where you can have your cake and eat it too...

Just some thoughts... Best of Luck.

Hobo

 

[TonyTheTiger]

20 minutes is a hard limit for me. If I'm gonna be away from home 9hrs a day I better be getting paid 8.5 of them. I've got kids to see and guns to shoot.

 

[theLBC]

any options to driving alone?
can you make commute time productive in some way?
listen to books on tape you've been meaning to read for years?
learn how to whistle really well, lol?

beyond that, what are you going to have to lose in those extra hours of commute time?
would you be spending the morning and early evenings with the wife and kids if you weren't commuting, or would this just cut into your local pool bar time while you're waiting for wifey to get off work?
basically, what sacrifices (besides free time) will you have to make if any?

living in southern california, i understand your predicament.
if your blowing $1500-2000 or more in rent every month, i would try to buy something, even if it's a hovel where you live now, or the cool place you found over an hour away.

forgot to ask. how far is the range going to be?

 

[lawofsavage]

View attachment 7099779

Damn, it would be interesting talking to the guy that can make a profit selling that house for $200k. I know the building materials can’t be that much different up there so y’all must have some cheap labor up there and be able to get the lot and acreage for next to nothing.

And the drive time might not be so bad if you have a good assistant and you can be dictating letters and other tasks for her to do but it would probably still drive me crazy personally haha. I’ve always either had a condo downtown if I’m in the city or lived somewhere small enough where it’s realistic to have land fairly close in.

 

[gunjunkie45]

Damn, it would be interesting talking to the guy that can make a profit selling that house for $200k. I know the building materials can’t be that much different up there so y’all must have some cheap labor up there and be able to get the lot and acreage for next to nothing.

And the drive time might not be so bad if you have a good assistant and you can be dictating letters and other tasks for her to do but it would probably still drive me crazy personally haha. I’ve always either had a condo downtown if I’m in the city or lived somewhere small enough where it’s realistic to have land fairly close in.

Actually labor rates in the North are way above the south. I'm a carpenter. I build this stuff. Worked in North Carolina after the army before I moved back home. I make 3 times as much up here. In he city I live in this house would be 500k minimum. That's why the commute is so tempting.

 

[Tchitcherine]

My typical commute for years was 45 minutes 1 way, minimum. It's outright time lost, and it adds up. Podcasts and audio books helped salvage that. Find a comfy hotel near work, for those nights when it's too late or too hazardous. You can get used to anything. Overall, it was worth it. Live where you want to, not where you have to.

 

[W54/XM-388]

20 minutes is a hard limit for me. If I'm gonna be away from home 9hrs a day I better be getting paid 8.5 of them. I've got kids to see and guns to shoot.

HA!
20 minutes is how long it takes me to make my way just across a little suburban town. From my house to the highway and then get started with the commute....

 

[MarinePMI]

It's your decision (ultimately), but my advice is commute until you don't have to. Either by getting a new job, or getting your income up enough to not have to commute and have a nice home.

The wife and I both commuted 45+ mins, each way, each day (with traffic). Now, we have a home, on a lake, 3 miles from work. A life changer.

The commute will grind you down after awhile; things will have to change in time. The house or the job; something will have to give.

JME...

 

[Ravenworks]

Over the last 30 years my jobsites varied in distance.
Sometimes I was merely minutes from the jobsite.
Then there were times I was over an hour away.

The time spent driving for me was graded in MPH.
I can make Cleveland during the AM bounce in 40 minutes depending on if it's the East side or West side preferably the West side.

Coming home is the bitch that depends upon a lot of variables.
Such as, is there a game, road construction,is there an accident and most important one, what time do you get off of work.
If I worked 10 hours, I would miss rush hour traffic and be home about the same time as working only 8 hours.

In answer to your question, 45 minutes is very doable as it gives you time to unwind.
An hour just plain sucks as all the things I mentioned above quickly multiplys your driving time into -" Honey I have no idea as to when I'll be home."