Not to take job as it's 1 hour commute ?

[pollyputaket]

Basically I've been looking for a job for a while now and the only job I've been offered is 1 hour commute.
It's a 5 min walk from my house to train station
Then 50 min train journey
Plus 5 min walk from train station to office.
£11 train per day travel
So that is £55 on fares per week
Aibu not to take it for this reason ?
What would you do?

Sounds like a very easy and very cheap commute to me. 🙂

This is a mad idea but I would consider putting money into an e bike or something similar, like an e scooter. For example:

www.bumblebeebikes.co.uk/bike-range/classic-electric-scooter-range/

www.brompton.com/bikes/brompton-electric

They are a bit pricey but you could save up some of the £380 left over each month. Better than throwing money on public transport too.

You'd still have the long commute but at least you can travel in style!

Just realised it might be too far for a one hour commute but you could always take the folding bike on the train and get off a couple of stops earlier and hop on your e bike ;-)

I used to drive a one hour commute, winding country lanes for about 30 miles then some town driving. I found it a nice unwind at the end of my work day so don’t be too put off, you can do a crossword or sudoku or read a book and you’ll find it’s a nice way to start and end your work day. My DH has either a one hour drive or a one hour train journey (very similar to you)

As for the cost, a season ticket, even a monthly one will save you enough to make it worthwhile.

Do you want to work? Because an hour commute isn’t a reason to turn down a job if you want/need it.

I wouldnt want to commute an hour for NMW. Could you move closer to where there is more work?

Are you fit to work though op?
Due to being on sickness benefit I mean?

It's the basic commute from here to nearest city , where most of the jobs are

@Bluesheep8

Are you fit to work though op? Due to being on sickness benefit I mean?

I'm wondering this too

Also you mention £200 a month on food - how many people is that and how do you pay it at the moment?

If you are able to take the job, I would.

[quote pollyputaket]@LBunz thanks that's good to know.
So hopefully I could do it in around 10 mins
It's just a bit daunting when it's a new area
You've made me feel a lot better about it now
Thankyou [/quote]
I know what you mean about the new area, I always panic going anywhere new on public transport. But honestly you literally get off the metro, walk up one long street for 90% of the walk and then turn right at a roundabout and you're there. If you're a fast walker you'll do it quicker than 20mins no problem. Hope it's helped. The time flys on the metro too... I always used to fall asleep on my metro commute and that was a only Hebburn to Gateshead

It’s bizarre that you’re working this out as if you’d be buying separate tickets every day. Get an all zones metro pass for less than £80 a month.

That’s nothing really. I’d take it. If it becomes unbearable then leave.

I used to have an hour drive each way and it cost me over that in petrol every week.

No train/bus option available

Sounds fine to me. My comment is usually an hour (WFH now). DP is an hour and a half/two hours depending on traffic.

It's anxiety the reason I am on sickness benefits.
I'm doing a lot better now with CBT and want to return to work.
My benefits cover my food etc at the min but obviously not much left over for anything else.

@LBunz would four lane ends be the closest stop?
At first I was going to get off at longbenton

The folding bike is a good suggestion.

It sounds like you really want the job so I'd take it & see how you get on.

Good luck

Honestly, how much better off will you be taking this job? It seems to me that the cost and stress of traveling doesn’t justify the amount you will get in minimum salary or to get your mental health affected further. Keep looking for a job that doesn’t cost you half your salary in travel.

@Ifailed

Interesting attitudes towards commuting to work on this thread. The average in England is 59 mins news.sky.com/story/average-commute-to-work-now-takes-59-minutes-tuc-study-11861773, yet there seems to be an aversion to doing this from some posters. Do they expect to land a job on their doorstep?

That article is deliberately misleading, the average of 59 minutes is for both journeys combined, as can clearly be seen on the TUCs website here. The average commute has been under 30 mins each way for as long as we've kept records. Even in London the average commute is 40 minutes each way.

That's a normal commute to me.
I was doing that at 17

BTW a folding bike that is practical enough to carry on a train on a daily basis is going to cost a lot if money (mine was over £1000, the cheaper version I had was only £300, it was fine for a caravan but crap to carry it around on a daily basis). It is a better option to have two bikes (one at each end of the trip)

That's a very long commute for minimum wage.

To be honest I think you would be crazy not to...what are your other options?? Less money?? Stay doing nothing? At least with this it's adding experience and hope in 6 months time you can wfh and then save more money!! And the longer you are there the more of a chance of a promotion etc etc. Invest in your future a bit OP. Sometimes we have to see it through, put ourselves out for a while to gain the benefits from it. If we don't take leaps or step out of comfort zones then we generally stay stagnant.

Nope I wouldn't take it.

I doubt there are many minimum wage jobs were you can evolve to work from home in just 6 months...

@pollyputaket No way I would take that. Far too long a commute, and especially for a minimum pay job. And too much cost for a minimum pay job too. Unless you're desperate, and then you could take it until something better/closer comes along.

All the posters saying 'totally normal commute.....' (and 'it's sounds cheap and easy!') Well maybe it is (for some,) but that doesn't mean it is for everyone, or that you should accept it.

I used to have a commute, that was a 2.5 to 3 hour round trip, (on top of my 8-9 hours work day.) It's a fucking killer after a while. Out at 7am, and not back til 6.30 to 7pm. I had no life.

If you CAN get something closer, then definitely do so.