To wonder how long I'll be able to afford to drive to work for?

[Octomingo]

I drive 40 miles a day, there and back. I do a childcare drop on the way. I don't always know what time I will finish. Public transport would take me 3 hours one way. No one to car share with. Can't move closer, as that would take dh even further away from his work and can't afford to move anyway.

Those of you with similar issues, what are you planning to do? I can't find any jobs the same level closer to home. The thought of spending so much money just on travelling to work is freaking me out.

I took a £8k pay cut in because the commute and childcare would have been impossible. I now work locally and have a better work/life balance but I do struggle financially which will hopefully improve slightly next year when my loan is paid off. Could taking a pay cut to be closer to home be an option? Completely appreciate this isn't an option for some people

@daimbarsatemydogsbone

I complained in Sainsburys petrol station You think the cashier sets the prices?

No course not! It’s general chat isn’t it!! I’m a pleasure as a customer.

I have a similar commute, we're managing so far a bit a big increase would be a problem. Not heped by food and energy increases is it? And yes pay doesn't go up by same amount (also public sector so unable to negotiate pay as it just isn't the way it works). I dont know what the solution is.

OP really share your worry, we have a mobility car for DC, vital for appointments and school runs, but petrol costs have begun to really pose a struggle for us.
School is less than 7 miles away but round trip can often take up to hour and a half/2 hours due to stupid traffic restrictions snuk in by local council under "Covid" which has increased traffic tenfold. It's. miserable but necessary part of our lives, but yes worried about rising costs, especially after today' awful news in Ukraine. It is going to get worse and I am scrambling for solutions.

No course not!
It’s general chat isn’t it!! I’m a pleasure as a customer.

Well I can't speak for Sainsbury's staff but when I worked in the Filling Station the highlight of my day was not yet another customer banging on about the price of fuel.

Yes I’ll bet 😂

Comes with the territory of being public facing. I have all sorts said to me by the public. Including ‘i pay your wages!!’

It was worse working in a pub, near the football stadium

@Oinkypig

I drive a 1 l 11 year old polo 80 miles at least a day and I’m spending £200 a month on petrol max I only noticed the difference because I crashed a different car that I was filling up every 2/3 days and there is a significant difference in my new/old car. I don’t know get a really old polo 🤷‍♀️

I have a really old polo, £30 quid a week covers my weekly commute so not terribly far off what the OP is spending.

Had another thought OP. If your company doesn't pay expenses to you then you can claim back tax relief on your business travel but NOT for travel to and from work unless it's a temporary location/assignment. So if you use your car to visit customer for example you can claim.

www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/vehicles-you-use-for-work

Probably doesn't apply but thought I'd mention it.

I'm like you, OP... except my commute is about 75 miles round trip. Back in the office three days a week. My car took £74 to fill with diesel the other day - it's a 10 year old astra, which still runs well, and I'm hoping that self-charging hybrids will come down in price in a year or two. That does me about 470-500 miles, depending on traffic. So that's filling up every 2 weeks or so - and that's only if I'm just doing work trips.

But, yes. It takes me half the time by car than it would take me on public transport; I also have a disability which means that train/steps can be tricky on a bad day. It would also be almost £13 return on a daily basis (because not being in every day, means that it's not really worth getting a season pass.)

I'm also Higher Education, who have not had a pay rise for some time.... so, although I am not on the breadline, or anything like that, I'm having to cut my spending on other things.

Yes I've been wondering the same op for weeks now. I only go in two days a week but I have school runs (30 mins in the morning) the other days to sort too. In my old car in put 30 In it to get to work and back all week. Now, I'm having to put 30 in just to get to work and back for two days.

People who say just get a work from home job it's not that simple.

I've been trying to get a suitable job that I'll be better off at since last November and Although I've had interviews I still haven't got an offer. Swapping jobs is hard for some.

I also put the super fuel in now because my car struggled on the newer stuff!

I'd have to change my entire career to be able to wfh! I'm mid 40s, so bit late for that now.
At least no one suggested 'just move closer', which is the usual answer after public transport/ cycle.

It’s not a permanent solution, of course,
but Morrison’s currently have 7p a litre off

Please don’t use supermarket fuel.
It can utterly destroy your car. Standard suppliers filter the fuel before they sell it, supermarkets don’t.

People may argue that that’s nonsense, but I own a small garage and the amount of people that come in with certain problems and when you ask them where they buy their fuel, 9/10 times it’s from a supermarket.

Just last week we drained the tank of a small van and there was almost two inches of sludge at the bottom.

You may save a few pounds a tank, but it’s very much a false economy.

www.evanshalshaw.com/blog/13-way-to-improve-fuel-economy-and-save-money/

If you can save 5 miles per week/increase mpg by 1.25 each gallon, then that’s a free trip one day per month

Perhaps use the car for work but not at the weekends, put the car away and use other methods. Get people to visit you, walk to activities and get shopping delivered

@19lottie82

It’s not a permanent solution, of course, but Morrison’s currently have 7p a litre off

Please don’t use supermarket fuel.
It can utterly destroy your car. Standard suppliers filter the fuel before they sell it, supermarkets don’t.

People may argue that that’s nonsense, but I own a small garage and the amount of people that come in with certain problems and when you ask them where they buy their fuel, 9/10 times it’s from a supermarket.

Just last week we drained the tank of a small van and there was almost two inches of sludge at the bottom.

You may save a few pounds a tank, but it’s very much a false economy.

We had an awful problem with our diesel that we used to fill up at supermarket petrol station. The mechanic said the same thing and recommended we avoid in future as the money you save doesn't pay the repair bill.