Is this commute too much?

[commuterquery]

Hi!

just wondered if someone could give some advice or perspective on this.

right now I’m commuting about 55 minutes door to door by car, both to and from work. It’s only 25 miles from my house to my work but busy traffic. I work 9-5.30.

I’ve got the opportunity to take a higher paid job but with different hours and a much longer commute. But also- much higher salary. It’s 55 miles, 1 hr 30 minutes door to door but more of a country drive so no traffic. Hours 8.30-5.30

Does anyone know if realistically this would be too much? Just thinking it would be a great opportunity to save some money for a deposit (i still live at home) but realistically I don’t want to be too exhausted. It’s a much higher milage but not a significantly higher commute (30 mins more each way) because of the traffic differences- although with the earlier start I’d need to leave much earlier than I am now

and with the extra petrol I’d be spending a lot more than I am now although I’d be earning more too

just wondered if anyone has any advice or thoughts or experience in this sort of thing at all? Thanks in advance 🙂

Not to make assumptions but your post suggests you’re fairly young, living at home, so don’t have kids or many responsibilities. In that case, I’d do it for the salary and better job. Now is the time to put the extra effort in. Do you have to be in office every day or could you negotiate a day working from home each week?

Yeah you’re right living at home and no commitments yet, that’s why I’m thinking it’s a good change to build and save money!👍🏼 Just wasn’t sure if 3hrs a day of driving realistically is too much? I don’t live in a big city like London where commuting is normal so I don’t really have much experience of what a normal commute is if that makes sense, haha

it would be mixed days but always working 8.30-17.30, there’s no set pattern of days but usually I would be working 4/5 days a week (any day except Sunday) it would always be in work because with the job it’s not possible to WFH so I’d always be in x

Do you find driving stressful or relaxing?

If you were going to buy, would you want to buy in the location of the new job? If so, I'd be tempted to take it but save absolutely every single penny to aim to move nearer ASAP.

God I personally would die for 3 hours in the car by myself every day 😍 PLUS more money! I’d do it at your stage of life OP.

Do you really want to spend 3 hours every day in your car? I know some people don't mind driving, but personally I'd hate it. Imo, any commute (by whatever means) greater than an hour each way is prohibitive. You'll have to leave home by 7am and won't be home til 7pm., so no time for hobbies or socialising during the week. Plus the cost is not just about petrol, but wear and tear on the car etc. What will you do if the car breaks down or needs servicing? It's admirable that you want to save for your own place, but a work-life balance and mental health are also extremely important.

That's two working days commuting, 15 hours. Is the salary really paying more than 20pc what you are on now? Otherwise it's not a pay rise at all in real terms. I would want 50 pc more for that commute

How big a jump in pay is it OP?

Could you move closer to work eventually?

Pay wise it’s probably a rise of 20k ish (30k at the moment and with the new job I’d expect about 50k ish, possibly a bit more)

I do similar (60 miles, average hour and 20) but only 2-3 days per week. I’ve done 5 consecutive days once and I slept for pretty much 48 hours to recover!
Coffee and interesting podcasts/audiobooks are mainly what get me through. Also if you do decide to take the job, buy a dashcam, you’ll encounter all manner of nonsense and terrible driving as a long distance commuter

I do it three days a week and that's enough - and I absolutely love driving. And it costs about £100 a week.

If you're driving country roads, getting stuck behind one tractor puts you back ages, bad weather over winter will make it an absolute slog.

Think really carefully about doing it every day.

Used to do a big commute out by 7:00 am and home about 7:00 pm, five days a week. It depends whether you love your job, I wouldn't have done it (for long) just for more money, it is pretty relentless. On the other hand I don't know how much you will be getting for it, and it was perfectly possible.
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My dh has a similar length commute. It can take its toll, but if the job and money are worth it, it's certainly do able. You can always do it for a while and find something else if its too much.

I’d do it for the money.

If it allows you to save a deposit and buy a house it’s worth it in my eyes. As another poster said, now is the time to put the work in and reap the rewards. You can always buy closer to work or move jobs again when you’ve reached your goal.

That's a big jump to be fair and should.mean you have quote a bit left over even after additional fuel. I'd do it but not for very long just have a target to save up for house and then find another job with less commute

I couldn’t / wouldn’t do it unless there were ways you could lessen the car time.

Is the train an option?

Is staying in a hotel an option? My friend books a Premier Inn once a week, costs £35 a night and is a stones throw from her office.

Would working from home be feasible? If you could do a day or two at home that would really cut down on the driving.

I did 55 miles each way on rural roads across the peak district for about 3 years. An hour and a half each way. Five days a week. If it hadn't been for lockdown I would have had to quit from sheer exhaustion.

I think it's worth it, I know someone who had a similar commute time by car. They worked out they could catch the train and have a more relaxed journey by leaving their car at the station as it was an hour train ride and city centre office

I think it’s doable at your stage of life. I’ve just done five years of a 1 hr 10 commute (half country lanes/half heavy traffic) on days where it’s extended (eg accidents/flooding), it’s wiped me out, but I have family commitments.

Couple of practical things: Have you calculated fuel costs and wear and tear if using a car (mine significantly increased).

Treat your journey as a functional part of your day - podcasts, Duolingo, audiobooks.

I do that on public transport twice a week and it’s a lot. That extra half hour feels way longer than it should. I wouldn’t do it four or five times driving, where you can’t just sit back and relax.

If you’re young and living at home so no big expenses yet then do it provided you don’t mind driving… I hate driving!

I did this for a while in my 20s, you do actually get used to it quite quickly and that’s a really decent payrise!

Yeah I'd do one overnight in a cheap hotel on say a Tuesday just to break the week up, can get some good deals if it's outside a city centre.