Most economical car for £1k (or less)

Wicksta · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:02

Will Gill said:
regardless of the cost of the car, How much will 8 hours driving cost per day ?

Really doesnt sound like a well thought out plan, cost of running and maintaining an old 1k heap will negate any salary increase London affords

I think he means a 4 hour round trip, which seems pretty optimistic to me considering it can take me 2 hours to get into central London from about 30 miles away let alone the isle of Wight! On such a long journey as Mikes the risk of hitting an accident or roadworks will be massive, let alone ferry delays etc. A guy on another forum I'm on regularly makes the trip from the Isle of Wight to QPR and I thought he was mad!

Will Gill · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:10

Wicksta said:
I think he means a 4 hour round trip, which seems pretty optimistic to me considering it can take me 2 hours to get into central London from about 30 miles away let alone the isle of Wight! On such a long journey as Mikes the risk of hitting an accident or roadworks will be massive, let alone ferry delays etc. A guy on another forum I'm on regularly makes the trip from the Isle of Wight to QPR and I thought he was mad!

I kind of guessed that, and altered the overall journey time to be more inline with my experience as a road warrior

Jez · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:13

It usually takes me around 1.5 to 2 hours to get into london by car, and thats from Wallingford about 35-40 miles up the M40

No chance this trip will be as short as 2 hours!

Third Opinion · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:20

Blimey what does the ferry cost each day? I heard it is quite expensive for a season ticket.

Morba · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:42

2 hours? really?
Are you taking into account any traffic (there will be loads) and also delays on ferry etc?
Long long days ahead for you if you start doing this, it wont be cheap either.
Why not just have 2 cars and save even more cost?

DJMK4 · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:45

If I was in this position, I would be looking to relocate somewhere on the outskirts of London surely.

Morba · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:46

DJMK4 said:
If I was in this position, I would be looking to relocate somewhere on the outskirts of London surely.

It would probably be better to rent a room off someone for the days that you need to stay up there. that or book b&b early on to get good rates!

MikeHiow · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:49

If the coach I normally get can do it in under 2 hours at peak times, I'm pretty confident I can do it.

Relocation is not an option.

Will Gill · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:49

or buy a VW camper van and sleep outside work, shows dedication.

does your coach have wings and runway clearance?

Morba · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:53

In a £1k banger? You'll end up on the side of the M3 at some point

MikeHiow · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:56

Will Gill said:
does your coach have wings and runway clearance?

Nope

Morba said:
In a £1k banger? You'll end up on the side of the M3 at some point

I'll never end up at the side of the M3

Morba · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:58

A3 / M3, they head in the same direction (SW to NE)

Wicksta · 25 Jan 2011 at 11:58

MikeHiow said:
If the coach I normally get can do it in under 2 hours at peak times, I'm pretty confident I can do it.

Relocation is not an option.

That's weird, I just checked on the National Express website and their quoted journey time from Portsmouth off peak is 2 hours 20 minutes. Not sure how the other company can go from the Isle of Wight to London (ie travel further and over water) in less time during peak times? It sounds very optimistic to me. Which company was that with?

Will Gill · 25 Jan 2011 at 12:00

getting up at 5am and getting home at 9pm, I'd do that for no less than £300k a year with a view to retire by the time I was 37

otherwise what on earth are you thinking?

MikeHiow · 25 Jan 2011 at 12:11

Wicksta said:
That's weird, I just checked on the National Express website and their quoted journey time from Portsmouth off peak is 2 hours 20 minutes. Not sure how the other company can go from the Isle of Wight to London (ie travel further and over water) in less time during peak times? It sounds very optimistic to me. Which company was that with?

Hang on, who said the coach leaves from the Isle of Wight? My coach runs directly from Southsea to London Victoria.

Will Gill said:
getting up at 5am and getting home at 9pm, I'd do that for no less than £300k a year with a view to retire by the time I was 37

otherwise what on earth are you thinking?

I'm thinking (as I've already stated) that I have mouths to feed, and may need to do that by any means necessary. Unemployment is not an option.

I think it would be more like getting up at 6 and getting home for around 8 though, which isn't that bad at all, three days a week.

Will Gill · 25 Jan 2011 at 12:15

MikeHiow said:
I'm thinking (as I've already stated) that I have mouths to feed, and may need to do that by any means necessary. Unemployment is not an option.

I think it would be more like getting up at 6 and getting home for around 8 though, which isn't that bad at all, three days a week.

I really doubt given your budgets they are paying you a decent wage otherwise we would be discussing a car capable of sitting in traffic and chewing up motorway mileage, given that how on earth can you offset :

ferry costs, petrol/diesel, parking (possibly Congestion Charge?), potential for increased insurance as this is increasing your yearly mileage and adding business commuting at the same time.

if your business hours are 9-5 I call BS on you being up to get up and six and arrive at work for 9, given the ferry leaves at 6am and you have just got out of bed

Start a new thread asking us to find you work nearer your location, I dare say that will yield much more favourable results

[TW]Fox · 25 Jan 2011 at 12:15

MikeHiow said:
Hang on, who said the coach leaves from the Isle of Wight? My coach runs directly from Southsea to London Victoria.

But you dont live in Southsea so frankly the commuting time from Southsea is completely irrelevent. It must be door to door.

I'm thinking (as I've already stated) that I have mouths to feed, and may need to do that by any means necessary. Unemployment is not an option.

Neither, realistically, is living on the IOW and commuting to central London. Come on Mike, it's daft and you know it. Go back to working with your Dad on the family business or something until you get something else sorted? If you want to remain living on the IOW then an office job in London is just ridiculous.

I think it would be more like getting up at 6 and getting home for around 8 though, which isn't that bad at all, three days a week.

Thats funny, in the other thread you said your proposal to them was to go down to 3 days a week and in return work 12 hour days on those 3 days a week so you are doing only 1.5 hours less per week, thats what you told us.

So lets call it 3 hours each way because 2 is just silly.

Out of bed 4.30am.
Travel 5am till 8am
Work 8am till 8pm.
Travel 8pm till 10pm.
Bed 11pm.

Sounds amazing.

I've decided to thrash out some numbers.

I'm being generous and assuming you live in Ryde.

180 miles per day. At 40mpg average (yes even in a diesel, the traffic will get quite bad towards London) this is £27 a day.

I'm going to estimate you get a great deal on the Ferry and it's only 20 quid per return.

So, £57 a day in commuting costs. £8200 a year. To earn enough money to pay for this you'd need to earn what, about £11-12k before tax to get £8200 after tax?

So effectively you are taking an £11-12k a year salary cut.

Mike, it doesnt work. Seriously. You would literally be better off working in Tesco! And thats before we take into account the quality of life of such a ridiculous commute.

Find a new job. I know it sucks but it's the only way.

Wicksta · 25 Jan 2011 at 12:18

MikeHiow said:
Hang on, who said the coach leaves from the Isle of Wight? My coach runs directly from Southsea to London Victoria.

Oh right sorry I thought we were talking about travelling from the Isle of Wight to London every day, I didn't realise you'd be staying in Southsea which i guess will take some time off the car journey if you're not doing the ferry every day.

The National Express website still says 2 hours 20 off peak from Southsea to London Victoria though, it's still going to be a huge journey especially if there are accidents or roadworks.

MikeHiow · 25 Jan 2011 at 12:21

[TW]Fox;18309645 said:
But you dont live in Southsea so frankly the commuting time from Southsea is completely irrelevent. It must be door to door.

But we're not discussing commuting time, I stated I would be spending 4 hours a day in the car, and nothing else?

[TW]Fox;18309645 said:
Neither, realistically, is living on the IOW and commuting to central London. Come on Mike, it's daft and you know it. Go back to working with your Dad on the family business or something until you get something else sorted? If you want to remain living on the IOW then an office job in London is just ridiculous.

There is currently no 'easy' option, such as going back to the family business.

[TW]Fox;18309645 said:
Thats funny, in the other thread you said your proposal to them was to go down to 3 days a week and in return work 12 hour days on those 3 days a week so you are doing only 1.5 hours less per week, thats what you told us.

I was also given the option of perhaps doing 3 days in the office and 2 at home.

[TW]Fox;18309645 said:
So lets call it 3 hours each way because 2 is just silly.

6:00, get up
6:45, Hovercraft
7:00, Southsea
9:00, London

5:30, Leave London
7.30, Southsea
7.45, Hovercraft
8.00, Ryde
8.05, Home.

All for about £12-15 a day in fuel and a season ticket for the Hovercraft. Simples.

EddScott · 25 Jan 2011 at 12:22

I know someone who commutes from West Wales to London every week. Leaves I think Sunday evening and back Thursday or something. Costs him £600 a month on the train. Takes 4 or 5 hours I believe.

Given the costs involved would it be cheaper to stay in London while you need to be in work? Or is that the plan anway?

May I ask what the job is? Just being nosey.