Commuting long distances
- Thread starter Sinny
- Start date
@ 140 leptons?
True story, I got pulled at not far from that on said journey back one night late and let off thanks to a superb police officer. Bit of a family emergency so was in a hurry, he got that and let me go. Top bobby.
I am only in college for another 6 months until my course is complete. However im not sure they will fund my HNC so im cosidering asking for the day i would usually have off to go to college back home and do it this way as i skipped a year of college due to my higher quals.
Its pretty much come down to cost from what i can see and dependant on personality stress wise.
I might give it a go for a week and take a small hit to see if i can handle it.
I thought when i took the job i would meet other people my own age in a similar situation but ive basically found live in landlords are a bit odd and house shares are full of polish people whom dont speak English very well which gets awkward.
your at college for another 6 months, doing 1800 miles a month = 10800 miles. I am struggling to understand how you can actually save money (over that mileage) by selling you MK5 for another more economical car. The only way would be to get a good price for your car and trade down to an (as suggested) old french diesel but then you are buying into the unknown. One decent sized bill and any savings are out of the window. You need to spend some time on the maths.
If you are in your 20's, the commute is do-able, especially if it is helping you to build your career but in the long term, big commutes mean sacrificing you personal life (and potentially your health) for your job so choose wisely.
If you are in your 20's, the commute is do-able, especially if it is helping you to build your career but in the long term, big commutes mean sacrificing you personal life (and potentially your health) for your job so choose wisely.
Soldato
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I do 226 miles a day (3-4 times a week with occassional train trips to London), down the M6 and then back up again. Can be a pain if traffic is bad but you get used to it.
I live away from home and home is about ~175 miles away so a 350 round trip is out of the question so I know how much it can suck working away!
45 miles each way doesn't sound too bad (if it was all motorway).
How about trialing it, do 4 days down in your accommodation and then come home Thursday and drive back down Friday, then maybe extend to doing Mondays too, then you'd only be away from home 2 nights a week.
Next year i'll be moving to our York office which will also mean a few trips to Derby which is about 140 mile round trip (from home). Last time I did it, I left at 6:30am and got there for 7:30, an hour in the car really is nothing!
45 miles each way doesn't sound too bad (if it was all motorway).
How about trialing it, do 4 days down in your accommodation and then come home Thursday and drive back down Friday, then maybe extend to doing Mondays too, then you'd only be away from home 2 nights a week.
Next year i'll be moving to our York office which will also mean a few trips to Derby which is about 140 mile round trip (from home). Last time I did it, I left at 6:30am and got there for 7:30, an hour in the car really is nothing!
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Currently doing 40 miles/60-90mins each way and absolutely hate it, having to get up at 6am and get home about 17.30, last thing you want after a long day at work is to have to sit on the motorway for over an hour 
Made even worse by the fact I specifically moved to a house 3 miles from the office a couple of years ago to avoid a long commute, unfortunately I've now been seconded to a customer's site for an "indefinite" period...
The only thing making it bearable is that I get paid for all of my mileage, but if I'm still doing it this time next year I'll be looking for a new job!
Don't underestimate the effect the long commute will have on how you feel - the financial side might "work", but there's no point in doing it if you're going to feel exhausted/depressed all the time and dread going to work every day - you might be fine with it, however, unfortunately this isn't something anyone on here will be able to tell you!
Made even worse by the fact I specifically moved to a house 3 miles from the office a couple of years ago to avoid a long commute, unfortunately I've now been seconded to a customer's site for an "indefinite" period...
The only thing making it bearable is that I get paid for all of my mileage, but if I'm still doing it this time next year I'll be looking for a new job!
Don't underestimate the effect the long commute will have on how you feel - the financial side might "work", but there's no point in doing it if you're going to feel exhausted/depressed all the time and dread going to work every day - you might be fine with it, however, unfortunately this isn't something anyone on here will be able to tell you!
Soldato
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I did a 80 mile round trip commute for 10 years, i just got used to it but i had a very nice & easy drive as it was mostly almost empty dual carriage way and then 12 miles of decent A road at the end, it would take me about 50 minutes on average.
You get used to the actual driving fairly quickly, just put some decent music on and time drifts by quite quickly if you're on decent roads. I've done it in several cars from a 1.6TDCi Mk2 focus, Subaru Impreza, Honda Integra, Diesel Toyota Yaris & a petrol Toyota Avensis. Some are clearly better suited than others but you manage especially when you're younger.
You get used to the actual driving fairly quickly, just put some decent music on and time drifts by quite quickly if you're on decent roads. I've done it in several cars from a 1.6TDCi Mk2 focus, Subaru Impreza, Honda Integra, Diesel Toyota Yaris & a petrol Toyota Avensis. Some are clearly better suited than others but you manage especially when you're younger.
Soldato
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I would stay where you are.
I'm in my final year of uni and moved up to Oxford to be with my partner who's got a job here and there's no way I would commute the 120 mile round trip every day. I barely do it once a week even though it can take only an hour each way on a good day (A34/M3/M27) and I get about 48mpg from my petrol Mondeo when I do. It just isn't worth the time you lose that could be spent revising/doing coursework/whatever.
In hindsight I probably should have stayed in Southampton, although I don't think it'll have had any effect on my performance and the cost difference would have been greater (petrol vs. renting two places between us).
I'm in my final year of uni and moved up to Oxford to be with my partner who's got a job here and there's no way I would commute the 120 mile round trip every day. I barely do it once a week even though it can take only an hour each way on a good day (A34/M3/M27) and I get about 48mpg from my petrol Mondeo when I do. It just isn't worth the time you lose that could be spent revising/doing coursework/whatever.
In hindsight I probably should have stayed in Southampton, although I don't think it'll have had any effect on my performance and the cost difference would have been greater (petrol vs. renting two places between us).
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Mostly true. Missus gets 70 mpg from a 59 Smart Fortwo cdi (799 cc 3 cylinder turbo diesel - the smallest production diesel engine apparently).
She does 70 miles round trip each day, mostly motorway, mostly 70-75 mph if traffic allows, and it costs typically £25 a week in diesel (about £1.10/l).
She manages it fine, and I've found it comfy enough when we've done long drives around the country together. For us, well worth it for the money saved and eco-cred.
(I still think it looks funny though
)Not worth it. Work out the costs exactly though to be sure, that's what I did quite easy just chuck it all in a spreadsheet.
I commute 25 miles each way and it's only just worth it financially, and that's on ~50k gross. The biggest issue is stress, nothing strikes fear into me like the sight of a Honda Jazz and an NSL sign
I commute 25 miles each way and it's only just worth it financially, and that's on ~50k gross. The biggest issue is stress, nothing strikes fear into me like the sight of a Honda Jazz and an NSL sign
what??
You are on 50k gross yet think 50miles per day is too much???
WHat you driving? an 8MPG Super car?
I do 45Miles per day and im on 25k gross :/
Just try it for a few weeks, your Golf might do better than you think if you have a decent run and keep speeds legal, I do approx 90-100 miles a day in a 1.4 Abarth Punto, its a tank a week (well 4.5 days to 45 litres ) tyres last well on Motorway 20-30k, barely ever use the brakes when keeping safe distance, servicing is not a big deal, its out of warranty so the biggest cost for my car is the 6k oil changes, I just do it myself.
I used to do same journey in a diesel Scenic I had that would do 60mpg, I got rid as I had a Punto sat around doing nowt whilst commuting in that Eco box seemed like a waste, dropping from that diesel to the petrol Punto never really made any difference to my life despite being 20mpg less efficient, the key is driving it efficentlly though, the diesel was less impacted by driving style, the Punto will drop to low 30s at 90mph vs low 40s at 70, probably because it is a 1.4 and is geared for making most of little engine.
Ask if you are able to work a day a week at home, might help cut cost.
I used to do same journey in a diesel Scenic I had that would do 60mpg, I got rid as I had a Punto sat around doing nowt whilst commuting in that Eco box seemed like a waste, dropping from that diesel to the petrol Punto never really made any difference to my life despite being 20mpg less efficient, the key is driving it efficentlly though, the diesel was less impacted by driving style, the Punto will drop to low 30s at 90mph vs low 40s at 70, probably because it is a 1.4 and is geared for making most of little engine.
Ask if you are able to work a day a week at home, might help cut cost.
I'd avoid it in your situation, its not just the time and the cost, its the hours in the day it takes. They all add up and they do tire you.
I do around 70miles a day, mostly a free run but every now and then I get a bad traffic day and the journey that takes 40mins turns into 2 hours, generally about 3 or 4 times a year but in the period after the Shoreham airshow crash I was taking hours to get home every time. Its tiring, adding around 2 hours every day to my normal work and by the end of the week I feel it.
The journey itself is fine, I tend to listen to talky type radio or podcasts. I have an 120d auto which I really enjoy driving and its a decent place to be for a couple of hours a day returning pretty much bob on 50mpg.
I do around 70miles a day, mostly a free run but every now and then I get a bad traffic day and the journey that takes 40mins turns into 2 hours, generally about 3 or 4 times a year but in the period after the Shoreham airshow crash I was taking hours to get home every time. Its tiring, adding around 2 hours every day to my normal work and by the end of the week I feel it.
The journey itself is fine, I tend to listen to talky type radio or podcasts. I have an 120d auto which I really enjoy driving and its a decent place to be for a couple of hours a day returning pretty much bob on 50mpg.
The main problem for Chris is any extra time spent commuting is time he could be spending in his very own playboy mansion.
I know which I'd choose!