What to Consider Before You Take a Job with a Long Commute

US News posts four things you need to ask yourself before you take a job with a long commute as follows:

1. Can you afford the costs?

2. Is the job really worth it?

3. Can you handle it?

4. Will it eliminate a lot of your free time?

Here are my thoughts on these:

• The question about costs is a good one. We usually focus more on time when discussing this issue, but costs are just as valid. For instance, if you had a commute that was 15 miles one way and then changed to one that was 30 miles one way, at 50 cents a mile your costs would go from $3,750 per year to $7,500 per year. That's a big difference, and you should consider it before taking the job.


• Is the job worth the daily grind? That's what I really think they are asking in questions #2 and #3. This is especially a consideration for very long commutes (an hour plus). Traveling all that way each day can really wear you down (or so I'm told -- I've never done it.) Personally, there's almost no job that is worth a long commute to me. 30 minutes each way would be the maximum I'd be able to handle.


• Wouldn't a long commute by definition eliminate a lot of your free time? Of course it's "better" (I put this in quotes since there are pros and cons to every type of traveling) to commute by train or some other way you could still get work done, but there's a limit to what you can really do when going from one place to another. Let's face it, a longer commute is going to eliminate some free time. The main question: is the trade-off worth it?

A friend of mine recently took a job where he has to commute TWO HOURS each way to work (driving.) he's the type that I know did not consider the costs (in money, time, wear and tear, etc.) before he took the position. I'm giving him two years tops before he raises the white flag.

Comments

[Matt]

I know of somone who took a job 2 hours away drive time and worked 10 hour days. They figure that was one of the contributing factors to his stroke. Something difficult to put a price tag on unless you look at the differental of your salary and what you get with disability.

[Kris @ Everyday Tips]

I know when my husband has taken a longer commute (45 mins) vs. shorter commute (8 mins), it really reduced his flexibility. He couldn't attend as many of the kid's sporting events and such, so it it impacts more than just time, it can really reduce overall flexibility.

I cannot imagine a 2 hour commute, I would lose my mind.

[Jonathan]

I would definitely prefer a shorter commute as it saves a ton of time, but as it happens I have about a 45-minute commute each way through southern California traffic and I have found a reason to appreciate it: for the past few weeks I have spent nearly every waking hour, whether at work or at home, doing work or studying for a licensing exam I'm taking this week. My daily commute is my only time to relax and unwind, listen to classical music on the radio, and just enjoy myself.

[franklinchen]

I have a very short commute (less than 10 minutes each way if I drive; 20 minutes if I run), and deliberately so. It is unimaginable to me to lose time from a long commute (and the emotional and mental stress is even worse, not to speak of inhaling poor air and being physically inactive). Obviously, there are huge trade-offs involved, but my priorities are clear and I don't complain about the down sides of living in the city very close to work. Everyone has to make their own choices. The problem is that I think a lot of people are deluding themselves about how tolerable a long commute actually is.

[Dee]

Two hours! Wow.

I'd say if a job is worth commuting two hours, maybe it's worth moving to be closer?

[crashdamage1957]

It depends. Commuting by car, i agree with you, no job is worth an hour or more drive each day, especially if that drive looks like a NASCAR race at Talledega. But a commute by train, where one can work, read or snooze, an hour or more commute can actually end up being decent down time.

[Louise]

I think people have a different perspective on this depending on where they live. I travel an hour to and from work each day, thats not unusual if you live in a country area like I do. I know people who travel longer than that each day.
I've only worked in the same town I live in for about 6 years out of last 20 years.
If you want a job you go where the work is. In my current job, once I get to work then I travel for my job, so I spend 5-6 hours a day in the car 2-3 days a week. It's not really that big of a deal, but I have to admit that it will be nice to not travel that much one day.

[KMI]

Another factor (and this is a big one with young children) - is your spouse in a position to be the only person doing doctor's appointments, sick kid calls, and so on? If not, think about the following: An hour's commute (plus the time to get out of the office) after getting a sick kid call is a long time for the child to wait while ill. With a commute of more than an hour, a doctor's appointment or dentist's appointment turns into a half day off of work, and when you have to pick up a child by 6 PM, an hour's commute with enough buffer that you won't be late means leaving work by 4:30 PM.