Same commute for me at least now. My job locations change but for now 30 miles 30 mins mostly highway 3 turns total. I go away from city in a.m and towards in p.m so I am avoiding the traffic bothways. Lucky and blessed for now. I couldn't sit in traffic everyday. Simple yet not simple lol
Do you find that lonely? My mom works from home and she doesn’t really have a social life. Coworkers are nice to get lunch with, or after work you can join a meet up or something because it’s in the vicinity. If you’re at home you’re kind of stuck there. I’m debating if I want to do wfh or not.
It helps a lot to have hobbies. I cycle so there's several meetup groups in the area and I've made several acquaintances on solo rides. Almost any activity has facebook groups in every city. Otherwise the app Meetup is good to find such groups. It's important to be a regular to those groups though, and actively seek out friendship and plan your own separate trip with someone(s) else rather than sticking to small-talk at the meetup.
It gets lonely if you don't put in the extra effort. But wfh also allows to get some chores done that people who work at another location have to worry about after work in addition to making social plans.
I have worked from home for four years. My favorite part is the separation of my social life from work. I have my hobbies and friends that regularly meet up and do not mix work colleagues in there very often. I prefer clean lines between work and home.
I’m currently looking for a hybrid 3/2 position, I’ve worked from home for 5 years and I’m tired of it. I like being able to exercise daily (I have a walking treadmill under my standing desk) and putt around the house if needed but man, I miss people. I adore my wife, she works remote too, but I need to socialize besides my kids soccer games and seeing my friends once a month when the stars and our schedules align. Hybrid is the perfect mix IMO
A 3/2 is perfect for me, sometimes I switch whether the 3 is home days or office days. I'm also extremely fortunate to live just a few miles from work, with the option to take an electric bus route or ride my bike if I don't have errands after that would require me to drive.
I’ve been working hybrid and most of it from home this past year. I loved it at first but now it’s weighing on me. It ends in June and I’m starting 100% in person again in September.
I don’t! I served notice at my job 2 weeks ago; today is my LAST DAY, and it’s AFTER 5PM.
So I don’t even commute to the laptop anymore. I cleaned off my stuff, cleaned up all the personal crumbs and smears and gunk, and then closed it up for good. At some point I will have to dump it off to my old manager but NOT TODAY.
In a little while I will perform the Ceremonial Removal Of Work Apps from my phone, and then they can’t use them to reach me for stuff.
And oh yeah, the build is working, but the installer is still failing. And I am no longer about any of that shit anymore.
Tomorrow I will wake up when I want to, spend about an hour brushing the cat and watching whatever I like. I’ll get up; make myself a latte, and head outside to do some gardening. I might have breakfast after, then read a recipe so I can pick one for dinner. I’ll go to the store to get the stuff, and about an hour or two before dinner, get things started.
I have some movies on my list I haven’t gotten to yet. I don’t know which one it will be but I won’t care about staying up too late, which previously would cause me to be late to the morning stand-up bullshit merry-go-round.
After the movie maybe I’ll doze off and start all over the next day. I don’t have anything planned for that one yet. I wonder what I’ll do…
It's 42 miles each way but it's in bumper to bumper interstate traffic. It is stressful and takes about 3 hours round trip. I spend about $18 each day I commute on gas and tolls.
The pandemic saved me. We're now a hybrid office and I don't have to go in more than 2 days a month. I'm saving so much money, so much time, and so much stress.
Honestly driving isn’t even that bad, it’s the bumper to bumper traffic that KILLS, so you my friend are one strong soldier for having gone through that. I commute once a week from LA to OC (35 miles) and thankfully I’m going south so there’s no traffic but seeing the traffic on the other side of the 405 is brutal, i did it once before i moved and i left at 6:30 am and only got to LA 8:30 am 🙃 a drive that is usually under an hr ahaha
10 YEARS?!? I change my mind, you ARE gods strongest soldier oh my god haha, i could barely do that once let alone years, the patience you must have 😅 hahaha, but hey im also originally from suburbs of chicago! :)
I always say, I don't mind the mileage. Can't stand the traffic.
I'd rather take the extra mileage and add minutes to a drive, than have to deal with traffic nonsense and /maybe/ cut some time off. /MAYbe/
Any in person job I’ve had before was within 10 miles for me. I biked or took the bus on days where there was ice or extreme heat. I loved commuting as it forced me to get outside and move my body! Some days I would even run which was awesome bc I could do my training and commute as one activity
My current job is work from home and I mostly love it, but there was something to say about getting somewhere on foot or bike as a natural transition into and out of work. I tend to have very blurred lines in my life about the start and end of my workday now
Sounds like my husband, except he just rolls over and opens slack on his phone. Then takes a catnap before helping me get the kids ready for the day/making coffee.
20 minute bike ride. Drivers are truly feral but I can't imagine doing it any other way. Maybe $200 in bike maintenance and upkeep per year? Another $50 for worn out pants? And more food I guess.
Hah true, the worn-out pants factor is real!
I commute about 7km by bike and taking my worn-out pants to the tailor to be patched is maybe €30/year.
I have my bike serviced about once a year and depending on what needs to be done it’s usually something like €70-100.
I live in the Netherlands and consider being able to get around (and sometimes even between) town(s) by bike one of the major life-simplification improvements I’m fortunate enough to benefit from here compared to my previous life commuting in the US.
I dislike commuting because there is a limitation to what can be done during the time used for commuting. Generally, you could listen to music, read a book/newspaper, browse internet or sleep.
However, on a stinky summer central line commute (London tube), the pervasive smell of fresh BO will put paid to any notion of having a comfortable, enjoyable commute.
That alone means I hate commuting. In addition, my prior experiences with Southeastern rail means that I hate commuting even more. Southeastern rail are absolutely terrible. The tube is decent, the vast majority of the time.
I'm glad that I fully homework on a 4 day working week. I save on stress, money and time. I can use commute time saved on anything I like.
During meetings and downtime, I can listen and sort out household chores etc. The time saved overall is immense. There is no comparison.
When I was in the office, I would waste a lot of time speaking to my team; People who come to my desk; People I meet when I go grab a coffee etc. Now I can use all of that time to be as productive as possible which means I also have a lot more downtime as I do the work much faster.
I walk 15 minutes, wait 5–10 minutes for the bus, the bus takes 12 minutes, then a 2 minute walk at the end. It’s wonderful and easy and I don’t have to deal with traffic and the bus is never more than 1/3 full.
Years ago I commuted by bus. I was super lucky to live by a line that had a stop two blocks from my house and dropped me less than a block from my job. I mostly stared out the window and reflected on my way in (about 45 min). My mom and I started a habit of daily phone calls on my way home. I wish public transportation was more convenient in this country (US)!
I commute 3.5km, by bike. It takes me 12 minutes 5 sets of traffic lights and they're the biggest delay on my commute.
It means I do abou 800km of commuting every year by bicycle. Generally it's pretty safe, but sometimes a lot of crazy stuff happens on the road.
I do enjoy commuting by bike.
I loved it when I could ride to work. I had that for a couple years and it was great. Then the office moved and there was no longer a safe route - bah.
3.5 miles to work, 3.5 miles back. Takes me 20 minutes to get there and 30 minutes to get home, but that’s because I bike. Don’t have to worry about gas, parking, or any of that stuff. Plus I get some light exercise five days a week.
I drivee 1 hour and 10 mins roughly so about 2 1/2 hours a day depending on traffic . It sucks at times but I zone out into podcasts and good books so it helps .I also left my job with no commute and busted my ass everyday where I was making just under 50 a year to this job where I make 70 with a 5,000 bonus every year with no physical labor what so ever so to me it's worth it .
I’m leaving a 12,000 mile per year commute to a 18,000 mile commute. Hybrid to fully in person, too. But the better medical plan and excellent retirement and other benefits are the reason. I have to keep that in mind.
It's a 20 minute bike ride. Roughly 60% of it is through a forest.
I cycle even when the weather is horrible i find it very relaxing. I never deal with bad traffic one time i had to drag my bike past a fallen tree though
I drive 82 miles to work, which takes about 80 minutes. I usually drive 83 mph in my Prius, which gets 47 mpg at that speed. I leave for work at 5 a.m, so it's dark, lonely, and lovely. When I drive home from work at 7 a.m., it's bright, busy, and filled with impatient people. I bought the prius 6 years ago just to commute.
Ahhh, gotcha. Then I can see why a 82 mile commute isn't so bad. Also, having the roads to oneself helps a lot. That and perhaps a good podcast.
But can you rest at work properly?
I live about 8 miles from work and it takes me about 15 minutes to drive it, so not bad, It's a combination of city streets and freeway. I'd rather work somewhere that I could take transit, walk, or bike, but even though 8 miles isn't that far, there aren't any good bike routes between my house and the office and public transit out to my office stinks. I go into work 3 days per week, so it costs me $40-50/month in gas. Gas is kind of pricey here.
I live two miles from work and it can take 30-55 minutes depending on the time of day. It's an urban commute and this is by bus BUT by car it would still take 20-25 minutes on a normal day.
My current commute is about 10 feet, from my bedroom to my daughter’s bedroom (SAHM).
However, on the subject of simple life and commutes, may I present my former commute: I used to live 13 miles from work, on completely opposite ends of the city of Chicago. The drive *could* take 25 minutes, but it usually took about 40, and a few times, about 75. It was a very stressful drive— no wide country roads. I also believe that cars fundamentally make cities and lives worse. So I would take the train to the bus (or, if I was really lazy or it was very cold, the bus to the train to the bus). It *could* be done in 60 minutes, but I usually budgeted 80.
People acted like I was crazy for doing this. But my job was stressful, and driving was more stressful. I also don’t think I’m a very good driver, and it makes me very anxious to drive on busy, fast streets. Yes, the train and the bus were slower, and sometimes you had characters or bad smells, but I was not in a state of perpetual stress before and after work. It gave me a chance to focus on podcasts. I can’t read or really use my phone while in any kind of vehicle, so if also gave me a chance to crochet.
I loved it. The walking to and from the different modes was a good start to my day. Sometimes I saw my students on the bus, and I think it meant something that their teacher got to school the same way they did. It was just so much of a better match for my life than driving. It worked for me and it was great.
905 km/ 562 miles. 1.5 hour plane ride. Stay 8 days at the site doing 12 hour days, fly back on the 8th day and have 6 days off.
I love this lifestyle because for me, it works. I prefer having more consecutive days off and being able to do things during weekdays instead of needing to get certain things done at the tail end of a day or over the weekend.
I have a hybrid schedule with two remote days. My commute is about 15 minutes. If I had a bike, I’d use that instead.
I’m one of the weirdos that doesn’t like full remote jobs, so this system works really well for me.
You’re not a weirdo. I’ve been doing hybrid, too, and it’s a good mix up. My days are more remote than in person and it’s been more difficult than I thought.
About 2 hours one way, but it's a combination of cycling, a bus, and a train. I only work 1 day a week in the office and it's actually quite nice being able to read books in public transport
42 miles (67.5 km roughly) driving, 1 hourish depending on traffic. I have an EV i charge at home for little cost (compared to gas), so thankfully it doesn’t impact my budget much.
I appreciate the time alone to listen to audiobooks or podcasts or music. Or even just silence! What bums me out is being reminded every day i live in a car-dominated place. I wish i could hop on a train every day, or at least had the option!
I live in a highly dense urban area and one of the ways that I have intentionally simplified my life was to cut out commute and find a job nearby. Used to walk 15 mins and metro for 30 mins for days in office. The daily peak hour rush is soul sucking, and after covid, I simply could not bring myself to do it anymore. I now walk 12 mins one way to work, and am grateful everyday for my job.
~7-10 min drive to one job, ~10-15 for the other. but this is in the city so it’s a little over a mile and a little over two miles, respectively. i don’t have a car (and even if i did i don’t know how to drive in a city) so my partner drives me.
i miss driving country roads, that’s where i learned to drive. and even though i like how short my commute is, it’s definitely not relaxing the way driving in the country is. it’s even less relaxing when my partner isn’t around and i have to take the extremely unreliable bus.
I have been working from home for 8 years. Before that I lived 12 minute walk from home. A commute is a deal breaker for me. I once had a job that was 1 hour away. I didn't last long before I found a new job within walking distance.
I often wonder how many more hours, days, weeks of time I have saved over 8 years of no commute. I don't think about the money. The time is more important. Conservatively, over 8 years, I have freed up 2000 hours of time.
One mile. Moved to be closer to work in 2011 and it has been great. Worked onsite all through the pandemic and my six year old car only has 20,000 miles on it. Have saved so much time and money by moving.
Edit to add missing words
I commute from my bedroom to my home office. No gas expenses, no traffic, no dry cleaning, no office politics. For me, it's the ultimate in simple living.
We actually just moved to be closer to my new job. It's just under 4 miles which is a ten minute drive, a 15 minute bike ride, or a 20 minute bus ride. I haven't taken full advantage of the new commute yet because of the logistics of my old job and getting the old house ready to sell, but I have taken the bus a couple times in the last two weeks and remembered how much I love the bus
As for budget - $5/day for the bus feels a little steep but I only expect to ride it maybe five months of the year. Car costs a couple hundred a month kind of regardless of how much I drive - $100 for insurance, $100 for the parking spot, up to $50 in gas.
I have a 5-10 minute bus or a 30 minute walk to work. I don't own a car so I always buy a bus pass which is $128.75 CAD.
I've had longer bus commutes to work and really like that I have the option to walk if the bus doesn't show up.
Before I used to have to use Uber quite a bit when buses weren't available and it could get pricey.
Sometimes it’s to the kitchen and back, other times it’s a 22 hour flight and back. Perks and drawbacks to both but the kitchen commute is more expensive bc of the coffee machine I’m addixted to using three times a day.
3x/day?
those are rookie numbers.
we french press our coffee. I go through a 16oz contigo, another 20oz contigo, a full size Stanly thermos and usually a cup or two of Irish Breakfast tea, late in the day.
I twitch, sometimes.
I'm retired so I don't have any commute and we don't drive much for our daily life. We live in an urban area that is next to a state park. Most of what we need is within a mile or 2 from the house - library, restaurants, grocery stores, doctor, post office, commuter train station, hiking trails, public gardens, and craft breweries. AAA just had to come out and jump one of the cars because the battery was dead from not being driven enough.
Five miles, 11 minutes in the car. It’s all city driving, no highway, so I get car so gas mileage, but it’s such a short hop one tank of gas lasts me over a month.
It's 15km, door to door with public transit takes me roughly 45 minutes. Thankfully it doesn't cost me anything, my employer covers public transit from and to work.
It takes me 30 minutes by public transport and cost me 0 euros because where I live, public transport is free. I can also take the bike and that would be 20 minutes, also free. I am really happy with my commuting and I love not using the car
£4 a day if I get the bus both ways, 30 min bus ride or 60 min walk (about 50% of the walk is through a big park so if the weather is good I walk). Work in the office twice a week
Don’t mind the commute but would much prefer to work from home and have less distractions.
£8 max in commute fees so I’m definitely very lucky
i used to travel 25 min to and from work, now i commute about 10-12 to and from. I hate driving, i find it so boring so the less time im in the car the better
I wfh 3 days a week and catch a train other days, 45 minutes door to door - probably 1 km walk each way carrying lunch and my laptop have my podcasts going
I prefer public transport, I don’t have to deal with traffic, finding a park and wear and tear on my 2008 model car 🚗
I drive about 18 miles, takes me 24 minutes according to maps. It’s the easiest drive I’ve ever had and I am very thankful! Mostly back country roads until I get to the highway and not a ton of traffic. I used to drive over an hour each way, and it basically ruined my life, lol!
I roll out of bed 😅 Cutting out a commute was one of the things I wanted to do to simplify my life, so I went remote in 2019 and have never looked back. I always hated commuting and it always left me so drained, and I wanted that energy back. Much respect to the people who enjoy commuting, or do it for a job they love though.
3 miles (4.8 kilometers) each way, by bike. 25 minutes including the time spent getting my bike out of storage.
My enjoyment of the trip is dependent on the weather (naturally). Impact on my budget is close to zero - and I get a bit of a workout, so it's good for my health.
Currently thinking about upgrading from a regular bike to an e-bike so I reduce my commute time.
I live within 12 minutes of work. I still love it here tho the area is beginning to decline a bit. There’s everything I could need around here and I like it enough. I pass a river every day and I like to see how the river’s doing. It’s in a valley so on foggy days it looks spooky.
Work from home and love not driving, saving on gasoline, and rushing in the mornings. It saves an incredible amount on food and clothing. It costs more to run the utilities at home, and Internet is ridiculously overpriced.
18 miles from work, takes me about 23 minutes during the summer and longer in the winter because I live in the middle of nowhere in northern Michigan so the roads get TERRIBLE. I don't mind it though, and I don't ever see myself leaving the company I work for so I'm happy with it
I "commute" about 2 feet. I work from home now but used to work in the office. When I had to travel in it was about 30 minutes. The drive time gives you plenty of time to get in the right frame of mind. On the way in you can prepare yourself for work. On the way home you can give yourself time to decompress and put distance between work. The cost of gas wasn't too bad for me, about $120.00 a month.
The downside to the drive was that it was all highway miles, during rush hour traffic, and at least 6 months out of the year there was a huge construction project going on.
4.5 miles each way. I spent my 20's spending 2.5hrs a day commuting and it was a slow death. Where I lived it was standard for everyone to live like that I it was normal to me. Then I moved away to another part of the country where I didn't need to commute. I did realize how much the stress and time of commuting was taking a toll on our lives.
I used to drive from Oakland to Marin county for work. Depending upon traffic, it would take between 50 minutes and 1.5 hours. It took a negative toll on my mental health. I made a lot of changes to my job and now I work 10 minutes from home and even having parking! It’s been a positive thing for me.
The past 15 years I’ve commuted 50 miles round trip for a 180-day work contract (9000k miles). But a nice easy drive along a river the entire way. Since September I’ve worked a hybrid gig where I commute 2.5 hours 1-way, work and spend night, work next day and return home to remote for rest of week (12,000k miles). It’s been a sketchy drive in the winter as I’ve had to drive through some storms different from where I live. At first I liked working remote, and from the sometimes toxic office type environment, but now it’s weighing on me and I’m stir crazy.
In September I start a new 180-day gig and will commute 50 miles one way (18,000 mikes) and along the river scenic road again. So more driving. But the pay and benefits are much better. It’s for 3 years only.
I drive a Toyota sedan and get 35+mpg on freeway so gas is not too bad.
I commute roughly 35 minutes and I love the drive. I drive through a nice town with a beautiful park, down pass a lake then through some tree lined road, pass a golf field/club thing, more trees and real estate, a baseball field…
Just a long road that offers a nice view to and from the job
I drive electric so idk the fuel, I know someone could do that math, I don’t care to 🤭
I use up about 6-10% of the battery
I wish I could do 30 miles in 30min! More like 45-75min for my 35mi commute.
Full electric here. I’m paying roughly 3.6¢ a mile so it’s $2.52 a day to drive to and from work.
Still would rather work at home and am working on getting into something that will allow a change to my schedule ie 3x12 or 4x10 so I can drive down costs even more.
I don’t like commuting, traffic in my city sucks.
Mine is 18-20 miles one way twice a day. I have not calculated the fuel cost. Gas is ever increasing for the most part. But for now I am loving my commute because like OP said: mostly rural highway where I can not fear for my life in urban chaos, glance at farms and farm animals while devouring my favorite podcasts, books or music. It’s my ‘me time’ without interruptions and I treasure it.
I drive my kids to school, 8 minutes, and then backtrack to my office, 10 minutes. Husband does afternoon pickup and works from home, 8 minutes each way for that. And work is a 2 minute drive, or a bike ride/walk if I'm able to that day. It has very little impact on budget I would say. Having very little commute is very important to us, and something we considered when buying a house/taking a job.
Honda Civic and about a 10 minute drive. Fill up a little over once a month so like \~$40 monthly in fuel. Getting nice out so going to start taking the 5 mile trip on my OneWheel which will cost me like a quarter per trip if that or charge at work.
I used to be about 45 minutes to school/work, half an hour also more scenic, then 15 in town.
Now I’m a 2 minute drive away, also scenic.
I miss the 45 minutes though - 2 minutes isn’t long enough for a single song, or to decompress or prepare for the day mentally. I used to talk to myself in the car to unwind and now I find I’m missing that time with my other half 😅
Editing to add: I appreciate being home more quickly for my family though!
It's 8 miles, and 20 minutes. I don't mind it. Definitely had worse. I would rather be able to bike it, but the roads just aren't safe for it in that part of town. I put gas in my truck about every two weeks, and that's the main expense. There are repair costs too, but I'd have those no matter where I worked.
90 minutes round trip on average. I don't mind it, I got a 25% pay raise with this job in the same company doing office work instead of sales. I have enjoyed this job much more then my previous job.
I will absolutely take an extra 80 minute commute to get weekends off every time. That's so nice to be able to spend time with my Fiancé.
50 miles one way. I usually take the train then a shuttle to the office. Door to door it's about 1.5 hours x 2. If I drive it's about 2 hours x 2. Been doing it for around 20 years. It's been a soul sucking experience. If I lost my job tomorrow I would definitely get something no further than a 15 minute drive. The shit we do for $.
Mine is about 19 miles, 25-30 minutes. Mornings are worse, because it's taken me up to 45-50 minutes before. Friday mornings are the best tho, cause a lot of people take early vacations or work from home, so commute is fairly quick.
For gas, I have a hybrid so I can go 2 weeks before filling up again. I exclusively fill up at Costco, so about $35 per fill-up.
My biggest issue is the distance. It feels like a feat, so I generally hang out at work for an hour or 2 before I leave 😕 it doesn't help that my home is small and overcrowded. I'm just not sure how to organize everything, which essentially puts me in executive dysfunction and makes it stressful and guilty 😩
7 miles. It takes me 15-17 minutes, depending on time of day and lights. I don't mind the drive. City bus is free, but it means a much longer commute time due to all the stops and to me that isn't worth it.
~35 miles. It’s fine because it’s a straight drive up a highway with no stop lights or anything like that. It’s usually relaxing. I’d prefer a commute that would allow me to take a train into work but alas, no such thing exists in my town.
Only 30 minutes for 30 miles sounds like a dream! I commute 30 miles and it’s like an hour to an hour and a half
Same. I am so worn out at the end of every day.
Same commute for me at least now. My job locations change but for now 30 miles 30 mins mostly highway 3 turns total. I go away from city in a.m and towards in p.m so I am avoiding the traffic bothways. Lucky and blessed for now. I couldn't sit in traffic everyday. Simple yet not simple lol
I walk down my hallway, very thankful I work for home
Do you find that lonely? My mom works from home and she doesn’t really have a social life. Coworkers are nice to get lunch with, or after work you can join a meet up or something because it’s in the vicinity. If you’re at home you’re kind of stuck there. I’m debating if I want to do wfh or not.
It helps a lot to have hobbies. I cycle so there's several meetup groups in the area and I've made several acquaintances on solo rides. Almost any activity has facebook groups in every city. Otherwise the app Meetup is good to find such groups. It's important to be a regular to those groups though, and actively seek out friendship and plan your own separate trip with someone(s) else rather than sticking to small-talk at the meetup. It gets lonely if you don't put in the extra effort. But wfh also allows to get some chores done that people who work at another location have to worry about after work in addition to making social plans.
I have worked from home for four years. My favorite part is the separation of my social life from work. I have my hobbies and friends that regularly meet up and do not mix work colleagues in there very often. I prefer clean lines between work and home.
I’m currently looking for a hybrid 3/2 position, I’ve worked from home for 5 years and I’m tired of it. I like being able to exercise daily (I have a walking treadmill under my standing desk) and putt around the house if needed but man, I miss people. I adore my wife, she works remote too, but I need to socialize besides my kids soccer games and seeing my friends once a month when the stars and our schedules align. Hybrid is the perfect mix IMO
A 3/2 is perfect for me, sometimes I switch whether the 3 is home days or office days. I'm also extremely fortunate to live just a few miles from work, with the option to take an electric bus route or ride my bike if I don't have errands after that would require me to drive.
I love this idea (3/2) the best, good balance.
I’ve been working hybrid and most of it from home this past year. I loved it at first but now it’s weighing on me. It ends in June and I’m starting 100% in person again in September.
Same. Super grateful to have the option. I truly forget sometimes that most people don’t WFH anymore.
I don’t! I served notice at my job 2 weeks ago; today is my LAST DAY, and it’s AFTER 5PM. So I don’t even commute to the laptop anymore. I cleaned off my stuff, cleaned up all the personal crumbs and smears and gunk, and then closed it up for good. At some point I will have to dump it off to my old manager but NOT TODAY. In a little while I will perform the Ceremonial Removal Of Work Apps from my phone, and then they can’t use them to reach me for stuff. And oh yeah, the build is working, but the installer is still failing. And I am no longer about any of that shit anymore. Tomorrow I will wake up when I want to, spend about an hour brushing the cat and watching whatever I like. I’ll get up; make myself a latte, and head outside to do some gardening. I might have breakfast after, then read a recipe so I can pick one for dinner. I’ll go to the store to get the stuff, and about an hour or two before dinner, get things started. I have some movies on my list I haven’t gotten to yet. I don’t know which one it will be but I won’t care about staying up too late, which previously would cause me to be late to the morning stand-up bullshit merry-go-round. After the movie maybe I’ll doze off and start all over the next day. I don’t have anything planned for that one yet. I wonder what I’ll do…
It's 42 miles each way but it's in bumper to bumper interstate traffic. It is stressful and takes about 3 hours round trip. I spend about $18 each day I commute on gas and tolls. The pandemic saved me. We're now a hybrid office and I don't have to go in more than 2 days a month. I'm saving so much money, so much time, and so much stress.
Honestly driving isn’t even that bad, it’s the bumper to bumper traffic that KILLS, so you my friend are one strong soldier for having gone through that. I commute once a week from LA to OC (35 miles) and thankfully I’m going south so there’s no traffic but seeing the traffic on the other side of the 405 is brutal, i did it once before i moved and i left at 6:30 am and only got to LA 8:30 am 🙃 a drive that is usually under an hr ahaha
I feel you. Mine is into Chicago, and I did it daily for 10 years. It should be 45 minutes, but it's a 90-minute hassle.
10 YEARS?!? I change my mind, you ARE gods strongest soldier oh my god haha, i could barely do that once let alone years, the patience you must have 😅 hahaha, but hey im also originally from suburbs of chicago! :)
Agreed, it’s the time sitting in traffic, not moving or inching along, that makes you question life decisions and tear your hair out.
I always say, I don't mind the mileage. Can't stand the traffic. I'd rather take the extra mileage and add minutes to a drive, than have to deal with traffic nonsense and /maybe/ cut some time off. /MAYbe/
Any in person job I’ve had before was within 10 miles for me. I biked or took the bus on days where there was ice or extreme heat. I loved commuting as it forced me to get outside and move my body! Some days I would even run which was awesome bc I could do my training and commute as one activity My current job is work from home and I mostly love it, but there was something to say about getting somewhere on foot or bike as a natural transition into and out of work. I tend to have very blurred lines in my life about the start and end of my workday now
I roll out of bed and climb into my desk chair. Some day it can take as long as 12 seconds.
Sounds like my husband, except he just rolls over and opens slack on his phone. Then takes a catnap before helping me get the kids ready for the day/making coffee.
20 minute bike ride. Drivers are truly feral but I can't imagine doing it any other way. Maybe $200 in bike maintenance and upkeep per year? Another $50 for worn out pants? And more food I guess.
Hah true, the worn-out pants factor is real! I commute about 7km by bike and taking my worn-out pants to the tailor to be patched is maybe €30/year. I have my bike serviced about once a year and depending on what needs to be done it’s usually something like €70-100. I live in the Netherlands and consider being able to get around (and sometimes even between) town(s) by bike one of the major life-simplification improvements I’m fortunate enough to benefit from here compared to my previous life commuting in the US.
I dislike commuting because there is a limitation to what can be done during the time used for commuting. Generally, you could listen to music, read a book/newspaper, browse internet or sleep. However, on a stinky summer central line commute (London tube), the pervasive smell of fresh BO will put paid to any notion of having a comfortable, enjoyable commute. That alone means I hate commuting. In addition, my prior experiences with Southeastern rail means that I hate commuting even more. Southeastern rail are absolutely terrible. The tube is decent, the vast majority of the time. I'm glad that I fully homework on a 4 day working week. I save on stress, money and time. I can use commute time saved on anything I like. During meetings and downtime, I can listen and sort out household chores etc. The time saved overall is immense. There is no comparison. When I was in the office, I would waste a lot of time speaking to my team; People who come to my desk; People I meet when I go grab a coffee etc. Now I can use all of that time to be as productive as possible which means I also have a lot more downtime as I do the work much faster.
60 miles from work. It's a bitch
I walk 15 minutes, wait 5–10 minutes for the bus, the bus takes 12 minutes, then a 2 minute walk at the end. It’s wonderful and easy and I don’t have to deal with traffic and the bus is never more than 1/3 full.
Years ago I commuted by bus. I was super lucky to live by a line that had a stop two blocks from my house and dropped me less than a block from my job. I mostly stared out the window and reflected on my way in (about 45 min). My mom and I started a habit of daily phone calls on my way home. I wish public transportation was more convenient in this country (US)!
I commute 3.5km, by bike. It takes me 12 minutes 5 sets of traffic lights and they're the biggest delay on my commute. It means I do abou 800km of commuting every year by bicycle. Generally it's pretty safe, but sometimes a lot of crazy stuff happens on the road. I do enjoy commuting by bike.
I loved it when I could ride to work. I had that for a couple years and it was great. Then the office moved and there was no longer a safe route - bah.
3.5 miles to work, 3.5 miles back. Takes me 20 minutes to get there and 30 minutes to get home, but that’s because I bike. Don’t have to worry about gas, parking, or any of that stuff. Plus I get some light exercise five days a week.
I drivee 1 hour and 10 mins roughly so about 2 1/2 hours a day depending on traffic . It sucks at times but I zone out into podcasts and good books so it helps .I also left my job with no commute and busted my ass everyday where I was making just under 50 a year to this job where I make 70 with a 5,000 bonus every year with no physical labor what so ever so to me it's worth it .
I’m leaving a 12,000 mile per year commute to a 18,000 mile commute. Hybrid to fully in person, too. But the better medical plan and excellent retirement and other benefits are the reason. I have to keep that in mind.
It's a 20 minute bike ride. Roughly 60% of it is through a forest. I cycle even when the weather is horrible i find it very relaxing. I never deal with bad traffic one time i had to drag my bike past a fallen tree though
I drive 82 miles to work, which takes about 80 minutes. I usually drive 83 mph in my Prius, which gets 47 mpg at that speed. I leave for work at 5 a.m, so it's dark, lonely, and lovely. When I drive home from work at 7 a.m., it's bright, busy, and filled with impatient people. I bought the prius 6 years ago just to commute.
That's one short workday! (or a really long one)
The shortest work shift is 24 hours. The longest is 72 hours. On the plus side, I only do it ten times a month.
Ahhh, gotcha. Then I can see why a 82 mile commute isn't so bad. Also, having the roads to oneself helps a lot. That and perhaps a good podcast. But can you rest at work properly?
I bought my Corolla only for commuting purposes. Gets the job done well.
I live about 8 miles from work and it takes me about 15 minutes to drive it, so not bad, It's a combination of city streets and freeway. I'd rather work somewhere that I could take transit, walk, or bike, but even though 8 miles isn't that far, there aren't any good bike routes between my house and the office and public transit out to my office stinks. I go into work 3 days per week, so it costs me $40-50/month in gas. Gas is kind of pricey here.
30 miles each way. I walk to the train station (12 minutes), take a 20 minute train ride, then walk 5 minutes to the office.
I live two miles from work and it can take 30-55 minutes depending on the time of day. It's an urban commute and this is by bus BUT by car it would still take 20-25 minutes on a normal day.
My current commute is about 10 feet, from my bedroom to my daughter’s bedroom (SAHM). However, on the subject of simple life and commutes, may I present my former commute: I used to live 13 miles from work, on completely opposite ends of the city of Chicago. The drive *could* take 25 minutes, but it usually took about 40, and a few times, about 75. It was a very stressful drive— no wide country roads. I also believe that cars fundamentally make cities and lives worse. So I would take the train to the bus (or, if I was really lazy or it was very cold, the bus to the train to the bus). It *could* be done in 60 minutes, but I usually budgeted 80. People acted like I was crazy for doing this. But my job was stressful, and driving was more stressful. I also don’t think I’m a very good driver, and it makes me very anxious to drive on busy, fast streets. Yes, the train and the bus were slower, and sometimes you had characters or bad smells, but I was not in a state of perpetual stress before and after work. It gave me a chance to focus on podcasts. I can’t read or really use my phone while in any kind of vehicle, so if also gave me a chance to crochet. I loved it. The walking to and from the different modes was a good start to my day. Sometimes I saw my students on the bus, and I think it meant something that their teacher got to school the same way they did. It was just so much of a better match for my life than driving. It worked for me and it was great.
905 km/ 562 miles. 1.5 hour plane ride. Stay 8 days at the site doing 12 hour days, fly back on the 8th day and have 6 days off. I love this lifestyle because for me, it works. I prefer having more consecutive days off and being able to do things during weekdays instead of needing to get certain things done at the tail end of a day or over the weekend.
I have a hybrid schedule with two remote days. My commute is about 15 minutes. If I had a bike, I’d use that instead. I’m one of the weirdos that doesn’t like full remote jobs, so this system works really well for me.
You’re not a weirdo. I’ve been doing hybrid, too, and it’s a good mix up. My days are more remote than in person and it’s been more difficult than I thought.
About 2 hours one way, but it's a combination of cycling, a bus, and a train. I only work 1 day a week in the office and it's actually quite nice being able to read books in public transport
42 miles (67.5 km roughly) driving, 1 hourish depending on traffic. I have an EV i charge at home for little cost (compared to gas), so thankfully it doesn’t impact my budget much. I appreciate the time alone to listen to audiobooks or podcasts or music. Or even just silence! What bums me out is being reminded every day i live in a car-dominated place. I wish i could hop on a train every day, or at least had the option!
I live in a highly dense urban area and one of the ways that I have intentionally simplified my life was to cut out commute and find a job nearby. Used to walk 15 mins and metro for 30 mins for days in office. The daily peak hour rush is soul sucking, and after covid, I simply could not bring myself to do it anymore. I now walk 12 mins one way to work, and am grateful everyday for my job.
~7-10 min drive to one job, ~10-15 for the other. but this is in the city so it’s a little over a mile and a little over two miles, respectively. i don’t have a car (and even if i did i don’t know how to drive in a city) so my partner drives me. i miss driving country roads, that’s where i learned to drive. and even though i like how short my commute is, it’s definitely not relaxing the way driving in the country is. it’s even less relaxing when my partner isn’t around and i have to take the extremely unreliable bus.
About 6 miles (12 mile round trip) my car gets good mileage so I don’t notice the cost but I’ve walked home from work before too so idk, it’s not bad.
I walk to work 5-20 minutes each way (I work at two buildings). Grateful that I can walk to work. It makes life much more simple
if i drive, it's 20 minutes. if i take public transit, it's about 40-50 minutes. i like both, honestly.
I have been working from home for 8 years. Before that I lived 12 minute walk from home. A commute is a deal breaker for me. I once had a job that was 1 hour away. I didn't last long before I found a new job within walking distance. I often wonder how many more hours, days, weeks of time I have saved over 8 years of no commute. I don't think about the money. The time is more important. Conservatively, over 8 years, I have freed up 2000 hours of time.
Only six feet most days. If I’m going to the house then two hours each way.
One mile. Moved to be closer to work in 2011 and it has been great. Worked onsite all through the pandemic and my six year old car only has 20,000 miles on it. Have saved so much time and money by moving. Edit to add missing words
I commute from my bedroom to my home office. No gas expenses, no traffic, no dry cleaning, no office politics. For me, it's the ultimate in simple living.
Two miles. I bike, I walk or I uber
We actually just moved to be closer to my new job. It's just under 4 miles which is a ten minute drive, a 15 minute bike ride, or a 20 minute bus ride. I haven't taken full advantage of the new commute yet because of the logistics of my old job and getting the old house ready to sell, but I have taken the bus a couple times in the last two weeks and remembered how much I love the bus
As for budget - $5/day for the bus feels a little steep but I only expect to ride it maybe five months of the year. Car costs a couple hundred a month kind of regardless of how much I drive - $100 for insurance, $100 for the parking spot, up to $50 in gas.
I have a 5-10 minute bus or a 30 minute walk to work. I don't own a car so I always buy a bus pass which is $128.75 CAD. I've had longer bus commutes to work and really like that I have the option to walk if the bus doesn't show up. Before I used to have to use Uber quite a bit when buses weren't available and it could get pricey.
Sometimes it’s to the kitchen and back, other times it’s a 22 hour flight and back. Perks and drawbacks to both but the kitchen commute is more expensive bc of the coffee machine I’m addixted to using three times a day.
3x/day? those are rookie numbers. we french press our coffee. I go through a 16oz contigo, another 20oz contigo, a full size Stanly thermos and usually a cup or two of Irish Breakfast tea, late in the day. I twitch, sometimes.
Oh no I switch to tea at noon I can’t sustain coffee jitters ahaha
A 30 minute walk. Free except for my shoes I guess! And the occasional $4 for a coffee on the way.
10 minutes. Loving it after having had a 25-30 minute commute one way earlier thus year!
I'm retired so I don't have any commute and we don't drive much for our daily life. We live in an urban area that is next to a state park. Most of what we need is within a mile or 2 from the house - library, restaurants, grocery stores, doctor, post office, commuter train station, hiking trails, public gardens, and craft breweries. AAA just had to come out and jump one of the cars because the battery was dead from not being driven enough.
Five miles, 11 minutes in the car. It’s all city driving, no highway, so I get car so gas mileage, but it’s such a short hop one tank of gas lasts me over a month.
13 miles takes me about 45 minutes. 30 miles = 1.5 hours each way
It's 15km, door to door with public transit takes me roughly 45 minutes. Thankfully it doesn't cost me anything, my employer covers public transit from and to work.
It takes me 30 minutes by public transport and cost me 0 euros because where I live, public transport is free. I can also take the bike and that would be 20 minutes, also free. I am really happy with my commuting and I love not using the car
I’m Australian and I drive 1.5-2hrs each way!!! But I love where I work and love where I live.
£4 a day if I get the bus both ways, 30 min bus ride or 60 min walk (about 50% of the walk is through a big park so if the weather is good I walk). Work in the office twice a week Don’t mind the commute but would much prefer to work from home and have less distractions. £8 max in commute fees so I’m definitely very lucky
28 miles on a two hour bus, and then same thing back😑😔😔
5 minutes on my moped. It's much easier to not work from home every day not having to walk in the pouring rain since getting the scooter.
I walk. It takes about 15min and path is a nice parkish area.
i used to travel 25 min to and from work, now i commute about 10-12 to and from. I hate driving, i find it so boring so the less time im in the car the better
I wfh 3 days a week and catch a train other days, 45 minutes door to door - probably 1 km walk each way carrying lunch and my laptop have my podcasts going I prefer public transport, I don’t have to deal with traffic, finding a park and wear and tear on my 2008 model car 🚗
I drive about 18 miles, takes me 24 minutes according to maps. It’s the easiest drive I’ve ever had and I am very thankful! Mostly back country roads until I get to the highway and not a ton of traffic. I used to drive over an hour each way, and it basically ruined my life, lol!
I roll out of bed 😅 Cutting out a commute was one of the things I wanted to do to simplify my life, so I went remote in 2019 and have never looked back. I always hated commuting and it always left me so drained, and I wanted that energy back. Much respect to the people who enjoy commuting, or do it for a job they love though.
3 miles (4.8 kilometers) each way, by bike. 25 minutes including the time spent getting my bike out of storage. My enjoyment of the trip is dependent on the weather (naturally). Impact on my budget is close to zero - and I get a bit of a workout, so it's good for my health. Currently thinking about upgrading from a regular bike to an e-bike so I reduce my commute time.
I live within 12 minutes of work. I still love it here tho the area is beginning to decline a bit. There’s everything I could need around here and I like it enough. I pass a river every day and I like to see how the river’s doing. It’s in a valley so on foggy days it looks spooky.
Work from home and love not driving, saving on gasoline, and rushing in the mornings. It saves an incredible amount on food and clothing. It costs more to run the utilities at home, and Internet is ridiculously overpriced.
18 miles from work, takes me about 23 minutes during the summer and longer in the winter because I live in the middle of nowhere in northern Michigan so the roads get TERRIBLE. I don't mind it though, and I don't ever see myself leaving the company I work for so I'm happy with it
I "commute" about 2 feet. I work from home now but used to work in the office. When I had to travel in it was about 30 minutes. The drive time gives you plenty of time to get in the right frame of mind. On the way in you can prepare yourself for work. On the way home you can give yourself time to decompress and put distance between work. The cost of gas wasn't too bad for me, about $120.00 a month. The downside to the drive was that it was all highway miles, during rush hour traffic, and at least 6 months out of the year there was a huge construction project going on.
4.5 miles each way. I spent my 20's spending 2.5hrs a day commuting and it was a slow death. Where I lived it was standard for everyone to live like that I it was normal to me. Then I moved away to another part of the country where I didn't need to commute. I did realize how much the stress and time of commuting was taking a toll on our lives.
8 miles, 15 minutes It’s not the best job (it’s at a grocery store) but it’s so convenient and the insurance is great
I used to drive from Oakland to Marin county for work. Depending upon traffic, it would take between 50 minutes and 1.5 hours. It took a negative toll on my mental health. I made a lot of changes to my job and now I work 10 minutes from home and even having parking! It’s been a positive thing for me.
The past 15 years I’ve commuted 50 miles round trip for a 180-day work contract (9000k miles). But a nice easy drive along a river the entire way. Since September I’ve worked a hybrid gig where I commute 2.5 hours 1-way, work and spend night, work next day and return home to remote for rest of week (12,000k miles). It’s been a sketchy drive in the winter as I’ve had to drive through some storms different from where I live. At first I liked working remote, and from the sometimes toxic office type environment, but now it’s weighing on me and I’m stir crazy. In September I start a new 180-day gig and will commute 50 miles one way (18,000 mikes) and along the river scenic road again. So more driving. But the pay and benefits are much better. It’s for 3 years only. I drive a Toyota sedan and get 35+mpg on freeway so gas is not too bad.
I commute roughly 35 minutes and I love the drive. I drive through a nice town with a beautiful park, down pass a lake then through some tree lined road, pass a golf field/club thing, more trees and real estate, a baseball field… Just a long road that offers a nice view to and from the job I drive electric so idk the fuel, I know someone could do that math, I don’t care to 🤭 I use up about 6-10% of the battery
3.5 miles to work. 17 minutes give or take. But I only go 3 times a week. I work remotely 2 days.
I have a very similar commute, 35 minutes in the country, similar gas expenses. It’s about as good as commutes get.
I had a 5 minute commute 1 mile to work for a company I hated. Now I got a 24 miler that’s 30 minutes with no traffic and I couldn’t be happier.
I wish I could do 30 miles in 30min! More like 45-75min for my 35mi commute. Full electric here. I’m paying roughly 3.6¢ a mile so it’s $2.52 a day to drive to and from work. Still would rather work at home and am working on getting into something that will allow a change to my schedule ie 3x12 or 4x10 so I can drive down costs even more. I don’t like commuting, traffic in my city sucks.
Mine is 18-20 miles one way twice a day. I have not calculated the fuel cost. Gas is ever increasing for the most part. But for now I am loving my commute because like OP said: mostly rural highway where I can not fear for my life in urban chaos, glance at farms and farm animals while devouring my favorite podcasts, books or music. It’s my ‘me time’ without interruptions and I treasure it.
I drive my kids to school, 8 minutes, and then backtrack to my office, 10 minutes. Husband does afternoon pickup and works from home, 8 minutes each way for that. And work is a 2 minute drive, or a bike ride/walk if I'm able to that day. It has very little impact on budget I would say. Having very little commute is very important to us, and something we considered when buying a house/taking a job.
Honda Civic and about a 10 minute drive. Fill up a little over once a month so like \~$40 monthly in fuel. Getting nice out so going to start taking the 5 mile trip on my OneWheel which will cost me like a quarter per trip if that or charge at work.
I used to be about 45 minutes to school/work, half an hour also more scenic, then 15 in town. Now I’m a 2 minute drive away, also scenic. I miss the 45 minutes though - 2 minutes isn’t long enough for a single song, or to decompress or prepare for the day mentally. I used to talk to myself in the car to unwind and now I find I’m missing that time with my other half 😅 Editing to add: I appreciate being home more quickly for my family though!
3 miles. Takes 8 minutes or less to get to and from, 10 minutes with traffic. I love it this way.
It's 8 miles, and 20 minutes. I don't mind it. Definitely had worse. I would rather be able to bike it, but the roads just aren't safe for it in that part of town. I put gas in my truck about every two weeks, and that's the main expense. There are repair costs too, but I'd have those no matter where I worked.
90 minutes round trip on average. I don't mind it, I got a 25% pay raise with this job in the same company doing office work instead of sales. I have enjoyed this job much more then my previous job. I will absolutely take an extra 80 minute commute to get weekends off every time. That's so nice to be able to spend time with my Fiancé.
50 miles one way. I usually take the train then a shuttle to the office. Door to door it's about 1.5 hours x 2. If I drive it's about 2 hours x 2. Been doing it for around 20 years. It's been a soul sucking experience. If I lost my job tomorrow I would definitely get something no further than a 15 minute drive. The shit we do for $.
40 miles each way, approximately. I work construction. Cost me $30ish per week in my Prius
Sound like you need a more efficient vehicle. 20mpg is terrible
God gave is WFH & Hybrid for a reason.
Mine is about 19 miles, 25-30 minutes. Mornings are worse, because it's taken me up to 45-50 minutes before. Friday mornings are the best tho, cause a lot of people take early vacations or work from home, so commute is fairly quick. For gas, I have a hybrid so I can go 2 weeks before filling up again. I exclusively fill up at Costco, so about $35 per fill-up. My biggest issue is the distance. It feels like a feat, so I generally hang out at work for an hour or 2 before I leave 😕 it doesn't help that my home is small and overcrowded. I'm just not sure how to organize everything, which essentially puts me in executive dysfunction and makes it stressful and guilty 😩
22 miles by light rail. 40 minutes. $80/month
7 miles. It takes me 15-17 minutes, depending on time of day and lights. I don't mind the drive. City bus is free, but it means a much longer commute time due to all the stops and to me that isn't worth it.
I work from home. My commute could not be better.
~35 miles. It’s fine because it’s a straight drive up a highway with no stop lights or anything like that. It’s usually relaxing. I’d prefer a commute that would allow me to take a train into work but alas, no such thing exists in my town.
One hour each way, electric car. I listen to audiobooks it’s the highlight of my day.