Millions of workers deal with hefty commutes all the time. My commute is pretty mild (15 minutes one way) but some other folks who work at the same place I do commute over two hours one way. That's pretty much crazy in my book but people have to do what they have to do. Among the extra goodies we get for our long commutes: lots of time spent, lots of money spent, and no tax breaks whatsoever.
What can we do about it? Hopefully at least a couple of these eleven ways will help to ease the commute one way or another:
- Carpool. Share the driving, share the expense, share the time. This could be a win-win-win. Plus you might be able to use the HOV lanes.
- Two words: Audio books. Feed your mind during your daily grind.
- Take the bus or the train. This allows you to do other things during the commute that you can't do if you're driving. Like sleep.
- Go during off-peak. Not everyone has this flexibility but shifting your commute a couple of hours either direction will probably make it somewhat faster if rush-hour traffic is heavy.
- Work nine long days every two weeks. That way you don't have to commute the tenth.
- See if you can telework. This may be straightfoward, or it might require some finesse, or it might be impossible. In any case, check it out. The worst that can happen is you'll be doing what you already do.
- See if you can move closer to your job. Here's the reasoning: If you have a long commute to a big city, your housing is probably cheaper than it is closer to the city. With the housing slump, more expensive housing will tend to go down more than less expensive housing, meaning that housing closer to the city that was unaffordable over the past two years might become more affordable soon.
- See if you can find a job closer to you. It's all relative, just like [insert your favorite state here].
- Build up a home business so that you can commute part time. This takes time to build up, but the time is probably there to start working on this.
- Build up a massive home business so that you can eliminate your commute. This takes even more time to build up, but man, what a great thing it would be not to have to commute each day!
- Quit your job and live off the land. After we burn up the world's oil with our pointless commutes and gas goes to $50 per gallon, we'll still need to eat. Might as well let the driving skills rust away and build up the farming skills.
“But I have to commute!” No you don't. There are very few things in life that you absolutely have to do. There might be negative consequences and issues of timing, but rest assured that you can indeed do just about anything you want. It could be that your commute and your job is the best option right now, but if it's weighing down your free-spirited ways or if it's just a pain in the butt, you can work to change it. You can work to get to the point that you can quit your job, or at least bargain for more flexible working arrangements.
Commutes are not forever. They just seem that way sometimes.
I absolutely love my train commute.
I read. I do work. I plan out my day. On the rare days when, for some reason, I have to drive in, I hate it – I arrive much more flustered, without a clear plan, and my whole day is often more chaotic.
I am planning to relocate to be nearer to family soon, and I (and my husband) agree that we'd rather live someplace half the size for more money and eat beans than live someplace where we have to drive in every day. Heck, with the time we save taking the train, we're actually able to come home and cook (which we enjoy) instead of arriving home too late and flustered and blowing the money going out when we won't even enjoy it that much.
I'll admit that if you've been commuting by car for years, the switch can be a little hard – being unfamiliar, the train (or whatever) will initially take more thought and feel like more of an effort. But once you've gotten used to it, you'll never want to go back!
These are great tips. In the UK many companies seem to be very closed minded about telecommutinga nd I think it was about time that it was part of the governments environmental policy to give workers more freedom to work at home.
You failed to mention biking. My commute is 4.5 miles each way here in Houston, Texas; it takes me 20-25 minutes each way. That is about the same as driving/parking/walking from parking space and is faster than the bus.
However, even if it took longer than driving, because it is a double use of my time (a 'free' workout), I'm actually saving time (not needing to go to the gym [or less often] as I'm riding upwards of 50 miles a week).
Beyond my time savings, I'm saving A LOT of money too. Not using the car saves gas, maintenance, and parking costs (which add up quickly). Also, as I'm staying in good shape with just my bike commute, I'm considering getting rid of my gym membership when it runs out in a few months — a nice chunk of money.
Those that think they cannot do it for distance, you can always go multi-modal (bike to the train station and lock it there or bring on board and bike from destination station to work). Plus, it helps you arrive at work energized.
Think it will be too warm/cold? You can always do it during the time of year it is more temperate (winter in the South, summer in the North). I do it year-round in Houston, which has been described as having the climate of Calcutta with the traffic of L.A. I just don't ride 'hard' and take a few minutes to cool down once I arrive at work. Some are lucky to have shower facilities at their work (I don't), but it is not necessary. A small towel, deodorant/anti-perspirant, and 'baby'-wipes are more than sufficient for most (I just have a towel and the deodorant).
Anyway, my comment is way too long, but just wanted to have people think of biking as not just recreation, but transportation.
I agree with all of those points.
I also agree with "There are very few things in life that you absolutely have to do". Actually, there is only one thing you have to do, and that's die. That is the one and only thing. You can argue all the rest, but everything is a choice, you don't have to do anything, only die.
This really doesn't have anything to do with anything, but, in college, my roommates and I would always argue that point.
I save on my commute by riding my bike to work. The added bonus is I get some exercise in as well. It takes a little bit of planning to pack my work clothing and lunch the night before, but the pay off is huge considering I don't own a car or a gym pass.
Great post. I live less than two miles from work. Right now I take the train, but I really ought to just walk. Actually, I'm going to join a bike sharing program, and then I can bike.
I also go to school in a city that's about an hour away. I LOVE the train commute – perfect way to get caught up on things (plus, forced homework time). I am actually going to miss it. 🙂
I read an article once about the top 5 ways to increase your happiness – near the top of the list was "shorten your commute". It'll reduce exposure to air pollution too!
Something I don't regret getting is XM radio. I got sick of hearing the same song every two minutes, haha. It's well worth the monthly price!
One of the reasons I relocated to Portland is because of our awesome public transportation system. I pay roughly $24 a month (pre-tax, I believe) and can ride any lightrail, bus, streetcar or tram in the city.
I spend a lovely 20 minutes on lightrail every morning and every evening, gazing out at HWY 84, at the hundreds of people sitting ALONE in their cars, stopping and starting, stopping and starting. Meanwhile, I read or people-watch. And I spend about $30 a month on gas.
I take the commuter bus (the "Rapid" in Phoenix) and sleep the entire way there. On the way back, I surf the internet on my cell phone. I can't imagine going back to driving. And thanks to monthly pass discounts, it's about 85 cents a ride… even my four-cylinder Honda can't come anywhere near that savings for a 22-mile commute.
City buses and street routes tend to be full of bums and meth-heads, but commuter buses are a species all their own, packet to the hilt with working professionals who discovered like I did what it's like to be driven to and from work every day. I highly encourage others to seek similar options in their home towns.
my company pays for ALL the gas WOOT!!!
I am a huge fan of this store called Susie's Deals!
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I have bought some really nice name brand things at this store and given them to friends and family for Christmas. People have NO idea that these nice items only cost me $5.99 each .. It's Awesome!
I urge you to check them out, because you only have one store on your site that carries clothing and this store appeals to everyone! And they have a web site where you can also shop online or snatch an e-coupon to use at the store, and if you spend $50 the shipping is FREE which is a definite plus!
Their web site is http://www.susiesdeals.com they have store in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah too.
Nice suggestions. The ultimate commute for me is walking to my office in my own home. It wasn’t easy…but after much dedication it has paid off. No more traffic! Yeah!