Author Topic: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise  (Read 18442 times)

guitar_stitch

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Re: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise
« Reply #50 on: March 25, 2015, 10:54:38 AM »
If I could lose the commute on this job, I would be thrilled.[...] However I couldn't afford give up $40K of my salary, no matter how mustachian I lived.

Is moving not an option?

I have a similar commute to yours and eliminating that through relocation is high on my priority list.  I'm still paying penance for 27 years of mistakes.

libertarian4321

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Re: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise
« Reply #51 on: March 25, 2015, 01:14:23 PM »
I early retired, then went back to work for a company that allowed me to work from home, and work flexible hours, but for far less pay (but also with far less demands).

I've turned down jobs paying more than $40k more which required me to run the rat race, hump into work every morning, and be sitting at a desk "bright eyed and bushy tailed" from 8-6.  No thanks.  I don't need the money that bad.

So this is true in my case.

Life is too short to be on the highway sucking fumes and fighting traffic at 0745 AM.  And it's too short to be working 8, 10, 12 hour days (which are required in much of the "corporate" world, even if you can do you work in 4 hours and then spend the rest of the day "bright eyed and surfing the net.")

accolay

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Re: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise
« Reply #52 on: March 26, 2015, 04:07:53 AM »
I do like driving my manual transmission 1996 Honda Civic, but it's mostly enjoyable without traffic. I specifically chose to live closer to work, about three miles, because I wanted to have options: walking, biking, driving, public transport.

When I do bike commute, mostly in the warmer months, it's leaps and bounds more enjoyable than driving, and I can get there in about the same amount of time or faster.

Krnten

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Re: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise
« Reply #53 on: March 26, 2015, 04:52:38 AM »
This thread is fascinating - how can such a supposedly like minded group of people have such diverse opinions on the same lifestyle issue?

I used to have a 1 hr long, pleasant train reverse commute, then a 15 min walk commute, now a 40 min subway/bus combo or 30 min bike ride.  I didn't mind the first commute when I was doing it but the walking commute was a revelation.  Life changing.  My days were so much longer and more relaxing.  I could go home for lunch and veg out for a bit.

My commute now isn't bad but only because I can bike it.  Otherwise it's pretty sucky. 

We reached FI suddenly last month and while I'm going to keep working because I really like my job, I wouldn't add even 10 mins each way to my commute for an extra 40k.

MLKnits

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Re: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise
« Reply #54 on: March 26, 2015, 07:38:38 AM »
I enjoy driving very much; I like driving a few hours to visit my parents, for instance, or a long trip for travel in lovely scenery.

That does not mean I have any interest in going back, ever, to being stuck in my car for ten hours every week when I could spend that same time doing literally anything I choose.

I moved to within a five-minute drive (15-20 bike) of my office and the only way I could ever see moving again is to get slightly closer.

The difference between "get to drive" and "have to drive" is a huge one. Occasionally I have to go downtown and the agony of having to get home afterwards is all the reminder I need that moving was entirely worth it. Once, I was downtown when the first snow of the year hit; between everyone's nerves, desperation to get home, and lack of snow-tire planning, it took me FOUR HOURS to travel a distance that would normally have been an already unpleasant 40 minutes. If the same thing happened at my office, I could just walk home, in under 40--I'm never trapped, in other words, which is a glorious feeling.)

jzb11

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Re: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise
« Reply #55 on: March 26, 2015, 08:59:00 AM »
I think it's relative.

For example, If I live in the city 30 minutes from my job, I have a robust social life. I am close to my friends, close to parks/bars/restaraunts, close to the farmers market and interesting things to do.

If I move to eliminate the commute, I gain the financial benefits at the cost of social isolation. If I could move jobs to the city where I lived, that would be the best of both worlds, however to do so may mean I take a 50% pay cut or more.

MrsCoolCat

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Re: Ditching Your Commute Is the Happiness Equivalent of $40k raise
« Reply #56 on: March 27, 2015, 07:50:10 AM »
I think it's relative.

For example, If I live in the city 30 minutes from my job, I have a robust social life. I am close to my friends, close to parks/bars/restaraunts, close to the farmers market and interesting things to do.

If I move to eliminate the commute, I gain the financial benefits at the cost of social isolation. If I could move jobs to the city where I lived, that would be the best of both worlds, however to do so may mean I take a 50% pay cut or more.

Yea, I may live in semi suburbia but there is still a social life within 10min. I have heard from a few ppl that prices/standard of living has increased here & the pay has not. I don't make a crap ton of money now but have a great cheap living situation. When I first graduated college & the economy sucked I always questioned how ppl afford to live in SoFla. Rent is not cheap & a lot of office jobs don't pay sufficiently to offset that. I wondered if ppl lived like 4 to a 2/2 apt. Even my friend in Austin said the Whole Foods here is 30% higher & my mom recently visited Houston & noticed similar in their cheaper grocery prices! So I guess I'm paying for summer 4x a yr, congestion & for rude stupid drivers!