Author Topic: Time vs Money???  (Read 3144 times)

Christopher

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Time vs Money???
« on: November 08, 2013, 09:54:34 AM »
So, I currently live in DC and work in northern VA, and the drive is about 45mins to an hour. I think about $8 in gas total. Traffic is usually crappy and driving definitely puts me in a bad mood by the time i get home especially.

I recently looked it up and I can take a metro/bus combo to get to work. it adds an extra half-hour each way to my commute, but the entire commute becomes useable time to read/write/sleep, instead of just sit in traffic.

ALSO it costs a few dollars more per day than gas, a total of about $13/day. BUT my car is particularly crappy and has stuff go wrong with it all the time. This would probably be greatly reduced if i weren't using it for my commute.

I am trying to get a job in DC so hopefully this won't matter soon but in the meantime, is it worth it to try to budget the few extra dollars a day towards this or should i just deal with traffic/driving to save money?

I actually tried this for the first time today, because my wife needed the car. The ride in was awesome, i got to sleep in and read some, and the extra commute time includes a ten-minute walk from the bus stop to my work.

I just don't know what I should prioritize!

cats

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Re: Time vs Money???
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2013, 10:14:35 AM »
I think priority 1 should be finding a new job/living place combination.  That said, I would probably do the public transit option.  Remember, the gas is a relatively small part of the cost of driving.  You'll almost definitely spend less on maintenance, and you might also be able get your insurance rates reduced if you aren't doing much other driving.

I have a long commute by public transit and I MUCH prefer it to driving.  I use my train time to read, knit, or sometimes nap (if it's been a rough week).  In my case though, the cost of public transit is about the same as gas, and I would have to pay for parking at the work end, so it's a bit more of a financial no-brainer.

footenote

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Re: Time vs Money???
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2013, 10:21:06 AM »
I've driven that stretch many, many times and it is indeed heinous.

Take the public option. It will reduce your stress, increase your daily physical activity, and probably be a draw on cost as Cats is right - you can almost certainly get an auto insurance reduction.

And good luck finding a job in DC!

gimp

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Re: Time vs Money???
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2013, 10:40:04 AM »
One of the crappiest corridors in the northeast. Even if not for the money, try to get rid of it for your sanity. $16/day adds up, but a terrible mood for ~four hours a day is far worse. In my opinion.

grmagne

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Re: Time vs Money???
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2013, 12:20:15 PM »
I commute by subway every day and I love it. If you read for 2 extra hours per workday, you can probably read 50+ extra books every year. You might have to delay your retirement by a two weeks if you're spending an extra $5 per day for a full year, so the additional cost might not be so bad relative to the benefit.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2013, 12:22:39 PM by grmagne »