Author Topic: Cut commute by 18 miles  (Read 3993 times)

Hackstache

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Cut commute by 18 miles
« on: September 22, 2014, 08:10:06 AM »
I'm moving soon and my wife and I's commute is going from 19 miles to less than a mile. I'll be able to walk to work. It's made the last month of commuting terrible, because I can see how great it's going to be being so close to work. I had become so accustomed to the hassle. I've done a lot in the last year to get my 'stache going, but this should be the most significant yet.

Bob W

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2014, 08:16:25 AM »
Congrats!   

I now live in the hills with dangerous roads and a 12 mile commute.  Can't bike it.  The road isn't busy so the drive is relaxing.    At one time I lived in a small town with work, schools, daycare, store, church and everything less than a mile from home.   It was very low stress.

What's next for you?   Getting rid of a car or two and buying a $4,000 used one?   Learning to bike everywhere?   Setting a total annual mileage goal of under 2,000?

It is extremely powerful to cut your commute in this manner and the walking will reduce your stress and change your life.

Good Luck my friend,  Bob

MustacheNorway

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2014, 08:29:37 AM »
Thats awesome....

I would really like to stop my commuting to work as well.
I have about 19 miles to work as well , but we live in the hills and there are A LOT of snow in the winter (3 feet and above) , maybe I'm not badass enough , but I have tried biking to work one time, and I used 1 1/2 hour home , because of all the hills.  I can't find it in me to do that.. :)

We could move , but I would never get the missus to move with me, so I'm stuck so to speak. :)

Good luck with the walking and cutting your commuting expenses. It's really cool that you managed.

Regards
Ronnie

Hackstache

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2014, 08:46:18 AM »
I do a lot of things right, but there are still a bunch of things I could use a good face punch for. I think food is next up on the list. I spend way too much money eating out. My wife and I were once the kings of good cheap eating, but we've lost our way.

MustacheNorway

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2014, 12:18:09 PM »
That's where we are at out best frugality speaking... :)
In Norway the prices for both dining out and groceries are very big.

But we manage (the two of us) to only use $500 a month.  Almost all of our friends use double that at least, and if they have kids even more.. :)
It is only a question of habit imho.

Dicey

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2014, 07:08:54 PM »
Lol! We did the same thing last year. DH is now three tenths of a mile from work. Unfortunately, the house cost a butt-load of money. We had to buy it to move his mom in with us (she has Alzheimer's).

On workdays (18/month), we get up early early. I make his breakfast and lunch and we walk up the hill together. Then I come home and go back to sleep! Yay for being close to work. Congratulations! Wait to until you see how much better each day is with no commute.

Hackstache

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2014, 10:37:51 AM »
I got moved and started walking my 0.9 mile commute and it's amazing. I've been early to work and it's taken a lot of stress off. Now it's time to let the money roll in, or at least not roll out.

frugalman

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2014, 02:28:25 PM »
I have a 56 mile (28 one way) commute. I thought long and hard about this when I started reading MMM 2 years ago, but our home is roughly worth $250,000 28 miles away from my work, and an equivalent home near my work would be $500,000 to $600,000. Insane. So we decided to keep our nice home, 4br, 4ba, 3,600fsf on a culdesac with a 1/2 acre lot.

To move close to my work would have meant downsizing basically to an apartment or an 80 yo small, rough shape home. DW has too much stuff to do this. And I don't think I'll ever be ready for apartment living.

On the plus side, I bought a Honda Fit and average 36 mpg overall. Love the car. And I'm retiring in 451 more days, and actually have under 300 commutes left when you factor in holidays and weekends and vacation days. I can't wait for my last commute!

I should mention that 1 year after our move to 28 miles from my work, we made a decision that DW would quit her job and her 35 mile commute, it's worked out great
« Last Edit: October 06, 2014, 03:03:43 PM by frugalman »

Hackstache

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Re: Cut commute by 18 miles
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2014, 06:55:33 PM »
I'm renting and that made it easier. I could have bought a house a few years ago, but it wouldn't have been a smart financial move. I'm glad I didn't because renting gave me the mobility to make this move. It took us a year to find a place and a daycare that fit all our criteria. It wasn't easy, but I understand that other people have even more constraints or a more difficult puzzle to solve trying to live close to work.

Congrats on being so close to retiring.