New Job

[92Lex]

I've been offered a job 120 miles away from where I live...I plan on commuting to and from everyday. It's normally an hour and a half drive but in California traffic that becomes a 3 hour drive. My hours would be 8am till 5pm, Monday through Saturday...so I'd have to be up at (the latest) 4:30am to make it to work on time and wouldn't be home till 8pm. I sat down and calculated the cost of commuting and it came out to about $700 a month. My question...is all this worth it for an extra $24k over my current pay? Would you guys go for it?

[RX in NC]

It all comes down to how much you value your current free time because if you take this job you're going to have much less of it. Your added annual compensation should cover the added expense of wearing out your selected commuting vehicle (which is probably going to be more significant than you initially realize). So again, how much do you value your free time and your current lifestyle? If the money is more important, a decision to accept the new offer is understandable. If you have a wife and kids, it's probably a different story.

Personally, my free time is much more important than a before-tax gain of $24K per year.

[Thienn]

How about move closer to work?

[92Lex]

I have no kids...I just have a gf that acts like one :D. How I spend my days is the reason why it's so hard for me to come to a decision. The extra money would be nice but that would leave no time for me to do anything. I'd have maybe 2 hours a day to do my own things. I've considered moving closer to work but the cost of living in the bay area is sickning. Do you guys happen to know anyone that travels 3+ hours a day (each way) to work and has no complaints? I haven't done it yet so I'm not sure how long I could hold up...maybe I'll get used to the commute?

[silvermate]

man thats a hulluva drive buddy......but if u think its going to further your career, and you think its the right step, the go for it.

but like everyone else said, your free time away from work is very important, i mean you only have one life to live........and free time for me anyway is pretty much the only thing that keeps me sain these days....

i'm sure you'll make a good descision, and good luck to you.

[jasver]

Would you end up resenting this job over time? more money is great, but if in the end it takes away from your most important commodity: TIME. I would probably pass, even if it was $24K. It would have to be a significant increase along with a company car, and other perks.

Would you have flex time? How is the benefit package, or is it included in the $24K? Can you work from home a few days a week to offset the time you will be spending on the road? If none of this matters, then go for it!

[monarch]

1000's of Sacramento people ride the Amtrak trains between Sacramento and their Bay Area jobs. I say take the job if it will help build your career because you will eventually find a way to live cheaply in the Bay Area (share an apt. or rent a room in a private home).

[VMF]

i was in the same situation as u 3 month ago and the distance was only 60 miles, but for me to be stuck in traffic is a killer, i have no family as well so i moved, i'm renting an appartment with everytyhnign included for 900$ a month and i sleep 2 more hours in the morning and i can dedicate evenings to myself and not to driving. i did drive at my previous job and it was driving me nuts. aftter 2 month of driving i was about to get out of the car and start shooting ppl when i was stuck in traffic. i would advice you to move and have fun:)

[Lexusfreak]

man thats a hulluva drive buddy......but if u think its going to further your career, and you think its the right step, the go for it.

but like everyone else said, your free time away from work is very important, i mean you only have one life to live........and free time for me anyway is pretty much the only thing that keeps me sain these days.... 

i'm sure you'll make a good descision, and good luck to you.

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Agreed......If you take this new job, I would seriously consider taking another form of commuting OR move closer to work (but still close enough to be with the gf or have her move with you if possible). :D Good Luck!

[92Lex]

It's basicly the same job (smog checks) but this is a test and repair station. I'm currently at a test only center, I'm happy here but this I want to learn how to rebuild a tranny and this guy is willing to teach me. The actual move for me would be hard because I have 2 houses up here...one's for rent and the other is for my family (parents & siblings)and I.

I spoke to the owner earlier this morning and was trying to turn it down but he insisted that I take more time to decide. He also threw in that the commute everyday is going to extremely hard/dangerous and offered me a place to stay at his house....he definitely has my respect.

Traffic is a b*tch!!

Hopefully I will be able to come to a decision within a week or so. Thanks for all the advice.

[HRP]

If you decide to take the job, I would definitely find a way to use the commute time to take some courses from an accredited college via audio study and get a degree. On the other hand you could take a tranny course at a local community college and spend much less than 30 hours a week away from your gf and other hobbies. (several years ago while working full time, I took 8 hours a week in the evenings in auto mechanics for 2 years) I'd sure look at a lot of other options, but then in over 35 years, I never lived further than 20 minutes away from my work. I can't imagine even a 1 hour commute.

[SW03ES]

Don't take it if you have to drive. I'm self employed and I work from home most of the time so I have no commute, but I know people who have commutes like that and it really wears on them.

BUT if you can take the train thats not that big a deal. I also know people who sit on a train for an hour every day and its not a big deal. They actually enjoy it, time to unwind and be alone, one of them has wireless internet and uses it as his email/imternet time and he loves it.

It really depends on WHY you're taking that job. If its a leg up for your career thats going to be temporary thats one thing but if its just for money I wouldn't do it. If its going to cost you $700 at least to commute you're looking at maybe half your take home pay right there...

[steviej]

it all comes down to quality of life.

is it worth it for an extra 24k, from what you have posted, I would say not a chance. It a very short time, if you are like me, you come to resent you decision and many aspects of you life will be effected. Health, relationship, attitude, stress, etc.

Life is about more than an extra 24k/year.

think hard on this one my friend.

steviej

[Neo]

I know a few people who have done this. They hate it. They have a family though so is is kind of tough not seeing your wife and kids.

[silvermate]

I'm happy here but this I want to learn how to rebuild a tranny and this guy is willing to teach me.

thats awesome, i've been searching for some time to try and find a couple of day a week job or weeknd job learing how to build engines.......just for my own good. hell, i'll even work for free.....there just isn't many places like that here in AR.

i was trying to enroll in a performance engine building class at a local technical college, but they didn't offer it this or last semester.

i'm gonna buy a hot rod soon (SS Camaro, WS6 Trans Am) and i want to be able to build a stroker motor (ground up) to put in it, i know some stuff, but bottom end is where i'm rough..

its kind of funny though that i'm in corporate marketing right now, suit and all, and i want to do is get my hands dirty and work on cars , its just all about doing what you like to do, and what you are passionate about, like a said b/f you only have one life to live.....so find out what makes you happy ya know..... <_<

that would be a fun job for sure..... :D

[92Lex]

I wanted the tranny rebuild experience and if I do take the job is just going to be a termporary thing, just until I'm able to open my own shop. I agree with everyone here though...it's going to wear me down.

I definitely need to do some deep thinking.

Thanks for all the insight.

[PuliGirl]

I've been offered a job 120 miles away from where I live...I plan on commuting to and from everyday. It's normally an hour and a half drive but in California traffic that becomes a 3 hour drive. My hours would be 8am till 5pm, Monday through Saturday...so I'd have to be up at (the latest) 4:30am to make it to work on time and wouldn't be home till 8pm. I sat down and calculated the cost of commuting and it came out to about $700 a month. My question...is all this worth it for an extra $24k over my current pay? Would you guys go for it?

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Everyone I know who has a really serious commute hates it--and no one has one as bad as you describe. I'm reading ads now for rentals from people breaking leases to move closer to where they work and the commute differences are less than 20 miles. Someone was looking at the dumpy condo group I'm currently in and was going to sell her 3br house 15 miles away because of the commute.

They've recently released studies showing huge negative consequences to health based on time spent in congested traffic. Cardiac stress and breathing elevated levels of toxic air are part of it. You also stand a much higher risk of accidents based on time on the road, not to mention minor collision damage. I went to Lexus over my more suitable plan of an RAV4 almost exclusively for safety features. All the bells and whistles are nice, but I wouldn't have spent this much more except that this car may save some limbs, and maybe my life. I just spoke with a rental owner and told him I bought the car because of the increased traffic risk and he said, "Don't tell me, my truck was totalled three weeks ago by someone running a red light."

I agree with the other posters, don't do it unless you can find alternate transportation, like a train. It's not just the cost--which can go up with further escalation in gas prices (likely) and collision costs. Absorbing all that road hostility has to take a toll. (You also should factor in a cost for your time. If you were paid your normal wage for those hours, how would that affect it? If you worked a few hours overtime or picked up a little part-time work without this added overhead you would most likely be much further ahead and a lot less stressed.)

[92Lex]

How does the train thing work? I've never used the train to commute. Does it drop me off at a station and I have to find a way to get to work from there? If yes, then are there buses available at the train station?

I'm already stressed out just trying to figure out if I should take up the offer or not..imagine when it comes down to making it to work on time.

[SW03ES]

If its a temporary stepping stone then it may be worthwhile as simply a means to an end. How long do you think you'd have to do it?

As for the train I'm sure that there are trains leaving Sacrimento in all directions. I've never been to CA but I know how it works here. Here we have the metro system in the city and Amtrak and Marc trains. Amtrak services the northeastern corridor (up 95 towards New York) and Marc services the northwestern corridor (up towards Pittsburgh). A lot of people come into DC to work and take trains up into western Maryland and Delaware where its cheaper (and nicer really) to live.

It all really depends on where your work would be relative to a train station.

[92Lex]

I guess taking the train isn't going to work for me because I checked Amtrak and BART's stations/route and it's nowhere close to where I need to be. The nearest station from the job would be across the bay.

If I do take the job I only plan on staying there maybe 2 months max. No pain no gain?

[VGR]

There are all kinds of creative ways to use public transportation. Example: Say the job is located in San Mateo, Calif. You can take Amtrak from Sacramento to Richmond. At Richmond you hop on a BART train (Amtrak & BART share the same station in Richmond) to Daly City. At Daly City you hop in a car you leave there in the BART parking lot and drive to San Mateo via the uncongested Highway 280 route.

Carry a pocket alarm clock and a pillow with you and sleep on the Amtrak & Bart.

[Lexls]

IMO, I wouldn't take it. That commute is insane! I'm self employed and work at home...I love my 1 minute commute :D I may make a little less money but I'm very happy.

For a summer job years ago I had to get up at 4:30AM to get to work on time. It sucked. 3 months of doing that was too long for me .

If you only stay at the potential job for 2 months you're not going to make 24K extra...just a few K extra....right? Maybe I missed something....

Just my 2 cents here. The choice is up to you and I think you're on the right track by thinking hard and asking questions. I hope you figure things out bud.

[92Lex]

Everyone is right...the commute isn't worth it. It turns out that I don't even have to commute 3 hours to work anymore...I just accepted a job 15 minutes away. I no longer have to stress about spending 6 hours driving per day. I'm going to make $21k over my current pay at this place plus this guy rebuilds transmissions and is willing to teach me. Less money but in the end it's more once I calculate the cost of fuel and toll.

Everything is going smoother than I expected.

Thanks to everyone for all the insights.

[molocka12]

I've been offered a job 120 miles away from where I live...I plan on commuting to and from everyday. It's normally an hour and a half drive but in California traffic that becomes a 3 hour drive. My hours would be 8am till 5pm, Monday through Saturday...so I'd have to be up at (the latest) 4:30am to make it to work on time and wouldn't be home till 8pm. I sat down and calculated the cost of commuting and it came out to about $700 a month. My question...is all this worth it for an extra $24k over my current pay? Would you guys go for it?

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It will cost you a hell of a lot more than $700 a month 240 round trip miles a day 6 days a week = 5,760 miles a month = 69,120 miles on your car a year just to go to & from work. You would need a new timing belt 1 a year an oil change every 20 days or so. Tires all around at least 1 a year. Plus were & tear on the car extremely high mileage on the car is short time. Also last but not least 3 hours driving time every day 6 days a week.Even at your $700 a month figure you would end up earning about $17 an hour for your 3 hour drive.

Not even close to worth it for me.

How much extra would you earn if you put 18 hours a week over time in your current job?

[92Lex]

Thanks molocka12 but I've already figured it out....I posted last night.

Everyone is right...the commute isn't worth it. It turns out that I don't even have to commute 3 hours to work anymore...I just accepted a job 15 minutes away. I no longer have to stress about spending 6 hours driving per day. I'm going to make $21k over my current pay at this place plus this guy rebuilds transmissions and is willing to teach me. Less money but in the end it's more once I calculate the cost of fuel and toll.

Everything is going smoother than I expected.

Thanks to everyone for all the insights.

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