Who drives an hour one way to work?

braxx

braxx

Club Member
I'm considering moving to a more rural area and so far my choice is about 42miles / 1 hour from my work. Right now I live 4 miles from work.
I'll be going from 25-30min on the road a day to 2 hours a day on the road. I "think" it will be worth it to live in a MUCH better area and home. Has anyone else moved much farther away from there job by choice to improve there living situation?
Do you regret it? How has it worked out?
 
moneypit said:
73 miles each way brighton to new haven winter sucked
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Were you already in your home but then chose a job that far away?
I'm secure at my job (13yrs this Oct.) and only 4-5miles away. I'm getting quite a few people tell me that I'm crazy to move an hour away. I LOVE the area that I am looking at and I think I wouldn't have a problem with the drive because I would know that I get to go home to a beautiful home/area.
 
I wouldn't do it driving at 02 2500 with a 8.1l, lol.

I have a buddy at work that moved from redford to tecumseh. He works with me at middlebelt and 5 mile.

Pros
Quiet Living.
no neighbors so you can do what you want.
safer, imo

Cons
Get a car with great MPG... TDI/ecomodded car or fuel costs will blow
the winter time you get effed, make sure work is cool with knowing you might not make it a few times a year
make sure work is ok with you being late occasionally due to traffic.
2 hours a day you are not getting back, make the best of it... Learn a new language listen to books on tape.
 
I made the drive for about 6 months and the drive turns into feeling like 20 min.

One of the things you don't think about is this..... if your house is west of your work, and you work in the morning... you will be driving into the sun on the way to work, and on the way home. so get some good sun glasses or tint your front window.
 
347convert said:
make sure work is cool with knowing you might not make it a few times a year
make sure work is ok with you being late occasionally due to traffic.
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Thats not a problem. Plus I can do 4 day work weeks and if there is real bad weather, I can work from home.

347convert said:
One of the things you don't think about is this..... if your house is west of your work, and you work in the morning... you will be driving into the sun on the way to work, and on the way home. so get some good sun glasses or tint your front window.
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This is a reality that I have dealt with. I currently spend time out in the area I want to move to and I have driven in a few times this summer and I drive ALL of it heading east in the morning and west in late afternoon.
My work is flexible on start times. I can start anytime from 6am to 9am.
 
Id say go for it then, it sounds like you are already used to the drive. Id do the math about investing in a high mpg car. The drive is a relaxing time for me when I was doing it. I also invested in a nice stereo.
 
I drive about 50 miles one way. Metamora to Farmington hills. Used to drive 63 miles one way, Metamora to Dearborn. Some days the drive can really piss you off, some days not so much. It depends on the traffic, like accidents or a bunch of old grandpas on the road that particular day. Like stated, after a while the drive really seems to fly by. It's almost like a wind down time on your way home, kind of relaxing actually. There are some days that you will be like WTF was I thinking moving this far away. But it all makes it worth it when you pull in the driveway. I'm kind of in the opposite boat, my line of work forced me to have to drive to the city daily because there isnt shit up here in the boonies. I moved to the city for a year, and absolutely hated it. Needless to say I moved back and just dealt with the drive. I dont know how anyone can live in that crazy fucked up mess down there. I'd say go for it.
 
I used to spend 1.5-2+hrs a day in the car for various reasons. Like Mike mentioned, I invested in a good car stereo and most days the drive was pleasurable. It was my "music" time and I looked forward to it. It was good "me" time to unwind as long as other drivers weren't being dickbags.
 
I moved out to Whitmore Lake while working in Dearborn. Went from 15 minute 10 mile drive to a 45 mile 45 minute drive. I did the drive for 3 months before I took a job closer to the new place, but I took the job more because of the higher pay than the drive. I actually liked my 45 minute drive.....it was ALL highway, my new place is 2 minutes off the I-23. It helps living in a house with lake access in the summer.....and I've found my neighbors to be much nicer and way more helpful than when I lived Downriver.
 
I drive 86 miles one way from Dearborn Heights to Whitehouse Ohio. Been doing it for 3 years, my fuel cost averages $650 a month just to commute plus oil change every month. IMO its not that bad but I would surely like to be 40 miles closer
 
You may want to wait untill the November elections are over before you make a bid.
My advise is don't do it. Driving to work is time wasted. Time you will never get back.
 
If you can come in early (6-7) and leave early (2:30-3:30) go for it.

I recently changed jobs. I was literally a mile from my house. Now I commute Novi - Troy. I would have never done it if I couldnt leave early like I do every day.
 
My drive is usually an hour or so on the way home Southfield -> Macomb Twp, plus I drive between offices during the day pretty often.

Like its been said already, get some window tint, a nice stereo, and decent mpg car. I get ~ 26mpg combined, so its not terrible. It helps to have a manual trans so it keeps me mildly entertained and engaged.

Try to avoid rush hour though, because that shit gets old really fast. Sounds like your work is flexible on start/end times, so I'd say go for it. You may spend 2 hours in your car every day, but you spend the other 14 hours at home. Completely worth the drive to live somewhere you like better.
 
It sounds like your job is flexible and you can make it work well. If you work 12 hours a day I could see this getting old just due to the time spent in the car. I agree with the points about music and relaxing but if you have other shit to do it's just a dead time when you can't be doing more productive things - for me anyways.
 
Live in Holly work in Farmington hills only 30 miles but all two lane highway summertime when kids out of school about 45 minutes when kids in school hour to hour fifeteen. Snow day 2 plus hours.
 
I went from 10 miles away from work to a new job 40 miles away from where I live. The job change was worth it, but it still sucks killing a couple hours of your day driving to and from work. I would move closer to work if I wasn't stuck in my house. I wouldn't inentionally make my drive to work 10 times farther. And if you think it sucks on a nice day, just wait until it snows and the hour drive turns into a 3 hour drive. Now THAT sucks.
 
Werd...

Shelby Township to Dearborn. 40 miles one way. 50mins to an hour and 15. (well worth the money for the drive)

Moving closer very soon though. Warren to Dearborn should save me 25-30 mins a day. All highway to Dearborn from warren.

In the mornings I'm not really awake until i get to work anyways, but evenings suck wanting to be home quickly but sitting in traffic.
 
4 cam tbird said:
I went from 10 miles away from work to a new job 40 miles away from where I live. The job change was worth it, but it still sucks killing a couple hours of your day driving to and from work. I would move closer to work if I wasn't stuck in my house. I wouldn't inentionally make my drive to work 10 times farther. And if you think it sucks on a nice day, just wait until it snows and the hour drive turns into a 3 hour drive. Now THAT sucks.
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I know the feeling before I moved to holly and was still working in southfield I only worked 4 miles a way then when I moved to holly and was still working in southfield it was 42 miles. Friday afternoons were the worst it was always a 2 hour trip.
 
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