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The True Cost of Commuting

mrmoneymustache.com

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Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#11

Post by roc »

wccrawford wrote: post #7
wccrawford wrote: post #3

"Error establishing a database connection" So very true. When I lived 60 minutes from work and this would happen, it was a freaking nightmare. If I was lucky, someone else would be on call, but if I wasn't, it meant a 2 hour round trip to fix what usually ended up being an unplugged cable of some sort. Sometimes it just needed a power cycle. -sigh- ... That wasn't the article? I wonder if the article is as insightful…

Ah, here we go. "And it also doesn’t count as using up your personal time because it is adding something that nobody except Olympic athletes is doing enough of anyway – exercise. You can take your 10 minute bike ride directly out of time you would have otherwise spent in the gym, or waiting in the doctor’s office for prescription medication." I was wondering how he managed to eliminate that from his calculations. He…

My reaction to the article was much the same. The article makes an argument I've made myself several times.

But the author's examples and 'calculations' are just this side of garbage.

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#12

Post by emu »

The author of the article completely ignores public transit. Commuting by train has at least two advantages: (1) it (can be) cheaper than driving, although the exact economics depend on a lot of things, and (2) you can do something else, such as work, during the commute time, so it need not be wasted time.

Also, commuting an hour to a job sure beats not having a job in the same state as your significant other (my situation). I'm looking forward to moving to the same place and commuting soon. Commuting sucks, but you're optimizing for many things when choosing where to live, not just commute time.

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#13

Post by MrMoneyMustache »

roc wrote: post #11
wccrawford wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, here we go. "And it also doesn’t count as using up your personal time because it is adding something that nobody except Olympic athletes is doing enough of anyway – exercise. You can take your 10 minute bike ride directly out of time you would have otherwise spent in the gym, or waiting in the doctor’s office for prescription medication." I was wondering how he managed to eliminate that from his calculations. He…

My reaction to the article was much the same. The article makes an argument I've made myself several times. But the author's examples and 'calculations' are just this side of garbage.

Excellent point! I believe Mr. Money Mustache addresses objections of exactly this type in this related post: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/07/how-to-tell-if-you...

;-)

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#14

Post by vsl2 »

I couldn't finish reading the whole thing, and I'm usually thinking about maximizing everything all the time.

He completely lost me when he said people could change jobs to reduce the commute. Isn't there usually a reason that people are working where they are? Things such as chosen field and salary? We're not talking about teenagers working fungible minimum wage jobs here...

Everyone tries to minimize their commute times and where they end up living is a reflection of the compromise between different values. I think this article points out that people don't prioritize commute time enough because its only taken in small daily doses and that's a valid point, but that time is also not completely wasted if you can find something productive to do (e.g. listening to audiobooks, language lessions or relevant news).

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#15

Post by dasil003 »

bdunbar wrote: post #2

In an earlier life, I lived in the Dallas area. Moving to be near work sounds great, but it would not have been practical. - I lived there for nine years. My average tenure was 18 months for each employer: Laid-off, right-sized, down-sized. Finding a new house for each new employer would have been costly. - One employer was way the heck out by the airport. There were no houses within biking distance. Or not ones I co…

> My house is two miles away from the office. I still need a car: biking to work in the winter is just crazy.

I grew up in Minneapolis, you should check out the bicycle commuting scene where you live. It varies by location, but in Minneapolis I was able to bicycle commute at least 4 days a week all winter long thanks to good plowing of bike paths, studded tires (only occasionally) and substituting a bus ride in right after significant snowfalls.

Winter bike commuting is not for everyone, but with the proper gear it's not as bad as it looks (less uncomfortable than getting in a cold car and waiting for it to warm up IMHO).

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#16

Post by skrebbel »

I wonder how this story would apply to the situation in many European countries; in the Netherlands, companies typically pay commuting costs. Of course this money has to come from somewhere, so effectively everyone's salary is lower, but my salary won't increase when I stop commuting.

This only leaves the cost of time, but IMHO that argument doesn't hold; most people consider their off time to be worth less, when expressed in dollars, than their on time. It's the same reason why many people with good incomes choose to paint their own house rather than work more and hire a painter.

Finally, I think the author forgets about love. If my dream job is 30 miles this way, and my partner's is 20 miles the other way, the total commuting will be the same no matter where we live along that line.

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#17

Post by emu »

MrMoneyMustache wrote: post #13
roc wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My reaction to the article was much the same. The article makes an argument I've made myself several times. But the author's examples and 'calculations' are just this side of garbage.

Excellent point! I believe Mr. Money Mustache addresses objections of exactly this type in this related post: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/07/how-to-tell-if-you... ;-)

Wow. After reading this I would downvote this article if I had downvotes.

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#18

Post by gaustin »

tomjen3 wrote: post #9
GiraffeNecktie wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two miles is very walkable (given clear sidewalks in the winter)

True, but you will very selldom have clear sidewalks and even if they have been cleared you still risk falling on some piece of ice.

Get a pair of Kahtoola microspikes and you won't have to worry much about falling on ice or snow. I run all winter in Montana with these. They handle streets or mountain trails without a problem.

http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.php

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#19

Post by ronnier »

I work in Seattle and have a one hour, one way commute. I live 15 miles away. Getting to the bus stop, waiting for the bus, and then walking from the bus stop to work really adds up.

Re: The True Cost of Commuting

#20

Post by pivo »

tomjen3 wrote: post #9
GiraffeNecktie wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two miles is very walkable (given clear sidewalks in the winter)

True, but you will very selldom have clear sidewalks and even if they have been cleared you still risk falling on some piece of ice.

Live in a metro area where there are laws that sidewalks have to be clear. I live in Boston and have been walking to work for the last 15 years including during the winter. The only exception is that I take the metro (or 'T' as it's called here) when it rains. It's very rare to have an impassible sidewalk, and when you do you just walk around it in the street for a few meters.

There are plenty of tech companies here within walking distance, lots of job options and an OK startup scene.

Also, don't have a car. I use Zipcar or taxis when necessary (maybe 10 times a year). Not having to pay for a car, insurance and parking saves a lot of money. That savings makes living in more expensive city apartments more easy to afford.

Not having to drive to work is my number one job perk, and living in a city is much more enjoyable (to me at least) than not.

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