How much is working close to home worth to you?
Discussion
Currently a contract engineer (of sorts) and working on a long term contract 30 miles and 45-60 mins from home, traffic depending.
A perm job has come up 8 miles and 10-15 mins from home, at a growing company with excellent opportunities for progression, private health care, fairly decent pension contribution etc.
The money is the biggest issue, its quite a bit less and even if I get the progression promised (if I'm as good as CV suggests then team leader and +£3k after 3 month probation) it's still a fair bit less money, in no small part due to tax etc.
Overtime will be available if wanted so I could be at work for most of the hour I'd usually be travelling home, wake up later in the morning, maybe go to the gym etc.
I'm in about as steady a contract as you can get at the moment, ongoing, respected member of the team, good money, plenty of hours on offer if I can be bothered. The drive does annoy me a little, I just can't help but imagine how I could use the time better.
So my question to you is, how important is working near to home to you, and in money terms, not just the fuel, how much is your time worth? Just interested to hear others points of view
A perm job has come up 8 miles and 10-15 mins from home, at a growing company with excellent opportunities for progression, private health care, fairly decent pension contribution etc.
The money is the biggest issue, its quite a bit less and even if I get the progression promised (if I'm as good as CV suggests then team leader and +£3k after 3 month probation) it's still a fair bit less money, in no small part due to tax etc.
Overtime will be available if wanted so I could be at work for most of the hour I'd usually be travelling home, wake up later in the morning, maybe go to the gym etc.
I'm in about as steady a contract as you can get at the moment, ongoing, respected member of the team, good money, plenty of hours on offer if I can be bothered. The drive does annoy me a little, I just can't help but imagine how I could use the time better.
So my question to you is, how important is working near to home to you, and in money terms, not just the fuel, how much is your time worth? Just interested to hear others points of view
I work very close to home, about a mile, manage to cycle in every day unless the weather is biblical.
I leave the house and I am at work in around 5 minutes, same obviously on the way home even though it is up hill.
My previous job had me leaving the house at about 4 or 5 Monday morning, staying out of a suitcase in the week and home about 10 Friday evening.
So for me, working close to home is worth a lot. I think if I were to move companies I would want the good part of £5,000-£7,000 per year more.
I leave the house and I am at work in around 5 minutes, same obviously on the way home even though it is up hill.
My previous job had me leaving the house at about 4 or 5 Monday morning, staying out of a suitcase in the week and home about 10 Friday evening.
So for me, working close to home is worth a lot. I think if I were to move companies I would want the good part of £5,000-£7,000 per year more.
I took something like a £4K pay cut to get off shifts and with the option to work at home if I’ve no commitments in the office. I’m not on mega books so that was a biggish hit for me and I still haven’t clawed that back three years later. It was the best thing I ever did. A better quality of life is worth a lot.
V8mate said:
£25k pa.
That's the minimum uplift I'd require to go back to working in London, or driving for more than 30 minutes from home.
The figure certainly rises as you get older.
I lived in London and moved back out to Dorset. That's the minimum uplift I'd require to go back to working in London, or driving for more than 30 minutes from home.
The figure certainly rises as you get older.
My OH and I concluded that there isn't the money in the world to make us move back there.
You are right about the age thing. Two years ago I moved house and cut my commute from 50-55 mins to 35-40 mins. Doesn't sound much but it makes a huge difference to my life. That's 2.5 hours more time sat in the garden/study/whatever a week, about a working week per year.
I went from 15 minutes / 6 miles, to 40 mins / 7 km (tram) and now 35 minutes / 22KM.
My current commute is right on the limit for me, I already feel like I am wasting my life commuting back and forth so work from home 1 or 2 days a week now.
Anything over 1 hour would require at least an extra £30k, to move back into a city / London then it would have to be £50k more at least; probably still wouldn't, no point getting paid well if you are never off to enjoy it.
I cant fathom how people spend 90minutes e/w on a train, 5 days a week, that's 15 hours a week, 60 hours a month and 620 (ish) hours a year accounting for holidays, or 25+ FULL days, what a waste of life.
My current commute is right on the limit for me, I already feel like I am wasting my life commuting back and forth so work from home 1 or 2 days a week now.
Anything over 1 hour would require at least an extra £30k, to move back into a city / London then it would have to be £50k more at least; probably still wouldn't, no point getting paid well if you are never off to enjoy it.
I cant fathom how people spend 90minutes e/w on a train, 5 days a week, that's 15 hours a week, 60 hours a month and 620 (ish) hours a year accounting for holidays, or 25+ FULL days, what a waste of life.
CX53 said:
Currently a contract engineer (of sorts) and working on a long term contract 30 miles and 45-60 mins from home, traffic depending.
A perm job has come up 8 miles and 10-15 mins from home, at a growing company with excellent opportunities for progression, private health care, fairly decent pension contribution etc.
The money is the biggest issue, its quite a bit less and even if I get the progression promised (if I'm as good as CV suggests then team leader and +£3k after 3 month probation) it's still a fair bit less money, in no small part due to tax etc.
Overtime will be available if wanted so I could be at work for most of the hour I'd usually be travelling home, wake up later in the morning, maybe go to the gym etc.
I'm in about as steady a contract as you can get at the moment, ongoing, respected member of the team, good money, plenty of hours on offer if I can be bothered. The drive does annoy me a little, I just can't help but imagine how I could use the time better.
So my question to you is, how important is working near to home to you, and in money terms, not just the fuel, how much is your time worth? Just interested to hear others points of view
There is no definitive answer to that as each person's circumstances and priorities are going to be different. Only you can decide whether the 45-60 min commute annoys you enough to do something about it.A perm job has come up 8 miles and 10-15 mins from home, at a growing company with excellent opportunities for progression, private health care, fairly decent pension contribution etc.
The money is the biggest issue, its quite a bit less and even if I get the progression promised (if I'm as good as CV suggests then team leader and +£3k after 3 month probation) it's still a fair bit less money, in no small part due to tax etc.
Overtime will be available if wanted so I could be at work for most of the hour I'd usually be travelling home, wake up later in the morning, maybe go to the gym etc.
I'm in about as steady a contract as you can get at the moment, ongoing, respected member of the team, good money, plenty of hours on offer if I can be bothered. The drive does annoy me a little, I just can't help but imagine how I could use the time better.
So my question to you is, how important is working near to home to you, and in money terms, not just the fuel, how much is your time worth? Just interested to hear others points of view
I've actually just been through something similar and after around 4 years (!) of undecisiveness, have now decided to move house to be closer to work. Previously my commute was about 15 miles from a very nice and leafy suburb of north Leeds to just off J27 of the M62 at Gildersome. During peak traffic times it takes 60-90 mins each way to get across Leeds. Off peak (early dawn/late night) I can do it in about 30 mins. It was absolutely soul destroying sitting crawling along in the traffic though and after looking closely at how long I was sitting in my car every day and how much fuel I was chewing through I'd had enough. I had the option of work in Otley (10 min drive in other direction, no traffic) but they won't pay my rates and it'd be too much of a financial hit for me to stomach.
I found out whilst chatting about it with my landlord that he had a couple of places in Cleckheaton (J27 M62) and one of them was vacant. Initially I turned it down because BD postcode and everything that is associated with BD postcodes, but after seeing some pics of it and going to see the place it's perfect for my needs, plus I gain an extra bedroom, a ton more space, driveway and garage for what I'm currently paying now and it's in a nice spot at the end of a dead-end road. I'm on the M62 J26 in less than 2 mins drive and at work at J27 in less than 10 mins, even in peak periods.
I used to dread the jobs running over as it would mean I'd be driving home when the traffic was heaviest but now I don't care as I can still be home in 10 mins and I feel much happier and healthier in myself since having that "burden" lifted.
CX53 said:
The money is the biggest issue, its quite a bit less and even if I get the progression promised (if I'm as good as CV suggests then team leader and +£3k after 3 month probation) it's still a fair bit less money, in no small part due to tax etc.
I am always a tad wary when a company suggests there will be jam tomorrow. V8mate said:
£25k pa.
That's the minimum uplift I'd require to go back to working in London, or driving for more than 30 minutes from home.
The figure certainly rises as you get older.
I know I live a fair bit further out than you, but I don't think I could be paid to go back to working in London. It would mean not being at home for fully 5 days a week, and then spending the weekend "recovering".That's the minimum uplift I'd require to go back to working in London, or driving for more than 30 minutes from home.
The figure certainly rises as you get older.
I've not become complacent, hopefully my career will change for the better in the next couple of weeks, but that distance would be too far.
For me, now, I need to be looking at £15k per hour of commute... (Ish.)
I think I'd be one of the first to turn down mo money for a shorter commute. However, something that has crept into the equation for me over the years is how much I like the job and how satisfied it makes me feel.
So I am just about to increase my round trip commute from about 15 miles to 66 miles. For a job that offers only a little more money, but will likely offer something much more enjoyable. Sitting at a desk, close to home, being a miserable f
ker and spending at least 30 minutes each way stuck in stop-start traffic (if I am lucky)... the equation is no longer balanced.
New job is a longer drive. It'll probably be 45-50 minutes on average and its going to dent my finances to the tune of £120-150/mo... but at least I will be driving. I will be moving. Its all cross-country, b-road, multiple routes, multiple exit strategies should there be shenanigans. And the opportunities to progress, to develop professionally and personally appear to be much much greater.
It seems like the good old 3-choices, pick 2.
Salary
Job Satisfaction
Short Commute
pick 2
Also
be wary of jam tomorrow (re your team leader following successful probation)
So I am just about to increase my round trip commute from about 15 miles to 66 miles. For a job that offers only a little more money, but will likely offer something much more enjoyable. Sitting at a desk, close to home, being a miserable f
ker and spending at least 30 minutes each way stuck in stop-start traffic (if I am lucky)... the equation is no longer balanced. New job is a longer drive. It'll probably be 45-50 minutes on average and its going to dent my finances to the tune of £120-150/mo... but at least I will be driving. I will be moving. Its all cross-country, b-road, multiple routes, multiple exit strategies should there be shenanigans. And the opportunities to progress, to develop professionally and personally appear to be much much greater.
It seems like the good old 3-choices, pick 2.
Salary
Job Satisfaction
Short Commute
pick 2
Also
be wary of jam tomorrow (re your team leader following successful probation)
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Or......Some of us have managed to get to a comfortable standard of living well below that, and value their time very differently.
As an open discussion of how other people value their time, I think this thread has merit, and certainly not as some kind of willy waving exercise.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I don't think it's that. I think it's simply people's "value" they put on not having to waste hundreds of hours of their life away sat stationary or crawling along in traffic. If I could double my rates and have my main client pay them then the 60-90 min commute across Leeds wouldn't be quite so soul destroying as I would have many more thousands of pounds in my back account each month to play with. Unfortunately that is something that will never happen so you either to have a) put up with it, b) find clients closer to home who'll pay what you want or c) move closer to your clients.Being based from home when I don't have meetings (2-3 days a week) is a big perk for me and one I'd need a significant pay increase to not have anymore. The trade-off is my non-WFH days are often long with significant driving involved e.g. leave the house at 5am and return at 7/8pm, having covered 400+ miles.
Strangely though, a bit of me does miss an office environment and I enjoy the time spent with my colleagues when we do meet (all of the section of the business I work for are based from home).
Re: commuting into London... If I'm paying for all of that cost, I'd see a £25k increase as reasonable. Even then I'd have to really want the job and/or change of role.
Strangely though, a bit of me does miss an office environment and I enjoy the time spent with my colleagues when we do meet (all of the section of the business I work for are based from home).
Re: commuting into London... If I'm paying for all of that cost, I'd see a £25k increase as reasonable. Even then I'd have to really want the job and/or change of role.
I think the real question is, how much is your time worth to you in a £ figure. A while ago I did a "what's my time worth to me" survey and it gave out quite an interesting answer. It was on here: ClearerThinking.org. Give it a bash and see what comes out. I have to say once I did it, it did help making decisions a lot easier.
Long commutes cause early death (due to stress).
Short commutes cause career death (due to perceived less energy).
Swings and roundabouts.
https://www.adzuna.co.uk/blog/2017/03/18/commuting...
Short commutes cause career death (due to perceived less energy).
Swings and roundabouts.
https://www.adzuna.co.uk/blog/2017/03/18/commuting...
I moved closer to my current job rather than move job to one closer to home.
The extra time is worth a lot. I'm not sure how to put a figure on it though. Health wise it's been a huge improvement. The money is way less important imo, as long as you are comfortable enough.
I went from a 65 mile, 2 hour round trip through some dark country lanes, to a 8 mile, 15 minute round trip down an A road.
I've gained two useful hours every day. I can wake up later, which means I can stay up an hour later, and I get home an hour earlier. When I first moved I struggled to find things to do to fill in my evenings! It was strange having that much more usable time every single day. The stress levels have come down too - every single slight annoyance on the road became a major thing when I was trying to get home. It felt like a fight every night and the world was against me. None of that now though and I feel so much better for it.
I would hate to calculate how many hours I spent just driving to and from work in four years of the above commute. Not to mention all the money I spent on car maintenance for the privilege.
It also means I can have a slightly naughtier car for a daily
The extra time is worth a lot. I'm not sure how to put a figure on it though. Health wise it's been a huge improvement. The money is way less important imo, as long as you are comfortable enough.
I went from a 65 mile, 2 hour round trip through some dark country lanes, to a 8 mile, 15 minute round trip down an A road.
I've gained two useful hours every day. I can wake up later, which means I can stay up an hour later, and I get home an hour earlier. When I first moved I struggled to find things to do to fill in my evenings! It was strange having that much more usable time every single day. The stress levels have come down too - every single slight annoyance on the road became a major thing when I was trying to get home. It felt like a fight every night and the world was against me. None of that now though and I feel so much better for it.
I would hate to calculate how many hours I spent just driving to and from work in four years of the above commute. Not to mention all the money I spent on car maintenance for the privilege.
It also means I can have a slightly naughtier car for a daily
I am a ex-juvenile delinquent with a motorbike licence
My missus is not
When we were young commuting was immaterial
20 mins on the bike for me, 90 mins on the tube for her (zone 2 to zone 1)
At the weekend and in evenings we used to bomb round the SE on my bike which was great fun
Having kids changed our persective
We now live 2 1/2h from London and have a commute which takes as much as 10 mins in the car and 25 on foot
As a consequence we see much more of our kids than we ever would have done in London
If we didnt have kids then Id have been perfectly happy to stay in London
Its not the length of the commute which is in itself important its the compromises that this brings
An hour sat in a tube carriage doing the crossword is perfectly reasonable if theres nothing more important in your life
These days Id rather have a fight with my teenagers and help them with their homework
Cheers
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