Commute or Move..
Discussion
Hi all,
Just looking for some advice, in a small dilemma at the moment.
My current commute to work is about 9 miles of city driving in Birmingham and takes on average about 30 minutes so not too bad.
From October up until February i'm going to be working up in Derby, about a 42 mile commute either way. My company are willing to pay £0.43 per mile to cover fuel and depreciation.
I rarely drive motorways and I'm thinking it'll be very tiring especially in the thick of winter. Would it be better to just live up in Derby? I don't know how easy it'll be to find such a short term place to rent.
Appreciate everyones input as always.
Just looking for some advice, in a small dilemma at the moment.
My current commute to work is about 9 miles of city driving in Birmingham and takes on average about 30 minutes so not too bad.
From October up until February i'm going to be working up in Derby, about a 42 mile commute either way. My company are willing to pay £0.43 per mile to cover fuel and depreciation.
I rarely drive motorways and I'm thinking it'll be very tiring especially in the thick of winter. Would it be better to just live up in Derby? I don't know how easy it'll be to find such a short term place to rent.
Appreciate everyones input as always.
I do a daily commute of 50 miles from Kent to Crawley - 90% very busy motorways including the notorious M25 clacketts lane area. For the first couple of months I thought I'd never be able to keep it up...... 8 years later and I'm only just giving it up.
Your brain reasonably quickly adjusts to the monotony of it all and you can even make use of the time spent in the car e.g I spent6 months of it learning "CD" Russian. My biggest recommendationa..... 1.Get yourself an automatic. Far less tiring on body and soul. 2. Don't give in to the temptation to come off the motorway when things pile up. It's still quicker than fighting your way through backroads when everyone else is doing the same.
The traffic is shocking on my route, but I can count the number of times on one hand in a year that there is a truly serious issue.
Andy
Your brain reasonably quickly adjusts to the monotony of it all and you can even make use of the time spent in the car e.g I spent6 months of it learning "CD" Russian. My biggest recommendationa..... 1.Get yourself an automatic. Far less tiring on body and soul. 2. Don't give in to the temptation to come off the motorway when things pile up. It's still quicker than fighting your way through backroads when everyone else is doing the same.
The traffic is shocking on my route, but I can count the number of times on one hand in a year that there is a truly serious issue.
Andy
I do a daily commute of 50 miles from Kent to Crawley - 90% very busy motorways including the notorious M25 clacketts lane area. For the first couple of months I thought I'd never be able to keep it up...... 8 years later and I'm only just giving it up.
Your brain reasonably quickly adjusts to the monotony of it all and you can even make use of the time spent in the car e.g I spent6 months of it learning "CD" Russian. My biggest recommendationa..... 1.Get yourself an automatic. Far less tiring on body and soul. 2. Don't give in to the temptation to come off the motorway when things pile up. It's still quicker than fighting your way through backroads when everyone else is doing the same.
The traffic is shocking on my route, but I can count the number of times on one hand in a year that there is a truly serious issue.
Andy
Your brain reasonably quickly adjusts to the monotony of it all and you can even make use of the time spent in the car e.g I spent6 months of it learning "CD" Russian. My biggest recommendationa..... 1.Get yourself an automatic. Far less tiring on body and soul. 2. Don't give in to the temptation to come off the motorway when things pile up. It's still quicker than fighting your way through backroads when everyone else is doing the same.
The traffic is shocking on my route, but I can count the number of times on one hand in a year that there is a truly serious issue.
Andy
I used to live in Redditch and Bromsgrove and commuted to jobs in Tamworth and Leamington. I wouldn't bat an eyelid at Birmingham to Derby, especially if it's only a short-term thing.
You're on PH, this is an opportunity to do more driving, and you're not sure you want to. Are you on the right forum?!
You're on PH, this is an opportunity to do more driving, and you're not sure you want to. Are you on the right forum?!
Aren't the HMRC rules that its 25p a mile for anything over 10k? 45p under that
You would be doing about 20k based on 5 days a week 48 weeks of the year.
£4,500 + £2,500 total £7,000
Fuel at 50 mpg would be about £2,000
Probably only you can decide if its worth it.
I'd move if being on time is critical. There are bound to be a couple of incidents a month that could make you an hour late.
You would be doing about 20k based on 5 days a week 48 weeks of the year.
£4,500 + £2,500 total £7,000
Fuel at 50 mpg would be about £2,000
Probably only you can decide if its worth it.
I'd move if being on time is critical. There are bound to be a couple of incidents a month that could make you an hour late.
Use the 43p a mile as an excuse to buy a far more impractical car that you're convinced won't depreciate and as has been rightly pointed out, dominate that motorway.
Don't forget to also man maths on your current commuting / depreciation costs to help you break even on an even higher cost car!
Don't forget to also man maths on your current commuting / depreciation costs to help you break even on an even higher cost car!
Drive it, 42 miles of mostly motorway will be far more relaxing to drive then 9 miles of city traffic anyway, should be ~40 minutes
And from your post, this will be temporary (till feb) right? moving is an expensive fix to a temporary problem like this, especially when you will be getting 43p/mile for driving
Get a nice comfortable car with cruise control, and enjoy the 40 minutes of "you time" to unwind after work
And from your post, this will be temporary (till feb) right? moving is an expensive fix to a temporary problem like this, especially when you will be getting 43p/mile for driving
Get a nice comfortable car with cruise control, and enjoy the 40 minutes of "you time" to unwind after work
Dan_1981 said:
I do Jct 28 M1 down to Solihull daily.
It's really not too bad.
s
tty roadworks at jct 23 - jct 25 but other than that pretty good.
What time can you do it at - half 6 is a million times better than half 8.
mate, that queue from Tamworth to Hams Hall is pretty shyte a lot of the time!It's really not too bad.
s
tty roadworks at jct 23 - jct 25 but other than that pretty good. What time can you do it at - half 6 is a million times better than half 8.
@the OP, if you're near Aston and the Derby end is south of the city then the A38 is probably better than the m1, although neither are perfect. Easy drive, wouldn't even think of moving unless it suits your lifestyle generally. Or move to Tam'rth as they're a bit yam yam there.
;)SidJames said:
mate, that queue from Tamworth to Hams Hall is pretty shyte a lot of the time!
@the OP, if you're near Aston and the Derby end is south of the city then the A38 is probably better than the m1, although neither are perfect. Easy drive, wouldn't even think of moving unless it suits your lifestyle generally. Or move to Tam'rth as they're a bit yam yam there.;)
A38, I did years of Chesterfield to Walsall. You soon learn when to stay on the main road and when a diversion along the back roads is viable. If you go the A38 way you have lots of short diversions available when things really go tits up. I wouldn't give this a second thought.@the OP, if you're near Aston and the Derby end is south of the city then the A38 is probably better than the m1, although neither are perfect. Easy drive, wouldn't even think of moving unless it suits your lifestyle generally. Or move to Tam'rth as they're a bit yam yam there.
;)Though if that old bloke on his almost completely unlit tricycle still cycles up the A38 on dark winter mornings and evenings you'll need to stock up on clean underpants for the first few weeks.
I did 50 miles each way for nearly a year. 7 days a week doing 12.5 hour shifts. You do get used to it, but I only did it because I had to. My journey took about an hour. probably 45 of those miles were done on the motorway which took about 30 minutes. The other 5~ miles was through built up areas that took as long as the motorway journey. Hellish stop start driving. If it's nearly all motorway, it's fine.
I'd like to propose an alternative:
It's 2 hours a day you'll never get back, you're being paid to travel, but you don't have to. With the summer coming and the students going away, there will be plenty of cheap accommodation.
My time is more valuable. If you have no other half, and no kids, enjoy half a year in a different city, paid for.
And have an extra 2 hours to do as you see fit. I'd spend it cycling, but that's just me.
It's 2 hours a day you'll never get back, you're being paid to travel, but you don't have to. With the summer coming and the students going away, there will be plenty of cheap accommodation.
My time is more valuable. If you have no other half, and no kids, enjoy half a year in a different city, paid for.
And have an extra 2 hours to do as you see fit. I'd spend it cycling, but that's just me.
I did Derby to Bournville daily for about 6 months. It's perfectly doable, but an automatic makes it infinitely more pleasureable, and the earlier you can leave in the morning the more bearable it is. The average speed cameras on the A38 are a total pain, so do investigate the back roads too.
Use it as an opportunity to catch up on podcasts or audiobooks. At 45p per mile you're getting paid a decent rate for it too.
Use it as an opportunity to catch up on podcasts or audiobooks. At 45p per mile you're getting paid a decent rate for it too.
I've done it the other way round for a couple of years now (i.e up near Derby into Birmingham). It's fine. Gives me time in the morning to think about what I'm going to do in the day.
A38's better than motorway most days. Have a look at google maps before you leave for work/home to work out which route's the best that day. Hopefully you can travel a bit outside of peak hours?
A38's better than motorway most days. Have a look at google maps before you leave for work/home to work out which route's the best that day. Hopefully you can travel a bit outside of peak hours?
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