long work commute

**mek42** · 05-12-2010, 12:42 PM

I drive 85 miles each working day round trip and my wife about a third further in the opposite direction. We spend a great deal of money on gas and find ourselves very tired much of the time. It is difficult to be motivated to do frugal things and even when we have the motivation it is difficult to find the time. We have a 38 mpg and a 26 mpg car. The longest commute gets the best mpg vehicle.

We do plan to move closer to my wife's work after I get laid off. In the meantime, has anyone else experienced the whole household having long commutes? What did you do to overcome the challenges presented by a whole household of long commutes?

**frugalwarrior2** · 05-12-2010, 06:08 PM

When the kids were little DH had to get up at 4:30 in the morning so we kept his clothes in the MIL apt. and he showered there too. He works at home as a base now and we save $300.? on gas a month.
However,he has had to travel to Bermuda 63 days this year already and he leaves again Tues. It is immensly expensive there. $14. for a slice of cheesecake and $12. for a glass of milk. You may not drive on the island if you don't own property and cabs are cash ONLY. So DH's commute is amazingly long lol.

**JerryG** · 05-13-2010, 06:45 PM

I don't now cuz' I'm not working however, I have had long commutes in the past. I live central Phoenix. I had one job where I had to drive 11 miles SE to the main office and then 35 miles NW to our field office (each direction was from my home). I had to be at the field office by 6am. I missed most of rush hour but it was still a long commute. I had to reverse it in the afternoon and traffic was a biotch.

Another job was 45 miles SE of here and I had to be there by 7am.

For one year I had all of Arizona as my commute. Often I had to be at an 8am meeting four to five hours away. I'd be leaving my home at 3 or 4 in the morning. Sit in meetings all day and get home at 7, 8 or 9 o'clock at nite. That sucked.

I tried to keep a cooler w/ water and snacks at the ready by the front door. I also kept kleenex in the car for those times that a poorly stocked porta-john was my only restroom option.

Keeping gas in the car and maintenance was difficult. Fortunately, I had a rental place that would deliver a rental to where ever I was.

When your commute is really long the only thing you do at home is get ready for the next day of work. Because I was out of the office so much, I usually worked Saturdays to catch up on emails and paperwork. Sundays became the grocery, cleaning, laundry, etc. day. Friends would suggest going out mid-week and even tho my commute put me in the right area at about the right time, I was dead set on GETTING HOME! The only time I would participate was when it was in my neighborhood, no more than 10 minutes away from home.

I feel your pain. Sorry about your pending job loss. That would suck, as well.

**Liane** · 05-13-2010, 07:19 PM

When I was working full time and going to school full time I was driving over 100 miles a day. It was awful. The best thing you can do is eat breakfast at home or in the car. Bring lunch and dinner if you have to. You can make homemade detergent. We did it for the first time this weekend and it did not take long at all. You want to garden, do it. It goes in the dirt and you water it-tada. If you mulch-no weeds. Bring cds with you for the car ride or find a good radio station. If you can change into comfy shoes or clothes for the ride home. Keep in mind this too will change. When it does do a happy dance

**savvy_sniper** · 05-14-2010, 08:39 AM

Been there; done that for MANY years. It was tough, but there was no other choice. I did as much as possible to get organized, plan ahead, run errands on the way to and from work, cook in bulk and freeze, stockpile (less trips to the store), etc.

All the guys at the Jiffy Lube by my office knew me by name because I was in there every 3000 miles. With my commute, that was pretty regular!

You do what you have to do until you can find work closer to home or move closer to your job.

Good Luck!

**mek42** · 05-26-2010, 09:04 AM

It's been hard this week resisting the urge to stop out for a "snack" on the way home because I'm hungry and want dinner. That inner want brat sure has been doing a good job of foot stomping on the way home lately.

**Josephhgoins** · 05-26-2010, 10:39 AM

I had something sorta similiar. I met my current BF online and we lived 135 miles apart. I got off work early on Friday's and would drive the 135 miles to spend the weekend with him. I would then drive back home on Sunday evening.

Finally, I went into semi-retirement and moved. Live is soo much easier now.

**savvy_sniper** · 05-26-2010, 11:35 AM

Go to the store and buy you some apples and oranges and take one every day for your drive home. MUCH cheaper and better for you than stopping to buy a snack on the way home.

PLAN AHEAD!

Originally Posted by mek42

It's been hard this week resisting the urge to stop out for a "snack" on the way home because I'm hungry and want dinner. That inner want brat sure has been doing a good job of foot stomping on the way home lately.

**mek42** · 05-26-2010, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by savvy_sniper

Go to the store and buy you some apples and oranges and take one every day for your drive home. MUCH cheaper and better for you than stopping to buy a snack on the way home.

PLAN AHEAD!

Would allowing a possible food budget to buy a banana at a store on the way home be equivalent? I don't always have these temptations, and have been resisting thus far.

**ladytoysdream** · 05-26-2010, 12:19 PM

Pack yourself a small cooler for the ride home.
Piece of fresh fruit and something cold to drink in the summer. Bottle of water too.
On the way in, have a hot coffee if that is what you like to drink, and maybe a homemade muffin to snack on. Reward yourself with some kind of treat. Homemade will help the budget out. And keep you in practice for ways to be frugal. Stopping might be a tempation. BTDT