Commuting for work: Is it worth it?

[pammy831]

I wanted to start this thread because I have a dilemma. I am currently living in PA while my husband is deployed but I will be moving back to Clarksville, TN this summer. While Clarksville is not a small town (it's the 5th largest in TN), I have lived there on and off for almost 6 years now and the job market plain out stinks! I guess it's a combination of too much job competition (1,000's of military wives competing for the same jobs) and places not wanting to hire someone with a degree (aka me) in lieu of hiring someone that they can train and pay minimum wage! Anyway, because of these issues, I am considering commuting to Nashville for work. The main place that I'm considering is Vanderbilt University because they have so many positions open and because I do have some experience already in a University environment. My best guess (because I obviously don't know exactly what department or building I'd be working in yet) is that my commute would be 55 miles each way. Since I have a 2007 Ford Edge, the gas buddy site told me that that'd be a fuel cost of about $17 per day. I'm hoping that I could start out making at least $12 per hour. So basically I just wanted to get advice/opinions from people who commute on this topic. Would that money even be worth it? Is driving so far everyday very stressful? Do you feel like you have no time to have a life outside of work? Basically, is it worth it? I appreciate any input! Thanks!

[illinicheme]

I commute 40 miles each way every day. (That's down from 60 miles each way which I did for a year.) The commute is a drag, but it's worth it to me. But I make quite a bit more than $12/hr, and my commute cost/stress is very low because I take a vanpool. (My employer subsidizes the vanpool cost, and my share of gas/tolls is ~$60/month.)

Good luck with your decision.

[redwagon]

I can't speak to the cost of it, but as far as personal toll, with my commute I'm gone 12 hours a day. For this reason we cannot get a dog, which we really want. I do take the train so I get to nap each way (and boy do I!) but I do feel my evenings are quite "short" and when we have kids, ideally I would find a job closer to home. I don't know if you have kids or not, but if you do, I can imagine it would be hard on all of you being away so much each day. I get home at 6:15pm (leave at 630am), make dinner, eat at 7pm, work out, shower, watch a tv show for an hour or so, and then head to bed by 11. Not much time to get anything done or even really get into a good book. Hope this helps... there's no town in between the two with jobs? Have you exhausted those opportunities outside your own town but closer? It's great you're putting so much thought into it though! Oh, ps my commuter ticket is $250 a month (taken out pretax) and man would I love to be able to get that money and send it to debt or savings! Another plus for when I work more locally instead of in Manhattan...

PS My stepbrother lives down there and works for Pepsi, I believe. Did you try them?

[muttleynfelix]

For a summer in college, I commuted 50 miles one way (almost an hour) and it was fine. But it was for 3 months, I would not want to do it full time. I commute 20 minutes one way right now and with a one year old that is far enough. The stress of the commute really depends on where you are commuting to and from. The 50 mile commute was actually pretty pleasant. It was early enough in the morning that I didn't hit traffic until the city and then I was to my work place pretty quickly. Where I currently live, the commute has a lot more traffic. When I lived in town my commute drove me nuts because several times I drove right by the university in town. The majority of my commute right now is pretty stress free, but there are times it throws me for a loop. You would have to ask someone specifically about that particular commute to get a good idea about it.

[pammy831]

illinicheme: Thank you for sharing your experiences. It sounds like a pretty good situation you have with the vanpool and the fixed monthly cost. I'm starting to believe that $12/hour just isn't going to be worth it.

redwagon: I figured the other day that my time away from home each day would be similar to yours, 12 hours/day. I really think I would quickly tire of the "short" evenings when you don't have time to get much done. If I got a full time job like this, I'd like to hire a house cleaner, but I don't even think the money I'd make minus the fuel costs would leave enough for a house cleaner and even make all the stress worth it. You also bring up a great point about the dogs. We have 2, and while most days my husband would be able to come home at lunch time and let them out, there are many times when he wouldn't be able to like when there are special circumstances at work or when he's out in the field. It'd be a whole new problem if he deploys again because I'd have to have somebody come let them out everyday and I really don't trust people to do that. My one dog is an escape artist and you can't give him a fraction of a chance to run away or he will. There really isn't much in between Clarksville and Nashville, nor is there any big towns towards the KY side. Is there a Pepsi in Clarksville that he works for, or is it in Nashville?

muttleynfelix: I don't believe that my commute to Nashville would be as stress free. It would more than likely be in rush hour traffic, both morning and evening. My friend in Clarksville commutes to Nashville each day to work at her parent's preschool and she told me Vanderbilt would be 45 mins - 1 hour, but she drives like a crazy person so I'm not sure I can take her word for it LOL. It would be nice to work at the University in Clarksville instead, but I have applied there before and not even received a call, and lately they haven't even had any openings.

[HappyCat]

Pammy: I commented on your post on YM. I have NO idea how I ended up there....but....

[kristi28]

As a former Vandy student, I would believe that your friend may be optimistic about the commute. Vandy isn't really close to any of the interstates, and the roads around it completely jam up during rush hour. If you would be needing to get off of West End (likely) some of the roads can look like parking lots. If you could get nonstandard working hours, however, the drive isn't that bad.

Personally, I would hesitate to drive that far for $12/hr unless you either would be stir crazy otherwise or would expect to advance quickly. On the plus side, campus is gorgeous and pretty self contained, so you wouldn't need to leave once you got there. What sort of positions would you be applying for?

[hopetoberich]

I would not go that far for $12. I went 10 miles before and thought that was enough! I suppose it depends on how far that kind of money goes in your area.In the NE it doesn't go far really.
If you think the drive would be nice, and the place you work would be good then $500 a week might be okay.

[blackcard]

Seems too far, for far too little.

[blackcard]

Personally, I love to drive. But hate rush hour commutes.

[pammy831]

kristi28: Thank you for sharing that info. I had never been to the school before so I truthfully had no idea what the area around it was like. I'm really not sure if I could advance quickly or not. I would probably be looking at mostly administrative positions, because while I have a degree, a Bachelor of Science in Business/Finance, I can never seem to even get a call back on jobs that do require a degree.

Snerdley Snicklefritz: I really do have to live in Clarksville because my husband is in the Army and we live close to post. He is active duty and his job is pretty much the backbone of our lives. In addition, even if I could convince him to move towards Nashville, we have tried to sell our current home in Clarksville 2 times already with no luck whatsoever.

hopetoberich: I can definitely say from experience that the cost of living is way lower in TN that it is in the Northeast. I grew up in PA. However, I wouldn't even be bringing home close to $500/week after taking out the cost of gas at $12/hour.

blackcard: I think you're right. The general consensus is that $12/hour just wouldn't be worth it. I think I will most likely stick with trying to find something more local, even if it takes me longer.

[HappyCat]

www.aipb.org/

Pammy: This website is very helpful. I have a friend who has this certification but only wants part time work. She started out with one client and now turns business away. A good bookkeeper is worth their weight in gold...especially to small businesses who can't afford to keep someone on staff due to taxes and carrying costs. This is also inline with the accouting arc you are interested in. Experience as a bookkeeper is an excellent segway into business services at a cpa firm, hospitals, local businesses. Also, just because there is intense competition from other Army wives do not let that deter you from applying for every job that you feel qualified for on Ft. Campbell. They have to pick someone for every job and your time WILL come. Food for thought...

ETA: Also, this certification is an at home study course so you can work on it in your spare time at your own pace. It allows you to put their logo on your business cards and adds a professional touch. Read some of the testimonials and browse the internet for other home bases bookkeeping/accounting businesses. I know you could do something like this from your new home!

www.nacpb.org/examprep/syu/cpb.cfm
Another helpful website

[blackcard]

nacpb, about $300.00 and 40 hours, to become a certified bookeeper? Does that sound right? I know someone who took 2 years of junior college just to get to that same point. Do they require an associate degree also?

[debtheaven]

Pammy I really wouldn't do it. It's not nearly enough money for the pain.

I left my job of 18 years two years ago because of a 1.45 hour commute each way in heavy traffic. (When I go there for lunch in takes me 30-40 min).

Now I am a freelance teacher / journalist and I took a one day a week teaching job 45 minutes away at a great hourly rate. It's all highway driving. NO traffic jams. It's going the other direction, not at rush hour.

So I have a new problem I never would have imagined in a million years. The speed limit is 130kph (I think 75mph?). I don't feel comfortable driving at that speed, I drive at 110kph.

I am CONSTANTLY being aggressed by cars, trucks who find that I don't drive fast enough IN THE RIGHT LANE. I constantly have HUGE trucks literally inches from the back of my car flashing me and intimidating me. It is just horrible. Every week when I have to go there I cry because I just see myself dead on the highway.

I know I'm in Europe and cars can drive much faster here, but it is SO stressful. I never in a million years would have thought I would prefer 45 min in traffic, but now I do. I have a contract till mid-Sept and there is NO way I will renew it, even though the pay is really great ... far more than 12/hr. Which is why I took that job in the first place. Plus I really LIKE the job!

But I constantly feel that I will probably die either on the way there or on the way back. Just something to keep in mind. It may not be a concern with the speed limits in the US but I wanted to point this out.

[pammy831]

Happy Cat: I checked out the site and got excited and thought everything looked great....until where it says "Requirements - Experience: At least 2 years' full-time experience or the part-time or freelance equivalent". It's like the never ending revolving door. You need experience to get certifications and such, but it's hard to get the experience without the certifications or something else to set me apart from other applicants. But I definitely took what you said to heart about how the right opportunity will come for me at the right time. I have tried to tell myself that before but it's nice to hear someone else say it too!

debtheaven: Your commute definitely doesn't sound very fun for you. I wish it wasn't so stressful for you. I don't think I'd have the same problem because I don't mind driving fast lol. But I definitely do think the commute would be longer than I imagine because of all the traffic and the construction and other things that could be going on. I hope you can hang on with your contract job until September!

[blackcard]

2 years experience? Doesn't budgeting for a household and balancing a checkbook count? Maybe take an accounting 101 class on-line, or at a local college? Or be a paralegal instead?