How many of you drive an hour or more

[MiniHoofBeats]

Just curious how many of you have long commutes between home and work?

I recently stumbled across a really nice home on the market, recent updates, and a newly built, fully insulated, 6 stall horse barn, a hay shed, and at least 2 pastures already fenced in! And the best part, it's in my price range! It is at the high end but for a home like this I would accomodate to afford it.

The downside is, it is a 45-50 minute drive away from where I work monday-friday. Not sure if my boyfriend would accept the commute either since his job is also near mine, and we're that much farther away from all his friends (and mine).

Anyone make a similar daily commute, how do you feel about it?

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

i drive about 35 minutes each way and my husband drives over an hour each way... i'd rather not if i had the choice but that's the price we have to pay to live on 5 acres and be "out of town" - hubby is biding his time as his company is building a store close to us next year and has promised it to him, but he already told them if they give it to someone else he will quit with no notice... he works the whole first hour EVERY DAY just to pay for driving to work and back that day.

but, would we move back into town to have a shorter commute - NO WAY!!!!! we love our place and in fact are already talking about, once the kids are all out of school, moving even further out!

edited to say, after reading some of the later posts, that we both have a small car we drive to work most of the time, we figured out that even paying insurance on two extra vehicles, we were saving enough on fuel (as we each had a big truck) that it makes sense to insure 4 and leave the two fuel hogs parked unless we need to tow a trailer...

 

[Jill]

I drive 50 miles to and from work each day, so an hour each way. The business I own is in Warrenton, VA and that's where it needs to be to be near my clients. I live 50 miles from there, but do not have to deal with any real traffic issues (unlike a lot of people who live in Northern VA... for many there a 25 mile commute could easily take an hour or more). Generally, I only keep office hours Monday-Thursday so rarely commute on Fridays (but do a lot of planning from home). I'm used to the drive and don't really even think about it. I have a car I like to drive and XM radio... it's not an issue for me

 

[mininik]

My mom and her husband made that sort of commute for about a year when they were relocating to a different city. Now they have to drive about 20 minutes one way just to get to town and while they enjoy the seclusion, gas is spendy so there are no "quick trips" to get anything.

I used to live 30 minutes one-way from a small tourist town, plus another hour away from a "real" town and got to the point where I hated it. Gas was killer and I had NO social life whatsoever. Now I live in a smaller city and walk downstairs to work, but have to drive 20 minutes out of town one way to see my pony. At least in this area it's not unreasonable to think that someday we might relocate onto horse property and still enjoy the conveniences of living near a city...

Be sure to keep us posted on what you find!

 

[Flyin G Farm]

I live 60 miles from my work...I leave my house at 6 am....get home around 6:30ish on a GOOD traffic night...my hours at work are 8-4:30

: . I love my job and where I live...but the commute is horrible. If I could get away with working closer to home I certainly would...but the pay would be drastically reduced unfortunately. So I stick it out...again...I really like my job and where I live so I guess it makes it all worth it...but it takes a lot of time away from doing things at home and with my horses that I'd like to do.

Tracy

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Thanks everyone for your answers! I am noticing really quick that to get a home on acreage within my price range, living near the city is definitely not an option...my only option right now would be a small home that doesn't need but, could easily use, a good make-over...it only comes with 2 acres, no barns, no fencing, and the garage would need to be torn down and a new one built...but, it is right in town! lol...

Otherwise to look for a nicer home with outbuildings and such, i'm easily looking at 30 minutes out of town already...so...I was just wondering if another 20 minutes would really make all the difference. One thing mentioned is gas, and yeah that would be the biggest killer...I drive a truck that doesn't like to conserve on gas lol.

 

[Danielle_E.]

I drive in part way with my husband (45 minute drive) and then I take a city bus, another 1/2 hour and do that twice a day 5 days a week.

 

[runamuk]

Right now my hubby has the shortest commute he has ever had only 35 miles......................his longest was 90 miles one way over Snoqualmie pass he did that for almost 4 years.

Any commute that is less than an hour is an easy commute. I know plenty of people who spend 2 hours driving 35 miles sitting in traffic so we tend to measure commutes in amount of time behind the wheel vs actual miles driven

:

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Yeah I think this house is only about 32 miles away but the commute takes longer, I have to drive halfway around a huge LAKE to get to work lol...if I could just drive right across the lake well, no prob =)

 

[Ashley]

Depends on if you really want it.

I dont work right now, but do drive over a hour to school everytime I have to go. The houses I have been looking at are at least a hour or more from where I go to school, and at least a good half hour 45 mins to where I would be working in the future.

I need to do some work with in my feild of intrest for a year. the nears place from me for that is over a hour drive.

Whats the drive like?

You could always buy a cheap car for just work. I have my car and truck as well. I really hate the gas mileage on the truck and only use it for horse stuff.

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Ashley, thanks yes I thought of buying a cheap car that would be easier on gas for the commute, and keeping my truck as secondary for ranch work and hauling the trailer =)

The drive isn't bad, it's all highway until you reach the town it is in...from there I don't know yet, i'm still waiting for an appointment to go look over the property! But I do know it is mostly highway and it's a nice "cruising" highway. One part before getting into town where I work does involve going over a bridge that i've always hated...I fear it'll give out (even though it was just rebuilt) but other than the bridge, it is a fairly nice drive.

 

[maplegum]

50 minutes either way, x 5 days a week.

It's a small price to pay for living in the country. As I leave the city/work each day, I leave all that stress behind me as I enter the forest. It's completly worth it.

 

[hrselady]

My husband drives 197 miles to work one way 2x a month. (he works offshore and is gone two weeks out of every month). Thats during hurricane season.. the other months he drives sometimes 2 states away. He takes my car and leaves the truck with me.. thank goodness. I would hate to see how much it took in gas to get him there. I, on the other hand, work from home and actually our house is in the city limits and our adjoining land was in the county... they recently annexed our land but grandfathered the horses in.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I have alot of friend who live down near you, a few of them drive in from Oshkosh to Green Bay daily, another --now neighbor of ours, worked with the Winneconne sheriffs dept and bought a place 2 farms away from me (I'm about 50 min. north of GB) she drove that drive daily for almost 1 year, until she could get transfered to our sheriffs dept. Another friend drives from Omro to GB , and another from Winneconnie to Appleton..I know that one isnt a very far drive, but she does have to go 2 times a week to the GB airport to work. My SIL lives up here and drives to DePere. The only complaints I ever hear is about gas. Otherwise, they wouldnt trade there homes where they can keep there horses

: for living in the cities. Hope you find you "dream" house and barn. Corinne

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Corinne, thanks that is neat to hear! The house I am looking at is in Brothertown, just south of Chilton by another 5-7 minutes. But I am sure you can envision driving from Appleton at the northwest end of the lake, all the way around and down to the southeast end twice a day!

I am set up to see the house tomorrow evening so, hope it goes well!

 

[Jetiki]

I get to stay home with the kids, my huband however drives 1 hour or more one way to his office. but its not everyday he has to go there. What makes it nice is he's got a company vehicle and the company foots its gas bill. He works within a 500 mile radius of the house, he can go anywhere on any given day. In the next couple of weeks he'll be going to Virginia and Tennessee. I hate it when he's out of town but we manage. We moved here a little over a year ago, and while its farther from office to home than when we lived in FL, it takes less time due to less traffic. We wouldn't trade it for the world.

Karen

 

[Barbie]

[SIZE=14pt]I drive 35 minutes in the morning, probably 45 minutes in the afternoon. Yes, I get tired of getting up early, but to have my horses and live where I live, I'll do it. Have been doing it for 7 years now. Guess it's the price I pay to live in the "country" and have my horses here at home.[/SIZE]

Good luck.

Barbie

 

[tinacvt]

I drive 52 miles a day one way, can'tafford to live in or near Reno, but love where I live so it's worth it! I bought a car easier on gas so helps alot!!

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Steff, I know of another one who drives from Oshkosh to Kiel every day.Maybe you could eventually car-pool. If only we didnt have all the big lakes around us...lol... it would be so much easier to get to places. I'm about 13 minutes by boat from Door County, but--NOOOO, we have to take the long drive, a little over 1 hour. I know where Brothertown is, thats a nice quiet area. Good Luck with your farmette hunting. Let me know if you find something. Have you thought about going a little north of you (outside GB) we just passed some nice places for sale on hwy 32. Corinne

 

[Charlene]

i drive 25 minutes to and from work on a winding 2-lane. it's a beautiful drive, especially in the fall. very little traffic. the only time i'm delayed is if i have to wait for a barge at the drawbridge over the illinois river. that's when i read the morning paper or if it's on my way home, i just sit and unwind for 10 minutes.

some days are slow going this time of year, lots of tractors and combines on the road and most of it is "no passing" zones. we went to 4-day work weeks about a 18 months ago.