165 miles to drive each day, hrmm...

[dxkj]

Wife = starting college in Northern Milwaukee

Me = working in Lisle, IL


Us = Getting a house in Racine


That leaves me a 82 mile drive each way, and her a 35 mile drive each day.


We have a 2004 Mazda 3 , and a 1990 Olds Cutlass Ciera.

11k miles on the mazda so far (13 months old) and Olds has 85k miles give or take, new tranny, some work done on it. (Dont want to put much more in it)


Any opinions on which car I should drive, vs which car she should drive? I was thinking I would take the Olds and run it into the ground, and then try to find a good gas mileage car, with relatively low cost to repair (Honda civic?)


For me its about 70-75 miles 3 lane highway, and 6 miles 2 -4 lane.

For her, almost all main highway (up into MIL)




Anyone ever done a long commute like this long term?

 

[StageLeft]

I've done 75 miles each way for a while. It's ok because I was making money on the miles, plus there was no traffic, but if I wans't getting paid for mileage and the traffic was anything but sparse I would definitely not do it. It will get very old VERY fast. Don't buy the house.

 

[chrisms]

If it was me I'd make her drive the entire distance and buy the house right next door to the place I work.

 

[notfred]

Why the fvck would you buy a house over 80 miles from work?

Either get a closer job or buy a different house. You really want to spend 3 hours a day in the car? Have fun wasting 1/6 of your waking life.

 

[purbeast0]

my dad does something like that. he lives on the eastern shore right over the chesapeak bay bridge, and he has his office in bethesda which is right outside of DC. he drives probably 65 miles each way, and in traffic for a good portion of it on the way home. i could NEVER do this stuff. sometimes he has to get up at like 4am to get to work early enough.

it would be too hard for me to do, but he lives on a golf course and pretty close to water and its a really nice place to go and visit for me, but i just could not do that myself.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I've done 75 miles each way for a while. It's ok because I was making money on the miles, plus there was no traffic, but if I wans't getting paid for mileage and the traffic was anything but sparse I would definitely not do it. It will get very old VERY fast. Don't buy the house.

Umm... did you read the thread? My wife is going to be starting college, its not (dont buy the house) its, (find a job up there).... if anything...

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: notfred
Why the fvck would you buy a house over 80 miles from work?

Either get a closer job or buy a different house. You really want to spend 3 hours a day in the car? Have fun wasting 1/6 of your waking life.

Wow you are a bright one, read the thread again.... If I buy a different house, it will be further for HER....


Eventually I will get a job up there, this is called temporary...



Edit: you and skoorb need to get together and work on reading skills.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I've done 75 miles each way for a while. It's ok because I was making money on the miles, plus there was no traffic, but if I wans't getting paid for mileage and the traffic was anything but sparse I would definitely not do it. It will get very old VERY fast. Don't buy the house.

Umm... did you read the thread? My wife is going to be starting college, its not (dont buy the house) its, (find a job up there).... if anything...

Yes I read it. Either don't buy the house or find a new job. This driving will suck. It's fun buying a first hourse but not if your life is wrecked spending it in a car, pursuant to notfred's comments.

 

[xospec1alk]

i used to have a 32mile commute each way...my 2004 maxda3 put on 15k miles in a little less t han 6 months...pissed me off....decided to take the train instead...

i had to fill the tank twice a week...give or take...i got roughly 320 miles a tank

 

[AmdEmAll]

Finish off the olds and then get a used honda accord or civic. Honda motors will last into 200k easily.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I've done 75 miles each way for a while. It's ok because I was making money on the miles, plus there was no traffic, but if I wans't getting paid for mileage and the traffic was anything but sparse I would definitely not do it. It will get very old VERY fast. Don't buy the house.

Umm... did you read the thread? My wife is going to be starting college, its not (dont buy the house) its, (find a job up there).... if anything...

Yes I read it. Either don't buy the house or find a new job. This driving will suck. It's fun buying a first hourse but not if your life is wrecked spending it in a car, pursuant to notfred's comments.

Ok, so if I take your advice and dont buy the house, where do we live? Its still a combined 115 miles or so for the both of us

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: dxkj
Ok, so if I take your advice and dont buy the house, where do we live? Its still a combined 115 miles or so for the both of us

Well a house is quite permanent, so really until you can find a job close to her college it would behoove you to rent somewhere. Finding a house that compromises on suckability is going to not be good. What if you get a job next to her university and then you're both stuck driving 35 each way? Get something temporary until you can somehow alleviate all of the driving.

To answer your original question the answer is that she'll be driving the mazda. I know that and so do you. The wife always drives the best car in every couple I know about. That's just how it is

 

[AaronB]

Either you change jobs, she changes schools, or you and your wife don't live together.

You two put yourselves in this situation and now you don't want to hear the truth which is "life is going to suck if you pursue your plan".

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: dxkj
Ok, so if I take your advice and dont buy the house, where do we live? Its still a combined 115 miles or so for the both of us

Well a house is quite permanent, so really until you can find a job close to her college it would behoove you to rent somewhere. Finding a house that compromises on suckability is going to not be good. What if you get a job next to her university and then you're both stuck driving 35 each way? Get something temporary until you can somehow alleviate all of the driving.

To answer your original question the answer is that she'll be driving the mazda. I know that and so do you. The wife always drives the best car in every couple I know about. That's just how it is

ok you got me there


The house is about 25 miles out of Milwaukee.... we looked at houses closer, and either they were way overpriced for their condition/size, or they were in iffy neighborhoods.... We found a house in a good neihborhood near racine, near a park, and a few miles from the lake. I believe that we will both be ok with a 20-35 mile commute (depending on where I end up). Like I said it is mostly highway, and right now we both drive 20-30 minutes to work (and we only live 4 and 6 miles from work on local roads.


So we are definitely happy with the location even if we start working up in milwaukee.

 

[virtueixi]

I would drive the mazda. If the cutlass dies, at least your wife is closer to home.

 

[StageLeft]

Yeah 30 minute commute is nothing. Mine is 20 on the best day but normally I have to work somewhere that requires about 45 min each way, though it's only 20 miles

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: AaronB
Either you change jobs, she changes schools, or you and your wife don't live together.

You two put yourselves in this situation and now you don't want to hear the truth which is "life is going to suck if you pursue your plan".

Did I mention that we will get a 3 day weekend every weekend? We both have Fridays off.

 

[HJB417]

I drive 120miles/day from ny to nj. free rent, good pay, no traffic, getting 55mpg, and spending $2.5/day in tolls.
the gotcha: to beat the traffic, I leave my house between 5:45 and 6:30 and I leave work at 4. I started this commute 3 weeks ago and it doesn't bother me. Should my car breakdown or something, I will be fuct though.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Yeah 30 minute commute is nothing. Mine is 20 on the best day but normally I have to work somewhere that requires about 45 min each way, though it's only 20 miles

The commute for her will be about 30-35 minutes, 45 on worse days... thats not a horrible deal.


If I find a job in milwaukee or southern milwaukee, or even in racine, the drive will be much less... maybe 15-30 mins.


I think the location of the house is great for future changes, the only one with the shitend of the stick right now will be me



Edit: At my current job it will probably be 4 days a work in office, and we picked a house that is about 100k below what we could afford, and kept a chunk of savings as well.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: HJB417
I drive 120miles/day from ny to nj. free rent, good pay, no traffic, getting 55mpg, and spending $2.5/day in tolls.
the gotcha: to beat the traffic, I leave my house between 5:45 and 6:30 and I leave work at 4. I started this commute 3 weeks ago and it doesn't bother me. Should my car breakdown or something, I will be fuct though.

55mpg, what car?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: HJB417
I drive 120miles/day from ny to nj. free rent, good pay, no traffic, getting 55mpg, and spending $2.5/day in tolls.
the gotcha: to beat the traffic, I leave my house between 5:45 and 6:30 and I leave work at 4. I started this commute 3 weeks ago and it doesn't bother me. Should my car breakdown or something, I will be fuct though.

55mpg, what car?

At 55 mpg it sounds like a Segway.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: HJB417
I drive 120miles/day from ny to nj. free rent, good pay, no traffic, getting 55mpg, and spending $2.5/day in tolls.
the gotcha: to beat the traffic, I leave my house between 5:45 and 6:30 and I leave work at 4. I started this commute 3 weeks ago and it doesn't bother me. Should my car breakdown or something, I will be fuct though.

55mpg, what car?

At 55 mpg it sounds like a Segway.

Must be one of those Accord diesels, I would kill for that! almost all of my driving would be hwy at 70-75mph

 

[JulesMaximus]

Commuting that distance gets old real fast. I give you 6 months before you start looking at other options. You do realize you will spend 3 hours a day in your car right? That's in-fucking-sane.

 

[DaWhim]

there are people out there who enjoy long commute hours. I read that from wsj last month.

 

[wasssup]

i drive 100 miles a day commuting to and from work and it sucks..