Extreme Commuting

C

Chamar

Guest
This is really a question for all you commuters. I am living/from Wexford but can't find employment there so I am considering a daily, off-peak commute to Dublin taking c.4 hrs. Is this do-able or just completely crazy? I am thinking it is probably not feasible but needs must. Is it something you get used to?
 
Personally I think you'd be nuts - but thousands are doing exactly that - if the salary is worth it and you are prepared for the social life that will goes with - its not unfeasible - you must weight up the pros and cons and come to your own decision
 
What is the line of work? I have never had to contend with a commute, so I would not be a good authority, but I think it would be completely unviable. Perhaps you could rent in Dublin? Or cast your net further afield than Wexford but not as far as Dublin? Telework and part of week in Dublin? Trains?
 
Utter bonkers. A mate did a daily 3 hr commute with no traffic from the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language end of Monaghan to the airport daily for almost a year and it nearly killed him.

4 hours a day adds up to 20 hours a week you are not getting paid for not to mention the high financial cost of the actual commute. You'd want to be earning huge money to make this a serious short term option and/or be lining up very valuable/desirable career options.

If needs really must then i'd suggest driving up Monday and finding some kind of digs for 4 nights and then head home Friday.
 
Chamar said:
This is really a question for all you commuters. I am living/from Wexford but can't find employment there so I am considering a daily, off-peak commute to Dublin taking c.4 hrs. Is this do-able or just completely crazy? I am thinking it is probably not feasible but needs must. Is it something you get used to?
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What field do you work in? And are you in Wexford Town? Perhaps looking in Waterford may be an option?
 
Eurofan said:
If needs really must then i'd suggest driving up Monday and finding some kind of digs for 4 nights and then head home Friday.
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I agree. My wife's friend lives in Wexford town and kips in a friends house in Dublin during the week. He drives up early (06:00) on Monday to minimise journey time, works long hours (40 hours over 4 days) and drives home Thursday night. He's being doing it for a couple of years.
 
Yes, I'm in Wexford town. I could probably get a finance job on american hours - something on the lines of 1pm - 9pm so would avoid peak traffic. I agree with the posters that said if you could spend a couple of nights up there it is more doable but wouldn't be able to do that i'm afraid as i have a kitty cat!
 
Crazy. I would say that commute time, door-to-door, should be less than one hour. If it were me I would get into a different line of work or move house or emigrate rather than do an excessive commute.
 
Chamar said:
Yes, I'm in Wexford town. I could probably get a finance job on american hours - something on the lines of 1pm - 9pm so would avoid peak traffic. I agree with the posters that said if you could spend a couple of nights up there it is more doable but wouldn't be able to do that i'm afraid as i have a kitty cat!
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Options are:
1) Move to Dublin (or somewhere else where you can get a job).
2) Sell/kill the cat and stay near your job during the week.
3) Bring the cat with you and stay near your job during the week.
4) Commute and slowly go mad.
5) Get a job (any job) in Wexford.
6) Get a job in Waterford and live with a shorter (but still really bad) commute.

Also remember that it will cost you at least €250 a week to commute if you take into account fuel, extra services, tyres and depreciation.
 
Purple is on the ball there - you need to do some sort of objective cost benefit analysis which takes into account all (including non monetary) costs and benefits before deciding whether or not this is for you.
 
If you are gone for that lenght of time each day then the cat will never see you anyway so I would leave him/her out of the equation!
There is no way I feel anyone could have any kind of life with that commute each day.

Do you have another reason, beside the cat, for living in Wexford?

If not I would be inclined to locate to within a reasonable distance, by which I mean an hour commute at most each way, from your job.
 
Well, the kit's health and happiness is paramount (even to my own) so she has to stay with me. I would move to Dublin but for the cost. (To rent a reasonably sized & located apartment would cost about 1,000 euros a month which I could never afford while I can live rent-free down here) I know the commute would drive you bonkers but I suppose I'm driven bonkers anyway not working! Employment opportunities locally are limited and usually either specifically qualified ones (like accounting, engineering etc.) or low-skilled service type jobs.
 
Well, the kit's health and happiness is paramount (even to my own) so she has to stay with me.
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Your pet just became very expensive.

Can you not share an apartment?

Personally I think that kind of commute is impossible for any length of time. A few years back I commuted for a locum job with a round trip of 3 hours a day. I did it for about 6 months. Basically I got up, drove to work, ( even at that part of the commute was on a ferry so at least I wasn't driving non-stop), worked, drove home, ate, fell asleep, same again next day. Come Saturday I was exhausted. Sunday was great, but it all started again on Monday. It's fine for a fixed contract when the end is in sight but otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.
 
Are there no suitable finance jobs in Wexford? Perhaps PFPC may have something ?
 
You should ask the cat if it minds you being gone all day commuting up and down to Dublin. Might put stress on the relationship. :)
 
Purple said:
Also remember that it will cost you at least €250 a week to commute if you take into account fuel, extra services, tyres and depreciation.
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Chamar said:
To rent a reasonably sized & located apartment would cost about 1,000 euros a month which I could never afford while I can live rent-free down here
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Surely €250 a week to commute is approx. the same as €1,000 a month to rent? How can you afford one and not the other? :confused:
 
Well, I don't think it would cost 250 a week to commute up, more like half that. You have to remember too that 1000 a month rent in Dublin doesn't include utilities etc. plus I still have utilities to pay in Wex. (& i also am unable to rent out or sell my accomodation in wex) Ditching the cat or emigrating just isn't an option. I did try PFPC a while ago....interview didn't go to well so no job.

The thing about commuting is that people do it.....I don't know about 4 hours a day, i'm sure there are some that do that. I don't have a social life so I don't care about that. I just wonder does all that driving make you crazy?
 
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