how much does it cost you to work?

[Swimgirl]

Ugh. Husband has a very long commute. We spend anywhere between $330-$500 on Amtrak tickets each month, and between $100-$400 on gas, plus $5 a day bridge toll. He can't ride Amtrak when it rains, because he rides his bike from the train station to work, so he drives then. Higher Amtrak bill usually means lower gas bill. It's an outrageous amount. In the summer, we can count on no rain, and he buys a monthly pass for about $500, and doesn't drive at all. In rainy months, it's more cost effective to buy 10-ride tickets as needed.

That said, his salary more than makes up for it. He couldn't earn anywhere near what he does if he worked closer to home, and he does love his job. It's not ideal, but there are so many factors to consider. We have thought about moving closer, but there are costs to consider there, plus children, my job, etc.

Several people said that they commute about 8 miles. What a dream!

[animalsarenice]

It costs me about $50.00 a month to go to work. I trip is only about 5 miles (2.5 miles each way).

[Dvoll]

Drive in to work avg 18 days/month (every other fri off)

$220/month in gas
$96/mo gym membership (workout during lunch next to my office)- Otherwise wouldn't at home
$35/week Lunch

Breaks down to ~$19.5/day

I gross about 150K before bonus so I don't think I'm splurging too much. I could take my lunch more I suppose.

[cypher1]

Just changed jobs so 24 miles round trip, M-F. With rush hour still takes 25-30 one way. Lunch avg 8-10, otherwise try to bring lunch 2-3 times a week. Still commute with 98 civic getting 36-38 mpg, but may upgrade one of my cars.

[josetann]

I've been a stay at home dad for 5+ years now. We've always wanted one of us to stay at home to raise the kids, but for the heck of it, I figured up how much I could realistically bring in. At the time, the choice was either a minimum wage job near home (say, 5-10 miles away) or slightly better paying (maybe $15/hr or so) job 45-70+ miles away. After taxes, actual fuel costs, low childcare costs, etc. I would bring in an addition $200-$300 per YEAR, for working 40 hours a week 52 weeks a year. And we weren't figuring in things like car maintenance, repairs, higher food costs, etc. And the true numbers were in the negative, but that's another thread.

Now, my wife's costs to work. She's a nurse, she used to have to buy her own scrubs. Past few years or so, the hospitals she worked at provided them (except one, but she still had some uniforms to use). Currently she has to wear what I'd classify as smart-casual; required a few purchases at the thrift store, I think the shoes were bought new, but still under $50 I believe. We bought a scooter so we'd each have a vehicle (I can take the kids to school in the car, she can take the scooter to work/school). Fuel costs are negligible, maybe $10-$15 a month? And the scooter just might pay for itself, as she doesn't have to pay for parking (if she took the car, it'd cost $4 a day to park it). I think the highest cost is the constant trips to the grocery store after work.

Oh, she does have license fees. That's several hundred a year at least (she could let some licenses lapse, but we've decided to just keep them all current for now). And certification costs...sometimes the hospital pays, sometimes she pays, sometimes it's a mix. Could be $0 in a year, next year could be several hundred.

[KiwiJo09]

My commute to work is about 40 miles each way, so 80 miles a day. Gas in my area is $3.80ish. So, I net $7.71/hour of work. Add in my commute to school and the $3/day it costs for me to eat at work, so it's closer to $7.34 an hour.

God that sucks...LOL

[PMMM]

My commute to work is 44 miles round trip. Gas is still expensive here at $4.45 per gallon for premium. I have a company provided car and they pay for all gas and insurance, maintenance etc.

I typically bring my lunch most days. I sometimes fall off the wagon and go to a local hamburger joint. $4.49 for a burger and fries. I drink water to keep the cost down.

My wife drives 48 miles round trip and her car takes premium. About $49.00 per week. She works 4 days per week. She also buys her lunch most days. $5 or $6 bucks a day. She does not make a ton of money but she pulls in some decent tips of $200 or so per week on average which is not on her pay stub and that really raises her hourly rate.

[Eleanor]

My commute is 50 miles roundtrip and I have to take a toll road which is $1 per day. If I take the express lanes it's an extra $1.50, which is why I stopped taking them. My car get's pretty good gas mileage (27 mpg and this is accounting for traffic) but gas here is rather expensive, about $4 per gallon. So counting gas and tolls I pay about $8.40 per day to get to work.

I make about $10.50 per hour before taxes if I divide my salary out. So, if I work 8 hour days that's $84 a day, meaning my work costs are 10% of my income that day. Oh, and it costs me 2 extra hours of my life each day commuting. Is that awful?