Currently earning $90k. Spending roughly 2 hours on the road every day.
The new position offered is located in Shepparton with an annual salary of $100K. Title is better.
I live in a northern suburb. But it's still a 2-hour drive to shepparton. So will be 4 hours on the road every day.
Would you take such opportunity ?
Or is it a better idea to just move to Shepparton ??
I don't want to rent out my current property to random people though…
Thanks for all your advice !
unless if you plan to move there (location on a large property with nice views etc) then no not worth it
4hr commute?? bahahaha no way in hell would I do that. Not even for +$50k.
If you want that job, then move.
It's an interesting hypothetical (what $k increase would it take). I don't think I would do it for even $100k extra.
I know you said you didn't want to rent out your current place, but take the emotions out of it for a minute and calculate the benefits of doing so.
You get rent money in your current property and it is likely to cover your rent rural (a short distance from your new work place). On top of that, it is an investment property now, so try to positive/negative gear it. Take into account how much time and money you save, the need to move your furniture, the duration you plan to stay at this new job, does this help you pay your loan sooner and by how much. Crunch those numbers and see the benefits of this scenario.
Now compare the benefits with your dislike for randoms in your property, is it worth it?
I agree, you could do really well out of this OP, if you've got no other commitments. You might be able to get the job to relocate you too.
It’s kind of driving ur own didi/ola everyday while going to work. $238 per day for commute is a lot. Go for it.
Not worth it. STay!
Most people who commute for long distances turn out to be horrible people.
turn out to be
turn into
Quality of life is more important than cash. I wouldn't do it.
I'm surprised at the number of comments saying they consider even 2-3 hours travel time/day excessive. I thought that was the average, am I missing something?
In Vic for example, if you live in an 'average' suburb a little outside zone 1 the train ride alone is ~30-50mins. Factor in the time getting to/from the station: say 10-15mins drive/walk, or if you take the bus maybe 20-30mins, esp. if your bus, like mine, is never on time. Also my train line experiences disruptions, delays, cancellations, loop skipping (i.e. add 15 mins to transfer) etc. almost every other day, so factor that in and it takes me 1.5hrs+ each way on a good day. I thought that was the norm?
My commute is 2.7 km :)
Mine was a 10min walk once too, but I was young and single living in a small CBD apartment - didn't need a 4BR house with a yard then. I'm talking more about those living in the suburbs.
I live in a 4 bedroom house with a yard so it is possible. Live near work, or work near home.
My wife does the same and her work is 5 mins from my work.
@trapper: I'm guessing you don't work in the CBD then. Okay, maybe I should've said to and from an inner city job.
@pe arl: Well that's kind of what I'm saying. If you don't live in the inner city then don't work there. There are other jobs.
@trapper: That would be ideal but almost zero non-CBD jobs in my field. I'm not complaining, just surprised at the comments considering the thousands of people who pour into the CBD from outer suburbs every day.
I lived in my office for a year. I win!
Yes I am with you. I live in Darebin area. I drive to work. My company supports flexible hours so I go with 8am-4pm to avoid peak traffic.
In the morning, I spend roughly 40-45 mins from my suburb to inner Melbourne suburb.
In the afternoon, 1 hour if lucky.
I appreciate school holidays so much that I mark them in my calendars because roads are much quieter during those periods.
Melbourne is just like this…
Commuting should be at least $1 per minute.
I'm surprised at the number of comments saying they consider even 2-3 hours travel time/day excessive. I thought that was the average, am I missing something?
You're forgetting the average Ozbargainer is on $180k and living in $1m+ properties only 5km from the CBD.
Maybe if you live in sydney/melbourne.
I used to do 3+ hours a day commute. Now I do an hour max. I could earn more elsewhere but time is something you can't buy more of in the end so it would take a lot to get me to go back to that sort of commute and lose a couple of hours everyday.
One positive is that you would be going against the traffic everyday.
For $10,0000 more it probably isn't worth it. You could look at buying a nice country property and doing the whole tree change.
Just depends what you want to do with your life.
I live in Tatura (25 mins from Shepparton). I wouldn't think that commute would be sustainable. Housing is pretty cheap up this way though, so if you decided that you might be happy rent out your place in Melbourne, you would probably be able to cover rental costs up here (or even a mortgage) with the difference.
2hrs those are weak number you need to pump those number up, mate if its freeway and no jam, why not, back then i have to drive from watergardens to hawthorn, start going at 5.30 or 5.45 to beat the traffic for 8.00 start, though we finish at 4.30 but i never get home before 6.30 and if there is some kind of accident or construction, hell, 7.00pm but the money mate, and the hybrid help alot on fuel. Later on i got a bike and everything cut down to half. Now i working near home now so all is better
That was a very long sentence you wrote there, though I read through it all the way and in the end had to read it again, but then I thought hell why not I'll write a comment and so I'm typing away but just wanted you to know what if you shorten your sentences others might find what you write easier to read but all good up to you.
You should move. Will the shepparton office be centrally located? You should rent somewhere centrally and walk to work. Rent will be a lot cheaper, and without the long commute, this will significantly improve your lifestyle and saving thousands on car and petrol. Living centrally in a regional town centre is better than living in outer suburbia of Melbourne in my opinion. bit the bullet and rent out your place.
I wouldn't take an extra 10k for a 40 minute commute. Probably silly to say this on ozbargain land of the out of touch, but you're already rich, how on Earth would it be worth it to you for an extra 10k? No all the way.
It is a better job title, apparently.
you're already rich
$90k per year is hardly rich when living in the city or rural for that matter.
I wouldn't do it for $50k extra per year.
Either move to Shepparton and enjoy a 5-10 minute commute, or stay at your current job.
Quality of life with a short commute cannot be under-emphasised, it is a game changer. If it makes your career prospects better, then I would say rent in Shepparton. Living semi-regional is great, especially if only for a few years.
this
I wouldn't do it for $50k extra per year.
You wouldn’t travel an extra 2 hours a day for 50k? The rumours of ozb’s on massive wages are true.
With BMW appreciating assets too.
I don't think I would either - especially if I had a family. MAYBE if I was single but no way would I be wasting 4 hours commuting..and the cost too!
It’s only 2 hours per day for 50k. If you don’t think you would do that I’m interested in how much you make and time spent.
Would you go to prison for a year for an extra $50k ? 100k ?
Money is not the only thing. 4hrs driving + 8hrs working doesn't leave much time for anything else.
Money is not the only thing.
certainly not, not saying it is.
But 2*52=104 hrs (assuming no leave) for 50k is $480 per hour.
That is insane wage, that I would assume most people would work the marginal 2 hours for. I mean you already work the first 10 (according to your estimates) for around $50-80 per hour, I'm just saying I would assume the next 2 hours of the day for almost $1000 would be worth while.
But like I said, each to their own, I personally spend more than 2 hours on ozbargain chasing stupid bargains after work to feel good grabbing a $50 saving. So getting the 1k is good for me.
@cloudy: I thought it was an extra 2hrs each way.
Also your maths is off, you've only counted 2hrs per week.
2552 = 520 hours, or just under $100/h. Still a damn good hourly rate.
If I could get $480/h, hell, I would just drive the 2 hours and do nothing else every day! ;)
Move.
I got seconded to our main site for 3 months and went from 40mins each way on 100kmh motorway to 75 mins on 80kph 2 lane country roads with traffic.
I started getting quite fatigued after 5-6 weeks, especially on the trip home. It also affected home life with kids, chores, etc.
A long, regular driving commute isn't for me.
Would the new job help your career path / goals
You might think you can do the extra travelling but can you keep doing the same thing every day for a long time? I think It's too much for the body and the mind. I would think of relocating if I really like the job and want the new title which as you said could be beneficial in the future. Wish you the best.
IF this helps, I have lived and worked in Shepparton for 10 years. It takes me less then 5 minutes to drive to and from work which is a massive bonus for me as I have a small family I like to spend time with. Housing is very affordable, 300k to 450k for a great house in a good area.
We don't have everything Melbourne does, but it is only a 2 hour drive / train road on the weekend if you desire it so much.
Find out if you can carpool with someone.
you could probably earn the same amount or more if you spent the time you waste in commute to actually working instead…
$10k/pa is nothing.. its like a little over $150/pw easily make that with a 2 hr per day p/t work.. plus you would be saving wear and tear on your vehicle, plus you get to live where you want.
would suck to be you if you moved and didn't like the job after a while…
No chance
I might have a different view point, but I would ask:
Is the role title and job experience going to set you up for further career jumps in the future? If yes thats a good start, however is it feasible for you to find another role like that more locally? If not then I would suggest going for it.
Now that you've decided to go, could you do 4 hours or would you move there? Why not try both, try doing the 4 hour slog and if its too much then just look at moving there.
Personally I wouldn't be able to do 4 hours, its extremely draining, unless this role is an insanely good opportunity. I've packed up my bags to move to Canberra from Sydney because I liked a role (government grad program) and it was better than the other grad program I was offered at the time (NAB sydney grad program) only because it related to my field of study at uni.
No way, that commute is crazy.
In my experience, people usually move to rural jobs for the quality of life and lack of commute but take a pay cut to do it.
Depends on if your are doing it for the money or your career
Money then hell no 10k isnt worth the extra time and petrol
Career maybe depending on if it means after 12-24months of this position you can find either something closer to home or better then i'd do it because long term it could be well more then 10k
commute to work (one way) for more than 1 hour is not advisable at all cost.
your chance to have an accident or speeding fine is very high.
I am facing the same situation as OP but this has put things in perspective
Moving metro to a rural location
98k to 110k base + accom + bills provided + occasional use of car + also get further training in my field.
I read OPs account and think I got lucky
Why’s that?
Compare what he has with what you don't.
Cop the extra Travel. Take the new position. Ask for your workbase to be kept where is. Claim the 5000kms on Tax.
The money being offered obviously doesn't make it worthwhile on paper…NOW…but take the title for 6 months, build your CV and jump shit to try and chase an extra $20k!
For 100k? No, thanks.
960 hrs a year commuting to work…..thats a No Deal from me!
Move out of your existing property, rent it out and move to Shepparton. You can now claim the costs of the property you own against your tax unlike your current situation. Then just rent for 2 years while you are there. Once finished move back into the property you own.
Some people make 10k AN HOUR (hell, some in their SLEEP) and you would hand over and extra 600 HOURS a year for it? Damn.
Hell no. I just happily took a $10k pay cut to reduce my commute from 2+hrs per day on PT to a 30 min riding (or <1hr on PT) commute, after 6 months i'd glady take even more of a pay cut to reduce that further. Cant buy back your time/life wasted in commuting.
Move to Shepparton. Use the rule that allows you to rent out your ppor for 6 years before moving back in or selling without cgt issues. Spend less on rent than you make on your ppor. Commute to work is now 5-15mins. You gain 1.5+ hours per day. Enjoy pay rise and better title.
For reference I live in a regional centre and my commute by car is 6 - 8 minutes each way every day.
I would not mind having a $10k cut an year if that reduces my daily commute from 2 hours to 30 minutes or so as time is worth more than extra money sometimes.
No, that's ridiculous. There would need to be other reasons.
I've done a 4hr commute before, for 6 months. Never again. I was on $120p/h though so it was worth the effort, but couldn't do it long term.
That's a firm nope from me
I used to live in Shepparton and my parents still do. It's a hole. Crime is pretty bad, people are REALLY closed minded, it's not a place I would move back to in a hurry. Having said that, if you're not phased with commuting, move to Benalla or Tatura and commute to Shep. Same amount of time you're commuting now, cheaper properties and you won't have to worry about being stabbed in your sleep by your meth addicted neighbour. Not even kidding, it's pretty bad.
Buy a kombi van and sleep in it mon-thu, or a cheap house share
4 hour commute will break you down.
I commuted 1 hour each way and took a 20k cut to work 1km from home, can now sleep in till 8am and go home for a dump and 🍺at lunch
Dumping in your lunch break? That's a wasted opportunity!
Seems you would rather sit where other people’s stank asses have touched, and risk being bumcanoed by your colleagues, nothing worse than enjoying a dump and someone with ibs comes in and Cains the bowl right next to you
lol, pros and cons!
My commute is 1.5hrs and even I feel that's too much but I refuse to pay for parking so I take the train which takes between 35 and 45 minutes.
If I was in your position I'd want a lot more than 10K to take that job. I'd also be looking to move out that way…no way in hell I'd commute 4hrs a day.
Would have to be a much more substantial pay increase to justify that commute. I'd like to get mine down and it's only 30mins on a bike. Long term I'm hoping to make it a few blocks from my house.
4 hours a day x 5 days a week x ~48weeks a year of work = 960hours you'll spend in a car. So it's like you're being paid $10 an hour to make that commute with the pay increase. Would you work for $10 an hour?
I'm likely to have to move some hours away from my home in 2021. I will be looking to rent and do occasional commutes back and forth and not do that drive every day.
Find a new job that pays 120k and is 20mins from home, problem solved Aus is the best country in the world isint it?
Lets do some math. Extra $10000 for extra 400hrs commute. $25 bucks an hour and not accounting for tax and transport costs. Heck even uber drivers get paid more for that time
When you consider quality of life, then definitely not.
take the train from Wallan to Shepparton. Probably will eat up your pay rise but at least you can get some sleep.
No
Economically, not really a value proposition when you add cost of extra commuting. Maybe different if you move there to live nearby. Careerwise, a title on its own probably doesn't add much. The real question is does it offer you new skills and work experience/opportunities that adds to your future career plans? Such a move for career building shows a future employer you are flexible and willing to move to build your experience. A move simply for $10K says a different thing. What would your reasoning show? How would it read on your resume?
Hard pass.
4 hr drive for a 10% increase makes no sense, you’ll be endlessly tired, have no time to do anything else, and after tax and the extra travel costs your take-home isn’t anywhere near $10k more anyway.
$10k after super & tax for me would be around $6k take home a year. This would equate to an extra $500 a month. Would you consider an entire lifestyle change for an extra $500 a month?
Will I? Are you offering to me?
You're insane to even comprehend it!
Compared to +480hrs of your life every year, +$10k is bugger all. If job opportunity is better too (not just the title), then move house. Otherwise, just keep looking for other jobs
Don't let the lure of fancy title and 6 figures make you do something you'll regret. As they say, noone ever got to the end of their life and wished they had worked more!
As someone who took job with 3hr drive each day, I hated every morning I woke up. I kept the job and moved house
pros
+10K
Cons
5x 2h drives = +10 hours a week driving
More fuel used
More wear and tear/maintenance on your car
Longer exposure to (profanity) on the roads
I used to commute into London many years ago, took me 1.5hrs door to door if things went to plan. Hated it! But financially it was better to pay for the expensive train ticket and enjoy the cheaper housing outside London. At least 3hrs travelling to and from work each day was stressful (mostly sitting on train).
4hrs driving each day? Never, ever!!! I had a colleague who commuted from Cardiff by train to London and he was old before his time. Do yourself a favour and move.
NO… what are you going to do out there? There is nothing out there…. if you have a family… they will resent you for the rest of their lives.
a 2h commute in the country is a long long long long long way. Why would it be such a long commute? Can't you live closer to the job?
Is there water?
Is there water?
rofl
I moved jobs with a reduction of pay in order to commute 13 minutes each way. Get home before 5pm, excercise for an hour and amazed how much spare time for family! Before I would commute 1hour each way or 1.5hours depending on traffic. If a truck broke down on the Westgate fwy it would take 2-3hours to get home plus the road rage!!!
An extra $10k is not worth losing ur day to commuting 4 hrs every day. Don't be so fixated on titles, coz u may find that others in ur field won't care about titles, and care more about it u can do the job.
Weigh up wat u want as in quality of life and if u too k u will get it with this extra $10k and losing 4 hrs to commute.
As others have said, 4 hours driving each day is a lot, car breakdown, tyre, accident, insurance…
I'd say no
I've been commuting 40 minutes - 1 hour each way to work for the last 5 years since completing university. Thats with traffic mind you (1 hour being worst case scenario). 2 hours each way is way too much tbh and just for 10K extra is not worth it.
All the people complaining about commuting anything more than 30 minutes being 'excessive' need to eat some cement and toughen up.
I remember my dad doing road trips with the family once a year to Melbourne or Brisbane, we'd set out early in the morning and arrive there in the evening and my old man would be gone.
And you want to do half of that every single day.
Madness.
I'd do it if they paid for my train tix though, think of the life admin you can do, the netflix you can catch up on or the dulcet tones of the train wheels on the track rocking you to sleep
I'd say no, unless it leads to great prospects/an easier career ladder, then you could consider moving, otherwise not worth the mental draining of 4 hours commute.
or, could you negotiate with them for a better package, been in a not so desirable area, they might have some headroom for the right candidate.
How did you get to your age without common sense?
I appreciate people here sharing their experience and the way they view things at different ages.
Just please don't be a troll.
I'm going to have to disagree with you on that being trolling.
To me, even asking that question shows a very strange perception of value of your free time.
I haven't even began to think of the value of what you're proposing. It's just a no because it is blatantly obvious.
Most of us are lucky to get 4 hours of recreation time a day. You will have basically no spare time! What's the point of being alive and acquiring money if you're not around to spend it? All for 10k extra? No, it really is common sense that is lacking here.
But, common sense aside - if we must get into calculations and discover the awful truth because we cannot see it straight away, your 10k gets say, taxed at 40%ish, which makes it 6000$ in your hand.
Let's say you are adding a 2 hours a day of commuting from what you do now and you work 48 weeks a year. 240 weekdays of commuting adding an extra 480hours (20 DAYS) per year in the car. For 6000$. So that's a $12.50 an hour job. Of course, we have not factored in that your car was driving for those ENTIRE 20 DAYS per year, so oh boy, say good bye to some petrol and maintenance money + resale value. Plus, you're now marooned in a seat for hours at a time, you may find yourself struggling to have time to exercise, so now your back is all banged up and you don't have the time to work on it because you're always driving or at work!
As I said, that person wasn't trolling. You'd have to be a blithering idiot to give up what you have to take that deal. Not saying you're an idiot for asking - but come on, this is only the type of deal for someone with the personality of cardboard, who literally stares at the walls when when they get home (so they might as well be at work).
People have different reasons for having to communte for long hours, none of which will be purely for money.
Thanks for your advice though.
Surprisingly you're getting a lot of people turning up their noses are the thought of driving for longer than they like.
It used to take me 1.5hrs to drive in traffic to work in the city or a 2 hour train and tram ride to work. So a 4 hour commute much like yours. I did that everyday and it took a lot of time but I didn't have a choice if I wanted the job. I lost time with the family but also put food on their plates and used the experience at the job to move onto other things.
I've spoken to people who drive 3hrs+ one way to get to work and are happy to do it because they need the job or just don't care, its life. Especially if you want to live away from where your job is.
If it's only for money, I would deeply calculate the benefits to confirm its worth it. But if the job is a step up and will help further your career, then it would make it more worthwhile.
This is the right answer. Also gives you an option to come and see family and friends every weekend.