More and more, I hear friends say they take a job which is closer to home or even quit one where the price of gas is formidable because of the commute to work. Here is our reality: It costs $8 a day for my husband to get back and forth from work (round trip). Luckily, he rarely has to go into work on weekends. It happens but it is uncommon.
Gas is not paid for by the employer. However, the job benefits are strong enough that (for now) it is still worth the price. It is not great for our environment, though, all those fumes filling the air. We don't have good public transportation here. He could car pool but very few of his colleagues have the same schedule. Even so, that is one option being considered.
So, how many of you have changed jobs, quit jobs or picked jobs based on gas prices?
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Comments: 40
We live in an area where you have to drive long distances to get to anywhere. I love where we live but with gas prices the way they are, we are having a hard time.
Can't quit your job.
Contact your Senators. The Senate rejected the alternative energy bill. It was really interesting, we have two Senators in Ohio. One is democrat the other republican, my democratic Senator voted yes on this bill among many others that would have directly helped us during this economic nightmare. The republican voted no on ever one.
It was a profitable business before but now it is MORE profitable. They only clean carpets within a certain geographic area so I guess they can afford the gas.
These days I work for myself or not at all. I am lucky in that I can accept or decline individual assignments, depending on whether they fit my route or my schedule and yes, I have changed in that I no longer do jobs in Tampa, unless it is a well paid mini route.
I accept less and stay closer to home. My car gets decent mileage, but even though I can write off part of the gas expenditure I consider carefully for each job I do.
I would still commute to a job if it were something REALLY spectacular (or if I had no other choice), but it would have to be the best freakin' job ever for me to do that.
Aside from the price of gas, life is too short for long commutes. It's not only bad for the environment, it's bad for your health. My ideal is to live in an area where I can walk to what I need and where I spend as little time in the car as possible.
Believe it or not, I have this lifestyle in Los Angeles.
Now if we could only get some decent mass transit...
There are plenty of old homes in my neighborhood for sale. They're just begging for people to buy them and fix them up. We are only about 10 minutes from EVERYTHING, yet people still live in the 'burbs and make the downtown commute and bitch about it.
I don't think that two jobs could ever be truly equal, but sure, the commute would be a factor. The commute would be a factor for me, no matter what the price of gas is though. I hate driving and in the past, have passed up promotions because of it.
When you think about it though, it isn't just the possible drive to work that has been changed by the higher gas prices. It even effects where you choose to live. In the past, many were willing to take a trade off and lengthen their drive time to get a better house further away for less money. Now, you have to factor not only your time spent driving, but the added cost of gas.