A typical supercommuter spends 90 minutes or more one way commuting to work or school. As the cost of living continues to outpace wage growth, supercommuting is growing in popularity. According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report, an estimated 5 million people are now supercommuters—up from roughly 3.42 million in 2012.
I hate long commutes. Taking the bus or driving to work was one of my top three annoyances while I was employed.
When I retired in 2012, one of the greatest joys was never having to commute again. Getting back that time, energy, and mental clarity was a truly lifestyle-enhancing benefit of retirement. Then, when the pandemic hit in 2020, millions around the world got to experience that same freedom. Is there any wonder why it’s been so hard to convince workers to go back to the office?
In this post, I want to highlight the hidden toll of supercommuting to work or school. Sure, you’ll spend more on gas if you drive. But that’s just the beginning. So before you buy a more affordable home in exchange for a longer commute, be forewarned: the trade-offs may not be worth it.
My Experience With Supercommuting
After deciding not to pony up a small fortune for a vacation rental in Honolulu, I opted for my family of four to stay with my parents for up to five weeks. They have three free bedrooms in their five-bedroom house, and it’s a home I’ve returned to for 39 years. It feels comfortable to me, but not to all.
Some of you thought this was a good way to save money. Others—mostly women—said it was cruel to subject my wife to such “confinement” for so long. I get it. Staying with your in-laws for more than a few days is a lot to ask, especially without en suite bathrooms or separate kitchens and entrances. And not everybody likes to be in Hawaii during the summer heat.
Still, the cheapest suitable three-bedroom rental I could find cost $16,000 after taxes and fees. A nothing fancy four-bedroom rental, without a pool, which we liked, was $24,000. After owning real estate since 2003, I just can’t bring myself to spend that much on a temporary stay that builds no equity.
To find a compromise, we stayed at my aunt and uncle’s place on the North Shore—up to 1.5 hours away—after 13 days with my parents, to give both my wife and mom a break for nine days. It gave me a break too as I could return to living without worry of doing things in a way that would agitate my mom, e.g. cut fruit on the right side of the sink instead of the left.
The kids were happy wherever they were, so everyone won, well, except for me who had to drive ~2.5 more hours a day for five days. In total, we stayed on the North Shore for nine nights (two weekends and M-F).
The False Start
We picked up our kids at 4:55 p.m. Friday from summer school at Punahou to head to Laie for the weekend. All was well—until six minutes in, our five-year-old daughter announced she had to pee. I turned around and went back to school so she wouldn’t have to hold it.
Had we been commuting from my parents' house, just eight-to-ten minutes away, I would’ve just kept driving. That’s one unexpected cost of supercommuting—having to manage bodily functions mid-ride. Most adults can uncomfortably hold it for an hour or two. But kids? Not so much.
We finally arrived in Laie an hour and 30 minutes later. The kids napped for 35 minutes, so the trip felt like a breeze to them. Although I was tired, I was also excited to enjoy the freedom of having our own space again.
The Monday Morning Supercommute
After a fun weekend filled with Pokémon Go Fest, Giovanni’s garlic shrimp, and beach walks, reality returned Monday morning.
I passed out by 10 p.m. Sunday after putting the kids down by 9:20 with my wife. I woke up at 2:45 a.m. to get a head start on publishing a new post, responding to comments, and going for a morning walk on the beach.
The kids woke up at 6:30 a.m., and we left by 6:55 to make it to school by 8. Back in Honolulu, we usually leave at 7:40, so the earlier start was uncomfortable for my wife and daughter, who aren’t morning people.
Right away, I could tell the drive would take longer than expected. We were stuck behind a gasoline tanker on a single-lane road for about 15 miles, averaging just 32 mph instead of the usual 40.
About 45 minutes in, I got a text from my wife thanking me for the ride and the peace and quiet. At a stop light, I couldn’t help replying with a GPS screenshot to show where we were—7 minutes behind schedule. Usually, the GPS arrival time was conservative and easy to beat.
But then I made a mistake. I resumed driving while glancing at the screenshot I had sent her instead of the live Apple Maps. That brain fart cost us another 11 minutes. Instead of arriving at 8:06 a.m., we got to school at 8:16. Ugh—I hate being late.
A Place To Hang Out Made Supercommuting More Manageable
At first, I thought I’d just hang out at the beach or mall all day before picking the kids up at 4:55 p.m. My wife also wanted me to pick up some groceries. No problem. There was no way I was going to drive 1.15 hours back to Laie after drop off and then do it again in the afternoon. I figured I’d nap in the car under a banyan tree if I had to.
Then I remembered my parents’ house was only 8 minutes farther. I could write, rest, and manage the renovation of an in-law unit I was working on. Having a home base made the day much more manageable. If I had to also work a full-time job during that commute, I would’ve been completely wiped.
In fact, after dropping off the kids, I spent the day in the city writing a post, recording a solo podcast episode, talking to my parents, grabbing lunch, and squeezing in a quick 15-minute nap.
Then I dealt with the handyman, swung by Whole Foods for groceries, and picked up the kids at 4:55 p.m. The day flew by—and by the end of it, the thought of driving 15 minutes to school and 1 hour and 15 minutes back to Laie during rush hour was the last thing I wanted to do.
The Next Day of Supercommuting (Good Then Bad)
By the second day of supercommuting, I felt more confident. I knew the route better and had learned from my mistakes. I got the kids to school 10 minutes early and shaved 20 minutes off the drive. It felt like a small win. But of course, good things never last.
When I arrived at my parents’ house the plumbers had already shown up early. Then, 30 minutes later, the handyman arrived. In total, I spent nine hours managing five different workers trying to fix up our long-neglected in-law unit. I hate remodeling and swore to never do so again. But here I was, like a masochist, doing it again while I was supposed to be relaxing on vacation.
To make the most of the downtime, I brought my laptop outside and worked on a new post. But with the sun blazing and temps hitting 85 degrees, I was drained by mid-afternoon.
By 4:40 p.m., all I wanted to do was lie down in an air-conditioned room and take a nap. But no such luxury. I had to hop back in the car, drive through rush hour to pick up the kids, then endure another 1 hour and 13 minutes back to Laie.
My zest for life? Gone. After 10 minutes of small talk with the kids about their day, I turned on some music and just listened like a zombie. I didn’t have the energy to keep the conversation going.
By the time we got home, I was toast—just a tired, slightly grumpy dad who wanted nothing more than to kick back and crack open a cold beer.
Positive Thoughts To Gut On Through
Even though I was commuting about 2.5 hours extra a day, I told myself it was worth it—for my wife’s happiness, my mom’s privacy, and even my kids’ resilience. Maybe the longer commute would build their endurance and teach them the value of waking up early.
Perhaps most importantly, my wife appreciated the effort I put in to make her happy. Judging by her FaceTime calls from the beach, she definitely seemed more relaxed and content! With appreciation, I was motivated to keep on supercommuting.
As a father, you do what you can to provide. A little extra effort plus some problem-solving goes a long way to making a suboptimal situation better. Got to think positive! In the past, it never occurred to me commuting from Laie to downtown Honolulu would be an option.
Besides, knowing the supercommuting stint was temporary made it tolerable. My kids had Friday off for the 4th of July, so I only had to supercommute for four days—a total of ~11 hours of additional driving. Oh yeah, but I forgot about adding the two halves of driving up Thursday night and returning Monday morning. So more like 13.5 hours of extra driving.
The Hidden Costs of Supercommuting
At first glance, supercommuting might seem like a reasonable trade-off. Save 20–60% on housing and spend an extra two hours and thirty minutes commuting a day? Maybe not so bad, especially if the median home price is above $1 million.
But in addition to hundreds more in gas and transit costs each month, here are other downsides:
- Increased risk of injury or death – More time on the road means more exposure to accidents, especially when driving with kids. I literally saw a car on a residential street near my parent's house flip upside-down because it got t-boned at an intersection. One of the cars didn't stop at the stop sign.
- Higher stress and cortisol levels – Bad drivers, traffic jams, and road rage add up, draining your emotional reserves for the day and evening. You might end up developing chronic pain, raise your stress levels, and ultimately, shorten your lifespan as a result.
- Wear and tear on your vehicle – More miles mean more maintenance, especially if your car isn’t ultra-reliable. You'll also have to replace things more often, like your tires and brakes.
- Greater chance of getting tickets – From parking mistakes to speeding tickets, increased driving time raises your chances of infractions. In turn, your car insurance premiums could go up.
- Reduced happiness and harmony with your significant other – Long commutes drain your energy and patience, which means by the time you get home, you might be more irritable, checked out, or just plain exhausted. Small disagreements can flare up more easily when one or both of you are running on fumes. Over time, the emotional toll of being physically distant and mentally unavailable adds up.
If You Are Going To Regularly Supercommute
If you plan to supercommute regularly, two things are imperative: a safe, reliable car and life insurance.
My wife and I have matching 20-year term life insurance policies, which have provided tremendous peace of mind. I recommend locking in an affordable policy through Policygenius to cover your debts and protect your children until they become adults.
Here in Honolulu, however, we don’t have what I’d consider a safe-enough car for long-term supercommuting. We’re using my dad’s 1997 Toyota Avalon. While it’s a nostalgic beast, it has poor acceleration for evasive driving, a wobbly axle, shaky brakes above 45 mph, no side curtain or rear airbags, no blind spot detectors, no sensors, and no rear camera. I’m not even sure the front airbags work.
As a result, I drive slowly and try to stay extra alert. The one saving grace is that the speed limits between the North Shore and Honolulu are relatively low—35 mph on the single-lane “highway” and 50 mph on the main freeways. So it’s not like mainland highways where people routinely push 70–85 mph.
If we return to this same living and commuting arrangement again, I plan to rent a new car for $100/day. It’ll not only be safer, but it’ll also free up my dad to run errands during the week with his own 28-year-old car. A win-win.
Final Thoughts on Supercommuting
Supercommuting might seem like a smart financial move, especially when housing near work is unaffordable. But before you commit, look beyond the savings. Living in a smaller house or apartment to save time commuting is my preference .
Every hour on the road is an hour not spent with your loved ones. Every stressful drive takes a toll on your mood, focus, and health. And every unexpected delay chips away at your patience—especially when you're juggling the demands of family life and work.
Personally, a comparable home would need to be at least 70% cheaper to justify adding two extra hours of commuting each day. And even then, I’m not sure the trade-off would be worth the toll on my time, energy, and well-being. The time I get to spend with my kids after school is simply too precious to sacrifice.
If you live within 15 minutes of both your work and your children's school, consider yourself fortunate. While remote work surged during the pandemic, in-person collaboration has made a strong comeback. As a result, well-located homes in job-centric cities—especially where supply is constrained—may outperform in the future.
If you're going to supercommute, have a plan. Know your timeline. Understand your reasons. And make sure the trade-off is truly worth it. Because in the end, a cheaper home isn’t worth it if it leaves you drained and hating life.
Readers, are any of you supercommuters? If so, how do you make the long transportation time more bearable? Are there any unexpected benefits to supercommuting beyond saving on housing costs or being closer to family or a better school? I'd love to hear your strategies and insights.
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Both my wife and I negotiated severance packages when we retired in 2012 and 2015, and they gave us a tremendous sense of relief and flexibility. Check out my bestselling e-book, How To Engineer Your Layoff: Make A Small Fortune By Saying Goodbye. Use the code “saveten” to save $10.
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Due to a lack of public transit near my workplace, one of my coworkers used to use public transit to get to the transit center where he kept an old junker to get from the transit center to work. It seemed to work for him, and cut actual driving time to about 15 minutes instead of 90 minutes (public transit took about 60 minutes to get to the transit center, which he used to relax, nap or catch up on work.
I currently super commute each week by plane to my company in SF. I stay in SF about 2 days each time, and I love how productive I am the days I’m in the office. I have no mom-guilt about family or household obligations. Then, when I return home, I have ended up spending more quality time with my husband and young daughter. The time with them has become more intentional and thoughtful. When I first became a mom a few years ago, I struggled with mom-guilt because I loved my job so much and felt guilty about the dedication I put into work. After super-commuting weekly for more than a year now, I feel like I am giving 100% both to my career and to my family. Of course, another obvious perk is being able to get a much larger home by not living in SF. We were initially working on relocating to SF before I discovered how effective the super-commuting routine was for me. We looked at getting a comparable home to what we have now, and the price we were looking at was $15 million, which was kind of absurd. In the end, I ended up getting an apartment about a 20-minute walk from the office, and my family comes to visit regularly. My husband has worked for Silicon Valley companies his whole career (but of course doesn’t live there), and it’s a running joke among his coworkers that his visits to SF are never for work.
I admit this super-commuting works for me primarily because I’ve been traveling extensively since I was a kid and am able to sleep (and work) through any flight. It also works because we have a lot of help at home with childcare and housework. Although it’s not for everyone, I thought this could be a different perspective especially for career women out there who need compartmentalization.
Very cool! I hear you on mom guilt (dad guilt) and trying to make both ends work. Where are you flying in from? And does your company help pay for any transportation expenses? A $15 million savings on housing is a lot.
“it’s a running joke among his coworkers that his visits to SF are never for work.” I’ve heard this joke many times before too, actually. It also reminds me of this post: Taking A Vacation From Parenthood By Going Back To Work! Phew, it brings back memories of how difficult it was being a SAHD for the first 5 years of both kids’ lives.
I have so much respect for stay at home parents now that I’ve realized how easy work is in comparison to parenting. A huge salute to you for doing that. To answer your question, I fly from Chicago, and I pay out of pocket for all my flights. The cost of living adjustment in comp was more than enough to make up for flight costs and the extra apartment. I realize the math works out only for high-earners. There are a few people at the company who live in other states and do the same, and all of them are in management.
Hi Sam.
I supercommuted with my son from our home on the North Shore to the Punahou campus from 2020-2022 while he was in middle school. Your post brought back a lot of memories! It all resonated, including the bit about “taking a nap in the car under a banyan tree” to kill time during the school day if necessary! Yup – pretty sure I did that a few times.
We moved to Honolulu in late 2022 because the supercommute was taking such a toll on the whole family. However, it will always be a time I remember fondly. These were the unexpected benefits:
1) Seeing the sunrise each morning. Spectacular! It’s something I don’t have the discipline to do unless forced to wake up early for another reason.
2) Long, uninterrupted conversations with my son during very formative years (6th-7th grade). It’s true what so many parenting “experts” say….kids this age often open up, relax, and talk (a lot) in the car. This was the greatest gift of all – the 15 or so hours a week of just the two of us in the car talking together.
3) The supercommute required me to be very creative with my time. If I didn’t have to work that day, there was no way I was going to drive back home after morning drop-off and do the commute twice. So, I ended up exploring all sorts of things in Honolulu (museums, exhibits, art installations, hiking trails, beaches, restaurants, etc) that I never would have seen otherwise.
4) It got me out of my comfort zone and resulted in me meeting a lot of other Punahou families on the North Shore to coordinate carpools for the kids.
Enjoy your last week on Oahu!
Ive got a super commute that I do mid January thru end of April each year. Its from Seattle to Olympia (about 75 minutes one way) and I work as a lobbyist at the state level with state legislators. I find the time and traffic on Interstate 5 to be worth it because it has allowed me to earn almost 7 figures each year for the last 10 years. Ive built up a real estate portfolio on the side and I remodel or tear down and build new houses in the seattle area. That brings in almost 7 figures a year as well. At the age of 41, I have a net worth of almost $14 million invested mostly in the SP 500 (voo). I regularly consider myself cheap for buying used cars and paying cash when we could easily buy fancier cars new from a dealership. We built our house for a total of $900k (land and building materials) and its worth $2.3 mil. I always fly economy unless clients are paying, then i fly first class.
I only recently discovered reddit and FIRE but interestingly I’ve lived my whole life this way. I grew up lower middle class on a small family cherry orchard in Yakima. The farm was only profitable about every 5 years. My mom was a school teacher. I’m truly blessed with hard work ethic and enjoy a little suffering to build up a massive net worth for my 2 little daughters to inherit, that I want to be more comfortable than me (I’m very comfortable), without as much suffering in their adulthood.
Warm Regards,
B
Congrats! I may have to consider driving 75 minutes one way if it enabled me to make nearly a million a year in my 30s, too.
The question is: how much is enough where you decide to save 2-2.5 hours of time to spend more time and energy with the family? $20 million? $50 million? Only you can answer before the kids leave home.
While I agree fully with this, and why I live 20 minutes from my current job, my husband commutes an hour 15 each way to Manhattan 2-3x a week for work. It certainly is more taxing on him, especially compounded by public transit woes.
The problem is that living in NYC, while not 70% more expensive then where I live now, leads to significantly less space, a different schooling environment, and overall different scenery. The square footage, grass, pool etc. that I have now is not possible to buy in NYC. It appears that Hawaii where your parents live vs. your aunt/uncle is similar in space/style, so the cost difference is a big factor. For NYC v. Jersey suburbs, the space/style is significantly different and so is the education. NJ schools are top in the country and our school recently was a Blue Ribbon national school.
More than cost alone, supercommuting may be needed for the type of home life you want v. the job you want. If you work in a big career-banking, law, finance, consulting etc. you will need to be anchored to a major city.
True. The tradeoffs are real and significant. Manhattan and the burbs may be the most extreme difference.
My situation in Oahu not so much.
Does your husband have enough energy after his commute to spend time with the kids? I felt like I was 70% less of a dad after I arrived home after picking them up from school. But I guess; that hour and 15 minutes together with them somewhat counts as time spent.
Hi Sam,
I have been a longtime reader, following your blog for over 12 years, but this is my first time commenting. Your post really resonated with me because I have been a super commuter for the past 8 years, driving 108 miles one way, 4 to 5 times a week.
Back when the opportunity came up, it allowed me to double my salary. The catch was that the job was in a small rural town with limited school options and almost no social life. Rather than uproot my family, I chose the commute, and like with most things in life, it was about picking my trade-offs.
Over the years, I have picked up a few lessons that might be useful to others in a similar boat:
1. Roadside assistance is essential. Whether it’s AAA or through your insurance, it gives you peace of mind, especially when you’re clocking serious miles each week.
2. Get your seat posture right. I’m tall and didn’t realize how much of a difference this makes until I started having knee pain a few years in. Adjusting the seat to give my legs room and adding lumbar support helped a lot.
3. Pick the right vehicle. I drove a 2005 Honda Accord up to 400,000 miles, no major issues! I would have kept going, but with with rural wildlife and harsh LED headlights on two-lane roads, I felt the need to have better road visibilty. I finally switched to a used 2017 Ford Edge that allowed me to sit slightly higher than a car and gave me better road visibility.
4. Make your commute count. I used that time to pour into myself, listening to podcasts on real estate investing, finance, and personal development. That daily learning added up and helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect.
5. Be mindful of how you show up at home. After all that driving, it was important to be present and engaged with my family. Even on the tougher days, I tried to walk through the door with a positive attitude, because those few evening hours really matter.
Over time, the personal development piece became more than just a commute-time habit. It sparked a bigger shift for me. I recently bought your Engineer Your Layoff ebook and started actively working on my exit. With years of saving aggressively and investing I am now at a point where I can take some risks. I am working in transitioning out of the corporate world and stepping into a new chapter in life/executive coaching, something I feel deeply passionate about.
Thanks again for all the content and guidance over the years. Your blog has been a real influence on my journey, and I am excited about what’s ahead.
Great tips! Thanks so much! I love me a good podcast while driving long distances as well. I hope you listen and listen to a review of the FS podcast.
#5 is the biggest thing for me. I was so spent, I didn’t even want to spend the usually 20-30 minutes every night reading with my son when I got home. It was sad, and I felt pathetically weak. But I’m assuming my endurance would increase over time.
Best of luck with the new phase!
Hi Sam,
I’ve been a near supercommunter for 19 years now. ~55 miles one way from the house to the office. Takes about 1hour and 5 ish min one way. Fortunately it’s almost all highway driving which helps vs stop and go traffic or moving at slower speeds. Also, it’s certainly helpful driving an efficient car, Honda civic (~38mpg highway). My old one; called her “old faithful” lasted me 13 years and 400,000 miles! As far as the wear and tear on energy levels it’s real but one gets used it and adjusts. Like increasing savings rate till it hurts. My wife knows it’s long and she is awesomely in tune with me. So we have to plan on our get togethers more, we use hands free calling after leaving work, plan my commute around food shopping locations, and other things. It’s also a good time to listen to books. I have an Audible subscription and this definitely helps keep the mind sharp vs the mind numbing endless road. I listened to your new book “Millionaire Milestones”: great read! Admittedly, it’s nice when I can work from home on occasion and not have to drive. The difference on the toll on me of not driving is real. My argument at work is I can work for two more hours per day, Fortunately I have this hybrid situation. Great post as always they are thought provoking. – David
Awesome post and one that resonates with me. First off – love that you woke up at 2:45am!! One reason that I love reading your work because your ethos seeps through everything. I’ve even told my kids your maxim that “never fail b/c of lack of effort b/c effort requires no skill.”
I’m a borderline supercomputer – about 1hr10 min into work and about 1hr 20 min back home. But the key is that a) start and leave times are flexible, so I avoid peak traffic b) I get work done while I drive (book phone calls with managers, staff, dictate notes) c) I get paid to drive at roughly 12X what an Uber driver makes (i.e., my usual salary) d) I only do this 3 days a week, occasionally less.
If I wasn’t paid, zero chance I would do this on my own time. A comparable job closer to home would have me working +++ hours/busy, making about 20% less, while driving drastically less (<30 min total per day). For now, with a young family, the flexibility can’t be beat and the job remains worth the drive.
Despite all this, I will probably change jobs to be closer to home in the next 2 years. The drive in I enjoy (country route), but the trek home is a pain in the ass most days.
Agree with other posters that a safe car with good driving assist (lane keep and adaptive cruise) makes all the difference.
But the key is to get paid like a manager to drive uber.
Sam –
Didn’t I tell you that commute between your Aunt’s home and your children’s school was going to be a pain in the you-know-what??? LOL
But I am sure your wife very much appreciated all those parent-in-laws and kid free days.
My younger brother had a long (~ 100 miles!) commute from quite north of Sacramento to somewhat northeast of Oakland. I thought he was quite nuts, but he enjoyed driving the scenic route through some of the agricultural areas along the way. It was a fairly pretty drive the one time he took me on it during a family visit, but I certainly wouldn’t want to drive it twice a day five days a week for however many years he drove it! Guess I was VERY spoiled by my ~ 15 minute commute driving on surface streets the entire way (no freeway traffic!).
Hi Kat – Yes, thank you for telling me you told me the commute was long! But yes, I knew that, but I was willing to try and try I did. For me, I can’t really know what it’s like and whether it’s something I’d be willing to do until I go through it myself.
A 100-mile commute one way is nuts. No thank you!
See? You already know a 100 mile one way commute is too much. Don’t have to experience that one for yourself. ;)
and I didn’t want to be a nag by saying “I told you so” but I just couldn’t resist. lol
One of the things I like about you is your willingness to try something for the benefit of others – like working as a ride share driver! You are a brave, kind hearted man.
I am on the edge of being a Supercommuter. 1-1.25hrs into work and 1.25-2hrs home. Been doing it full time since 2010. After fifteen years it is wearing on me. So next year I look into a transfer to a division that is closer to home or a new job.
The aspect where I differ with your comments is the ride home. Yes it is longer and it is MY time. (A delay on the way in takes away company time; much different even for a salaried manager, responsible regardless of time.).
I use the commute home to put the work day behind me so that I can be fully family focused when I arrive. When I had a 15 minute commute, I always brought the workday home with me.
A reliable car is important. A plug-in hybrid with over 50 miles to the gallon is even better. We did not move because we had to save money, but we did sell our1400 square foot home with a 3700 square foot lot for more money than our current 2500 square foot home with a 20,000 square-foot lot cost! And since the market area has grown, the percentage of equity growth has kept pace with the original house.
I think about the safety aspect a lot. My wife and father think I drive like the proverbial old maid on a Sunday drive, but I realize it takes a lot of speeding to make up five minutes, so I don’t bother.
I’m impressed you last for 15 years! I think I would be over it after one or two years tops.
“ it takes a lot of speeding to make up five minutes, so I don’t bother.”
Wise words. Speeding is completely unnecessary. I think about all the children and people who have died because of reckless driving. So much could’ve been prevented if they drove slower.
Sam Check out Cruises.com. I found you a 20 night cruise from SanFrancisco to Alaska in June 2026 with Oceanview for $11000. Covers all your food and entertainment. Cruising is great. Beats the hot summer in Hawaii.. We go on one or 2 cruises a year.
Not bad! I’d like a deck though, so I can read on the deck and write. I’m assuming that will cost another three to $5000? Still not too bad.
I enjoy cruises and being able to play poker at night as well.
But here’s the thing, I really enjoy Hawaii in June in July. Not too hot and the nighttime is perfect weather for Sports and walks around the park.
I like to just eat lunch, shower and then take a nap during the hottest hours of the middle of the day.
No doubt. Hawaii is beautiful Been to all the islands many times. Sure was a lot quieter when I started going there 40 years ago.. Great snorkeling.
Where do you go now as a retiree and where do live now?
We live in Tucson Arizona. Just got back from 21 day cruise to Asia. Going on a 60 day cruise to South America and Antartica in November. To get out of summer heat we go to San Diego. Mountains of Colorado, Park City Ut, Northern Az etc. plenty of Vrbo to rent. Life is good.
Cool. What are the reasons for Tucson?
We live in Tucson Arizona. In March we got back from30 day cruise to Asia. Going on a to 60 day cruise to South America and Antartica in November. To get relief from summer heat we go to Mountains of Colorado, Park City Ut, San Diego, Northern Az etc. Life is good.
Thanks for sharing your travel journey experience. I’ve enjoyed reading about it as my summer drags on like any other day. Glad that your long commute was just temporary.
The longest commutes I’ve had were during my middle school and high school years for summer camps and then a college internship. It took about 1-1.5 hours each way M-F taking multiple trains, buses, and walking. It was exciting for about 3 days and then I was so over it and ready to quit haha. We didn’t have cell phones back then, so I literally just had to stand like a sardine for most of it. I think I would read occasionally on some stretches when I was lucky enough to get a seat. It’d be easier today with a smart phone, but would still get old quick.
Thoroughly testing and analyzing a home purchase that requires a super commute is definitely vital. It reminds me of some random article I read where a couple decided to buy their first home in the country and commute to Manhattan. Neither of them was honest enough with each other, so they mostly decided to do it because they thought it was really what the other wanted. They ended up hating it all together and deeply regretted their decision. At least they know that now and won’t make the same mistake again. But it sure cost them a lot of time, money, and frustration they could have avoided!
One strategy I use in commuting, especially on highways, is to keep a 4-6 second distance between me and the car in front of me. This makes the trip safer because I have more time to react to anything that happens in front of me. Often times I actually get to my destination a little faster by using this method. If a traffic pattern changes in front of me, I have more time to react and make the best decision. It’s more relaxing to drive. I don’t have to be as hyper aware when I’m not driving very close to the person in front of me. When I fist committed to driving this way, I was worried that I might induce road rage by not accelerating as quickly. However, I found that not to be true at all. The following distance made me a smoother driver and easier to drive around, especially when it comes to sudden braking. It’s surprising how many people drive really close to the person in front of them on highways. I am a huge fan of the 4-6 second following guideline.
On a 40 year career, a one hour commute each way turns into 10 years of 40 hour work weeks spent on the road. Something to think about.
Definitely not for me. Life is too precious to spend so much time sitting in traffic.
At least my drive to and from Laie was scenic.
I bought my current home in 2010. When my ex and I split up in 2011 I paid her half the equity of the home to keep it.
The biggest reason was that it is just over a 1/4 mile walk to the high school. My youngest attends there now. The bonus is that it has increased in value about 130%. The quality of life is so much better without a big commute.
Being able to walk to school is huge! Nice.
Even after my commute was cut down in half to 8-9 minutes with my kids’s school moving in 2024, I still envy those who can just walk their kids to school easily.
I’ve been supercommuting for the past eight months, driving 90 minutes each way, five days a week, and this post really hits home. At first, the savings on housing felt worth it, but the toll on my energy, family time, and even my health is real. I try to make the most of the commute with audiobooks and planning time, but some days I’m just completely drained. Lately, I’ve been questioning whether the long term trade-off is really worth it. Thanks for laying it all out, especially the hidden mental cost that never shows up on a spreadsheet.
totally not worth it
I concur. You are right to challenge yourself on this. In the context of a 30 year+ career where I needed to be present at an office location much of the time, commuting was life-sapping. I should have moved much closer, much earlier. I regret not having done so. Overall, it would have made tremendous financial sense but more importantly life-sense. I consumed a great deal of time, energy and emotion on those commutes with zero value added and much subtracted.
Yeah, at some point life sense > financial sense. But the problem is too many of us are stuck in the inertia of trying to customize for every single dollar freedom. That is the travel we all eventually get out of if we are not born with mega millions.
I do like the benefit of listening to podcasts and learning or being entertained. I put multiple Mandarin stories on for kids to learn and practice each way. I don’t want them losing their Mandarin skills during the summers. The commute was helpful in that regard as it forcrd us to communicate with each other and learn.
In fact, I have a podcast coming out tomorrow on Financial Samurai.