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Today is my last day at GE aviation, and my last 58mile 1 hour commute to work...
Even driving a Cruze Diesel and averaging 42mpg a tank for the commute it was costing up to $2500/yr in gas.

GE is a great place work but Capgemini who I was contracted through sucks as a company.

I'm going to be working for a small manufacturing company in Big Rapids instead which is only 12 miles away from home.
And I can drop my kids off at school on the way.

The wife is ECSTATIC!

Congratulations!

YAY!

Congrats! Hope it works out long term.

Many years ago I considered working for Capgemini (but ended up not doing so). Sounds like I dodged a bullet.

Congratulations!

As long as your monetary needs are fulfilled, time >>> money.

Congrats!

Best of success to you in the new job.

Aranarth wrote:

... and my last 58mile 1 hour commute to work...
Even driving a Cruze Diesel and averaging 42mpg a tank for the commute it was costing up to $2500/yr in gas.

Man, I am living in the wrong part of the country... I live 13 miles from work, spend over an hour each way on an interstate commute....

Aranarth wrote:

Today is my last day at GE aviation, and my last 58mile 1 hour commute to work...
Even driving a Cruze Diesel and averaging 42mpg a tank for the commute it was costing up to $2500/yr in gas.

GE is a great place work but Capgemini who I was contracted through sucks as a company.

I'm going to be working for a small manufacturing company in Big Rapids instead which is only 12 miles away from home.
And I can drop my kids off at school on the way.

The wife is ECSTATIC!

I think I see your problem. Stop putting gas in your diesel.

Congratulation on the new job!

Congratulations, and enjoy all the extra time you'll have not commuting.

(I have a 90 minute commute each way, by train)

layerup wrote:

Aranarth wrote:

... and my last 58mile 1 hour commute to work...
Even driving a Cruze Diesel and averaging 42mpg a tank for the commute it was costing up to $2500/yr in gas.

Man, I am living in the wrong part of the country... I live 13 miles from work, spend over an hour each way on an interstate commute....

But in exchange, you don't have to drive 3+ hours just to find big city entertainment. Big Rapids is an hour outside of Grand Rapids (pretty small city), and almost four hours away from Chicago.

The roads aren't always choked with traffic, no matter where you live. And when you're not commuting, I'm guessing you're usually within 15-30 minutes of ...anything?

toastie wrote:

Congratulations, and enjoy all the extra time you'll have not commuting.

(I have a 90 minute commute each way, by train)

Ditto, but I get to work from home 2 days a week.

defaultluser wrote:

But in exchange, you don't have to drive 3+ hours just to find big city entertainment. Big Rapids is an hour outside of Grand Rapids (pretty small city), and almost four hours away from Chicago.

The roads aren't always choked with traffic, no matter where you live. And when you're not commuting, I'm guessing you're usually within 15-30 minutes of ...anything?

Completely fair point, but I don't know how relevant this is to me. Traffic in the Puget Sound region begins about 3:30am every day, and ends about 9:00pm each evening. Between those times, you are looking at considerable delays. So while I don't have to drive 150 miles to get to the big city, I still have to drive 1.5-2 hours each way to reach the big city. The SO and I are not much of the city type, we certainly don't pursue "big city entertainment", we much prefer taking the dog for long day hikes and backpacking. We moved up here so I would be able to take a change in workflow for the company I work for, and pursue career interests.

Different strokes and all that....

Congrats on the new job! You should definitely enjoy the shorter commute.

I've been a full-time telecommuter for the last 5.5 years (roughly) and it's amazing what you can get done before 8am or after 5pm when most people are still driving to/from work. For the most part that means playing games with my daughter (who's an early riser on summer break). It's also nice not having to worry what to do with her when school is out. Plus I just got out of the shower on my lunch break.

Also, congrats on the new position. That's pretty cool that you are able to spend more time with your kids, taking them into school each day. Hope the new job is fulfilling.

Congrats and good luck, Aranarth!

layerup wrote:

Completely fair point, but I don't know how relevant this is to me. Traffic in the Puget Sound region begins about 3:30am every day, and ends about 9:00pm each evening. Between those times, you are looking at considerable delays. So while I don't have to drive 150 miles to get to the big city, I still have to drive 1.5-2 hours each way to reach the big city.

I LOVE the Puget Sound area and would also love to live there, but even as an outsider I've seen how bad the commutes are. Not great on the interstates, plus it's not flat like Chicagoland, so you end up with more choke points. The area desperately needs some improved public transit to/from the suburbs.

I think I would enjoy moving back to a big city area, but my goal would be to live and work within walking distance. Mostly to avoid long commutes, but I could use the exercise, too

layerup wrote:

Aranarth wrote:

... and my last 58mile 1 hour commute to work...
Even driving a Cruze Diesel and averaging 42mpg a tank for the commute it was costing up to $2500/yr in gas.

Man, I am living in the wrong part of the country... I live 13 miles from work, spend over an hour each way on an interstate commute....

How abt one of these?:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0792HSRRQ/?c ... _lig_dp_it

$1800 e-bike that goes 28mph...

morphine wrote:

Congratulations!

As long as your monetary needs are fulfilled, time >>> money.

(it is also a 20% pay raise...)

I'll be home later but i can also sleep in an hour during the summer

defaultluser wrote:

layerup wrote:

Aranarth wrote:

... and my last 58mile 1 hour commute to work...
Even driving a Cruze Diesel and averaging 42mpg a tank for the commute it was costing up to $2500/yr in gas.

Man, I am living in the wrong part of the country... I live 13 miles from work, spend over an hour each way on an interstate commute....

But in exchange, you don't have to drive 3+ hours just to find big city entertainment. Big Rapids is an hour outside of Grand Rapids (pretty small city), and almost four hours away from Chicago.

The roads aren't always choked with traffic, no matter where you live. And when you're not commuting, I'm guessing you're usually within 15-30 minutes of ...anything?

Big rapids is tiny as cities go. we are an hour from everywhere. Cadillac, Muskegon, Mount Pleasant, Grand Rapids... you name it.

Aranarth wrote:

morphine wrote:

As long as your monetary needs are fulfilled, time >>> money.

(it is also a 20% pay raise...)

Well that's a double win then -- double congratulations!

I would totally live out in the boonies if I could still have a 10-20 minute commute. As it is I'm on the edge of suburban Minneapolis...there's farms ten minutes away, but they're *very expensive* farms due to being so close to the local tech-sector bubble and so not really an option for a single engineering salary.

just brew it! wrote:

Aranarth wrote:

morphine wrote:

As long as your monetary needs are fulfilled, time >>> money.

(it is also a 20% pay raise...)

Well that's a double win then -- double congratulations!

thanks!

NovusBogus wrote:

I would totally live out in the boonies if I could still have a 10-20 minute commute. As it is I'm on the edge of suburban Minneapolis...there's farms ten minutes away, but they're *very expensive* farms due to being so close to the local tech-sector bubble and so not really an option for a single engineering salary.

I'm so far out in the boonies I have an Amish farm right across road from me and more up the road both east and west.
Becky's family farm is 80 acres and She and I own about 3 acres of it.

Sure I can see STARS at night but I'm also on a wisp with 5mpbs down 750kbs up.
But there is fiber close by in town (2 miles) and if I can find someone willing to have a tower on their land maybe I can use 900mhz wireless link to get me 70Mbps.