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The question tho is simply: Are they happier? If you spend 2 hours in transit... or 20 minutes. If you "invest" or "spend on frivolities"... If you use your ti

The question tho is simply: Are they happier? If you spend 2 hours in transit... or 20 minutes. If you "invest" or "spend on frivolities"... If you use your time more productively instead of sitting on a bus/in a car... While the trade off might not make sense to you, it obviously does make sense to the GP. I live on family property... and it would actually cost more (no rent/mortgage... vs something new) to live close to work, but I would get ~2 hours of driving (~1 each way) if I moved closer. Due to a variety of reasons, I stay where I'm at. Due to a variety of reasons, other people choose to move closer. Just because they aren't super efficient (wasting money/time, as you seem to suggest), doesn't mean they aren't better off with that decision.

koolba 11y ago
> The question tho is simply: Are they happier? Having done both (short and long commutes), I'd say yes, but only in the short term. There's a distinct joy in not taking any form of powered transit to work. You feel it with every step you take walking in the mornings. Eventually that joy wears off though as you realize that you haven't saved squat over the past N years and if that trend continues, you'll eventually get priced out of renting too!
- wernercd 11y ago
  While I understand what you are saying - Short commutes and not making forward progress lead to short term happiness - not everyone agrees with you. Growing up, I lived closer to where I worked... I'd walk or bike to work. Getting older, I moved around and anything I've done in the longest time requires "long" commutes (30-60 minutes each way). I've been on both sides and am fine with either. Given a slightly modified set of circumstances, I would probably pay a bit more to shave an hour or two off my commute... the added time and lessened stress (so many bad drivers on the roads... more time to play CoD...) would be worth it. I am lucky enough to live on Family Property - so the economic benefits of having zero rent/mortgage can't be understated (and is a major reason I commute) but it does come at an expense in time commuting.
- jschwartzi 11y ago
  I gained 50 pounds over the course of a year spent with a commute pof 1.5 hours one way. For all my interest in owning a house, I'd rather not be morbidly obese because I've given up all the time I have to work out. The only solution I have is to live close to work, and that means renting.

koolba 11y ago

> The question tho is simply: Are they happier? Having done both (short and long commutes), I'd say yes, but only in the short term. There's a distinct joy in not taking any form of powered transit to work. You feel it with every step you take walking in the mornings. Eventually that joy wears off though as you realize that you haven't saved squat over the past N years and if that trend continues, you'll eventually get priced out of renting too!

wernercd 11y ago
While I understand what you are saying - Short commutes and not making forward progress lead to short term happiness - not everyone agrees with you. Growing up, I lived closer to where I worked... I'd walk or bike to work. Getting older, I moved around and anything I've done in the longest time requires "long" commutes (30-60 minutes each way). I've been on both sides and am fine with either. Given a slightly modified set of circumstances, I would probably pay a bit more to shave an hour or two off my commute... the added time and lessened stress (so many bad drivers on the roads... more time to play CoD...) would be worth it. I am lucky enough to live on Family Property - so the economic benefits of having zero rent/mortgage can't be understated (and is a major reason I commute) but it does come at an expense in time commuting.
jschwartzi 11y ago
I gained 50 pounds over the course of a year spent with a commute pof 1.5 hours one way. For all my interest in owning a house, I'd rather not be morbidly obese because I've given up all the time I have to work out. The only solution I have is to live close to work, and that means renting.