Remember, The Commute is an Important Factor to Consider

Commuting can be a taxing ordeal. A one-hour commute or even longer is an unfortunate fact of life for many people, but it adds a lot of dead time to your day. If you're forced to travel by car, you can't even spend time relaxing or working during the long commute, so it's important to consider how far you may have to commute each day.

A one-hour commute adds two hours to your workday. This means you'll end up being away from your family longer. Likewise, a two-hour commute means that your 9 to 5 ends up being a 7 to 7, a 12-hour day. But time isn't the only consideration. Pay is, too.

If you're getting paid $1,000 per week to work 40 hours, you have to consider how that breaks down when you add in the commute. A one-hour commute adds an extra 10 hours onto your work week. That turns a $25 per hour wage into a $20 per hour wage, which is a big difference.

If you're driving, you have to consider the price of gas. A one-hour commute might mean traveling 30 miles at relatively low efficiency, perhaps 20 miles to the gallon. If gas hits the $4 mark, you're paying around $12 per day to get to and from work. That's around $3,000 per year, which is a big hit to your final salary. If you're taking public transport, consider how much you need to spend on fare. According to io9, around 10.8 million workers fall into the one-hour commute or longer bracket, and a survey of Nexxt members indicated that around 27 percent of those surveyed commuted for more than 25 minutes.

So how can you mitigate the effects of a long commute? The most obvious is to change your job, but that can be difficult for many people. Another option is to consider having a small apartment in which to live in the city but to spend the weekends at home. In some cases, the cost of the gas and the extra time you have available to work can mitigate the actual cost of the apartment. You might also consider shifting your hours, particularly if you get caught in long traffic jams. A one-hour difference in work times could turn a one-hour commute into a 30-minute commute. Finally, you could request to work longer days but work a four-day week. This essentially cuts your weekly commute by 20 percent.

Ultimately, a one-hour commute or longer can be hard on you and your family. While many people consider only the pay offered for the 40 hours of work, you should also consider how much it costs you in time, effort and money to get to work.

(Photo courtesy of naypong / freedigitalphotos.net)