Honking horns, congested lanes, and endless time spent stopped at red lights—daily commutes are hardly the highlight of anyone’s day. Even worse, for many, there are little-to-no ways to eliminate the boredom of weekday drives to work. However, there may be one solution that you haven’t considered: moving to reduce your daily commute.
Advantages of Moving to Reduce Your Daily Commute
Moving to reduce your daily commute comes with a whole host of advantages. If you find a home base closer to your job, you can look forward to the following benefits:
- More time with loved ones. Each year, you’ll spend hundreds—or thousands—of hours driving to and from work. This is time that you could spend with your loved ones—and it’s lost to days upon days of sitting in an unmoving lane. However, moving residences can shave off days of time.
- More rest in the morning. In the morning when your alarm goes off, you probably wish you could have just 15 more minutes of rest. With a shorter commute, that wish is a reality.
- More money saved on gas. When you’re driving every day, you probably keep an eye on your gas gauge. If you drive frequently, then you’ll also notice how often the needle veers towards empty—and that you’re spending a large amount of money on gas each week. By slicing time from your commute, you can also expect to consistently save money over time.
- Going home for lunch. If you have a long commute, going home for lunch is a pipe dream. If you live closer to your house, however, you can eat food from your kitchen and save on meals. You can also let out the dog, get a chore done or two, and start dinner in the Crock Pot before you head back to work. That means that when you get home, you have even more time to relax and unwind.
Doing the Math
Before you make your decision about moving to reduce your daily commute, it’s important to assess the impact of your choice. So, it’s time to do the math.
Let’s say that you decide to move 15 minutes closer to your job. That means that you will save half an hour of driving each day. Multiply that by 50 weeks a year (we’re not counting two weeks of vacation time) and five days a week. That totals 7,500 minutes, or 125 hours. That means that moving 15 minutes closer to your job will give you 5.2 days’ worth of extra time each year.
Though the average person commutes for about half an hour a day, some may commute for even longer. If you eliminate an hour from your daily commute, you will save 10.4 days a year. For those who have an even lengthier drive, shaving two hours off of your commute will save you 20.8 days a year. That’s nearly three weeks!
Got lost in the numbers? We’ll sum them up! Moving to reduce your commute can give you back an average of 5.2 days a year. Those with longer commutes could save anywhere from 10.4 to 20.8 days a year—or more.
Conclusion
Moving to reduce your daily commute means that you can enjoy more: more time in the year, more days with your loved ones, and more money saved each week. However, we understand that it might not always be feasible. You’ll also need to consider the cost of living closer to your job vs. farther away and the quality of the area closer to your work vs. where you live now.
If you’re ready to relocate, Ryan Roberts can help you buy or sell in the Auburn, Opelika, and Lake Martin area. Fill out our contact form to begin. Finally, to learn more about the world of real estate, visit our blog.