commuting from Monument/North COS? (Denver, Center: house, construction, wages)

[lonestar9918]

I like to drive. I enjoy the private time in the car to listen to music or get deep in thought. An hour long commute sounds like an hour of free-time to me, and with a house full of kids..time to hear myself think is at a premium!

That being said...is it just completely insane to imagine that I could commute 3 days a week into Denver for work at one of the major hospitals?

Do you know of any other residents in the Monument or northern COS that do/have done such a thing?
My wife would NEVER do it, she hates driving..But as someone who truly enjoys riding down the highway with Pandora playing...is it do-able in your opinion??

Let me say the reason I want to know is because it would be great to be able to consider opportunities in both metros' hospitals.

[ryanek9freak]

I actually enjoy it too, and I would do it, if it werent for horrible gas prices.

[lurtsman]

It might be cheaper for you to leave the house an hour early and sit in a park. You'd still get quiet time instead of being with your family

As a side note: You may want to compare wages. You may be surprised. We were considering living between the two so my wife could work in Denver. We found the wages were higher in the springs, and that is where we wanted to live long term. If you are getting 20MPG and driving 80 miles to work, you are spending 4 gallons each way, which becomes 32 dollars per day. If you are a surgeon that may be pocket change, but if you are working as a nurse that might be more than you can spend on a driving habit.

PS. If parts of this seemed sarcastic, it was intended If you love driving you may be able to enjoy it, but it is a very expensive habit to you and to the rest of society (which has to build roads and pay for the increase in demand for gas). It seems the root issue here may be working on ways to enjoy your home life. Otherwise if you just need to escape the parks may be a much cheaper option. If you have a family emergency, you can adjust your schedule if your 1 hour of private time is in a park. If your car breaks down (a legitimate possibility with that kind of mileage), you would have much better options to still make it into work. Some people enjoy this, but I'd be very cautious. There is also a large risk of traffic problems that could interfere with your ability to be routinely on time.

[Charlie M.]

I made the drive from the Monument/ Tri Lakes area to Denver for 20+ yrs running a construction business. If you work in the south metro area the drive normally is no big deal. But going thru Denver is another story. Fuel costs can be high and time on the road if there are accidents can be long.
Some jobs pay much better in the Denver area and may make it worth your while. Others don't, so do your research.

[lonestar9918]

Originally Posted by lurtsman

It might be cheaper for you to leave the house an hour early and sit in a park. You'd still get quiet time instead of being with your family

As a side note: You may want to compare wages. You may be surprised. We were considering living between the two so my wife could work in Denver. We found the wages were higher in the springs, and that is where we wanted to live long term. If you are getting 20MPG and driving 80 miles to work, you are spending 4 gallons each way, which becomes 32 dollars per day. If you are a surgeon that may be pocket change, but if you are working as a nurse that might be more than you can spend on a driving habit.

PS. If parts of this seemed sarcastic, it was intended If you love driving you may be able to enjoy it, but it is a very expensive habit to you and to the rest of society (which has to build roads and pay for the increase in demand for gas). It seems the root issue here may be working on ways to enjoy your home life. Otherwise if you just need to escape the parks may be a much cheaper option. If you have a family emergency, you can adjust your schedule if your 1 hour of private time is in a park. If your car breaks down (a legitimate possibility with that kind of mileage), you would have much better options to still make it into work. Some people enjoy this, but I'd be very cautious. There is also a large risk of traffic problems that could interfere with your ability to be routinely on time.

lol. my comments on getting quiet time from the kiddos was kidding around..although it can be a circus, i wouldn't have it any other way. But I did laugh my tail off about your suggestion of it being cheaper to go sit in the park. Had to read that one to my wife and she got a kick out of it too.
Yes I will be working as an RN not a surgeon so $32/day 3 times a week or more is nothing to ignore. I would not make the commute just for a better wage though, I was just thinking it may allow me to have more choice of facility and specialty etc. (Basically trying to be a chooser in a quasi beggar's position!lol)

Anyway thanks for the input

[lonestar9918]

Originally Posted by Charlie M.

I made the drive from the Monument/ Tri Lakes area to Denver for 20+ yrs running a construction business. If you work in the south metro area the drive normally is no big deal. But going thru Denver is another story. Fuel costs can be high and time on the road if there are accidents can be long.
Some jobs pay much better in the Denver area and may make it worth your while. Others don't, so do your research.

Yeah I was thinking the south half of the metro MAY be an option but figured transversing the city would be too much. My wife thinks anything over 20 minutes is too much for her but her commute to the hospital is like literally 7 minutes lol.

[Maynerd]

I commute from North COS to the Denver Federal Center twice per week. It's no big deal at all. I'm in a carpool, so I only burn the gas once a week. There are a ton of people on the road every morning who do this trip daily. Some in carpools, some in organized Ride-Share vans, many on their own.