Daily commute is 1.5 hours each way by public transport. 75% of that time is useful. Net result is 5 * 2 * 1.5 = 15 hours spent sitting on the train each week, of which just(1 - 0.25) * 15 = 3.75 is wasted (mainly in changing from one vehicle to the next). This, superficially, doesn't sound so bad. My employer is understanding so I travel outside rush hour so I always get a seat and can do stuff on my laptop. This means that I arrive at the office late and leave the office late. My colleagues just say that I work in a slightly different time zone.
What really kicks hard is that when you're at work you're 1.5 hours from home, the simple stuff - like going to the supermarket or the post office - becomes complicated. I leave before the supermarket opens, and I get home after it closes. Tricky things like being at home in the morning to receive a parcel become really complicated and end up costing much more than half a day.
tl;dr the math is good, but the model is too simple. Living a commuting life costs more than you'd calculate.
One thing I do is get deliveries sent to my office instead of my house. That definitely makes receiving stuff a whole lot easier, if your employer will let you do it.
It depends on how many times a year you have to ship things to your home. And even for them, I try to have it scheduled around the weekends.
Going to supermarket is another thing, but I mostly purchase the stuff during weekends. So very rarely I have to make a purchase during the weekday. And those are things that I try to get from the nearest convenient store.
Comments
Reasonable math. Personal anecdotal support:
Daily commute is 1.5 hours each way by public transport. 75% of that time is useful. Net result is 5 * 2 * 1.5 = 15 hours spent sitting on the train each week, of which just(1 - 0.25) * 15 = 3.75 is wasted (mainly in changing from one vehicle to the next). This, superficially, doesn't sound so bad. My employer is understanding so I travel outside rush hour so I always get a seat and can do stuff on my laptop. This means that I arrive at the office late and leave the office late. My colleagues just say that I work in a slightly different time zone.
What really kicks hard is that when you're at work you're 1.5 hours from home, the simple stuff - like going to the supermarket or the post office - becomes complicated. I leave before the supermarket opens, and I get home after it closes. Tricky things like being at home in the morning to receive a parcel become really complicated and end up costing much more than half a day.
tl;dr the math is good, but the model is too simple. Living a commuting life costs more than you'd calculate.
One thing I do is get deliveries sent to my office instead of my house. That definitely makes receiving stuff a whole lot easier, if your employer will let you do it.
For many items, you still need shipping home.
The only thing that we've absolutely had to have shipped home was delivered furniture.
It depends on how many times a year you have to ship things to your home. And even for them, I try to have it scheduled around the weekends. Going to supermarket is another thing, but I mostly purchase the stuff during weekends. So very rarely I have to make a purchase during the weekday. And those are things that I try to get from the nearest convenient store.