how much does it cost you to work?

**disneysteve** · 03-21-2012, 11:50 AM

I live 8 miles from my office, so 16 round trip. It is mostly highway so less than a gallon of gas. Let's say $3/day for fuel.

I don't really have any other expenses on a daily basis. I pack my lunch (under $3) or get a free lunch at work a couple of times per week but I'd have to eat whether I worked or not.

I hardly ever buy clothes and don't have any special uniform or costly accessories required for my job.

I do have some licensing fees but my job reimburses me for those. The one thing I do pay for out of pocket is continuing education courses. I spend about $500 every 3 years for that.

BTW, I earn considerably more than $16/hour.

**BuckyBadger** · 03-21-2012, 12:01 PM

It costs me quite a bit to work. But I make quite a bit more while I'm at work, so it still makes sense. Between gas and the fact that I rent a room to stay at 2-3 nights a week when I'm at work it costs me about $8k a year to get to work. If you include association fees and continuing education, it gets pretty darn close to $10k a year.

To do the math your way, it knocks $4.81 off my "hourly wage," although I am salaried. That is 7.7% of my pay that goes to work expenses.

**bjl584** · 03-21-2012, 12:03 PM

I'm much like Steve.

I live 8 miles from work, so 16 round trip, or about a gallon of gas per day, $3.89.

I pack my lunch most days, so that'a only a couple dollars per day if that. I will say $3 to be conservative.

I don't have any special uniform, and we get free t shirts, so the only clothes I really need are an annual pair or pants or two and maybe shoes every other year or so. So, it would work out to pennies a day there.

So, I guess you could say that it "costs" me about $6 to $7 a day to work. Even if I didn't work I would still eat and I would probably still be driving someplace, so really it costs me the same everyday just to live.

**MonkeyMama** · 03-21-2012, 12:04 PM

My only regular expense is commuting, but my commute is about 8 miles each way, and we have very modest/fuel efficient vehicles, so the commute costs are pretty low. I guess a very similar boat all the way around, to Steve. High income and virtually no expenses to work. I mean, even my taxes are very low. My employer pays for all my professional fees.

That said, because of the tax code, and the costs of daycare, we made a very conscious decision that at some point it cost my dh like $40,000 per year to work. Most of that was daycare and taxes. I may pay little income tax on income, but a second income would be *slammed* with taxes. Anyway, we decided it wasn't worth paying $40k per year in expenses to work full time and gross $50k. IT was ridiculous. {Though this was just a temporary thing with two small kids - kids eventually outgrow daycare}.

So it would seem ridiculous to worry about the expense to work at my job, but I can totally relate to it being cost-prohibitive to work.

At lower income levels, it really does become a catch-22 with daycare. Where I live, daycare cost far more than minimum incomes. I know a number of moms who simply could not afford to work when their kids were very small.

**phantom** · 03-21-2012, 12:40 PM

My husband and I car pool, and getting both of us to and from work is 30-35 miles round-trip depending what route we take. The cost of gas varies depending on what car we take, how much time we spend sitting in traffic, and the price of gas, but I'd guess we're around $8/day.

I don't think the price of our meals are significantly impacted by the fact that we work. Nor are our wardrobes. My husband wears the same clothes to work that he wears on weekends, and my work clothes cost the same as my normal clothes.

**greenskeeper** · 03-21-2012, 12:52 PM

8 miles round trip, 50mpg TDI, $4.23/gal diesel

67 cents in fuel to get to work

car is long since paid for

free lunch at corporate office

uniforms/clothes provided

**GREENBACK** · 03-21-2012, 01:27 PM

I'm very fortunate to have a home office and an agency vehicle with gas paid for. Also get an allowance for the home office and an annual clothing allowance. I too make quite a bit more than $16 an hour. I almost always pack my lunch anymore and mostly drink water from home. Utilities in the winter are probably my biggest expense but I try to heat with a woodstove and keep other utility costs under control as much as possible.

**MonkeyMama** · 03-21-2012, 04:10 PM

I personally think a home office would cost me more. My spouse is home full-time, but I always notice a substantial uptick in gas and electricity when I am home. (Like, I actually turn on the lights and turn on the heat once in a while.

).

Of course, getting an allowance for a home office and/or car is a good deal! I was just wondering if working from home really saved that much for the average person. I suppose yes if they have a large commute - I just never have. When I did commute more I had a nice auto allowance that more than paid for it. It was more "travel for job" - otherwise I have never had more than a 10-mile commute.

**GREENBACK** · 03-21-2012, 05:29 PM

Originally posted by MonkeyMama View Post

I personally think a home office would cost me more. My spouse is home full-time, but I always notice a substantial uptick in gas and electricity when I am home. (Like, I actually turn on the lights and turn on the heat once in a while.

).

Of course, getting an allowance for a home office and/or car is a good deal! I was just wondering if working from home really saved that much for the average person. I suppose yes if they have a large commute - I just never have. When I did commute more I had a nice auto allowance that more than paid for it. It was more "travel for job" - otherwise I have never had more than a 10-mile commute.

A home office is a double edged sword in a way. No commuting costs but you have to manage costs at home. You are running utilities higher than you would if you were away. I am in and out quite a bit so I minimize on utility use. I have become savvy over the years on making it work for me and, as stated, it greatly helps to have the allowances. A commute somewhere might save me a few bucks but I don't think it's a coincidence that I can make vehicles last a long time with minimal repairs or maintenance.

**dawnwes** · 03-21-2012, 05:52 PM

Do you do the Audio Digests? My dad does and got a free ipad for signing up again last year. He gave it to me!

I think it was more than $500 for 3 years though. He doesn't actually pay for it though, his work does.

Dawn

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I live 8 miles from my office, so 16 round trip. It is mostly highway so less than a gallon of gas. Let's say $3/day for fuel.

I don't really have any other expenses on a daily basis. I pack my lunch (under $3) or get a free lunch at work a couple of times per week but I'd have to eat whether I worked or not.

I hardly ever buy clothes and don't have any special uniform or costly accessories required for my job.

I do have some licensing fees but my job reimburses me for those. The one thing I do pay for out of pocket is continuing education courses. I spend about $500 every 3 years for that.

BTW, I earn considerably more than $16/hour.

**dawnwes** · 03-21-2012, 05:56 PM

I am not currently working. Dh drives 12 miles to the train station and pays $54 for a train pass per month. Considering the train is an additional 13 miles and parking at his job is over $200/mo, we are doing fine. We save wear and tear and save the $250 or so for parking.

Gas is about $70/mo, train pass around $54.

He also takes his own lunch unless he gets work to pay for it. We buy/find 2nd hand almost new clothing as he wears polo shirts and Docker's khakis every day.

He makes far more than $16/hour. I would too if I were working.

Dawn

**disneysteve** · 03-21-2012, 06:52 PM

Originally posted by dawnwes View Post

Do you do the Audio Digests? My dad does and got a free ipad for signing up again last year.

No I don't but I get that free iPad offer at least once a month.
I prefer in person programs. There is a conference I attend about once every 3 years in Atlantic City. Of course due to the location it sometimes costs me a lot more and other years cost me nothing at all.

**dawnwes** · 03-21-2012, 07:19 PM

well, he didn't even want the free ipad. He asked if I wanted it for my birthday last year!

He has done audio digest for the past 40+ years! He is disappointed that they will soon be discontinuing their cassettes as he has a cassette player they gave him 30 years ago that allows him to listen in half the time. Really he makes me laugh as he is pretty much retired and doesn't even need to do this anymore. I asked him what prevented him from listening to CDs in actual time as he has nowhere he needs to be now. He just feels it is a waste of time to listen if it isn't in a faster tempo.

Dawn

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

No I don't but I get that free iPad offer at least once a month.
I prefer in person programs. There is a conference I attend about once every 3 years in Atlantic City. Of course due to the location it sometimes costs me a lot more and other years cost me nothing at all.

**MiaVitug** · 03-21-2012, 07:43 PM

I commute to/from work which only requires riding two modes of transportation.. It's no biggie but the food joints near our office are usually pricey.. Well it's a business district anyway.. Although there are cheaper food alternatives.. but I don't think it's healthy to eat them daily. I think I used to spend at least 20-30% of my salary on the cost of going to/from work + lunch.

Now, I pack my own lunch sometimes which is cheaper and healthier as I can really watch what I eat. I just make sure I include a week's worth of lunch whenever I grocery shop. I think I currently spend only at least 10-20% of my salary on the cost of going to/from work + lunch.

how much does it cost you to work?