covid chaning our habits

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Obviously this is not a long term pandemic for years. We haven't changed our life long term to live locked down. However it is possible that we have changed the way we work. We might be working from home more. We might move further because we can and commuting to an office is more palatable.

Do you think that people will move further out and buy mcmansions and be happier and content? Do you think they will stick with it or will they regret it in say 3 years and move in closer? Do you think that people are buying more cars because they do not want to take public transit or are they more likely to sell a car because they realize they don't need a second car?

I was contemplating the idea of a bigger home. We won't be doing it for a few years and personally I doubt we'd ever move out further for bigger. We'd just figure out a way to get bigger. But my cousin is looking at buying. They are looking further out than ever. They can get a lot more house than they ever imagined for the same amount of money. They said they are making the bet they never have to go back to the office full time. I am unsure about this. I think if you do move say 1 hour or more away and plan on commuting to the office 1x/week it could hard if you switch jobs or to contemplate leaving the situation you are in.

I realized we also don't need a second car. But it's a sunk cost so we might as well keep our second car. The real question is do we need a minivan? Or sedan? The sedan is what I use to run any errands. But the minivan is super useful right now for building an office shed and just hauling stuff. DH went to the dump and disposed off 632 lbs of stuff yesterday from building the shed. Can't fit that in a small sedan. Just like can't haul 4x8 drywall or insulation or cement or anything else. So i see getting rid of it as a moot point. It also made me realize that there is no point in buying a nicer and newer car anytime soon. Did consider getting rid of your during this time? Or buying one?

[disneysteve]

I'm seeing some reports of people relocating. I don't know how big of a shift that will ultimately be. People who live in the big city usually do so for a lot of reasons, like proximity to shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Sure you can get more house for your dollar a hundred miles away but you sacrifice all of that stuff.

If you have a job that can be done well remotely, and you have nothing else tying you to a specific location anymore (kids, family, friends, etc.), then you may be more likely to pick up and move somewhere else. Personally, that doesn't apply as my job requires me to be there in person every day, my mom lives 3 miles away, and our daughter's job is also hands on in person, so we're not going anywhere.

[kork13]

Overall, I don't think it's dramatically changing our habits for the long term. Once all of this finally blows over, we're gonna go back to traveling, eating out, having friends over for dinner/games, and so on...

But mindset? Likely. At least personally, I grew up in Guam where close personal interaction is a way of life. The concept of a "personal bubble" has always been completely foreign for me. I think that has been the biggest change in all of this for me, but I'm no longer having to consciously think about staying on the other side of the room, or sitting with plenty of space away from others..... and I'm not sure that I'll be able/willing/wanting to go back to what I'm used to.

On a societal level, I think we'll see alot more opportunities for people to work remotely, and I expect college attendance will also reflect that reality. I also think that the migration away from big urban areas into less populous areas will also last (smaller cities are not nearly as bad as urbanites scornfully insist).

[ua_guy]

I agree one of the lasting changes from covid is going to be remote work. There remains many jobs which cannot be done remotely, so, no change there. But for those jobs that can be done remotely, I see good possibilities there for both employers and employees.

A small town up north/central part of the state feels like "the future" to me. A lot of city people have moved there because they've been offered perm remote work by their employers in the big city. Local businesses are thriving and expanding because of the influx of population.The old-timers/natives are pissed because they say the place is being over-run by idiots from the city. But the city people have come there for a lower cost of living, more space, the natural beauty (it's in the mountains). They don't commute but they do spend their money in town and are changing the trajectory of that small community and it's happening elsewhere too.

I do know some people who will never live in the city again. They were bored out of their minds in lockdown, and since businesses were closed, that meant no extension of their small living quarters, nowhere to spread out. Public transit became ostensibly dangerous and they had nowhere to keep a vehicle. Basically confined to an apartment, and they've said never again.

With remote work, my husband and I took the opportunity to travel some this year in our RV while we worked. It was a unique experience - one I hope we can do bigger/better when the world is "open" again, if we can be granted full time remote.

[bjl584]

I work with people who have moved because they are now allowed to work remotely permanently.
We are in Pittsburgh, and one of our employees now does their job from South Carolina
I expect to see more and more of this

[HundredK]

We both already have worked from home for a long time, and in the last few years, I restructured my business so I don't even have to travel for work. So there has only been one big change I've noticed in habits, and it's that now everyone MUST meet on video chats instead of just emailing or text-based chat. It makes me crazy to be honest. And I don't know if that's a thing that will go away once people go back to the office (if they even do). But I don't understand this newfound need people have for video interactions. Probably because I'm a big old introvert at heart. I liked it a lot better sans video.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I work with people who have moved because they are now allowed to work remotely permanently.
We are in Pittsburgh, and one of our employees now does their job from South Carolina
I expect to see more and more of this

Do you expect it to be premanent? Or will that change once people can go back>

[Snicks]

We are basically a family of introverts so our life hasn't changed dramatically. We live in a rural area, so eating out a lot isn't really part of our lives. We mostly eat at home. We like more solitary activities and have a simple life. I would like to be able to go to some live events however, like concerts, sports events and so forth.

[WendyParr]

Hello! I also agree with you guys, covid influenced the work and showed that those who work at home will always be in the black. To be honest, I think that group immunity should be developed, but in order not to get sick, you need to follow all the safety rules. The office is a crowded room where anyone who was there could get infected. I also worked in the office, but there was constant disinfection. Because this office osdoro.com.sg non-permanent, for rent. Consequently, the people there were constantly changing, and this is dangerous these days. But still, I'm glad that I was allowed to work at home.