Is moving worth the gas prices?
I just heard on my local news that thousands of people are moving closer in to the cites to save on gas. The statistic is that people are saving as much as $400 per month by moving into the city and cutting their commuting time. But how much are they spending on moving costs and closing costs and stress of moving and up rooting the kids ????
I am hoping the gas prices will go down at some point and then those people will have left homes they loved to battle the city might regret loosing the quiet of the outskirts for the bustle of city life. Then again, I can do a lot with $400 a month.
What do you think? Is this going to the extreme or does it make sense? Let us know.
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9 opinions for Is moving worth the gas prices?
Melissa
Jun 16, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I think it’s very extreme. Most folks could probably save more by cutting out those little extras (downgrade cable, turn off the lights, throw a tomato and green pepper plant in the ground, hang a couple of loads of laundry to dry).
Maria
Jun 16, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I think it makes sense. Gas prices are not going down, and if they do, it will only be a temporary change. The ‘burbs are no longer quiet and peaceful. Most of them are hustling and bustling just like the city. That being said, I live in midtown of a fairly decent sized city (Tulsa, OK), and in our neighborhood, it is a lot more calm and peaceful than “out south” (the edge of Tulsa and its burbs). Personally, I’d take the city any day.
Yvie
Jun 16, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I think you can also save on gas if you ride a public transportation. I don’t know if this helps but this is what we normally do here. We get too tired from long drives and thinks it’s much better than to buy a car and contribute more gas consumption.
Anyway, just a few cents of my thoughts. :D
e-zmovers
Jun 16, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Wow. Talk about extreme measures. Well, if you think about it, it’s an investment of sorts. With the price of gas increasing as I type this, this sounds like a good idea if you can handle a move.
Karen
Jun 16, 2008 at 9:41 pm
$400 a month is a lot of money to save. It will save time as well and wear and tear on your car. Your car depreciates a lot when you put a lot of miles on it too. Also, some insurance companies charge you according to how many miles you drive. So, it seems as though moving is saving more than just gas money.
A do-it-yourself move isn’t very expensive. You can usually do one for $700 or less.
Sonya
Jun 17, 2008 at 1:58 pm
My husband and I were lucky and just moved into Raleigh, NC in December of 2007. Granted, we spent literally years looking for the perfect property that was in the city but still felt like it was in the country. We now fill our tanks once a week, compared to twice a week. Our commute was trimmed from 25 miles to 7 miles each way. This is a savings of about $400 a month (not to mention time savings, also worth a lot).
Of course, this savings is going into the more expensive mortgage we now carry living in an area with higher property taxes, paying for water and sewer, etc. But the new life we have being closer to friends and family is well worth it, and the savings in gas is a nice bonus.
Nichole
Jun 17, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I drive an hour and 15 minutes to work, and spend about $400.00 a month in gas if I don’t carpool. Right now I can carpool so that saves me almost half of my gas cost and is great. At the same time, that 2 and a half hours I spend on the road every day is 12 and a half hours a week I could be spending with my family, or an hour a day I could sleep a little later rather than getting up at 4am. Sometimes the money savings isn’t the only pro to moving. I won’t move, but it sure sounds like a great solution!
Eliza
Jun 18, 2008 at 6:04 am
I think that’s the extreme. The hubby recently asked me the same thing. But here is my thoughts:
Sure you’ll save on gas but in exchange you’ll get more crime, worry, pay more in rent unless you live in a bad area, etc. In the end I really don’t think it is worth it, at least not for us. We have 6 in the family so living a bit away from the city is just right for us.
JayMonster
Jun 19, 2008 at 12:01 pm
1. It is better for the environment, overall. But I understand that this is not enough to motivate most people. So “more importantly” (on a popularity level at least)…
2. I think it is a good move because, wishful thinking aside… even if gas goes down again… down to where? $3.50? So it will certainly pay off in the long run. It is certainly better than some people I know in this area that rent apartments in Manhattan and simply stay there a couple of nights a week rather than going home every night.
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