Big decision to be made here. I’ve been offered a job which includes 2 days a week in Windsor, now that is fine, but currently live and work in county Durham, ican spend the remaining days working at home, apart from the days wheni need to be out on the road anyway. The job pays over 25k more than i am on. Does anyone work ina simlilar way? Anyone got an idea of the real costs? E.g. Train, accom. food etc?

Sometimes you just have to do it. Think of the money, 25k is a lot to turn down.

It is a lot, but it might all go on increased expenses, leaving me with less than a qurter of that after taxes and increased expenses. Maybe

2 days is 1 night – so block book a travel-lodge etc.

Drive down and back, probably easiest/cheapest/quickest.

Western edge of the m25 so at least you have the a1, m1 or m40 as options if you drive. Rather you than me though.

I would totally buy a stealth campervan and gym membership for this.

That’s 3 good insights, in reality 2 days would more likely be 2 nights, I need to do 2 full days and report in on time each day. but block booking might drop prices. Trains look expensive, no matter how far ahead one books, so far. Driving is agood option, but it is 5 hours, the train is 4 hours, but i could get work done there.

My fiancees brother works similar, he used to block book a travelodge but now has discovered a B&B he uses every week. He uses the train and works on it rather than driving and gets a lift when he arrives. Rather him than me but he enjoys the commute and doesn’t mind been sway from the family for 2 nights. Depends on if the £25k, tax and extra travel is worth it to you and how stable etc you see the new job. Back when I was single, I used to go to London once a week with work and stay with a female friend overnight in her one bed flat… Which sweetened the whole commute deal. Good luck.

It sounds fairly epic but I guess it’s just a question of getting used to it. That drive would not be a go-er for me, but I could see the train working if you were organised. Is the 2 days set in stone – because maybe you could start off doing it, then once you’ve made yourself indispensible you could start to reduce the Windsor trips.

Not a cat in hell’s chance I would do thta. What’s your family life like? It may be 25k but Windsor is ridiculously expensive, travel lodge still be expensive, pain in the butt to get there and around as so close to London and no matter what the weather is always full of tourists. Rather you than me.

25k would be about 12.5k by the time you get it.

(taxes, NI, etc.)

£1k / month.

£250/wk…

how much for a travelodge/BnB?

how much for fuel/train fare?

it sounds like a lot of faff, for not a lot more in your pocket. just do 2evenings a week waitering in a local restaurant, you’ll make £100/wk in wages+tips…

(i used to to 2days/week in Newcastle, travelling from sheffield, staying in the hotel under the bridge, all things considered, it was a crap experience)

I’m seeing a general trend appearing here. Family life is good at the moment, but with 2 young kids 9ish, it would entail a big lifestyle change.

I commute to turin every week, 3am start on a Monday to get from leeds to stansted etc… .
I gets some weeks at home occasionally and equally some fortnights in the states which are fortunately paid for and I can fly from the uk.

It takes all my time and money and i never get to see my family.

I would take that job without thinking. Sounds simple, find a friendly b+b that will look after you and let the train take the strain. Its worth 25k and what is probably a better job on the whole. You won’t need to do it for ever.

i am guessing that your currently a higher rate tax payer so the whole of that 25k is going to be hammered.
Durham to windsor is according to Google 270miles, so 540 there and back. take a reasonably efficient diesel and that is 10gallons a week. if we say £1:40 a litre, £6.30 a gallon, so for arguments sake £60 a week there and back, 48 times a year, to allow for some holidays. Your looking in excess of £3k in fuel plus the costs of servicing, wear and tear, tyres, etc, etc. Obviously you may be able to claim something depending on the package you get.

you could choose the train, but it won’t be much cheaper, and unless you can book ahead and stick to off peak trains it will cost more.

on top of that food and accommodation when your there. and that £25k won’t disappear, but not a lot will actually make it to you.

And i haven’t even considered what the extra time away from home will mean for family life. To be honest if the job is that good would it not be more sensible to move to windsor? Little things like partner getting ill, needing to get home in a hurry etc.

For the record i did 6months living in a hotel during the week, all expenses paid for, it made sense at the time but it isn’t a thing i would choose to do.

£62 each way and 4 hrs cheapest fares – train does allow you to relax, read a paper , have a beer as appropriate.

As the others have said – even £25 000 will not go far – £15 000 or so after tax

£5000 pa on your car in wear and tear, an extra 10 hours a week in a train / car plus two nights away from home – 3 nights traveleodge plus dinner and a beer – say £100 a week min ( probably a lot more) £5000 pa?

So – that you spend 2 nights away from home plus 10 hrs a week travelling for £5000 pa net Not for me unless there is another very good reason to do it like a year of it gets you to a place to make a lot more dosh or have a much easier life

you wouldn’t do it forever? now that’s where I think you’re wrong! Once people get used to the higer salary, their live to their means they are they too afraid to give up the job as they are used to all that money. now you’ve said you have 2 kids I definately think it’s a no no. What does your wife/partner think? If Mr MC was looking at it I would let him make the decision but I wouldn’t want him doing that. how knackered are you going to be when you get back? yes it may only entail 2 nights away but on that 3rd night when you get home late, have to unpack, doing the washing, all you’ll want to do is go to sleep when all the Ms will want to do is catch up, chat and have some hugs. No way but JMO.

I live in Co Durham and commute to Guildford on a Tuesday morning and return on a Thursday afternoon and have done for the last 15 years, fairly straight forward

Anywhere between 5 and 7 hours [most times 5.5]
I’m on a car allowance and get the fuel paid so not an issue cost wise
TBH – it’s motorway door to door pretty much and an easy enough drive, I sometimes stop for a pee at Watford Gap but most times don’t stop at all
The bottom of the M1 and the M25 can be a pain so I nearly always get off the M1 at 15a and head towards the M40 on the A43 and join the M25 from that.

It really isn’t too much of a pain if you manage the rush hours and try to hit them North of Nottingham

the train is 4 hours

And the rest after swapping from KX to Paddington and then onto Windsor.

Still would only be 1 night if I was paying – leave at 5am, arrive when you do – leave after the 2nd day. I did many longer journeys when the kids were young.

Money aint everything and how would your kids feel missing out on Dad being around as they grow up?

They’d probably be glad of the break! 🙄

According to national rail.

Train leaving Darlington @ 17:26 arriving @ Windsor @ 21:30 on a Tuesday
Returning @ 17:30 arriving @ Darlington @ 21:19. £60

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/DAR/Windsor/190612/2130/arr/210612/1730/dep

Laterooms.com gives a smallish selection for £100 per night budget although I’m sure you could get cheap block booking in advance. Premier inn gives similar results

Lets be generous and assume you can get a room cheaper such that £100 per day covers accommodation and evening meal. Then £260 per week.

260 * 48 = £12,480

Assuming higher rate tax if your pay rise is £25k

0.6*£25k = £15,000. Less some N.I at whatever rate.

= £2,520 in your pocket. (- N.I.)

Could you convince your employer to give you less pay but cover some / all of the costs? This could results in a better deal for you and them as they could book the costs out to expenses and you end up with more in your pocket.

Lets say the pay rise way only £10k

£10,000 * 0.6 = £6,000 in your pocket (-N.I).

They save paying you £15,000 + the employers N.I contributions. They Have £12,480 to offset against tax. So you are saving them £2,520 + employers N.I contributions.

I’m obviously not an accountant thought so don’t know how benefits in kind e.t.c would come into this.

I’m obviously not an accountant thought so don’t know how benefits in kind e.t.c would come into this.

Oooh! Would they pay for that too?

those train times are all good and well but how often are the trains cancelled, late or stopped because of a jumper? I have a mate who took a year contract in London from Oxford already she is sick of the hour train commute because of lack of regular running trains.

I’m obviously not an accountant thought so don’t know how benefits in kind e.t.c would come into this.

A travel expense isn’t a benefit, tho, surely?

Munqe-chick – Member
those train times are all good and well but how often are the trains cancelled, late or stopped because of a jumper? I have a mate who took a year contract in London from Oxford already she is sick of the hour train commute because of lack of regular running trains.

You could say just the same about driving, at least on the long train journey you can relax. Regular long drives like that become hell and dangerous.

A travel expense isn’t a benefit, tho, surely?

That’s my point, I have not idea about how these things work, under some circumstances it might in some way I just don’t know.

I wouldnt do it unless i had a mate with a spare room at the other end. Its either soul destroyingly boring or very hard on the liver and pocket working away from home.

TheBrick I am not disagreeing with you however at least on motorways you can potentially come lover and go another route once on the train you are stuck.

A travel expense isn’t a benefit, tho, surely?

It is if it’s for travel between your home and your “normal place of work”. Have a look at the guidance linked from here:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim10000.htm

and in particular this one:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM10030.htm

it might all go on increased expenses

Might? Don’t you know? Sit down and work it out, then you can make an informed decision. Work out the logistics; how will you get there, when will you stay over, etc etc. When you have that info, it should be a lot clearer as to what you should do. Too many variables otherwise.

The other thing of course is, can you do it for a period of time? Eg, go get a 25k salary boost for two years, squirrel it all away, then go back to the easy life with several thousand in disposable income in the bank to spend with your family.

If i had £50k squirreled away, why would i go back to the family??? 😀

I know, i could work it all out, but often these things settle at a price which is very different from initial calculations. Just wanted to hear what other experiences were.