<prompt> Human: I am a cook, and where I live most jobs in my profession start at 9 an hour and cap out at 14ish tops. So I found a pretty easy gig for a corporate dining company that pays me 16 per hour. The hours work really well for my family life, the work is pretty easy and the company isnt too bad. The big issue is that it is a 45 minute commute up some mountains. I cant afford to live closer to work because rents in this area would basically be my entire paycheck not including utilities. My paychecks are around 1100 every 2 weeks for 80ish hours. I am spending 25-35 on gas every couple of days that I work. I drive a small SUV that averages 23 mpg. My car payment is 280 a month and the insurance is around 120. I would havekeep this car if I didnt have the job anyways its also our family car I am trying to figure out how much I am really making after the cost of commuting and if it is worth taking an 10 an hour job thats within a couple miles of my home. Also finding a job with the hours i need might be really difficult. I have no clue how I should calculate that though, do I include the 1.5 hours of my time spent driving and at what rate? We have never been late for a bill and are saving a couple hundred each month with 8k in various savings accounts.  <response>: Based on the information you gave, your net pay is about 86 of your gross pay this seems high, but well go with it. You work 80 hours a pay period, plus 15 hours commuting assuming 5 days per week. If you buy gas four times every two weeks for work at 35 each time thats 140 on commuting gas. Im going to ignore the car payment and insurance, since you pay those regardless of the job. Based on that, your net hourly rate is really 10.11 1100-14095.If you take a job close to home for 10 and it takes you 15 minutes to get to work, then youre driving for 4 hours per pay period, and say you spend 35 on commuting gas per pay period, then youre netting 7.77hr 8000.86-3584These are pretty broad assumptions and they dont take into account wear and tear on the car which is a BIG cost. They also dont take into your level of satisfaction with your current job vs. a new job, or your increased satisfaction with more family time by cutting down your commute. Im in a similar boat as you long commute for a good job at a decent wage vs. short commute for an okay job at a much lower wage. I make the drive because after taking everything into account time, gas, wear and tear, opportunity for advancement, etc. it is worth it to me. But, everyone is different and its important to really take a hard look at your specific situation even beyond the paycheck. 