Is a two day commute to Cheyenne Windsor doable for a couple months? (Denver: lease, insurance)

[the city]

Hi all,

I’m stuck in a lease until April.

I’m unemployed right now and my options aren’t looking good. Either a barely getting by job in retail or a full time job with the State of Wyoming.

My hope is since it’s a mild winter I drive when is good to the office.

Also if possible I’d like to stay in Colorado and was wondering what a long term commute from Wellington to Cheyenne would look like? I know some acquaintances that live and work in Cheyenne but shop and socialize in Ft Collins.

I also have family in Denver and it doesn’t seem too far of a drive for the holidays.

Thoughts?

[Mike from back east]

The job with the state of WY is probably far superior to retail work; it almost certainly carries good pay and benefits like health care, sick time off, paid vacation days and best of all j-- ob security. I worked 30 years as a civilian employee of the DoD; never got rich, never got stock options, never got profit sharing, never got a company car, never got a private secretary, never got big bonuses or other corporate perks, but I did get the kind of benefits I mentioned, and one more thing -- I got a great pension.

Wellington to Cheyenne is about 35 miles each way, 70 mile round trip.

If you work a 5-day week that's 350 miles a week or about 4550 miles per 3 months, or about 75 hours of your private time. At 30 MPG that's 152 gallons of gas at $4 each or $608/3 months for gas, plus one oil change. Your auto insurance may go up based on miles driven. These figures are for 3 months, multiply time 4 for a full year of such commuting. I doubt anyone on this forum would recommend such a drive but if it's only for 3 months then stick it out.

If you've lived in COLO long enough you know the winter weather / snow issues on I-25.

If the Cheyenne job is permanent, full-time then I'd take that job in a heartbeat and move there after the lease expires.

Have you asked your LL if they'll let you out of the lease early? They might if they want to raise the rent for new tenants, else wait it out and shop for a place in Cheyenne, WY which IIRC has no income tax and the rent prices are probably lower too.

[the city]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

The job with the state of WY is probably far superior to retail work; it almost certainly carries good pay and benefits like health care, sick time off, paid vacation days and best of all j-- ob security. I worked 30 years as a civilian employee of the DoD; never got rich, never got stock options, never got profit sharing, never got a company car, never got a private secretary, never got big bonuses or other corporate perks, but I did get the kind of benefits I mentioned, and one more thing -- I got a great pension.

Wellington to Cheyenne is about 35 miles each way, 70 mile round trip.

If you work a 5-day week that's 350 miles a week or about 4550 miles per 3 months, or about 75 hours of your private time. At 30 MPG that's 152 gallons of gas at $4 each or $608/3 months for gas, plus one oil change. Your auto insurance may go up based on miles driven. These figures are for 3 months, multiply time 4 for a full year of such commuting. I doubt anyone on this forum would recommend such a drive but if it's only for 3 months then stick it out.

If you've lived in COLO long enough you know the winter weather / snow issues on I-25.

If the Cheyenne job is permanent, full-time then I'd take that job in a heartbeat and move there after the lease expires.

Have you asked your LL if they'll let you out of the lease early? They might if they want to raise the rent for new tenants, else wait it out and shop for a place in Cheyenne, WY which IIRC has no income tax and the rent prices are probably lower too.

Nope my landlord won’t budge.

Also I should mention it’s like a permanent two days a week commute at this job. Not just until my lease is over.

And gas is around 2.50 to the gallon right now.

[bluescreen73]

Short-term commuting until your lease is up won't be terrible, but I wouldn't want to do that drive permanently even if it's only twice a week. Just get a place in Cheyenne. There's no state income tax, and it's probably cheaper than living in Fort Collins.

[the city]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Short-term commuting until your lease is up won't be terrible, but I wouldn't want to do that drive permanently even if it's only twice a week. Just get a place in Cheyenne. There's no state income tax, and it's probably cheaper than living in Fort Collins.

So don’t even bother living in Wellington? How’s the schools in Fort Collins compared to Cheyenne?

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by the city

So don’t even bother living in Wellington? How’s the schools in Fort Collins compared to Cheyenne?

I wouldn't. It's not worth the time you spend commuting or the wear and tear on the car. I don't know what the schools are like in Cheyenne. I do know, though, that we tend to underfund our schools in Colorado.

[the city]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

I wouldn't. It's not worth the time you spend commuting or the wear and tear on the car. I don't know what the schools are like in Cheyenne. I do know, though, that we tend to underfund our schools in Colorado.

I go to Fort Collins a lot though. Usually 2-3x a week and then every couple months to Denver.

With how often I go to Fort Collins would it be still be worth it to live in Cheyenne over Wellington?

[StealthRabbit]

Work and live and school in WY.

Go to CO, if you must.

The roads will be closed several days during the winter, so plan to stay put (wherever you end up when they close the gates). You should get a few hours warning.

Short term, an occasional and temporary commute would be possible, but will get old.

I did it for many years, but I was on my way to Buffalo, or Rapid, or Evanston (daily), so just dealt with whatever the wind blew in (and even occasional freezing fog). It was an adventure, at the time. (I was single, no family to support or need to come home to). Once that situation changes.... Dying while driving in WY takes on a bit more meaning. (For the others expecting you to come home alive)

Transition to WY full-time ASAP.

[ejisme]

My son did the Wellington to Cheyenne commute for about two years, 5 -days per week. He hated the drive, but was single in his late 20s, so wanted nothing to do with living, dating and entertaining in Cheyenne. That, and his girlfriend, now wife, lived in Westminster. He did a lot of podcasts and audio books on the road, and pretty much wore out the car he had. He gained enough experience from the job in Cheyanne, so that when it went away during the pandemic, he was able to go independent and completely online/remote. So, short answer, it's doable. He didn't enjoy the drive at all, but he also didn't like the idea of living in Cheyenne.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by the city

Nope my landlord won’t budge.

Also I should mention it’s like a permanent two days a week commute at this job. Not just until my lease is over.

And gas is around 2.50 to the gallon right now.

If the two days-a-week are consecutive, then get a hotel for one night. Saves tons of time and possibly money if adding up all the car costs.