Money Helps Soften a Bumpy Commute

What makes a commuter marriage work?

A new study of 105 commuters across the country found that money was one of the key factors to commuter happiness.

"A lower standard of living while away from home surfaced as a major problem for commuters," says study co-author Linda Stroh of Loyola University in Chicago.

Surprisingly, the survey found that 57 percent of the commuters surveyed were largely satisfied with the arrangement.

These people generally were happy with their family life, job, living standards, and the amount and quality of time spent with their partners, the study found.

The satisfaction rate, however, may not mirror most commuters' attitudes, partly because the study looked at an elite group. Two-thirds are managers or professionals; only a tiny percentage have school-age children; they have a median income of nearly $200,000; and 93 percent have a master's degree or higher.

The study also found that women respondents were much more dissatisfied than the men on several issues, including what their bosses expect of them, what their partners expect of them, time spent with their partners, and overall lifestyle.

Given a second chance, many women said they would be less likely to accept a distant job.