How far is your house from the gas station/grocery store?

cafecreme · April 2014

Sorry for beating this over the head, but I just want to take a poll.

Background: DH and I looked at a house yesterday. Great little house, nice backyard, nice neighborhood, good school district, everything except location. DH can't get over the fact that it's a little farther outside of the town that he wants to be in. There's 2 neighborhoods in this area, and it's surrounded my woods and farm. The closest gas station and grocery store is 3-4 miles away (along with restaurants, shops, etc). It's still considered the suburbs, but me and DH both grew up in a very populated suburban town, with everything less than a mile away. I feel like this really is our house, but I don't think DH can get over the idea of driving 5-10 mins to see "civilization", as he puts it.

Advice and opinions are appreciated!

musicalsilver · April 2014

I have gas stations and a grocery store within a mile (or maybe it's more like 1ish), so I voted that way, but they're kind of sketchy, and the nicer gas stations and grocery stores are worth the extra drive for me.

itsStackie · April 2014

The grocery store we use is in 3 different directions from our house and each is 2.5-3 miles away. Not a long drive at all.

BbyCarter13 · April 2014

Technically there is a little gas station/post office/small country store less than a mile up the road but I really don't count it because it doesn't have a lot and it's more or less just a hang out for the retired men in the area.
That being said, we live 12 miles from town. Around here that's not considered "the sticks". We just don't live in town. You don't live in "the sticks" until you are 45 mins (35-40 miles) out of town.

ilovemarfa · April 2014

I drive a good 15 minutes to get to wegmans to grocery shop. There are some gas stations a few miles away. I don't think 15 minutes is a long drive for a grocery store. There are some small corner stores like 5 minutes away but I don't ever go there.

RedCherry1109 · April 2014

I drive 12 miles to the gas station and about 30 miles to the grocery store.

kelly422 · April 2014

Nearest grocery store is about 10 minute drive. Closest larger stores are 3 hours away. I sorta live in the boonies!

I grew up in a town of 700 people where the closest grocery store was over an hour away, so 10 minutes is a cake walk for me!

RedCherry1109 · April 2014

JustPlaneLoved said:

A good friend of mine moved out to a suburb & she had a difficult time adjusting because she would forget stuff at the store & "have" to go back out to get it instead of waiting for the next trip. She eventually figured it out though & they love it.

DH hates me because I always forget something at the store and I have to make him get it on his way home or we go without til the next time I go to town. Sometimes I hate living in the sticks!

cafecreme · April 2014

I mean, not being near a gas station might take some time to get use to, but seriously, all the stores I normally shop at (target,mall) are pretty much 15 mins away from here...and even the places we eat at, again, 15 mins away. Same distance if we were going to move to this house.

I don't know why he's being so analytical and OCD about the gas station and grocery store being 2 extra miles away. I hate to say this, but I think he's just trying to find a reason not to buy a house, which sucks. We've been looking for 1.5 years. This is getting really old, real quick, and he better snap out of it.

LaBellaVida · April 2014

We are currently 3 to 6 miles away.
Ideally we'd life to be in the sticks. Lol

BC&LM · April 2014

It's less than five minutes away.

ASmallWonder · April 2014

I feel like what you're explaining is actually what so many people WISH they had

That's such a short distance unless you don't have a car or are used to taking the bus places or something. I grew up in a legit city and it still took close to 10 minutes to get to the grocery store. You would never, ever describe where I grew up as the sticks.

weddinginthecove · April 2014

Right now we have basic shopping within a 5 minute drive. Any good shopping is 4 hours away. Where i grew up is an hour away from here. You had to drive 20 mins to get gas, which sucked if you were in empty. The nearest grocery store was an hour away (unless you wanted the basics at crazy prices). A few minutes away i can deal with but i could never go back to being over an hour again.

AlsGal01 · April 2014

We have a grocery store, Target and other shopping at exactly 1 mile away. There's another grocery store less than a mile away.
If the grocery store/other shopping was 5-10 miles away that would not be a deal breaker for me for a house.

peachnectarine · April 2014

There is a gas station and grocery store like 3 minutes from my house, but I never go there. I do all my shopping like 15 minutes away.

momofcatan · April 2014

I live in the suburbs of a major city. Gas station, mall, grocery store are all within a 10 minute walk. Walmart is 30 min walk or 5 minute drive. It has been great since we only have one car while I'm on maternity leave.

daffy2k · April 2014

We live on a small acreage 10 min from town. It's been a bit of an adjustment from living in town with all of the conveniences just a short walk/drive away. But I really do love it. My kids are going to grow up surrounded by nature, but still close enough to town that we don't miss out on important social type things and when they get a little older sports/extracurriculars. It takes a bit more planning on our part, but that's the life we have chosen. I love it!

GalLaura · April 2014

Right outside my door! I love it!

lioness13 · April 2014

3-4 miles is nothing IMO. I grew up walking distance from everything in NY. Now in ATL I'm 5 minutes from like 10+ gas stations and 4 grocery stores, Target, Walmart, BJs and a bunch of restaurants and other stores. It's perfect IMO.