Did you ever sit down and calculate just how much you are spending to transport yourself from place to place? If so, the amount may be astounding! But did you also know that you can drastically reduce that amount, just by making some simple changes?
If you drive a car to work, or really anywhere else for that matter, it is likely taking a huge chunk out of your income. There’s the cost of the car (financing, lease, etc.), the amount for insurance, the dollars spent on gas, oil changes, tires, repair bills – the list goes on.
Yes, the automobile is a necessity for most of us, but in some situations, you may find that you can rely it on much less, and maybe not at all!
For a family with kids, the option of not driving an automobile may not be at all possible. Or, in any case, you may not be willing and able to give up the luxury of an automobile. Furthermore, it may not be possible for you to entirely depend on walking or public transportation, so you have to have a car. I can completely understand, because with my job, there is no way I could do without, as public transportation does not serve the area I work. I’ll get to some ways to save money when owning an automobile later, but I want to examine the benefits that come along with utilizing public transportation, if you have it available in your area.
When I was a teenager, I lived very close to a public bus stop. I utilized public transportation as a primary way to go many places – school, friends’ houses, shopping, etc. It was really easy, cheap, and reliable.
There are many common misperceptions about public transportation though, which I think prevents many people from using it. Some may think that it is dangerous. Really, I think this depends on where you are taking it to. Yeah, if you travel to a bad part of town in the middle of the night, it may be a bit risky. But if you are comfortable walking around the neighborhood you live, chances are you will be too when taking the bus, train, or subway. The most important thing is to always remember to have your wits about you, wherever you go. That’s just the general rule for any place you may travel to.
Other people may misperceive that it is difficult, slow, and confusing. Granted, it is not as expeditious as driving from your garage to the parking lot at work, but when you find the right route and possible transfers, you will find that it really isn’t that hard or time consuming. Most every city’s public transportation system has a website, and from there you can easily plan your route, find the times for pick-up and drop-off, and how much it will cost.
Consider visiting this website, which lists the public transportation options for most every city in the United States. Take a look at the one in your city, and you may be surprised at how close a bus/train/subway station is to you, and most of all, how inexpensive it can be.
So let’s look at the benefits…
Taking the bus, train, or subway is cheap! An all day pass for the bus or light rail in my city is $2.50. There is also a plethora of other fare options too – single ride passes, weekly passes, and monthly passes, not-to-mention discounts for youth, seniors, etc. If you figure it this way, even if you only bought daily passes, which can be purchased right on the bus or online, and you took it to work 5 days per week, 4 weeks per month, you would spend only $50! Period! No maintenance, no oil changes, no tune ups, gas, insurance, and on and on!
Looking at a hypothetical example of money savings, say you spend the following for your vehicle per month:
Financing: $225
Insurance: $100
Registration: $15
Oil changes: $10/month average expense
Gas: $51 (based on 800 miles commuting, 25 MPG, & 1.60/gal.)
Repairs/maint.: $42 (based on estimate of $500 average annual expense)
Total: $443
Total estimated savings/month by using public transportation: $393
And this estimate is using pretty conservative numbers! Now this is indeed assuming that you give up your car and use only public transportation, but even if you keep your car and use the bus to go to work, you will still save a large amount of money by using less gas and putting much less wear and tear on your car.
Riding the bus, train, or subway can be good for you! Usually, you will have to walk a little ways to get to the stops and such, so you will be automatically gaining more exercise! Also, it’s a good way to interact with other commuters and maybe make some new friends!
You don’t have to worry about getting tickets! If you have a lead foot when driving, or occasionally rush around when you are late, then you don’t have to worry about getting pulled over.
By letting someone else do the driving, you can set aside the frustrations of driving in traffic. It may make for a much more pleasant way to start and end your day!
Sometimes employers give incentives to their associates when using public transportation. Take advantage of them!
So what are some other options if public transportation is not available to you?
Carpool. Do you have a neighbor or friend who travels the same direction as you to work? See if they want to carpool. If you don’t know of anyone, then the transportation departments of most major cities will usually have a service where you can locate someone who may live in your area who wants to be able to carpool too. Also, like I mentioned about public transportation, employers will sometimes give incentives to their employees. This works for carpoolers in many instances. Check out the website from my city for example. They offer up to $115 per month in benefits for those that carpool. And, you also get the advantage of using HOV (High-Occupancy Vehicle) lanes on the expressways, which can help you get to your destination faster!
Ride a bicycle. The really cool thing about this is that once you have paid for the bike, it costs nothing at all! Additionally, the exercise gained from this can be beneficial in many ways. It keeps you in great shape, and it also can save you money and time, if you have a gym membership. Really, it is very likely you would never need to go to the gym again if you spend 30 minutes or more riding your bike every day each way to work!
Walk. Very similar to the above. If it is a 30-minute walk to work, then you still get great exercise, and pay nothing!
Still not sold on these options, or they are not feasible for you due to the weather or the location you live? Well, you can still consider many money-saving options related to your car. Check back soon for more…
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