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How to Save on Commuting Costs

With the current economy shrinking many budgets all over the nation, you may be wondering how to cut some corners yourself. Perhaps you’ve already looked into coupon cutting, traded down in the family car, and cut out unnecessary shopping trips from the monthly budget. Now what? Your daily commute. What you spend in your commute to work could be costing you thousands and thousands of dollars per year, and it doesn’t have to. Here are some simple and easy ways to cut down on the cost of your daily commute to help you and your family save much needed money.

1.  Car Pool- One of the best ways to cut down on the rising cost of gas and related wear and tear of your     vehicle is to consider a car pool. This way you can share costs with whoever you car pool with. Make it     known around work and your neighborhood that you are looking to car pool on a daily basis. It could be     someone who works near you or perhaps someone who works with you, but there is no reason that you     both need to be spending so much money on gas and car repairs if you are going to the same place.

2.  Telecommute- Another popular option for cutting commuting costs is telecommuting on a part or even full                                                                   time basis. More and more employers are starting to look into the                                                                   benefits of having their employees work from home. Though it was                                                                   once thought of as a way that employees could slack off from their                                                                   work, with more and more collaborative technology, bosses are                                                                   seeing that more often than not-their remote employees are being                                                                   more productive. Make sure before asking our boss for the                                                                   opportunity to work at home, you get a list of whys together, such                                                                   as: what they could be saving on office space, materials, etc; and                                                                   how studies show increased productivity. Also, another thing to                                                                   sweeten the pot would be to suggest that you would get certain                                                                   interactive software or technology so they could be assured that you                                                                   are working.

                                                                  This way, you are saving thousands per year in gas, car repairs, and                                                                   probably the coffee you pick up on the way in. Telecommuting even                                                                   part of your working week could dramatically cut corners in your                                                                   financial budget, and improve your quality of life as well.

                                                                  3.  Shorten the Work Week- If you’re employer won’t go for working                                                                   from home, have them consider the shortened work week. Due to rising gas costs and increased energy awareness, many people are allowing their employees to work four longer days in order to give them another day off. For example, if you work a 40 hour week at 8 hours a day, you would now work ten hours a day four days a week. This may be more attractive to your employer if they are still wary of working from home. Even not commuting one day a week could save you a bundle if you think of how many miles and time it takes to make it into work each morning.

4.  Employer Programs- With more focus lately on the economy and gas prices, many companies are doing     theirpart to make the work commute more affordable to their employees. They have teamed up with local     transportation business to be able to offer discounts on shuttles, public transportation, and ride share     programs. By letting your employer know of your needs to save money on your commute, they can either     point you towards a helpful company program or start considering the institution of one.