The Driving Debacle

When you’re trying to save money, you will find three main suggestions that keep getting repeated ad nauseam: to bring your own coffee everywhere rather than purchase one, never drive anywhere, and to bring your own lunch/food with you rather than buy it from a store.

In principle, these are all good money saving tips, but most articles will seldom go into detail on how to implement these. This is where I come in...

In a previous post I have already covered The Coffee Conundrum, and in this post I will look at incorporating ‘not driving’ into your budget.

This is a vague money saving topic, I know, and it usually involves the article writer extolling the virtues of riding a bike or taking public transport to your destination. But anyone who has ever gone anywhere will know that this is not a solution to every problem.

Walking or riding a bike to your workplace, for example, is quite difficult if you live a fair distance away. Sure, a nice hour long walk can be refreshing and relaxing before a long shift, but if you don’t have access to adequate shower facilities you may end up spending the whole day covered in sweat- which is not refreshing or relaxing for yourself or your co-workers.

Money saving articles will also discuss how using public transport will save you money, and in essence this is correct. In Australia the cost of owning a car can range from $117 to over $300 per week , and in America the cost can be around $160 per week. The running cost of a car will increase when the car is used frequently (say, driving to and from work five times per week) and if you have to pay to park your vehicle.

But just because public transport is cheaper, it doesn’t mean it is easier. Reports have found that people with either too little or too much money don’t have adequate access to public transport, meaning that your travel time can take 2-3x longer than if you were to drive. As well, places with inadequate public transport after dark are can also be, or at least feel to be, unsafe for travellers.

While all may seem lost, there are some ways that you can save money and still get to work on time.

One, consider ride sharing.

Ride-sharing is the new black, with a number of different companies popping up all over the world to stake a claim. Depending on your destination, these services can cost less or around the same as public transport, and take less time getting to your destination. Even when your ride costs more than a bus, the total cost of a round trip can be cheaper than having to pay for a days’ worth of parking in a busy city.

Two, consider carpooling.

Carpooling seems to have dropped out of vogue recently, but there’s no reason it can’t be on trend again. The idea is simple; let’s say you live near some of your co-workers and you all have similar start and end times for your shift. You each take turns in driving everyone to and from work; you drive for one week, then another person takes the second week, and so forth. Depending on how many people with whom you carpool, you may only have to pay for parking and petrol/gas one week out of every month.

Some ride-sharing companies have a similar process in place, where travellers going in the same direction can carpool, but it does mean you will be riding with strangers rather than co-workers (which might be better in some cases).

Three, consider mixing it up.

If you’ve done the research and found that using public transport will not work for your total trip, you can try a combination of driving and the alternatives listed. For example, you can drive to a destination near your office and walk the rest of the way, which could result in cheaper parking and less petrol/gas being used. You could also take a bus to your local supermarket and then ride-share home when you have arms full of shopping bags.

Some of these tips won’t work for everyone, and depending on your location and needs you may have to drive everywhere. But if you are able to cut back on driving your car, your bank account (and the environment!) will be better off for it.

So let me know if you have been able to incorporate these tips, or any others, into your daily routine and how they have helped or even hindered.

Thanks,

Kathy.