How to Reduce Commuting Expenses

Daily commuting is necessary for a good portion of the American workforce. Unfortunately, we usually have to spend a bit of money getting to our jobs in order to bring home a paycheck. These hidden costs of daily commuting are easy to miss but will sneak up on you in hurry when reviewing all of your monthly expenses wreaking havoc on your household budget. There are a few steps one can take to reduce but not eliminate the daily commuter expense.

Morning Routine

The minute your day begins you head out the door after a good shower dressed for the day ahead of you. The two items missing before heading to work is the stop for coffee and the newspaper. These prices vary depending upon what paper and what size and quality of newspaper you plan on purchasing. The daily cost of coffee will probably run you at least a dollar or two and the newspaper will be at least fifty cents to a dollar. Fifty working weeks a year translates these expenses to at least $500. This cost can be reduced significantly by purchasing a travel mug and brewing coffee from home. The newspaper expenses can be also reduced by subscribing to home delivery which is less expensive than the newsstand.

Travel

We all manage to get to work whether it is by automobile, train, bus, or even bike. My commute consists of short drive to metered parking lot, then hop on a train to the city. Once arriving into the city, I hop onto a bus that takes me to my office. All those steps run about two hundred bucks a month. They would be much higher if I did not take cost cutting measures. Some things one can do to shave travel expenses is to inquire with their company benefits department to see if there are any travel benefits or discounts for car pools, advance purchase of train or bus fares, etc. My monthly train and bus fares are deducted through my pay check each week through a service contracted with the company. The savings is significant as the monthly passes are being purchased on pretax dollars.

The other potential savings involve taking advantage of free parking and refraining from cab rides whenever possible. Most train depots have adjacent paid parking lots or garages nearby. There is also usually discount or free parking spaces further away. I take advantage of the free parking in my home town. While I enjoy the cost savings, I also lose about fifteen minutes each day to walking back to my car. People should also refrain from discount or free parking if the location is in a potentially unsafe area especially if planning on coming home from work late at night.

Meals

Morning breakfast stops can also burn a hole in your pocket. The temptation is great to add a little Danish or egg sandwich to your purchase of the morning paper and steaming cup of coffee. There is no need to stop if you plan on keeping breakfast foods available in the home such as granola, fresh fruit, yogurt, and a bagel. All this food can be wrapped up and brought with for the morning ride to work.

Lunch breaks can also be quite pricey when added up over the course of a month or year. I recommend packing a lunch to save money. The money spent upfront to buy sandwich, fruit, and any other lunch ingredients may initially seem high, but the overall savings will be great when compared to purchasing your lunch on a daily basis. Consider the end of the work week as the day to purchase lunch since this is a reward for another week of hard work accomplished.