In 2011, The American economy was still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis and entry level jobs in my field were slim and hard to come by. Alas, in the Summer of 2011, I was offered my first opportunity at a boutique communications firm and got to the business of a daily commute from the very last stop on DC Metro’s Red Line all the way to downtown Washington, DC.
In my first, full-time role, I was making $30,000 a year (before taxes). Budgeting was an absolute must. One of my most bothersome monthly expenses was paying to ride the metro in and out of the city on a daily basis. During rush hour on DC’s Metro system, you can spend up to $5 one way. Needless to say, $10 a day, five days a week was a back-breaker.
With nearly zero room for error on my weekly budget, I developed a “professional and respectable” manner of skipping the Metro fare turnstile system.
DC’s Metro turnstile opens and closes similar to the way elevator doors open and close. When someone swipes their money-loaded card, the door opens for a period of about 3.5 seconds and then closes again. My skipping the turnstile involved timing the doors in such a way where I could appear as if I paid, but was really “fake swiping” and rushing behind another adult whose salary and/or Metro benefits were much more robust than my own.
This became my preferred method of “paying” for my ride to work every day and incredibly crucial in saving my weekly and monthly budget.
Instead of criminally skipping bus and public transit fares altogether, here are 6 ways you should save on commuting to and from work:
Take Public Transit
Take the bus. Take the train. Take the trolley. Whatever its form, public transportation (especially in city centers) can help you avoid the cost associated with owning a vehicle. Sure, you might run into the occasional shouting drunk person, ranting about nothing in particular, but that’s what earbuds were made for.
Carpool
This feels like a relic of the ‘90s when our parents used to casually talk about what discussion was had in the carpool that week. But organizing or joining a carpool system at work or with people you know who work in your area can help spread and lower the cost of getting to and from work each day.
Ask for Telework Benefits
Due to the internet, one could argue more than 50 percent of a person’s desk work can be accomplished at home (if not all of it). Ask your employer about teleworking periodically. Telework saves you time and money on your commute, and if you sell it properly, your employer should understand such a move would increase your productivity, avoiding the wasted time that is traveling to work.
Research Long-Distance Commuting Options
In Washington, DC, there are countless random commuter pick-up points where Greyhound like buses pick you and up and drop you off further out from the city after work. These services are especially helpful for those who live in more suburban areas. You can drive to the pick-up point, nap on the way into the city and do the same on your way back home.
Pool Ride-Share Services
If you live within the confines of your location of work, ridesharing is also a viable option. Speaking to a friend of a friend, they shared that their ridesharing commute cost as much as a one-way ride on our DC Metro system and is sometime less.
Walk, Run, Bike
I could never do this, but for those who have a higher tolerance for being funky, walking, running or biking to work is also an option. Does your workplace have a shower or place you can freshen up? Arriving to work 30 minutes before you need to with a brisk workout beforehand just might be the answer to saving money on your daily commute.
