Going to work every day can take make quite an impressive dent on our monthly paycheck. Here are some ways you can make it less impressive.
With the credit crunch being felt from the glistening buildings of Tokyo to the mud huts in northern India, cutting down on costs seems to be a priority on everyone’s mind nowadays. And, it should. The pundits over in Wall Street are all agreeing on one thing: For the next few years, we are going to experience the worst financial depression since the 1930’s. That means more bills, less returns and a hell lot of pain.
Naturally, like any other productive member of society of sound mind, we’ll keep on finding ways to save money and keep it for a rainy day. And for those who are less inclined to cut down on spending, it’s not as hard as it looks. You don’t have to frugal in every aspect of your life, only one of them. It’s good enough to be prudent on, let’s say, when going to work.
Different people use different modes of transportation to work. Some take public transport (buses, trains and the like) and the others have their own private vehicles. It’s the latter group that is more prone to vehicle-related financial problems and stands to earn more by saving money. We’re in the midst of an unpredictable atmosphere for the oil and gas industry (ever since 9/11, we’ve been experiencing a rising oil price, almost $100 per barrel in 2007). Here are a few pointers on how to be thrifty when going to work.
1) Carpooling This is, by far, the most economical and popular course of action among the working class. Carpooling not only saves you money on gas, but also reduces the amount of traffic jams and air pollution. You’ll be able to use the carpool lane and divide the payment of gas among yourselves. Aside from that, it increases the sense of camaraderie among your fellow colleagues when going to work.
2) Parking However, once you get to work, parking immediately becomes a problem. It’s quite understandable, especially when you’re going to work on a busy street. Most employers offer free parking to workers, but if yours don’t, it’s best to pay an annual parking fee. You’ll be surprised at the amount of money you can save. Also, look around for any parking lots nearby that are underutilized and cheap. Even if it means a longer walk to the office, so be it.
3) Go public If you can’t be bothered with all of this, take the bus. It’s a guarantee that you’ll save more money than a car-owner. Get a bus pass; know all the relevant routes and schedules and you’ll find that going public transport is quite painless. For those who don’t mind a bit of exercise, ride a bike to work. That way, you can cut through traffic and arrive faster, since there are places a bike can go that four-wheeled vehicles can’t.
It may seem hard to save money nowadays, with more resources drying up and the population booming. But, save a few dollars her and scrimp a few cents there and you’ll come to realize that saving money is easier than you think and you can do it anywhere, even when going to work.
