In today’s modern world, almost 90% of people have their own cars and modes of transport of getting around and more often than not, the bulk of what people earn ends up being spent on petrol for the trip to and from work every day. With the cost of petrol increasing almost every month, and it now sitting at an average of R11,00 per litre, it can be a heavy load to bear when thinking about the total amount of money that you spend on petrol every month.
TOO MUCH MONTH AT THE END OF YOUR MONEY?
Being late for work is never a good thing, but provided you’re honest and upfront with your employer, your boss should be able to understand not having enough petrol in your car due to lack of finances. If this is ever the case, there are various ways to still get to work, such as buses and taxis, and places like Wonga, who provide short term loans that might just help you get through the last little bit of the month, or help put an extra litre or two of petrol in your tank. These short term loans should only be taken in dire situations and other methods of saving money should be made a priority. One way is to cut commuting costs.
1) SHARE A RIDE TO WORK If you know someone who works with you, or works near you, by offering to share costs of travelling to work, you’ll be saving both yourself and your colleague/friend lots of money. You’re both going in the same direction and taking one car instead of two cuts down your costs of petrol dramatically. If you know more than one person, include them as well. The more people you share rides with, the cheaper travelling to work will be. If it costs you money to park at work, sharing a ride to work also means you’ll save on those costs as well. Sharing a ride also means less wear and tear on your own car as well as less pollution on the earth.
2) MAKE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT There are usually a host of public transport systems available to cities around the world and making use of these is often a lot cheaper than using your own car. Taking the bus, taxi or train means you pay less for your commute to work as well as freeing up time that would usually be spent driving, for you to catch up on the morning news, read a good book or help you mentally prepare for the day ahead. Making use of public transport also means less wear and tear on your car as well.
3) PEDAL YOUR WAY TO WORK If you live close enough to work, challenge yourself to cycling there and back. Cycling is a very good form of exercises and the fresh air in the morning can also help wake you up and prepare you for the day ahead. Make sure you have a shower or bathroom facility at work though; else you might not be your company’s best smelling employee.
4) WORK FROM HOME If this is something you think your boss might be happy with, it can be worth chatting to him or her about. Working from home a few days a week not only saves you the cost of travelling to and from work, but a change of scenery from your usual office can also be good for your mental health and make your more productive. Approach the topic with your boss and initiate guidelines as to how you’ll work from home if he or she seems hesitant. Listing pros of working from home, including that it will save you money, might help him or her see the sense in changing up your office.
5) BE FLEXIBLE It’s a proven fact that the stop-go motion of sitting in traffic uses more petrol and does more damage to your car than free flowing traffic so devising a schedule that allows you traveling time outside of peak traffic hours can be beneficial. Many companies allow employees to work flexible hours in order for them to arrive and leave before or after peak traffic times. Starting at 6am and leaving at 3:30pm helps you dodge the worst of the traffic in both the mornings and the afternoon and means you’re spending less time in the stop-go motion. This can save you a lot more petrol and prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your car. For most people, the cost of petrol is something that will almost always be there. Making use of smart ways to save money can benefit you in the long run and help cut commute cost, in some cases, by as much as half.
