Today I’m sharing some cost effective commute options. It’s been a good decade since I used public transport to commute to work. My friend was telling me last week how much her annual train ticket is, and I was beyond shocked. This made me want to do some digging and find some more cost effective commute options for her. I have decided to go even further, and share my findings with my readers.

Cost Effective Commute Options

The cost of your commute will vary depending on where you live and how far you are from your place of work, but I hope this post will prove to be a great starting point for all of my UK readers…

Cycle In

A lot of large companies and public sector departments have a cycle to work scheme. Where I used to work, you could get a loan of up to £1000 towards a bike, which you then paid back monthly – before tax. This was a brilliant way to increase your fitness AND save money. It’s definitely worth double checking if your workplace offers anything similar!

Car Sharing

Back in 2007, I popped a notice on my workplace’s notice board asking if anyone was on my shift pattern wanted to car share. My monthly petrol bill went from £90 to £30 thanks to two local colleagues agreeing to car share. They both walked to my house in the morning, then I dropped them at their doors en route home. It was great for us all.

One of the two colleagues was able to get rid of her family’s second car, so she saved thousands of pounds a year! When it came to cost effective commute options, it’s safe to say she definitely thought car sharing brilliant!

Park and Ride

I’m not sure if it’s a National scheme, but here in Salford, we have a great park and ride scheme. There are several large car parks on the outskirts of the city, which have a direct bus lane into Manchester City Centre. You can park up your car and get the bus into the City for less than the daily parking charge.

Take The Train

If you live close to a trains station, it’s usually the quickest and most convenient option. That said, UK trains can work out expensive to use regularly. There are some things you can do to get the best value tickets though… Look into Railcards. These can save you a small fortune over the year – if you’re eligible for one.

Travelling off peak is much more cost effective than peak rate travel. Super off peak tickets are the best value, so definitely consider starting work later and finishing later – if your company allows it.

Park and Ride also saves you time, as you won’t get caught up in the City congestion, thanks to the dedicated bus lanes.

Walk

My uncle lives 5 miles away from his place of work. Rather than buy a second car, he walks to work. I have to be honest, you wouldn’t catch me doing that when it’s below freezing outside! Each to their own though – When it comes to cost effective commute options, his is definitely the best value!

Can you think of any other cost effective commute options? I feel like there must be come more out there – other than opting to work from home of course!

Finally, if you enjoyed this post, why not check out my business and finance sectionfor more work related content?