Speaking of driving (nice segway... no I didn't buy a segway, I'm talking about... gah, never mind), I've decided to go back to the Bus.
Bus Pros:
- Daily commute time is hands-free... I can watch a movie, read a book, study my bible... it provides some good think time
- Weather doesn't matter... (It's nice to relax on bad winter days)
- There are people to talk to (I have a lonely, solo commute in the car)
- The schedule keeps me consistent (leaving work at the same time, getting up at the same time)
Bus Cons:
- The seats can hurt (especially if you're wearing a coat and carrying a bag)
- There aren't a lot of routes out to Webster (though I'm now up to 4 morning options!! woo!!)
- You have to wait at the bus stop... A LOT (the bus can be 5 mins early or 30 mins late... that can be a lot of standing around.)
- Start & stop (50 minutes of start & stop jiggling right after I eat breakfast usually leaves me sprinting for a pee by the time I've made it downtown)
But the biggest concern of all is cash. It's not just a matter of how much I spend, but where my cash is going. Can I really feel right about sending $50 a month oversees for oil?
The bottom line is, I can easily save $40-70 per month by only commuting a few days a month by car. At some point when I'm doing more than just keeping afloat financially (currently most cash is going to savings, retriement accounts... future goals), I may consider going back to driving daily.
For now, I'd preffer an extra $50 a month in my pocket that I can use for wonderful travel events like our trip to the lake:
1 comment:
I suppose another consideration (besides gas cost) is wear and tear on your car. I'm not sure if there's a standard out there for calculating that, but things like tires, brakes, routine maintenance, and replacing the car should factor in somewhat. Any chance to carpool? Kat and I are 37 miles from work and carpool in 3 days a week. It lets us use the HOV lane and saves us a good bit of time (and headache).
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