Does it seem like transport costs are busting your budget? You are not alone. The average American household spends about $750 a month on transport only. Driving your own car seems like a no-brainer. But, even with the best commuter cars, the costs can easily add up especially for longer commutes in traffic-choked cities. However, with a few adjustments, you can actually cut back on transport costs.
Budgeting Tools For Local Commuter
Check out these resources to discover alternatives for getting around on a budget.
Public Transit
If you live in a town or city with a well-designed public transport system, taking the bus or train might help your pocketbook. Plus, it is a great way to maximize your time, for example by catching up on your favorite podcast, reading a book or newspaper, or just enjoying a coffee while someone else drives you.
If you are new to public transit, do not worry about memorizing departure times and line options. There is an app for that. Many of these apps are super lite and give you real-time information about the availability of bus, train, or subway services in your area.
What’s more, you can compare and identify the best trip options by time and cost too. Once you get the hang of it, you will see that public transportation is actually hassle-free and on top of that gives you bang for your buck.
Bike Sharing
Is your workplace a reasonable distance from home? Bike sharing might be fantastic, not to mention a cheap way to get to work. Cycling to work has become quite popular as more and more people try to avoid the crazy traffic jams during rush hour.
Impressively, many cities are now creating bike-lanes and supporting bike-sharing programs for city dwellers. Biking has its own downsides but if you only need to commute to work once or twice a week, the time and cost savings can add up.
Today, there is no shortage of bike sharing apps with coverage in just about every city. By subscribing to any of these free apps, you can quickly locate nearby bikes and after use, return the bike to a designated dock.
You will be billed every time you use the bike rental service. In a rush to beat the competition, bike rental companies not only offer great discounts; some of the best commuter bike services have quite affordable plans for both short and long-term use.
Car Subscription Service
Sometimes, driving a car is your best option for commuting locally. But, what if for some reason you do not want to or cannot buy or lease a car? Buying and maintaining a car obviously comes with its own costs. And, if you are in a city for only a short period of time, buying a car won’t make sense.
If this is your predicament, a car subscription service might be worth a shot. All you need is a smartphone and a credit or debit card for payment. Once you download the app, you can choose from a fleet of the best commuter cars, with smaller ones costing less than high-end ones.
What’s really great about these services is that the cost of maintenance and insurance are already factored into the monthly fee. You can also easily discontinue when you no longer need the car.
Carpooling
Carpooling is not new; friendly neighbors headed in the same direction offer lifts and share rides all the time. Carpooling apps now make it easier to find drivers and passengers in your area who are willing to share commuting costs.
If driving your own car to work is not an option, hiking a lift from drivers headed in the same direction as you for a small fee can be such a saver. Unlike popular rideshare apps such as Lyft or Uber, carpooling services bundle passengers together in the same car thereby lowering the cost of commuting.
With so many options for commuting, it is not always easy to know which one makes the most sense economically. But, not to worry—that’s exactly what Float is meant for. Our travel planner app is perfect for local commuters on a budget.
Whether you are looking for the best commuter bikes or need to rent a car, want to carpool or ride on a bus, Float offers you recommendations based on your behavior such as where you are going and how much you are spending. If smart spending and hassle-free commuting is your priority, Float’s got you covered.
