Jean Chatzky
To get there faster, it’s all too easy to call an Uber or Lyft. Do it too often, though, and your monthly budget can feel the strain. Here are a few suggestions for reducing ride-share costs.
Audit Your Week. Chances are you follow a similar path on a week-by-week basis, office for three days, grocery store once or twice, etc. By planning your routes in advance you can bundle trips and also think about sharing a ride with a friend or colleague.
Use Public Transportation. Busses and subways are typically much cheaper than hailing a cab or ride-share. These options often provide you with reliable schedules to reduce waiting time. To commit to using public transit, buy a card for a week or a month. That sunk cost acts as an accountability buddy to get you to use it.
Carpool. Find colleagues or friends in your neighborhood to carpool and share the expenses including parking and gas. And if you don’t have people to ride with, a handful of apps like Waze Carpool and BlaBlaCar can help you find one.
Walk or Bike. For a reasonable distance, walking or biking is a way to combine your fitness goals and commuting into one. If your office has a gym or shower, you can even consider running.
Talk to HR. If you’re going into the office four or five days a week and could easily do your job remotely, reduce costs by working from home. Talk to your boss or HR department about whether that’s an option. Also, inquire about using pre-tax dollars to buy public transportation tickets or passes. This may be a cost-saving benefit you’re not using.
Chris O'Shea
