While one of the biggest reasons for the boom in remote working has been the flexibility on offer to employees across the world, the other reason is that the commute is so cheap. You’re going from bedroom to home office, which means that your commute costs are approximately 0 – unless you have to head into the office for any reason. When you have to get to the office though, you’re not just spending added time every day on the commute to and from work, you’re also spending cash that you may be too stretched to spend.

Cutting the costs of your commute could be high on your agenda if you are trying to cut your budget down. Making cutbacks in the home is never easy and while you may not want to sell your motorcycle or your car to earn extra money, you need to think of more cost-effective ways of getting to work on time every day. Unless you’ve developed a superhuman ability to fly, your commute is going to cost you cash; it’s just a matter of how much cash you want to spend in the first place. So, below we’ve got five simple ways you can make your commute as cheap as possible.

Car Sharing

If you live nearby to a colleague who works at the same company, or a friend or neighbor who drives in your direction for work, why not car share? You can chip in for half the weekly cost of a tank of gas, making your entire commute a lot less than the cost of a public transport travel pass. You can even join car sharing websites like this to make your commute an easy one.

Cycling

At this point, you could have sold your motorcycle or your car, but both of those cost you money to run. You could easily invest in a bike to cycle to work instead. It’s free, it’s easy and it’s great exercise. Follow the rules of the road and wear the appropriate equipment and you’re good to go.

Walk

If you are a mile or two from the office and you have the footpaths to walk, you should do so. It’s free and it’s good for the heart; you can also make up a killer cheesy playlist to keep you company as you go.

Cut Car Costs

You may not be able to let go of your car altogether, especially if you work in a remote location. Instead, you can cut your car costs by doing things like switching off the air conditioning, driving more efficiently and making sure that your tyres have the right pressure in them to drive properly.

Commuting to work is a bellyache for all that have to do it. Instead of fretting about how much of your budget your commute takes from you, it’s time to get proactive and do something about it to make it more bearable. Don’t be afraid to change the way you do things!