It’s an unavoidable fact of life that we have to work. That means we also have to get to work, and the commute can eat up a fair whack of our hard-earned cash. But the key word there is ‘can’: in fact, there are ways to do it for less. Read on to learn how you could make a little change and end up with a big saving.

• Shoes, skates and cycles
• Trains, Tubes and Tramways
• The drive of your life?
• Another one rides the bus?
• Try something different
• And remember…

Trains, Tubes and Tramways

The key when it comes to buying train tickets is… make sure you buy the cheapest ticket. Simple.

Ok it may sound silly, but you would be amazed at how many people don’t do it. For example, did you know that two out of every three people could save money on train tickets with a railcard? Fares can often be up to a third cheaper than the full fare!

Also look in a couple of different places for your ticket – nationalrail and Trainline are the main websites to check but also try ringing a call centre, as prices may vary online and over the phone.

The next piece of key advice is to make sure you buy the type of ticket you need. If possible, book ahead as it is often cheaper to buy your rail ticket in advance. Similarly, check when peak hours are, there is no point paying a premium for an ‘anytime’ ticket when you only actually need an ‘off-peak’ one.

When it comes to underground, tram and light-railway, and if you live in London, the first point is to stress is be sure to get yourself an Oyster card. The majority of Londoners already have one and with good reason: the Oyster system will never charge you more than what you would have paid with a regular ticket and are usually considerably cheaper. You’ll start saving money instantly.

Season tickets

Finally, if you want to save cash, it is vital to check out how much you could save with a season ticket. So many people queue for their travelcard weekly, but if you will be working in the same place for a month or even a year you can save up to a third with a longer season ticket. Say you were using the Chiltern Railways service to commute between High Wycombe and London Marylebone, you would save an enormous £828 by getting a yearly season ticket instead of a new one every week!

And this doesn’t just apply to the regular rail system, but is equally important if you commute using any of the UKs urban, tram, underground or light-rail way services. For example, a yearly zone 1-3 travelcard in London saves you £362 a year as opposed to a weekly ticket – money worth having by anybody’s standards!! If you live in Manchester, click here to find out whether it is worth getting a Metrolink season ticket.

And don’t be put off at the thought of making a four-figure, one-off payment either, many companies run schemes where they will purchase your yearly travel card, and you can pay back in monthly installments, directly from your salary. Ask to see if your employer offers such service, and suggest they start one if they don’t. You could even negotiate the cost of travel into your contract when you start a new job. That is especially true now, as some companies are increasingly open to schemes that will reduce car travel and will boost their green and eco-friendly credentials.

The drive of your life?

The car is such a convenient option that many people drive to work without a second thought. If you stop and think about it though, the car can often be quite an expensive option. You have to buy the car, pay your road tax and insurance, not to mention petrol and parking costs. The upshot is that public transport will often be cheaper, but if it has to be the motor, here are a few tips.

Obviously actually buying a car is a big expense. Why not go for a second-hand model? Shop around on sites like Auto-Trader, Desperate Seller and Carsource to find the best deal. Also, be sure to have it serviced properly: a small fault fixed quickly is likely to cost you much less than if you leave it and it turns into a big repair job.

What’s more, a properly-serviced car will run more efficiently, saving you money on petrol!! To get the best deal for your service compare prices from firms like Nationwide Autocentres, ATS and Kwik-Fit but don’t discount your local mechanic either – because he doesn’t have to comply with a nationwide pricing structure he may be able to do you a better deal.

When it comes to car insurance, there is no beating about the bush – it is a nightmare. Prices depend on personal circumstances and there are so many providers out there it can be bewildering. Read out guide to take the confusion out of the process.

You’ll want to use a comparison service to get the best prices easily. However, no comparison services have all the deals available on the market. This means you should take a look at all the biggest ones. These are:

• Beat that quote
• Compare the market
• Confused
• Go compare
• Money Expert

Once you’ve got these quotes just go through this list of the main providers to make sure you’re not missing any. If they aren’t displayed on the comparison sites, go directly to their site and get a quote.

• AIG
• ASDA
• Aviva
• Be wiser
• Churchill
• Endsleigh
• HSBC
• Kwik-Fit
• Liverpool-Victoria
• Nationwide
• NatWest
• Privilege
• Prudential
• RAC
• Swift cover
• Swinton’s
• Tesco
• The Co-operative
• The Green Insurance Co.

A word to the wise: talking to an operator on the phone rather than just tapping at a computer may help you get a better deal. The advice, as always, is to shop around and make sure you read the small print!!

Petrol

In fact, that advice also applies equally to petrol prices. A difference of, say, 3p a litre between the price at different garages may not sound like much, but if you have a 40 litre tank and fill up once a week, that actually equates to a difference of over £60 a year: surely worth having. A site like Petrolprices will help you find the cheapest garages in your area, and remember to earn points on your loyalty card every time you fill up.

Parking

Another big consideration for anyone who commutes by car has got to be parking. You may think that there is nothing you can do to get round this one, but actually there is a cheaper alternative to the big, commercial multi-storeys. Try logging on to websites like Parklet and Parkatmyhouse. These sites let you rent a parking space at the houses of people who live near your office; you could even earn some money by letting others park their cars round your gaff while you are out!

Liftshare

If you have no option but to drive to work, have followed all this advice and find that your eyes still water every time you switch on the engine, there is still no need to despair. Why not see if you can share a lift? Ask around the office to see if anyone else lives round your neck of the woods and then set it up between you. If no-one lives near to you (or at least no-one you want to share a car with!!), sites like Carshare, Liftshare and Nationalcarshare can put you in touch with others who can help.

Scooters

The last option for cash-strapped commuters is to try to downsize. And I don’t mean just to a smaller car – why not go for a scooter? Even a brand new one from a top-name make like Vespa can cost as little as £2,149 while we also found Direct Bikes offering a brand new scooter from just £584 including delivery! What’s more, insurance will be far less than with a car (obviously how much less depends on your circumstances) – check through through specialised insurers like:

• Bennets
• Be Wiser
• Churchill
• confused.com
• Devitt
• Swinton’s

Other big advantages include the fact that road tax is just £15 per year, petrol for a commute of around 10 miles will cost you just £5-£10 per week and if you live in the capital you would be exempt from the congestion charge!  There has never been a better chance to try it out : July saw the launch of a new campaign called Get On, which will give you the opportunity to try out life on two wheels with a free one-hour taster session. Why not give it a go?

Another one rides the bus?

Bus and coach travel is sometimes seen as quite an unfashionable option among some commuters, but many don’t realise how cheap it can be compared to the train. Say you need to travel from Paddington to Old Street in London – on the tube it would cost £1.60 but the bus would be just £1 with your Oyster card. If you are paying by cash, the difference is £2. Coming from further afield, a one year pass with the Oxford Tube bus service costs £1130, an equivalent season ticket on the railways would come in at whopping £3,996!

Shoes, skates and cycles

Undoubtedly the simplest, healthiest and most environmentally-friendly way to get to work is to go under your own steam. And the best thing is: it doesn’t cost you a penny!

The NHS recommends everyone do at least 30 minutes of exercise five days per week. The average person should be able to walk at 3mph so that means if you walk one mile to work and one mile back each day that means 40 minutes of exercise each day: you are already ahead of the NHS-recommended minimum.

And don’t think you have to walk the whole way to work. If you work in London, for example, why not just get off the tube or bus a stop early? Not only will you get some good exercise, it may save you money as your tube or bus fare may be cheaper if you are in a different travelcard zone It could also be quicker: TFL (Transport for London) says 109 journeys between central London tube stations are actually faster on foot.

If it is just too far to walk then going by bike has all the same health and environmental benefits as walking and still works out far cheaper than other forms of transport. Go to a retailer like Evans or Halfords, or look at online auction and classifieds sites like eBay, Amazon, and Gumtree or even the police auction site bumblebeeauctions to buy your bike and also get accessories like lights, a lock and a helmet. And that’s it, off you go!

What’s more, the government’s Cycle to Work scheme can help you get a cheap bike and accesories as a tax-free benefit from your employer!!

If you are worried about the chance of your bike being swiped then see our article on bike insurance here or go direct to a company like Endsleigh.

If you really want to try something different, you could even try skating to work! To get yourself started, why not visit skate shop Nucleus.

Try something different

We have gone through a good load of possibilities here but they all have one thing in common: they are always to change your commute. “Isn’t that the point of the article?” I hear you cry. Bear with us.

Instead of trying to change your commute, why not change your work? And I am not necessarily saying switch jobs (although if you’re commute is REALLY bad, why not?). How about asking your boss to change your hours, for example? If you are an early bird, why not see if you can start at, say, 07:30 and then leave at 15:30? If you aren’t wasting petrol sitting in rush hour traffic jams then you’ll definitely save cash. Or you could avoid peak-hour fares on the railways by starting work at 10:30 and going through till 18:30. Try it out, if you don’t ask you don’t get!

Finally, if you want to be really radical, why not see if you can work from home! Clearly this option isn’t going to be possible for everyone – I definitely wouldn’t try it if you’re a teacher – but for many office workers there is no reason why this shouldn’t be possible, even if you need access to specific office software or network resources. Why not check out the website gotomypc.com, which enables users to access all the files and programs on your workplace systems from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection, and that can include your own living room!

And remember…

Whatever you decide to do to bring down those travel bills, it is likely you might have to spend a little bit of money to start. If you do need to buy anything, from a scooter or moped to lights for your bike, there are some great shopping tips that you can always try to save just a little bit of extra cash.

• Try to buy on a cashback website. For more information on how these sites can save you money, read our article, which has links to the big sites.
• Look on online auction/classified sites like eBay, Amazon and Gumtree – you’ll be amazed at what you can find and how much you could save.
• If you prefer to buy on the high street, try to haggle with the retailer, especially if you are buying multiple items. If you have decided to start cycling to work and need a bike, a lock some lights, negotiate a discount for buying them all together. The shop will want your money, so the price is very rarely set in stone.