When tackling your monthly budget, it can be easy to underestimate or even forget to factor in parking and transportation costs. For many apartment dwellers, parking isn’t cheap, and walking to work isn’t exactly feasible. By finding alternative modes of transportation, you can save yourself valuable time and money – not to mention the fact that you’ll also be doing a little bit of good for the environment.
Mass Transit
Many urban cities have some kind of public transportation, whether by rail or bus. For many renters, mass transit is an appealing option because it is cheap and (mostly) reliable. That’s money that stays in your pocket rather than being used to pay for parking or to buy gas for your car.
Carpooling
If there are no train stations or bus stops near enough to your apartment, you might want to consider teaming up with coworkers that live close by. Sure, “carpooling” sounds a little old-timey, but it’s much more effective than each of you individually contributing to rush hour traffic. Make sure to devise a plan with coworkers ahead of time, keep it fair, and always have a backup.
Bicycling
While this may not be a task that all apartment dwellers are up to, bicycling to work has many, many benefits – the most obvious being commuting and getting in your daily cardio at the same time. As long as you have your bicycle lock and key with you, parking is free and you eliminate having to wait for a bus or coworker. Riding a bicycle to work works best for renters who live in the city, not too far from where they work.
Carsharing Services
Originally a European source of transportation, carsharing services are becoming more and more popular in North America. Services like Car2Go have environment-friendly vehicles stationed at prime locations throughout the city, so that members can pick one up and drop it off at any other station when they’re done. Because you only pay when you use it, you can effectively budget for transportation at the beginning of the month.
