A fresh start

EssexHebridean

My OH used to have precisely the same quandary Seax - it's like the old bulk buying dilemma isn;t it - everyone knows it works out cheaper in the long run, but you need to have the cash upfront in the first place. One thing I notice from your figures is that if we assume that there will be 6 weeks of the year when you will not be travelling (5 weeks holiday plus Christmas etc), individual weekly tickets work out a few pence cheaper than the 6 months does if you break it down over 23 weeks. That will rule out the 6 monthly one then. (I've cut to the chase on that on as OH found the same thing - daft, isn't it!)

We found that for the most part, monthly tickets work best, you can then adjust running up to holidays etc by adding in weekly tickets as required so you don't end up spending on travel when you don't need to. Working on the basis of you buying 10 monthly tickets and 2 weekly to make up the difference running up to holiday times etc, the year should cost you in the region of £2210.40 or, in other words, hardly more than the annual pass would cost anyway!

Hope that assists!

Seaxwyn

Hey that is really helpful Essex Hebridean, I am glad I asked! That has taken a load off my mind, no need to shell out two grand in January! Whahey!!!

taka

Ouch! :eek:

If Essexhebridean's suggestion won't work with your holidays I would buy a year's travel pass on your 0% for 6 months ONLY IF you can be sure to have paid it off within the year.

Compared to the monthly pass you would save £329 paying for the year.

£2521.20 for 12 months of monthly passes
£2192.20 for yearly pass

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£329 difference

As long as you pay it all off this year and the APR on the card after the 0% isn't too outrageous you will pay LESS buying yearly than the monthly pass.

eg paid off 50% of balance in 0% period then 6 months at say 30% APR = ~£164 (actually less than this as it would be decreasing each month)

329 - 164 = ~£165 saving compared to monthly passes IF paid off within the year. You would need to be really strict with yourself to pay it all off come what may as you will have the same problem for 2011's pass and still be paying off the 2010 one otherwise...

Double check that it won't somehow be treated as a cash advance 1st though!

Much as I hate debt and increasing it is bad in general but there is no point in cutting your nose off to spite your face...

Seaxwyn

Hi taka. What you say is true, but I only just manage to pay the minimums on 4 other cards most months, so I feel sure that paying £2192 on a credit card in January would just add to my woes. The 0% goes up to 12.9% in June.

Whereas, with monthly tickets and well-timed holidays, I will end up paying very little more and with the added morale boost of my debt continuing to go down.

On other news, I have just arranged with a friend to do a carboot sale on Sunday. Even though it is FREEZING and I have virtually nothing to sell! A pair of shoes that don't fit and a box of Lego. I wonder what else I can find.

taka

Fair enough... makes sense...

Good luck with the carboot sale... :eek: Brrrrrrrrrrrrr :snow_grin

lucielle

Can OH find anything to sell?
L

EssexHebridean

You're welcome Seax - we spent 6 years working out the best way of working things so got quite good at it. Remember if your monthly ticket expires on a Friday - particularly if on a bank holiday weekend - it's worth getting to the station an extra bit early on the next working day to get your ticket rather than renewing on the Friday night. Also if you have holiday time "spare" try to work it to make the best use of extending tickets - ie, if you have a monthly ticket expiring, say, on the Tuesday of Easter week, it might be sensible totake the wednesday and thursday off which in turn saves you a week on the ticket thanks to the long weekend.

Seaxwyn

Thanks EH! My work is very flexible about allowing working at home, so I can always do a bit of that in between ticket renewals. I am so grateful to you for your advice, I was quite convinced I had to buy a yearly ticket so it feels as if you have given me £2000!

hypno06

Some fab advice there, seaxwyn - don't you just love MSE!!!

Have a good weekend, and good luck with the car boot - I am sure you will find a few bits and bobs to sell.

Sea78

ooh-good luck with the car boot - an clothes kids grown out of? They seem to go quite well?? Hope you[ve found some more stuff. AM about to PM you

Sea xxx