Can't afford to get to work

Sncjw

Think work would question now why all of sudden you can’t afford to get to work if you tell them that

dawyldthing

xapprenticex wrote: »

£265 to get to work and back per month is madness unless you work in London or something. Sounds like it would be cheaper to drive.

Works out around £13 a day ish. I pay nearly £6 on the bus so I can imagine it's about right for the train.

Have a look on I think it's bla bla car as I think it's a journey sharing website and you might find folk going the same direction

dawyldthing

Or could you move closer in the future so you don't spend as much in the future?

Sarastro

You could try one of the car-sharing websites, you will have to pay something but it might be cheaper than the train fare.
Do you know anyone you could stay with closer to work overnight? Might save you something.
And is it possible to you to work from home at all? I'm not sure what you do.
I don't think you have any choice this month but to borrow the money to pay for the ticket.

lauretta

If I understand it right, you need £13 per working day, for the next 13 working days, until your pay cheque comes in?

The only suggestions I can make are:
-Appeal to the Bank of Mum and Dad (sister, brother, grandma - any relative that will help)
-Start a Justgiving site - be honest about the mess you're in, and explain you're trying to raise £169 so you can keep your job.
- If you can make it into work, throw yourself on the mercy of your colleagues - explain that you're totally boracic this month, and offer to do errands/tasks/slave stuff in your lunch hour, for cold hard cash (this approach really depends on how you think this might go down, and how mean your workmates are; or alternatively, how good their sense of humour is)

If you DO manage to make it through until payday, for God's sake ringfence the money for your train fare as non-spendable - whatever else you have to go without. Renegotiate your unsecured debts, ebay everything you don't use, see if there's any leeway on your overdraft. Put food bottom of the list: eating baked beans for a month, and keeping a job, is infinitely better than losing a job, and landing up at the mercy of the awful Benefits system.

If you think it's hard trying to make a paycheck stretch, you will not want to see what the Government thinks you can exist on!

ohreally

If your in a union try their welfare section for help.

TBagpuss

would the fare be cheaper if you could travel outside peak hours? If so, it may be worth asking about flexible hours to start /finish later.

That aside, asking your employer for an advance on your wages or a loan for a season ticket may be an option, but they may take the view that it is not their responsibility. (Also, I'm not sure how easy it would be for them to set up with payroll at short notice)

Do any of your colleagues live near you? would it be possible to ask for a lift, either all or part of the way (it would be reasonable to offer something towards their petrol, but you might be able to put that off until payday!

Bogof_Babe

Is your "monthly train fare" a season ticket? If not, could you look into the possibility of getting one? I believe most journeys can be season ticketed for weekly, monthly or annual tickets - obviously the longer the period the cheaper per day it works out. Are you entitled to a railcard of any sort? 16-25 or Disabled?

gettingtheresometime

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Is your "monthly train fare" a season ticket? If not, could you look into the possibility of getting one? I believe most journeys can be season ticketed for weekly, monthly or annual tickets - obviously the longer the period the cheaper per day it works out. Are you entitled to a railcard of any sort? 16-25 or Disabled?

Do you travel with anyone regularly?

May be worth you both looking into getting a two together rail card.

Savvy_Sue

If the car sharing websites don't give anything useful, is it the sort of journey you could hitch?