The Great Hunt: Are you commuting part-time? Tell us your MoneySaving tips

MSE_Kelvin

Hello there Forumites.

If you're only travelling to work for part of the week at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, we want to know how you've cut the cost – especially as usual methods such as season tickets may no longer be cost-effective.

Have you found a cheaper way to pay for train tickets or parking, or switched to a different form of transport? Please let us know your part-time commuting cost-cutters below or by email.

Thanks for your help!

MSE Kelvin

Newnoel

Leased a Tesla through salary sacrifice, so I am getting the car at less than half price with very low BIK
Free parking at work in central London and no congestion charge.
Daily train ticket would be £50, but the electric cost for the journey is well under £10
Covid safe too!

RPye

I used to travel in by bus every day costing just under £60 for a monthly ticket, yet now due to coronavirus I only need to be in the office one day a week. The work car park is free but has minimal spaces, so I applied for a pay per use discount card at the local NCP just in case I can't get a space. I now only pay petrol costs which amount to around £5 per day. 99% of the time I'll bag a space at work, but I'm prepared with my discount card which reduces a £15 all-day ticket to £5. Taking the bust would be the cheapest option, but this way I'm spending less and it's Covid safe which is what counts.

Savvy_Sue

I discovered that the local council is offering free parking (onstreet and in some car parks) to keyworkers. It was initially until the end of August, but was extended to the end of September: hoping it will continue after that as well, but won't know for a week or so. 

slbhill

I've commuted by train 4 days/week for years. Railway staff all tell me it's cheapest to buy a season ticket if I'm travelling 4 days a week but that's not necessarily true. It might be cheaper if I travelled 4 days *during the peak times* *every week*. But once I include my holidays, and the odd day working elsewhere then a Flexipass has always been cheaper for me (not available on all routes and TOCs). That gives me 10 singles for about 10% off. But the biggest saving is once I realised that I travel off peak the majority of the time - so I buy an off peak ticket every day I travel. About a 30% saving, and if I don't travel then I don't pay. Queuing isn't a big issue because the ticket office is quiet after 9, and I could buy online using my smartcard if I preferred. A lot of employers are allowing flexible start times so off peak tickets may be useful for many post-covid rail commuters.

plumduff

Bought a bike / cycling gear.. saving £120 per month. Would rather get wet than waste my money on the shoddy Manchester train service anymore..

alanf.1

I've been working from home since March. I normally travel to work by car and also use my car for the occaisional business trip. When this happens I claim 45p/mile from my place of work. Does anyone know if you are working from home whether in HMRC's eyes this now counts as your normal place of work?

Melancholie

I usually commute by bus to work but now am only in the office one day a week so the £54 monthly ticket is not great value! A daily bus ticket is £4.80. 24 hours parking in the council-run car park next to work is £5.80. I'm asthmatic so vulnerable and wary of using the bus at the moment. The commute is only 1.8 miles so petrol costs are minimal.