Does your area have good public transportation? Mine doesn’t. Because I live in the boonies. It’s literally five miles to the nearest gas station or convenience store. The only thing within walking distance of me is a sketchy trailer park filled with people who used to make fun of me on the bus to school.
But when I lived in LA, one of the things I liked most about my job was when I got assigned the day shift. There was a bus that ran every 20 minutes, pretty much directly from my apartment to the restaurant, for 25 cents. Unfortunately, it didn’t run at night, so I could only use it for my day shifts.
It’s certainly good, too, because I would hate to drive in LA. I managed to avoid it for the whole summer, but I doubt I’ll be that lucky once I live out there again. The traffic is horrible, and it’s just completely different from any driving situation I’ve ever been in before. So not only could the bus save me money, it’s probably also likely to keep me out of an accident.
But how much money can the bus save you, exactly? Well, according to the American Public Transportation Association, $6,200 a year per household. Seriously? Seriously. Right there might be my whole excuse for never owning a car in LA.
Even if you need a car for, say, grocery shopping, you can still save a ton by commuting to work using a bus. No need to spend on gas, city parking, maintenance on your vehicle, and the one or two parking or speeding tickets you’re bound to get.