Ever since I've moved closer to the downtown area, I've tried really hard to take the bus more often - partly to contribute less to the carcinogenic sludge we call "air" in downtown Salt Lake City, and partly because riding the bus allows me to read/write/draw during the commute. That's pretty groovy, but I've found another benefit to taking the bus, one that's actually padded my wallet a bit.
I've not actually crunched the numbers to see if taking the bus really saves me money on gas. Yes, I go to the gas station less often, but I'm still paying for a bus pass - although my bus pass gets subsidized through work, so I expect there are some pretty significant savings there. But that's not actually the benefit I was referring to.
Whenever I'm feeling down or lonely, rather than picking up the phone like a healthy person, I tend to get in my car and drive to the bookstore. I satisfy my cravings for social interaction by reading or watching movies. As a result, I spend a lot of money on... stuff. Just stuff.
HOWEVER... commuting by bus tends to add about an hour to travel time... which means that most of my jaunts to Barnes and Noble wouldn't get me home until well too late to eat and unwind before going to bed, so, most of the time, I just can't be bothered. So I go home and call people instead.
My savings have never been better!
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