6 ways to save time and money on the way to work

Whether riding crowded transit, inching your vehicle through gridlock, or braving the cold Canadian elements on a bike, commutes can be a grim daily endurance test. 

Both taxing on the mind and wallet, commutes are intertwined with our housing needs. And as skyrocketing housing prices and rents in major cities push workers and students further into the suburbs, commutes are growing. 

The national average commute is 29 minutes, but the number spikes in cities like Toronto (42 minutes), Montreal (36) and Vancouver (33). That’s 20 hours per month gone; not to mention a significant dent to your income.

Let’s look at ways you can reduce your commute time and possibly save a few bucks in the process.

1. Make a move

Let’s start with perhaps the most extreme measure to combat a nasty commute - move! Living close to work will slice a huge chunk off - if not outright eliminate - your transit costs and greatly reduce commute times.

Consider the long-term, time-saving, health and financial benefits of being able to walk or bike to work. Housing may cost more, but you’ll have more time to pursue your interests and more cash that would previously go to commuting in your pocket. Some have called walking to work “life changing”.

2. Flex your schedule

According to Statistics Canada, four out of five Canadian commuters use private vehicles to get to work, which means carbon-producing congestion every morning and evening.

See if your employer allows flexible hours and try to avoid the 9 a.m. morning rush and 5 p.m. death race to get home. It might take some extra coffee, but try 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to avoid those peak road rage hours. Freed up roads equals you getting to your destination faster.

3. Beat the traffic - save time

Nothing throws a day out of whack like congestion caused by unforeseen circumstances. It can double, even triple your commute.  

A growingly popular way of finding the least congested routes and saving time is through Waze. This navigation app links drivers together to share real-time traffic tips and helps you find the best possible route to work or home. You’ll be alerted of accidents, road hazards, traffic jams and other obstructions to clear-moving traffic.

This will help save time, but if you’re really serious about saving money, ask yourself if owning a car is worth it. With ride sharing services flourishing, and car ownership costs creeping up yearly, the price of owning a vehicle should be thoughtfully analyzed.

4. Optimize your transit ride

For those commuting by transit, it may seem like the variables - speed in which you travel, and associated costs - are out of your control. The schedules are set and the fare is non-negotiable.

Still, transit apps can help optimize your commute and prevent you from wasting time waiting for a bus or, in the case of Toronto, sluggish streetcars. Apps like Citymapper or Transit App, for example, pinpoint pickups, deliver departure reminders and service disruption notifications, so you can plan your detours.

5. Smell the coffee without stopping

Imagine a particularly brutal commute has you running late and throwing your daily coffee stop in jeopardy. Will you settle for stale Folgers in the staff room? No way.

The Starbucks app and other skip-the-line apps lets you order your drink ahead of time, pay with your phone and pick up the drink when you arrive. You can be in and out of there with an Americano in hand before your boss even notices your empty desk.

6. Reduce your commute down to ... nothing.

The sign of a progressive workplace, and a flexible boss, is the ability to work from home periodically. There’s no better way to avoid stress-inducing commutes, and save money, than completely avoiding the commute all together.