Every work day seems to start out the same way. A long and tedious commute that not only forces you to get out of bed sooner, but also robs you of your much needed free time. Of course, your entertainment time isn’t the only thing a commute can rob you of. Chances are, if you’re spending a lot of time in your vehicle during the work week, then you’re losing out on a whole lot of money too. Although it’s pretty hard to get around a commute, there’s some simple solutions that may help you save a whole lot of money simply by driving to work. Even though time can’t be saved, with a little extra money in the bank you may feel a bit better about each commute.

1. Keep Up With Maintenance
Everyone knows there’s a few things that need to be done to a vehicle in order to keep it street worthy. However, many people ignore this general knowledge or completely space it until it is too late. Believe it or not, but your routine maintenance can really change up your work commute. Making sure your tires are aired up properly is one of the best things you can do, not only for your vehicle but for your safety. When your tires aren’t aired up right you have a greater chance of dealing with a blowout when you’re on the road. It can also cause havoc on your gas mileage too, so try to do a quick sweep of the tires before you get in the car each morning. Another thing to keep track of is your oil changes. Running on bad oil is terrible for a car and could lead to greater problems down the road, which may cost a fortune to fix. There’s many other things to keep track of, but if you start out with these two you’ll notice major changes faster.

2. Use Gas Apps
There’s a pretty good chance that you have to stop to fuel up quite a bit, especially if your commute is on the long side. Instead of just pulling into any ole gas station, or your favorite brand name station, try to power up your cell to find the best gas prices around. There’s lots of apps that will actually pin point your location and tell you where to find the cheapest fuel within a certain mileage of your area. Some of the apps will even GPS route the location, so you don’t have to do anything but drive. This can really come in handy when you’re planning your route, as you can allot for time to stop or take a small detour for the fuel. Of course, make sure you do your planning before you get on the road. Playing with your phone while driving is not something you want to do, no matter the circumstance.

3. Telecommute
Recently, the telecommuting trend as come into play, which has really made a lot of employees happy. Today, more and more companies are picking up this practice in order to save money and to help their employees work more efficiently. The best way to start up telecommuting is to talk to your supervisor about it. If your company already has a program then you should be able to do this without a problem. Of course, if it isn’t something your company has tried before then you may have a bit of a wait time to see what their verdict is. If you do have this option, try to take advantage of it two or more times a week in order to cut down on the amount you have to commute. You’ll need a nice quiet place to work, but apart from that, your work day should be a little less stressful when you use this method. It’s even great for staying home with sick kids as it helps you avoid taking time off. All in all, this method is a great money saver for all parties involved.

4. Sneak in Errands
If you’re always busy, then you may want to sneak in some errands during your commute. This will not only save you a bit of time during your off period, but will also save on gas. If you have errands near your work place then you should take care any of these, within reason on your way to or from work. You may even get a few things settled during your lunch hour. This comes in handy because you don’t have to use the fuel you would normally use to complete the task during your off hours. Plus, it may give you a good reason to justify the commute when you’re feeling frustrated with the amount of money you have to spend to get to work each day.

5. Alter Driving Habits
You may not believe it, but one key factor to saving on money during your commute is to alter the way you drive. There’s lots of bad habits people pick up over time that actually cause you to use more fuel and do more damage to your car. One habit is putting the pedal to the metal. A lot of people love to speed to work and back home, so they can get their daily commute over. The only problem is, most cars don’t use fuel efficiently after they pass the 65 MPH mark. This should be the speed you try to travel on a regular basis, as it is both safe and will save you a couple of trips to the gas station. Acceleration is also a major problem for many. When people move onto the on ramp they want to go fast in order to merge. However, instead of building up to the speed, they accelerate so fast that they waste a lot of fuel. Another thing you can change about your driving habits is when you leave. Sometimes a few minutes can make a huge difference in regards to a commute. For instance, you may want to toy around with when you leave for a week or two. You may find it amusing that leaving a couple minutes earlier may get you to work a whole lot faster. Avoiding rush hour traffic by doing this can also cut down on the fuel you burn sitting around in traffic. Also, try to avoid using the air conditioner or heater when you can. You may be surprised by how much this helps.

6. Buy a Fast Trak
Most places in the country have Fast Trak passes now. Basically, this pass allows you to go in the carpool lane no matter how many people you have in the car with you. Of course, if you love to carpool then you don’t have to worry about the expense. Also, if you have a hybrid or electric car then you automatically get a pass to drive in this lane. However, for those who are simply looking to speed up commute times and save some money, the pass is well worth it. Typically the carpool lane isn’t packed, so you’ll get to drive with great traffic conditions the entire way to work. Also, a lot of carpool lanes go around detours, which could save you overall mileage. The big savings factor when it comes to the carpool lane is you’ll use less gas, overall. You’ll also end up on a road that isn’t going to do your tires in, which is an added bonus.

7. Carpool
If you live near people from work then it may be wise to get together and carpool as often as you can. It doesn’t matter how many days you do it, as even one day will cut down on expenses. If you have at least 3 other people to carpool with then there’s a good chance you’ll only end up driving to work once a week, which means huge savings on your end. Carpools are also great for getting in last minute work, or sleep, when you’re not the one driving. Of course, it could also help you bond in your work place so you don’t feel as bummed out on Monday morning when you get to work. One of the major bonuses of the carpool is you’ll get to take the carpool lane, as mentioned above. This cuts time and fuel off of each trip and will mean less worry while someone else is behind the steering wheel.

8. Take Public Transit
A lot of people stray away from public transit because they don’t really want to deal with the public first thing in the morning. Some people may feel that public transit takes too long too, which can be a problem in many areas. However, if you’re looking to cut money off of your commute then taking a bus, trail or trolley may be the way to go. Most locations will allow you to buy a transit pass, which will cut a great deal off your travel money when you commute this way. It may also give you a bit of time to relax each morning so you can enjoy a book, listen to music or catch up on some work you forgot to do the day before. If you’re not keen on riding the bus with a lot of people then you may want to see if your city offers public cycles. This new program will allow you to rent and return a bike for a great price, which is perfect for anyone whose commute isn’t too far.

9. Ask for Employee Programs
If you’re having problems keeping up with commuting prices then you may want to consider talking to your company about the issue. A lot of companies will have programs set up to lend a helping hand to employees that may need to make long distant commutes. Now, this doesn’t mean they’ll pay for your fuel every day, but often they will have a program that provides you with some relief, may it be adding a commuting grant to your pay or offering you a company gas card. Even if your company doesn’t offer financial help, they may be able to find you a ride if you’re having car troubles or help you find people you can carpool with. Some companies even have official carpool services which will allow you to head to work in a company vehicle with other employees.

10. Tax Deductions
Finding a way to rid you of some of your commuting debt may be frustrating. If you don’t have the time to look or follow up leads that may aid you, then a tax deduction might be the right thing to wait for. If you talk to your accountant, you may find that the government will refund some commute money if you qualify. Of course, this means you need to save all of your fueling receipts to prove how much you spent throughout the year. If you do receive the deduction then you can put this money towards a more eco-friendly vehicle or to help pay for gas for the following year. Of course, if you do purchase a hybrid car, electric car or motorcycle, then you may already have money coming back to you for your commuting purchase.

Traveling to and from work is pretty frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be costly either. There’s ways to work around the financial burden of commuting that can help you feel a little less burdened by the realities of getting to and from work. With these tips, you should be able to budget less of your paycheck for commuting costs and more for something you’d enjoy a bit more.