I spend about $.10 per mile to commute
Squawkfox posted a handy tool the other day, the Gas-Mileage Calculator, which will show you just what gas prices are costing you.
I drive about 15 miles each way to work (give or take) and spend roughly $.10 each mile. In other words, I spend $3 a day (not counting tolls, which add another $1.60 each way) to commute to work.
On top of which, there’s the time factor: I spend 30 minutes there and 45 back. (TRAFFIC!!! AHH!)
Still better than public transportation for me, if only for convenience: I can leave as soon as work is done and get there just as it begins.
What about you?
July 8th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I think I use about a half gallon a day, which is about $2.35 these days. No tolls, free parking. It does make it hard to take the bus when it really isn’t that expensive to drive.
July 8th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Public transportation, the bus, costs $6/day should I opt to take it every now and then instead of driving. One the plus sides of public transportation is that I don’t have to worry about dealing with all of the crazy people out on the road, and I can sit back and read–something that I can’t do while driving. The minus side of it is that it more than doubles my commute time.
I don’t want to calculate the cost of driving to and from work each day with the rising price of gas. It’s too depressing.
July 8th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
$.10 a mile is pretty good, but, of course, the price of gas is just one partial cost of commuting by car.
I agree though, about the convenience of a car, public transportation generally is more convenient working in a downtown area where parking is costly and transportation links better.
By the way, I’m pretty new to blogging, but I’ve enjoyed reading your blog for a while now!
July 8th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Valid point, Spending Smarts. I’m glad to have a reliable car (at least now) that I don’t have to think twice about, but I should’ve probably factored it into these figures.
Truthfully, public transportation would be the best and worst part about living in the city, and I think about that whenever I start imagining myself living somewhere else. Sigh.
Welcome to blogging! I’ll go check out your site now.
July 8th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
$.15/mile and 13 miles roundtrip, so $1.95 per day which is pretty good. I also have a roommate who works at the same place, so we carpool every once in awhile. The best part is that it’s only 10-15 minutes each way, unless there’s an accident. Public transportation is an option, but I don’t think it’s worth the extra time and it may even be more expensive.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Hey GradGirl! Thank you so much for the mention! I really enjoyed programming the gas mileage calculator!
July 17th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
[...] Grad Girl found out that she spends about $.10 per mile to commute. [...]