This post is about how to save money when traveling to work, school, or anywhere we need to go via bus, jeep, UV express, Grab, or Uber. I am using the Insular Life Finance manager app to record my travel expense among others. Right now, I only have P1,200 remaining but still have many places to go to and errands to accomplish this week.
Here’s how I plan to maximize my travel budget:
Some of the things here many of us already know but forget to practice because we are always in a hurry. Let these serve as our helpful reminders!
1. Leave early – leaving early allows us to avoid traffic and afford to choose the public transport that fits our budget. Minsan pag late na tayo, no choice na kung hindi mag taxi or Grab. Mahal yan! When you’re in a hurry, chances are you will hop on the first service you will see, no matter the cost difference.
2. Use Waze or Google Maps – welcome to the modern world. These mobile apps are no longer just for people driving their own cars. Many of my friends and family use Waze to check traffic status, map the best and fastest route, and save on gas, time, effort – or when taking public vehicles, save fare.
By using these apps, you can also avoid toll gates if you are open to exploring alternate routes. I did this last weekend when my family went to the city, we were able to skip the long lines and traffic at Cavitex – wala pang toll fee!
3. Use Grab or Uber vouchers – before hoping in these cars, spare a few minutes to check their Facebook Pages to find voucher codes. I was able to use a half the price promo for Grab last week, and it only cost me P200 to book from Makati to Cavite instead of P400!
4. Share your ride – car pool with family, friends, and co-workers or the other way around. You can also share and split Grab or Uber fares, gamiting ang FB messenger to check if someone is going to the same destination! Magandang idea yan, all of you can save and even feel safer riding together.
5. Squeeze in errands – check your schedule and see if you can fit in errands like paying bills, buying something from the grocery (ingredient, pet food, etc.) or hardware, or going to the bank – before or after your travel appointment. Sometimes it’s a good idea to do these things instead of heading home right away and get stuck in traffic. Planning your errands around your trip saves you time, money, and makes your day more productive.
6. Share your trip schedule with your family – maybe your husband is going to the same place or you can pick up your spouse, children, etc. on the way back home. Sharing your schedule can also let you know if you can do something for others along the way i.e. pick-up or deliver items, etc.
7. Check out promos of gas stations – this week, I got free rice (yes, bigas!) from a gasoline station. This is from Total at the corner of Coastal road and airport road. I decided to gas up there because I remembered their promo a few months back and I was delighted to know that their promo is forever! If you are far from this station, you can always earn from fueling up by using your rewards card too.
8. Bring snacks and water – my husband and I never leave home without water, even when traveling by ourselves. Nadala na kami sa kakabili ng mahal na tubig! Bringing your own bottled water might sound inconvenient but wait until you get thirsty, you will appreciate you brought your own and save yourself time, money, and energy from looking to buy bottled water. Snacks will also prevent you from getting too hungry and stop you from going to the drive-thru unplanned.
Do you have more commuting, traveling tips to share? Happy saving Mommy!
