Transportation costs can easily eat away half of your hard-earned monthly salary if

you’re not careful! That’s money that could otherwise go to your groceries, rent, or even savings
and investment! Now with all this traffic, MRT breakdowns, Grab surges, the key is to plan
ahead! To help you with that, here are some COMMUTING TIPID TIPS we have collated for you!

NUMBER ONE: Explore free travel options!

Believe it or not, there are ways you can get from one point to another in the Metro without
having to spend a single cent! That’s aside from walking or taking your bike wherever you go—although
— those are two very good options for those trying to stay fit and save some money, too! If that’s not a
viable option for you, don’t worry! You still have a couple of free travel options—like the SERBUS—that’s
DOTR’s free PITX shuttle service! There are two operational routes: PITX to Baclaran via Lawton, and PITX
to Monumento via Baclaran and EDSA. You can catch the SERBUS between 6 to 11 in the morning… and
between 4pm and 9pm! If you work along or near EDSA, it’s a very good service to take advantage of!

Better yet, you can ask your HR department if you are entitled to any free company shuttle
services. A lot of offices now offer free shuttle services for their employees-- make sure you don’t miss
out

NUMBER TWO: Carpool

If none of those work for you, try to ask your classmates or workmates who drive to school or
work! If they have extra space in the car, I’m sure they’d appreciate your company—and your share in
gas money! With hefty parking fees, maintenance costs, toll fees, and gas… bringing a car everywhere
can be really, really expensive! But carpooling can mutually benefit you and your friends who drive!

NUMBER THREE: Don’t give up on public transportation!

You know, there are days when the MRT doesn’t malfunction and the buses in EDSA are not full
to the brim! Plus, there are ways to make your time in public transportation bearable!

First and foremost, know your route. There are usually about ten different ways you can get from
one place to another nowadays-- and more bus or jeep routes open every now and then! Make sure you
stay updated—and find which one will save you the most time and money!

And be early! Simply avoid rush hour! If you arrive at school or work a couple of hours early, you
can use that time to study, grab breakfast, or just relax and get in the right mindset for the day ahead—
instead of stressing out the whole time in traffic! Roads usually start to get congested at 6 in the morning
—so leaving before then can make all the difference in the world!
 Another tipid tip would be to always have barya handy! It’s all about mindset. If all you have are
large bills, you might be tempted to hail that taxi or book that Grab—since you’re not sure whether trike
or jeepney drivers would have panukli. But if you always have barya on you, it won’t be a problem.

Finally, make it a habit to check social media before you leave. Follow @mmda on Twitter—
that’s how you know which roads are congested and which ones are moving fast. This can help you make
a decision about which route to take for the day! Also follow DOTR—for updates on the MRT. They give
daily updates on how many trains are operational, or if there are any unique situations like train
breakdowns—or free rides!

NUMBER FOUR: Go P2P!

Keep in mind that sometimes, it’s as important to save time as it is to save money! So another
tipid tip we have—is to check point to point bus routes! Point to point buses may be a bit more
expensive that the usual buses that ferry you around, but it saves you so much time as it doesn’t go
through so many stopovers to let passengers on or off. We have P2P routes from Ayala to Quezon City,
BGC to Alabang, Quezon City to Bulacan, and even to and from our airports in Pasay and Clark! and many
others! It might be worthwhile to check if you can take any of these P2P routes for a fast and cost-
efficient commute!

NUMBER FIVE: Get yourself a waterproof bag.

It’s gonna get so tempting to opt for a TNVS ride when it’s raining. It’s especially easy to convince
yourself you have no other choice—if you don’t have a waterproof bag—as all your essentials might get
destroyed by heavy rain! So for rainy seasons, go for the waterproof bag—so that you can still commute
even if its pouring rain!

NUMBER SIX: Set aside a portion of your salary for transportation—and stick to it!

You know, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional Grab or taxi ride, especially when you’re
running late, or when you’re really just tired and you wanna get places quickly. The key is to not overdo it
—as it could really break the bank! Now, the best strategy is to set your own transpo budget ahead of
time—the only amount you’re willing to spend for your commute—and stick to it! For example, if you set
a budget of P1,000 weekly—that means you can probably splurge on that Grab or Angkas ride twice a
week, and for the rest you have to rely on public transportation! This is a great strategy because it will
really force you to ask yourself, “is it really worth it?” every time your hands itch to book that TNVS ride.
This way you will only spend hundreds to commute—when you really need it.

To help, have a budget journal or budget tracker and log in your transportation expenses daily!

NUMBER SEVEN: Stay in on the weekends!

 It’s bad enough you have to commute everyday on work or school days— so it’s best to let your
feet—and your wallet—rest on the weekend! If you really must go somewhere though, weekends are
the best days to do public transportation. The roads are actually decongested, and lines aren’t that long!

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST: Consider moving closer to your workplace or school

After a month or two of using your budget tracker, crunch the numbers. Are you spending too
much on transportation that renting a room that’s just walking distance to where you work or study is
actually cheaper? If the answer is yes, then it might be time to consider moving. This way, you can cut
commuting costs—and travel time to nil!