Taking transit is better than I thought
I've always had a guilty conscience about the fact that I drive to work. I've always had the excuse of picking my daughter up from daycare as my crutch for why I don't take the bus that stops a couple blocks from my house and drops me off a 10 minute walk from work TO WORK. But my daycare situation has changed and I don't have to rush to pick the kids up from daycare so I CAN take transit.
I've been doing it for 5 weeks now and it is fantastic. Now that I am used to only getting the occasional seat and have timed it perfectly so I am not waiting at the stop but I am also not racing down the road in high heels to catch it, I am quite happy.
I am saving a lot of money. My bus pass is the same cost as what I was paying in parking. Its been 5 weeks and I am still working on the same tank of gas (I still use the car for carting the kids around on the weekend). I figure I will save at least $1000 in saved gas per year. Too bad my insurance doesn't go down much further now that I use my vehicle strictly for pleasure...
I've also found time that I can read and listen to music in an otherwise crazy busy day. I had never expected that to make such a difference to my mood, but it has, and that is a great side effect.
The one thing I find funny, is my neighbours. Everyone who sees me walking too or from the bus asks if my car is broken. When I tell them I made the switch, they look at me like I am crazy. I am pretty sure some of them think I am lying and that I actually lost my license or something! ha!
It is really important now
It is really important now to save money from oil and transportation now that a lot of car businesses are filing their bankruptcy. It is sad for GM and Chrysler that because of the current state of our economy, thy have to undergo a bankruptcy. GM employees are in a pretty tight spot these days, as GM has announced plant closures, dealership closures, and even entire brand closures (such as Pontiac), and most of the employees dedicated to those jobs are going to likely experience a layoff. Even with good budgeting or funds from the government bailout, it still isn't enough to cover the ground lost by the loss of a profession. Short term loans aren't going to assuage the hurt, and GM is in trouble. They are all but filing for bankruptcy at this point, and hopefully if they do file it will be a short one. It looks like there will be cash advances in the near future for GM employees.