Change The Way You Commute
Change The Way You Commute
Change The Way You Think
2020 is going to be a tough year for the SA economy. With one of the most important budget speeches in decades approaching as well as the ongoing revelations about a decade of state capture which has emptied the coffers at Eskom things are looking dire. Economists predict the Rand to lose more value to the Dollar and end up anywhere between R15/ Dollar to R18/Dollar. That’s a big deal since SA pays for petrol in Dollars. As the Rand goes down so petrol prices will go up dramatically. When fuel prices go up then food prices follow. There are also predictions of another VAT increase this year and it looks like we will soon end up paying twice as much for electricity or more. What does all of this mean?
It means if you are under financial strain or are perhaps getting relief via the debt review process you are going to once again look for ways to cut costs in your already tight budget.
Making Big Changes
Most South Africans have been slowly scaling back in lots of little ways as the cost of living has been going up but when there are sudden jumps in the petrol price and in the cost of electricity we have to start to think about making bigger moves. Otherwise, we might be caught out and you may find we begin to run out of money before we run out of month.
‘you may find we begin to run out of money before we run out of month’
One of the major expenses for all families is transportation. We need to get to and from work, school and the shops. With petrol prices always going up and up over the years, it makes sense to look at ways to reduce this spending. Debtfree has featured many tips over the years on how to reduce these costs from checking tire pressure to lift clubs. Being smart about your transport will save you funds. This year however we are looking at getting drastic and totally changing the way our team and a few of our reader friends are moving around.
Changing The Way We Commute
During the year members of our team and some reader friends are going to be making big changes to how we commute. One of the team, who has a family of 4 is going to be shifting from a 2 car family and simplifying to a single, cheaper to maintain vehicle. He will be getting rid of both his current vehicles and consolidating to just one car and also a bicycle. Another of the team who normally drives everywhere is going to be shifting to use of the MyCity Bus system in and around Cape Town. Another of the team who has a car will be making use of an Electric Bicycle. Not only does it look great but it is primarily a bicycle (so can be ridden without any charge) but also has the electric engine making it practical for travelling up hills and longer distances. Another one of the team will be switching from Motobike scooter to Electric push scooter.
Over the next 11 issues, we will be sharing some of our experiences. We will let you know what is challenging about the different options and also what’s great about them. We will also be sharing some of the figures on how much our different team members are saving each month.
Making Changes Is Scary But Worth It
Most of us are creatures of habit. We tend to do things like we have always done them and often that hurts us more than helps us.
‘We tend to do things like we have always done them and often that hurts us more than helps us’
Why not take some time to think about how much you spend on transport at the moment and consider if you could handle a 20% increase in those costs during this year? But what if you could drastically cut those costs instead and use the savings to pay for other essentials or settle your debts?
Don’t let the fear of change hold you back from making needed changes before it is too late. Change the way you think about commuting and you might be able to save thousands of Rand over the next few years.
This issue first appeared in the Jan 2020 issue of Debtfree Magazine.