WE’VE all been at home a lot more in recent weeks – the pandemic has seen us work, rest and play within the confines of our four walls.
And boffins reckon it’s done the finances of commuters the world of good. They’ve done some maths and think that they have saved almost £500 in the first 10 weeks of lockdown.
Experts from personal finance comparison site TheMoneyPig.com have researched spending habits of those who commute to do the number crunching.
They’ve taken into account lunches, drinks in the pub, and coffees.
Daily costs include meal deals at £3, and a takeaway coffee being an average of £2.44. Add in two pints in the pub on a Friday night, at an average of £7.38, and you can see how it starts to add up.
They’ve also included the average cost of a commute, which they say is £15.30 a week – obviously anyone heading from Wokingham borough to London will pay a little more.
Of course, things are changing now as the Government encourages workers to get back to the office if it’s safe to do so, but TheMoneyPig.com thinks that offices can offer flexible working to help their employees to save their money and prioritise their health and wellbeing.
Households who don’t commute are also likely to have saved money during lockdown, with spending on takeaways and fast food likely to have decreased.
Petrol is another area that many Brits have been able to save money, with a sharp decrease in use of vehicles over the time-frame.
A spokesperson from TheMoneyPig.com said: “Working from home has been a big change for many people in this extremely turbulent time.
“It is good to be able to report some positives for employees because of these changes and seeing more money in bank accounts is obviously a big one.
“This time may give people the chance to look at their finances when it comes to their commute and see where they can save money.
“Furloughed workers, although on 20% less than their normal wage, will also be enjoying the savings made from not commuting and spending time at home.
“Unfortunately, the price of commuting isn’t likely to decrease, but added extras such as coffees and shop-bought lunches are easy places to save money.
“Along with the added money-save bonuses, working from home also has brought many other benefits, including giving us more time in our day to spend with family or on self-care after removing the daily commute.
