I’m commuting by bus to save a house deposit

Last year Natalie Davis, 23, switched to commuting to work by bus to save money to help get on the property ladder. Since making the switch she is on track to make savings of around £500 per year.

Natalie is a Teaching and Services Technician at the University of Oxford and commutes to work five days a week.

During the pandemic, Natalie chose to commute by car. Last year she made the switch back to the bus after assessing the cost of her commute to identify where savings could be made while she saves for a deposit on her first home.

Natalie explained: “I used to commute to work by car but have now switched to taking the bus every day. I wanted to save money so decided to calculate the difference between driving my own car and taking the bus. The bus was by far the cheaper option, so it didn’t make sense to keep commuting by car.”

Natalie has ambitions to move out of the family home and buy a place of her own soon. She said reducing the cost of her commute is directly helping her to save for a deposit.

She said: “I would like to buy my own home in the future so it’s important for me to be able to save money where I can. The savings I could make from switching to the bus were huge, so it seemed like the obvious choice.”

Natalie explained that she still has her car and uses it for all other journeys but said she wouldn’t consider using it to commute any more.

“When I drove to work every day, I spent an average of £40 a month on fuel – with the massive increase in the price of petrol, that figure would be much higher now. Parking at the university was another big cost so it all added up quickly,” she added.

“It was immediately clear to me that using the bus could save me money. I realised I could save at least half of what it would cost to run my car.”

She excluded car insurance, maintenance and breakdown cover from her calculations as she would need to pay for those anyway.

Natalie added: “The bus is also more convenient for journeys to and from Kidlington. Plus, driving in Oxford can be quite stressful so I prefer to take the bus when I can. The journey is far more relaxing and I don’t have to think about the price.”

Through her employer Natalie buys a yearly bus pass that she pays for monthly through her salary. The annual pass is subsidised by the university, so it is an even more cost-effective method of commuting to work.

Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and Stagecoach recently announced a partnership to encourage bus use across the county. The Back to Bus campaign was launched to help raise passenger levels and

support people through the cost-of-living crisis by highlighting the costs savings that could be made through bus use. In the coming months, the bus operators and the council are set to introduce special offers, including improved ticketing options for Park & Ride services.

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