Does Cycling To Work Save You Money?

[JhnBssll]

Off topic, but this is one of the BIG drawbacks of working at/from home. For every work shy slacker that plays the system and does as little as they can possibly get away with while being remotely supervised, there are an equal amount of people like yourself and my wife who are going into overdrive to try and make up for the failings of their lazy colleagues so that any poor performance of the team doesn't reflect badly on them.
In the short term this will be great for the employers as all this talk of not going back to an office based culture will mean they can make huge cuts in infrastructure costs (office space ain't cheap) and will quickly weed out the poor performers leaving them with a lower headcount/wagebill but still getting the same output from the remaining staff.
Unfortunately the inability of the remaining staff to control their work hours effectively will soon lead to many being burnt out. There is no definable start, finish or middle to the work day when working at home meaning the temptation to work ever longer days without breaks is ever present.

You're absolutely right. I struggle to find a good balance when working from home, and often feel guilty when I do finish on time or take the lunch break I'm entitled to, even when I'm generally hitting the 40hrs I'm paid to do by Thursday morning

I've just spent an hour doing some pre-work work and didn't even bat an eyelid, because a few hours of work on a sunday evening is somehow normal now I don't mind weekend and evenings when workload is high, but I need to rethink my strategy in the medium term as you're right, I'll end up doing myself a mischief. I suspect many others are in this boat, a potential ticking timebomb for sure.

 

[I like Skol]

You're absolutely right. I struggle to find a good balance when working from home, and often feel guilty when I do finish on time or take the lunch break I'm entitled to, even when I'm generally hitting the 40hrs I'm paid to do by Thursday morning

The worst thing is the lunch break. In the good old days everyone would down tools and head to the canteen or nearby cafes unless something urgent was due in which case the person/people responsible would work through.
Now everyone is at home they are booking zoom/team meetings every lunchtime 'because everyone is available aren't they?' There is no visibility that people should be stopped for lunch and that time has just been swallowed up into the working day. I have repeatedly suggested to my wife that she should make a stand against this and book out her diary with set regular lunch times. Apparently 'it doesn't work like that' which is weird because it did when they were office based! I say they will soon get the message when she doesn't join some of these 'critical' meetings, she is one of the key players. I also say, the longer she leaves it the more ingrained this unhealthy culture will become.

 

[icowden]

Totally agree. I do the odd lunchtime meeting but I try to make sure that mostly I have some sort of lunch break and move from my "office" in the back of the house to the kitchen or living room for at least 30 minutes to have my lunch.

 

[icowden]

For me, I started commuting by bike to work as I was driving a mile and a half to the train station then paying £5 to park the car for the day. The car was used for almost nothing else. So we sold it and I got a bike. So I saved diesel, £25 a week on parking, road tax, insurance etc.

Of course, now I'm saving a lot more as I don't need to buy train tickets due to my commute being restricted from my bedroom to my office!

 

[vickster]

For me, I started commuting by bike to work as I was driving a mile and a half to the train station then paying £5 to park the car for the day. The car was used for almost nothing else. So we sold it and I got a bike. So I saved diesel, £25 a week on parking, road tax, insurance etc.

Of course, now I'm saving a lot more as I don't need to buy train tickets due to my commute being restricted from my bedroom to my office!

Why didn’t you just walk the mile and a half?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Why didn’t you just walk the mile and a half?

Indeed. Driving 1.5 miles to park the car at a railway station makes the mind boggle.

 

[vickster]

Especially in the SE where it can take 20 mins to drive that distance!

 

[Johnsco]

I paid £5 for my Carlton in 1966.
The car cost £10,000 5 years ago.
It's not worth much these days - especially as it's a diesel
My cars wears out 4 tyres (not two) .... approx £150 each.
It wears out timing chains and thousands of other mechanical components.
It wears out brake pads, brake discs, brake hydraulic components .... all at enormous expense.
Try replacing a cracked alloy wheel - They cost a fortune.
For these and many reasons - There's no comparison.
The bike's a winner.

 

[icowden]

Why didn’t you just walk the mile and a half?

Walking would take me about 40 minutes - it's closer to 2 miles. When you have a car sitting in the drive that can get you there in 5 minutes you don't think about walking. 40 minutes is a distance to walk that doesn't readily appeal to me, so the best thing I ever did was sell the car and get a folding bike.
It got me fitter and healthier. No need to use the tube once I got to Waterloo, just back on the bike to make my merry way.

These days, if I were still commuting I suspect that having got used(ish) to 40-50 mile rides on the weekend, I might well not bother with the train either!!

 

[Tom B]

Off topic, but this is one of the BIG drawbacks of working at/from home. For every work shy slacker that plays the system and does as little as they can possibly get away with while being remotely supervised...

My cousin works making software or something.
He is working from home and hates it. I popped around to see my aunt a few weeks ago (while working) / to use her big. And he was on his mid afternoon 10 min break because he got chatting for 15mins he got a phone call.

Apparently the remote software they have looks for keyboard / mouse activity and reports back if there is none for X much time.

Walking would take me about 40 minutes - it's closer to 2 miles. When you have a car sitting in the drive that can get you there in 5 minutes you don't think about walking.

Really? The local shops to me are about a mile and a half away... I don't think about using the car unless getting something bulky and then it's begrudgingly and usually after putting it off a few times. For me that distance is walk or cycle.

If nothing else it's really bad for the car.

I've been known to walk back with a couple of growbags or bags of sand and cement on my shoulders.

Having spent 10 years after passing my test doing 25k a year I'm soooo over driving.

 

[John482]

Well, assuming you don't get hurt on your bike you're probably saving a ton of money in future medical bills due to much improved health. Definitely a very solid investment in the future.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

He is working from home and hates it. I popped around to see my aunt a few weeks ago (while working) / to use her big. And he was on his mid afternoon 10 min break because he got chatting for 15mins he got a phone call.

Apparently the remote software they have looks for keyboard / mouse activity and reports back if there is none for X much time.

I'd have told them to f*** off then sat there for another half an hour in front of the computer without doing a stroke of work just to make a point. Diplomacy isn't my strongest point when it comes to dealing with people who get my back up!

If nothing else it's really bad for the car.

I've been known to walk back with a couple of growbags or bags of sand and cement on my shoulders.

Yep, repeated short journeys slaughters your engine longevity and you get shite fuel consumption as a bonus. Loads of cold start wear and your engine full of black sludge because it doesn't get hot enough to boil off the condensation that forms on the metal surfaces. I avoid short journeys like the plague, and my engine oil is still clear on the dipstick when I come to change it yearly. What comes out is obviously still black, but it's thin not sludgy.
The old boy who used to have an allotment next to my mums used to carry his fertiliser bags hung over the crossbar of his ancient 3-speed Roadster. His onion harvest got taken home using the same method. Even if the sacks were too bulky to permit pedalling the bike, he still reckoned pushing it was easier than hoofing the bags around on his shoulder. Of course you need a proper bike to do this, with a horizontal top tube.....

 

[RichardB]

a proper bike ... with a horizontal top tube.....

Preach, bruthuh!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

And the old boy was a methodist preacher too, as it happens.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Hallelujah, praise be to the Lord