If you ask many people about their opinion: which is cheaper, using public transportation or owning a vehicle, the answers will definitely vary. Indeed, because the answer depends on several factors.
How Do You Define Cheap Transportation?
At first glance, using public transportation seems cheaper than driving a private vehicle. You don't need to buy a car that costs hundreds of millions rupiah or a motorcycle that is cheaper. You don't need to prepare money for insurance, tax, maintenance, buying gas, and various other needs related to owning a vehicle.
However, depending on the public transportation you choose, having a private vehicle may be cheaper. For example, every time you travel you choose to take a taxi. If you take a taxi several times a day and get stuck in traffic jams, how much transportation costs will you incur in a month? How about in a year? Compare the costs to the costs of having a motorcycle, if this is the private vehicle you own.
Don’t Forget About Convenience
Apart from which transportation option is cheaper, there are other factors to consider, such as convenience. Thinking of taking the train or taxi? If you take the train, you have to think of a way (and maybe spend money) to get to the station first. If you take a taxi, you can go straight to your destination.
Which is more convenient for you, taking the train which is cheaper but not that hassle-free or taking a taxi which is more expensive but more practical? It all depends on yourself.
Likewise with private vehicles. The convenience offered by owning a car, for example, include the option to listen to your favorite music while driving and not having to worry about crowded public transportation. Private vehicles are also a flexible solution because they can be used whenever needed. When you experience an emergency situation such as a sick child, you can immediately take them to the hospital.
So Which is Cheaper, Owning a Vehicle or Catching Public Transportation?
Actually, each person has a different answer about which is cheaper and saves money, whether to drive a personal car or use public transportation. Because, everyone's needs are different. Make sure you calculate all the costs involved, both for private vehicles and public transportation.
What's more important is choosing the best way to travel for you. In fact, you can combine the two. It could be that you use public transportation to get to the office because it is cheaper. But when going to the mall, you prefer to drive your own car. The reason is perhaps because you don't go to the mall every day.
Prepare Transportation Funds by Managing Money the Way You Want with a Lot of Jago Pockets
Whatever your choice, don't forget to always prepare your transportation funds. Because one thing is certain, you need money to be able to travel to your destination, whether using private vehicles or public transportation.
With Jago, you can manage your money for each need the way you want. Money to buy gasoline, pay for parking, car maintenance, take a taxi, top up your transportation card balance, all can be prepared using the Jago Pocket.
1. Create a separate Jago Pocket for transportation
To ensure transportation funds are not mixed with funds for other needs such as food and drinks, monthly bills, monthly shopping, skincare, fashion, emergency funds, child's education savings and transfers to parents, separate them using the Jago Pocket.
The good thing about using the Jago application is that you can create more than one Pocket. Want to create two transportation Pockets, one for public transportation and one for owned vehicles? You can.
2. Prepare transportation funds automatically using Auto-Budgeting
To make it hassle-free to manage many needs and their funds every month, you can budget automatically in the Jago application using the Auto-Budgeting feature.
Select the Jago Pocket you want to allocate a budget to, it could be just some or all of your Pockets. Decide the budget amount and transfer time from the source Pocket. The amount for each Pocket doesn't have to be the same, you set it yourself the way you want.
3. Use QRIS or a Jago debit card whenever possible for more practical payments and use only the allocated budget
The purpose of allocating a budget is not only to ensure the availability of funds, but also to avoid using funds for other needs and overspending.
For this, you can make payments using QRIS or a Jago debit card. For example, when buying gasoline and paying for your taxi, you can choose to pay cashless from the Jago application.
Why QRIS or Jago debit card? Because both can be linked to a Spending Pocket. So, when buying gasoline, link the Transportation Pocket as a source of funds. This way, you have taken steps to ensure you actually use your transportation budget.