Take the Bus and Buy a Car

Who knew taking a bus to work every day could put enough cash in your pocket to buy a new car?

The Boston Globe reported on a new study taken by the American Public Transportation Association saying that people living in Boston and 19 other cities with the highest transit ridership in the nation, including New York, San Francisco and Pittsburgh, can save $12,632 a year by taking a subway or bus around rather than driving a car.

The study looked at the cost of parking and the prices of gas in each of the 20 cities to complete the survey.

Taking into account gas, maintenance and other things needed to keep a car running, this bit of good news comes at a time when many people, including myself, could certainly use a few extra thousand dollars in their pockets. Not having to worry about parking spaces at the mall or wasting gas idling in backed-up traffic sounds pretty tempting as well.

Toyota’s Web site says the new 2010 Toyota Prius, which is said to be the most fuel efficient car available to the public, will sell at around $13,000, so it looks as though a year of sacrificing your car for public transportation could mean a sweet new ride for the family.