The working week / A connected starting plan
Five days. There and back.
A bus week and a driving week need the same travel schedule before the numbers mean much. Start with five days and 48 travel weeks, then adjust for your real route and time away.
Count the bus fare windows
Start with two separate fare windows a day, five days a week and 48 travel weeks. Choose your own ticket and service before reading the result.
Editable starting example
Weekday commute
Two fare windows a day, five days a week.
See the exact assumptions
2 separate fare windows per day, 5 days per week, 48 weeks per year. Your ticket and service choice stay unchanged.
A connecting bus within a valid ticket period is not automatically another paid fare. Split seasonal travel into separate estimates if the applicable fare changes.
Put the same week behind the wheel
Use five driving days and the same 48 travel weeks. Replace the example distance with your actual one-way route, including regular detours.
Editable starting example
Short commute
5 km each way, five days a week.
See the exact assumptions
5 km each way, 5 travel days per week, 48 weeks per year. Fuel consumption, pump price and parking stay unchanged.
This tool doubles the one-way distance. Do not enter a return distance. Fuel and parking are not the full cost of keeping a car.
Choose the cost that belongs in your budget
Add the transport you expect to use to your household budget. If you mix bus and car days, use separate calculations for those days first.
Editable starting example
Just me
Keep the full total with one person.
See the exact assumptions
One person covering the entered household costs. All cost amounts, periods and income stay unchanged.
Entering a 48-week travel cost as a weekly household row would repeat it for 52 weeks. The two alternative commute reports are not costs to add together unless you actually use both.
The useful bit to keep
Compare like with like.
- Use the same route assumptions, active travel weeks and comparison period for each option.
- Time, reliability, accessibility and luggage needs matter alongside the cost. A cheaper total does not prove a route suits your day.
- Save each alternative as a separate PDF. Transfer only the chosen ongoing cost into your household budget.
Keep this starting checklist, or share the public plan. Your calculator results stay in their own tabs. Download those separately once you have entered your figures.