Four-day week movement might be your route to gas savings

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) recently ran an article about the decision of some local government's to switch their employees to a four-day work week to save them some of the cost of driving back and forth to work. An official from Oakland County, Michigan estimates such a move will save its 800 employees over $300,000 a year.

Could such a change help you offset spiraling transportation costs? If you drive 40 miles each day, round trip, at a cost of $.55 cents a mile (gas plus other expenses including depreciation), you'll spend $110. A four-day week would cut off $22, or almost $100 a month.

While companies are unlikely to hand out raises to their employees to offset gas increases, perhaps they might be willing to consider a four day week, or one day a week of telecommuting. Certainly, if it becomes a trend in the public sector, more companies will at least put the idea on the table. Perhaps you should at least broach the topic with your boss. Who knows? You might free up some Fridays and save some gas.

Unless you burn it up going to the golf course.