Why I don't have drive to work the rest of the month

It goes without saying that carpooling saves money, especially with gas now averaging above $4 a gallon. Last month I posted about how you can use Ridesearch.com to calculate your carpool savings as well as find others to carpool with. Even though I have been carpooling for 2 years now, just recently I realized that while the money I save carpooling is excellent but the non monetary benefits can be a huge bonus as well!

This week we added a third person to our carpool and my immediate thought was, "Awesome, more money saved.", but as I was driving home today I realized that I don't have to drive to work for the rest of June! That realization floored me, making a bright spot in a rather dreary day. Rather than take my time as a passenger to enjoy the scenery, I am already planning what I can do with this extra hour of time each day.

One thing I will plan on doing is writing posts to share with you here on WalletPop which replaces the time I had spent writing papers before I graduated in May. A 30 minute commute is also an excellent time for me to catch up on the many science fiction books I want to get through. If I run out of books or productive activities I can even use the time to play some Sudoku on my Nintendo DS.

The point I am trying to make is that even with the inconveniences that carpooling may bring, the rewards are bountiful. Imagine what you could do if you had an extra hour every day on top of cutting your fuel bill in half. For me it's the difference between getting by and putting my money towards debt and savings. If my carpool fell apart, I would need to move closer to work or get a new job!

What would you get done if your daily commute became free time?