The Three Transportation Bills College Students Actually Pay
One of the better college student budget tips is to view transportation beyond just the price you pay. Indeed, three bills work into your final cost.
Money: The amount of cash it takes to keep your car fueled up, insured, maintained, registered, and parked on campus using a permit system. Or the cost to use public transit options. Or the cost of buying a dual-motor electric scooter.
Time: You have to weigh the time it takes to own and maintain a car against riding on a bus or train against riding an e-scooter to class. How to save money in college is just as much a matter of time management as it is your bank account balance.
Convenience: The cheapest way to get to and from campus may not be the best if it requires multiple transitions from rideshares to buses to your car or dealing with parking fees and heavy traffic congestion.
The goal of transportation budget tips is to compare each cost to the type of device you want to use: car, public transit, or e-scooter.
Option 1: The Real Cost of Owning a Car in College
Car ownership can be costly. You get more freedom, but also more responsibility. It helps to have a car to go home for the weekend or to pick up a lot of groceries for you and your roommates. The cost of owning that car is different.
American Automobile Association (AAA) puts the average annual cost of car ownership at around $12,297. That is a combination of insurance, gas, maintenance, car payments, depreciation, and other similar expenses. Most college students won’t go for a brand-new vehicle, but even so, the cost of owning a car in college goes well beyond what is paid in fuel costs.
The campus parking permit cost alone is a serious issue. You can easily spend $200 to $600 a semester for the privilege of parking near your coursework. It comes down to your commute. The expense can be worth it if you have a commute of more than 30 miles to and from work or need to fulfill other obligations far from your campus on weekends.
Option 2: Public Transit Saves Money, but What About Time?
Most college campuses have a form of public transit. For schools near major cities, the transportation options tend to be trains and subways. For more rural destinations, there is usually a series of bus stops. While you won’t pay as much for a bus to and from campus as you would owning a car, the trade-off is control.
Take a decent-sized city like Boston, MA. You’ll likely spend a little over $1,085 per year for public transportation riding the “T” to and from class. That is, besides, if you want to get a rideshare for a weekend concert or need to travel farther to come home for the holidays.
The good news is that you won’t have to deal with maintenance and fuel. In that regard, using public transit is a great way to save money in college, but there is one more option to consider.
Option 3: Why an Electric Scooter Changes the College Transportation Math
An electric scooter may be the cheapest college transportation alternative for your wallet, but may also be the best solution for your time and convenience. The upfront cost of buying an e-scooter ranges from $300 to $1,600+, depending on features, but the annual expenses are easier to manage.
An e-scooter for college uses electricity to charge the battery. As long as you follow the manufacturer’s advice for care and maintenance, the cost to charge is often the only expense you have to worry about. Some colleges have public charging stations you can use between classes to save even more money.
What Could One Academic Year Actually Look Like?
College student budget tips come in all shapes and sizes. It’s easy to think buying cheaper groceries or sticking to digital books over physical copies might shave a few hundred from monthly bills. Transportation is one area that you shouldn’t overlook. It offers significant cost savings as long as the mode fits your lifestyle.
You have to think about how you’ll use the car, bus, subway, or e-scooter. Will you work nearby? Do you have to haul a lot of groceries or laundry? Do you need to carpool with friends? Look at this breakdown for a better idea of what to expect.
| Expense | Car | Public Transit | Ausom E-Scooter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | High/variable | Usually minimal | Moderate one-time purchase |
| Fuel/fare | Recurring | Free to moderate | Electricity |
| Insurance | Yes | No | No |
| Campus parking | Potentially hundreds per year | None | None |
| Maintenance | Higher | None | Minor scooter maintenance |
| Schedule flexibility | Excellent | Limited by routes | Excellent |
| Point-to-point mobility | Excellent | Depending on your route | Excellent for suitable distances |
Don’t think in terms of a single bus ticket against an oil change for your car. It’s more about the cost over an entire semester. If your car is paid off, how does that factor into the equation? If you have to make a 2-hour commute, how does that work? Consider the entire picture and your lifestyle. That will give you the clearest option. That’s how to save money in college.
Why the Ausom L2 Max Hits a Student Transportation Sweet Spot
If you’ve done the math and a dual-motor electric scooter seems like the best transportation option for school, go with the Ausom L2 Max Dual Motor. At around $949 as a one-time cost, it easily fits within your budget compared to paying for annual bus passes or fluctuating fuel costs during changing seasons.
What the Ausom L2 Max Dual Motor offers is 2688W of peak power across a dual-motor setup. You’ll have up to 56 miles of range, which fits within most college students' commuting radius. As for safety, the L2 Max Dual Motor comes with the ShocFree™ dual-swingarm suspension system and 10” x 3” tubeless tires. That will make your commute comfortable.
The e-scooter reaches speeds of around 38 mph, allowing you to weave in and out of bike lanes without stopping to wait for the bus or deal with heavy traffic. With a carrying capacity of 287 pounds and a foldable design, you’ll have a safe, efficient, and fun way to enjoy your college career.
Ausom provides a wide range of e-scooters beyond the L2 Max Dual Motor. If you prefer a single motor at a lower price point that can help you save money in college, go with the Gosoul 2. There’s also the K20 Pro Dual Motor, which is great for climbing hills during your commute, or the DT2 Pro if you want up to 71 miles of driving range on a single charge for longer trips.
The versatility of electric scooters opens new financial opportunities, so you can save a little during school and set aside money until you graduate.
College Student Budget Tips for Cutting Transportation Costs
Do you want to know how to save money in college? Stay consistent with your habits. Transportation is a great place to start trimming expenses. Some good college student budget tips for that include:
- Track all your expenses using an app or spreadsheet. Make sure to differentiate costs by category month by month. Include fuel, bus fares, parking, insurance, maintenance, and anything else with getting around to and from campus (and your off-campus activities).
- Look for any overlap in the different transportation methods you use. You want to reduce transportation down to the best for your time and expenses.
- Be practical with weather, timing, and other road conditions. You want a clear picture of whether a car, bus, or e-scooter fits into the local climate and time obligations.
- Avoid paying for things you’re not going to use. Some parking passes are really high when you’re only on campus two days a week. The same is true for storage units to keep your e-scooter safe from winter weather.
You should also check your campus rules. You don’t want to plan on bringing a car if it’s not allowed for your year or rely on public transit that doesn’t exist at that campus. Ask friends who own e-scooters about their experiences and read up on the policies regarding speed, safety, parking, and where you can ride your device.
Calculate Transportation by Semester, Not by Trip
The cost of owning a car in college can sometimes be prohibitive. You have to look at the big picture of your expenses and decide what is right for your budget and schedule.
A dual-motor electric scooter like the Ausom L2 Max Dual Motor may be the best college transportation alternative that ensures you can get to class on time and reduce your monthly costs by hundreds of dollars.