Cutting Costs LDR

[Vicar]

Hi folks, I'd like to call on the wisdom of you lovely people as I have done once before in another section of the forums.

 

I recently got back in touch with an old flame. We fell out due to arguments that were brought on through promises to meet each other that never happened, mainly due to my anxiety regarding my finances.

 

She lives in Swindon, I'm in Leicester. As you can gather, the distance is tricky. I like her, always have. Honestly I think we've always had very deep feelings for each other.

 

Now I'd like to take things further. Properly this time. I don't drive, so it'll be coach or train. I've checked train prices, and using split-ticketing, it's around £60 for a return. A railcard is £30 which knocks off a third of the price of any ticket thereafter for a year, so I would be looking to get one of them.

 

She does drive, so it would be a case of me going down there, then her coming up here.

 

So my questions:

 

Does anyone know of any other ways to cut costs?

 

How can I ensure that travel is shared properly? In other words, we both do our bit.

[carhill]

My exW and I tended to travel cheap, including when in the UK, and we used the bus there to travel between towns and found it, though a bit time-consuming, to be affordable and pleasant. For myself, probably being raised on old romance movies from the 30's and 40's, I always attached a bit of romance to arriving to a waiting lover at a bus station or trains station, especially if in an unfamiliar place, though the latter isn't part of your milieu.

 

It looks like driving is about half the time of the bus and about the same as the train. Bus appears to be about the same as train for a return if you're getting a train return for 60 pounds. If you can get that train deal, 30 pounds each way, I'd go with that. More time spent with lover and same price as bus.

 

Here in California we usually drive such distances but I wouldn't be averse to taking the train and we did when traveling about the same distance as your trip to leave for an international trip and not wanting to pay parking fees for a couple weeks.

 

Car will probably be cheapest in the moment but there's wear and tear to consider, depending on roads; deferred costs. Sometimes it's more cost effective to leave the driving to someone else and let them wear out their vehicle. Heh.

[Vicar]

Thank you for that, very detailed post and I appreciate it. Unfortunately car isn't an option for myself although she does drive. She says she's not fussy about driving up to see me until I can drive but that could be months away and I've always been a firm believer that the best relationships are equal.

 

I'll stick with the train option and pick myself up a railcard. £30 for that, and thereafter it'll only be £40, so I'll be making my money back in no time. Take care!

[carhill]

Yeah, since she drives, she can pick you up at the train station or bus station and when she visits you she'll drive and you can take her out locally, covering auto expense if you all need to use her car. It usually works out pretty well. The key is getting the cheap train fare or rail card.

[justwhoiam]

So, when are you going to get a driving licence and a car?