Km's in 2008?

[superiorinferior]

Actually, yes, I did arrive here on a bus, I didn't have a car to begin with, I didn't need one, so didn't buy one. Then I used the bus for travel when I could, when I couldn't, I didn't, hence a car. As I said earlier, I rather dislike car transport and didn't own a car when I didn't need one. So kindly pop your petty assumptions into your pipe and smoke them away

So after all is said and done, this house in the sticks and car of yours is more affordable than living closer to civilization / your place of employment?

ps: I am smoking something better than my assumptions.

[karel]

Fuel goes up 9 cents per liter over the weekend due to increased taxes and we get only 2 cents more per km compared to last year.

Talking about "spekken van de staatskas"...
Daar kan Kok nog een puntje aan zuigen met z'n kwartje...

Seems like a lose-lose situation.

[Hank W.]

Seems like a lose-lose situation.

"Welcome to Finland"

(and you people still wonder why the natives think you're barking mad )

[Karhunkoski]

So after all is said and done, this house in the sticks and car of yours is more affordable than living closer to civilization / your place of employment?

You are of course making the incorrect assumptions that, a) all work places are in "civilisation" and b) all work places are served by public transport. Bus routes do not cover every nook and cranny.

[Karhunkoski]

Fuel goes up 9 cents per liter over the weekend due to increased taxes and we get only 2 cents more per km compared to last year.

What on earth are you talking about "only"

Assume your car does 7l/100km, an increase of 9 cents per litre in fuel will increase your fuel cost by 0.63 cents per Km. If you get an extra 2 cents per Km, you're 1.37 cents per Km better off.

I know that's not a lot but your statement remains mathematically inaccurate.

[karel]

When all is said and done, at least there is a relatively good public transport system here! There are lots of options with the buses and trains.

That might be the case in the Helsinki area or if you go to Helsinki area, but if you have to go for example from Kivenlahti to Viherlaakso, it's a massive pain in the backside. I have to take three busses. I work shifts, so in the early shift I'm screwed, because there's no bus going that early where I have to be and in the late shift the connection sucks. In average this trip takes me 1,5 hours, while it's a 15 minute drive by car.

So... Guess what my choice of transportation is.

Sure, I DO take the bus when I go downtown. That takes me about 20 minutes.

[Rosamunda]

, but if you have to go for example from Kivenlahti to Viherlaakso, it's a massive pain in the backside.

Agree, the Espoo intra-muros routes are not too good. Wonder how we all managed before Keha II was invented. My SO has the same problem as you, he has to get from Friisilä to Karaportti.... it's not far, 10-15 mins in a car, but 36-47 minutes by public transport and that involves taking two buses and walking over 1.5 km. And they wonder why Karaportti is gridlocked every day during rush hour...

[Hank W.]

"Crosstown traffic sucks". <=thats a period. Well, they have the likes of the 550 running, but when people look for a flat "close to work" if they pick one into the "wrong direction" the distance of "only 5km" is that 5km if you walk...

[Rosamunda]

Yeah but.... problem is you also have to find a school within walking distance for the littl'uns and a suitable bus for the SO, so it's always a compromise. In our case dh seems to have major office removals every few months. Keilaranta was perfect (buses every 5 minutes, every Länsiväylä bus stops outside) but then he went to Pitajanmäki and then Karakallio and then back to Keilaranta and then to Karaportti (not including commutes to Munchen, there are now 4 flights a day!!!) .

The 550 is pretty good though, I think they have decided to keep it going. 503 is fine too.

[Hank W.]

major office removals every few months.

Oh, don't talk of it... we just had a circular memo on a massive reshuffling... I'm getting stressed

[sinikala]

... 10% in a couple of years isn't too bad.

.... until you compare it to the cost of petrol/diesel in the same period.

Karhunkoski already covered it somewhat, but the cost of fuel as a fraction of the compensation (km korvaus) is perhaps only 20%.

If I drive to Otaniemi or head office and back ... it's a 480km round trip.
Our cars both do 6.5Litre/100km on sub-urban trips = 31.2L / 480km.

2 years ago petrol was €1.15 / Litre, fuel cost = €35.88
Today at €1.43 / litre, fuel cost = €44.62
Increase in fuel cost = €8.74

2 years ago km korvaus = 480 x €0.40 = €192.00
Today km korvaus = 480 x €0.44 = €211.20.
Increase in km korvaus €19.20

So the increase in the cost of fuel has been covered.

Actually, when all is taken into account, including the depreciating value of the car for every km driven, .44 / km doesn't cover it.

Depends on the age and value of your car. Nordea's website in trying to push people to buy new cars reads that Finland has the oldest cars in Western Europe - 10.5 years being the average age. Coincidentally both of our cars are just over 10 years old.

At that age the depreciation per km is rather small, and we fully intend to hold on to our cars for another 2-3 years, if they continue to run well (we get them serviced every 6 months).

Those lucky enough to live in the city and close to their work can afford to live without a car. Not all of us have the luxury of public transport.

That is true, also I live close to my work but still do enough business travel that it necessitates that I have my own car (my wife needs her car for the 50km drive to her work). Also, not all of us have the luxury of a car that depreciates much by driving it!

[Tiwaz]

I'm getting stressed

Just remember to breath and recall the words that've gotten me through many a stressful moment... "what doesn't kill yah will only make yah stronger".

Or cripples you.

[Rosamunda]

For the first time EVER I just put 100€ of diesel in the car I had been driving around for 2 days with the warning light on so it was VERY empty.... but even so.....

Anyway.... I was thinking (while I was standing at the pump watching the numbers go round and round), it probably isn't the commute or the school run which puts mileage on our car. It's the weekend trip to the mökki. So, maybe I have a good excuse to stay at home and keep warm tomorrow.

[superiorinferior]

For the first time EVER I just put 100€ of diesel in the car I had been driving around for 2 days with the warning light on so it was VERY empty.... but even so.....

Anyway.... I was thinking (while I was standing at the pump watching the numbers go round and round), it probably isn't the commute or the school run which puts mileage on our car. It's the weekend trip to the mökki. So, maybe I have a good excuse to stay at home and keep warm tomorrow.

So yesterday you bought bus tickets for the kids that will last til mid February (ski vacation) for 100€ and a tankful of diesel for 100€ that will last a few days (week?), and you guys still insist that driving cars save money?

[Rosamunda]

No.... a tankful is over 80 litres, so I can keep going for more than a few days on that. I should've filled up before New Year though - would've saved 10 euro.