Unless you are working from a home office, most of us leave to go to work. You may be surprised by how much time you actually spend in transit to your job – Time Management Ninja created this quick table (which assumes 8 hour workday, 5 day work week, 50 weeks a year), showing  the difference between a short and long commute:

Save Time

  • Shift your commute to a less travelled time. This means you may come in earlier, but you leave earlier too (avoiding the evening rush!).
  • Skip the commute. See if it’s possible to occasionally work from home.
  • If you drive: use the HOV lane.
  • If you’re based in DC/Virgina and you drive, here’s how ride sharing, a.k.a. slugging works. Being a “slug” saves you money, and being a driver allows you into HOV lanes.
  • On the train or bus, use mobile apps that work offline & sync later, like Evernote.
  • Take the NYC subway? Walk to the spot on the subway train closest to your exit – there’s even an app for that!

Invest in Yourself

  • Make a to-do list of all the personal tasks you need to do that day, to help organize your thoughts.
  • Listen to audiobooks, learn a foreign language, or watch downloaded screencasts on your iPod or mobile device.
  • Save interesting articles on Instapaper, and read from your smartphone while on the train.
  • Knit (only on subways or buses, do not attempt while driving!).
  • Skip work altogether, and unplug – clear your mind to be more efficient during the day.
  • Combine your exercise routine with your commute:  it may make the commute longer, but it may be shorter (and more efficient) than doing both separately.

Many thanks to the Twitter community for sharing your own tips for this article. We’ll announce the winners of our Time Savings Tuesdays contest next Tuesday (along with the new contest theme), and feel free to share your own tips in the comments!