In today’s “green-centric” world some companies are beginning to offer incentives to their employees for going green, the most common being related to alternative methods of transportation to and from work.  They encourage their employees to ride a bike, walk, take a bus or even carpool to work.  As an incentive they may offer rewards in the form of a raffle contest or may even pay employees just for taking an alternative transportation method to work.

Ask Your Employer

Does your employer offer such benefits?  You may want to call up your HR department and ask them; if they don’t offer benefits for carpooling or other alternative means of traveling to and from work you might suggest that they look into it.  It could benefit them to offer such programs, maybe through positive publicity or even healthier employees (if said employees chose to walk or bike to work).  If they do offer benefits then why not take advantage of them?  Not only can you save money by taking alternative transportation to work, but if they pay you for every day that you do it then you can actually increase your cash flow!  How’s that for creative budgeting?

Practicing What I Preach

I just recently found out that my employer not only offers a stipend for carpooling, but they also hold monthly raffles for prizes such as gas cards!  Since I just recently moved into the same apartment as another employee we’ve begun to carpool on days that our schedule is the same.  I’m doing my part to go green – and practice what I preach.  Here’s the great thing about it.  On days that I carpool to work I get paid $3 by my employer.  I’m also entered into a monthly raffle for a gas card every single time that I carpool.  On days that I ride with my coworker I actually increase my bottom line by $6.16 (gas savings of $3.16 plus the $3 from my employer) and on days that I drive I just about break even.