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February ticket costs the same
- Thread starter Mattlo
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For simplicity.
You could argue that December should be cheaper due to having 3 days with no trains on most routes.
Trick is to time your season ticket buying to finish on Feb 28th then a new ticket from Mar 1st.
I realised this last week and was a little frustrated at first that because the ticket covered less days, I'd have to pay for the other 3 and hence pay more for a month than usual.
When you look though, Southeastern do explicitly say their monthly tickets are for calendar months and not 31 days, so you should have known this when buying.
Furthermore, if monthly tickets are like annuals (where you're effectively paying for 10 months and get 2 free), you actually pay for a certain amount of days and then get a bit extra free. If that is the case, you're actually only missing out on the free days. (Someone correct me if that's not the case)
When you look though, Southeastern do explicitly say their monthly tickets are for calendar months and not 31 days, so you should have known this when buying.
Furthermore, if monthly tickets are like annuals (where you're effectively paying for 10 months and get 2 free), you actually pay for a certain amount of days and then get a bit extra free. If that is the case, you're actually only missing out on the free days. (Someone correct me if that's not the case)
bb21
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If February were cheaper, then other months will have to be more expensive to compensate.
Makes very little difference (if any) in the long run.
Makes very little difference (if any) in the long run.
transmanche
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Or could say why are other months the same price as February, when they are longer?
In most PTE areas, a 'monthly' ticket only lasts 28 days - meaning you have to buy 13 a year, rather than just 12. Which is a PITA as virtually no-one gets paid 4-weekly, so you can never align your ticket expiry with payday.
ASharpe
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If the couple of days in Feb make a difference to you then why not look at odd period season tickets? If you commute 5 days a week the missing an occasional weekend might just save you a couple of pounds.
hairyhandedfool
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Monthly tickets are worked out at 3.84 weeks and are valid for one calender month. One week is typically priced at around 4 days peak time travel. Given that you are typically paying for less than 16 days travel each month, I'm not sure what the problem is.
Hyphen
Member
You could argue that salaried staff should be paid less in February too, because it's a shorter month. However, wouldn't that just be a headache for everybody?
(I realise this is already sort of the case for staff paid on an hourly basis)
Spot on! Couldn't put it better myself.
I think quite a few folk on the forum get paid four weekly. However, as most are probably railstaff and do not require season tickets (priv seasons excepted), the point is moot.
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transmanche
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Stats from payroll year end returns filed with HMRC a few years ago showed it as a tiny percentage (something like 3-4%) of employees... and falling fast.
I get paid 4-weekly and am not rail staff (though I am in the transport world). Fortunately I get a work loan for my annual season ticket payable back in the same odd installments that I'm paid in. I usually manage to push the start date back a few days each year, usually irritating my wife as I end up with a cheap commute or two to work and either see less of her or get tired.
My wife gets paid monthly but gets paid for 4 or 5 weeks depending how many Fridays are in the month - so if she bought monthly seasons she'd pay the same for a February one for a shorter time having been paid less in the month.
hairyhandedfool
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The problem I have with four weekly pay is that all my bills are monthly.....
Tell me about it.
dcsprior
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Until 2006 or 2007, my employer paid once a month, but in a 4/4/5-week pattern. Back then, I wasn't particularly good at saving money, so this suited me well: I'd have to be used to living on a 4-week wage, then every third month I'd receive 25% more (and it was fully 25% more I think, with tax/NI also being split in this weird way)
One advantage of 4 weekly pay is that there is one month each year when you get paid twice but only pay your bills once!
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Really? Tell that to me and every other Asda colleague, team leader and manager in the land, since we get paid every 4 weeks. That's got to be quite a lot of people!
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transmanche
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headshot119
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I think a lot of retail occupations get paid every 4 weeks, I certainly do, and know other people in various other companies that do.
Absolutely. l budget for my 4-weekly pay to turn into my 1-month outgoings. So that extra month allows for my holiday funds or to top up my savings. l realise though l'm quite fortunate that l can afford to do this. Plus of course there are those strange years when you get paid 14 times!One advantage of 4 weekly pay is that there is one month each year when you get paid twice but only pay your bills once!
ASharpe
Member
I'm a postgradute researcher. I get paid quarterly and get a bit extra for my teaching undergrads most months.
My rent is due just after the undergrads get their loan (as I live in a shared house, Guildford rent is a joke), which is not matched at all with my pay dates.
Add in my travel expenses (which have been more than my salary recently) which can take weeks to be paid.
And all that adds up to a budgeting nightmare, but I cope by just watching what I spend and having a ridiculous credit limit with the payment date set just right.
On the plus side I do get East Coast rewards points and credit card reward points faster than I ever thought possible.
My rent is due just after the undergrads get their loan (as I live in a shared house, Guildford rent is a joke), which is not matched at all with my pay dates.
Add in my travel expenses (which have been more than my salary recently) which can take weeks to be paid.
And all that adds up to a budgeting nightmare, but I cope by just watching what I spend and having a ridiculous credit limit with the payment date set just right.
On the plus side I do get East Coast rewards points and credit card reward points faster than I ever thought possible.
hairyhandedfool
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One advantage of 4 weekly pay is that there is one month each year when you get paid twice but only pay your bills once!
Given that my bills don't all arrive at the same time of the month, the 'extra month' isn't actually an 'extra month', but when I get the two pay packets between the biggest bill I have (rent), it is December, so, whilst it is very helpful, I don't really notice it.
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