Cut your spending by $500 a month

Monthly savings up to: $320*

A suburban driver commuting to the city might shell out $575 a month for gas, parking, and car upkeep, assuming a 30-mile roundtrip. These downshifts can help:

Grab a tax break. Sign up for your company's transportation reimbursement account, which lets you pay up to $230 in monthly parking fees with pretax dollars. (You can set aside the same amount for mass-transit costs.) Savings: about $80 a month.

Drive with a buddy. Carpool to work with a colleague. No one suitable you know nearby? Get matched up at carpoolworld.com or erideshare.com.

Go from four wheels to two. Buy a good commuter bike ($500) and cycle to work as the weather permits. Do that six months a year and you'll save $250 a month.

NEXT: Step off the gas