I commuted to work by plane to beat paying £2.8k rent – it only cost £80-a-pop & was exhausting but I saved so much cash | The Sun
A YOUNG woman has been trolled after sharing why she commuted to work via aeroplane.
Sophia Celentano got a summer internship in New Jersey, USA, and claims it was cheaper to pay for flights from Charleston, South Carolina, than stay in a flat close by the office.
Once a week, Sophia would board a plane in her hometown and spend hours commuting via plane, train and car to complete her working day in person.
She claims the journey was exhausting, but she doesn't regret it.
However, some trolls slammed her decision, claiming ‘there is no way this is cheaper than living there’.
Sophia decided to respond to the troll and filmed a full video breaking down the costs to prove how she’s saved thousands of pounds.
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“I spend on average about £120 on flights every week,” she says in the clip.
“When I’m flying from Charleston to Newark it’s always around £80.”
She pulls up her receipts as proof, showing a charge of £21 on her outbound flight and £48 to return – a total of £69.
“The reason I put £120 is because I’m not always commuting from Charleston. Sometimes I commute from my boyfriend’s house in Richmond, Virginia,” she explains.
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“Those flights tend to be a little bit more expensive and I’ve encountered a few flight cancellations so sometimes I have to spend a bit extra on getting home.”
Once she’s flown to her destination, she needs an Uber to the office, which costs about £60 a day.
Displaying a map of her journey via Uber, viewers can see a purple line from Newark out to Parsippany-Troy Hills, around 20 miles away.
This 40-minute drive cost Sophia £44.
The return journey back to the station was just £7 as she shared the Uber with four other people.
“After I take that Uber to Newark Penn Station, I take the transit to the airport terminal. That ends up being $9,” she says.
“I very rarely will buy food at the airport but if I do it’s always less than £12.
“I pack my breakfast in the morning, I get a catered lunch at the office and then I’ll get a snack at the airport. I have a bigger dinner when I get home.
“In total so far that’s about £190 dollars each week [on transportation and food].
“My internship is 10 weeks so that’s £2,000.”
It sounds like a lot of money, but Sophia did the maths and has revealed the shocking price she’d have paid if she moved to New Jersey.
Sophia shows her calculations on screen, including £600 for rent, if she was lucky.
“£600 for rent in New Jersey is very rare in eastern areas where I would feel safe and comfortable living,” she says.
“I then would’ve had to spend at least £120 a week on food and at least another £60 on stuff like gas [petrol], parking and hanging out with my friends.
“I also didn’t mention this but I probably would’ve flown home at least once during the summer and I would’ve flown or taken the train to Richmond to see my boyfriend at least once.
“For the three months, the total spend would have been about £3,600 on a very, very frugal budget.”
Sophia has silenced the trolls, and hundreds of people have commented on her clip with their support.
One user said: “Realtor in New Jersey here, you have absolutely made the right and more cost effective decision by commuting.”
A second replied: “This is so smart.”
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And a third commented: “The commute makes a lot of sense.”
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