Trips Home Are Expensive

I get paid tomorrow and already my wages are more or less being spent.

After the usual expenses - rent, council tax and bills - there's the whole issue of food and getting to / from place to place (usually by train as that's the cheapest way). I'm only casually employed so I never have a set wage to make a proper monthly budget with.

This month I'm especially feeling the pinch because I'm due to head home for a friend's wedding. It's not that I don't want to go to said wedding, I very much do. But going back to Shetland is so expensive.

My usual means of travelling home is by getting a train (or, less likely, a bus - I hate them though, plus I have a railcard anyway) up to Aberdeen, which takes about 2.5 / 3 hours, followed by a 12-hour ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick.

The ferry fares vary depending on the time of year, and are at their highest at what's considered to be 'peak' time. Obviously July - when I intend to travel home - falls under this category, because when I tried to get a rough idea of prices for booking to go home I was quoted a return fare of £120 to get a bed in a cabin. To go without said cabin is £70 cheaper. On top of this shall be a train fare, which will probably cost about £15 both ways.

Travelling by plane is dearer. I was once quoted £125 for a single flight up to Sumburgh from Glasgow. In both instances this was with islander discount applied.

I wish I knew how they get away with such daylight robbery. Oh well, slumming it home I guess. Wish me luck!