I got mad at the bus company for eliminating transfers. This effectively doubled my transportation costs. I'd been getting tired of a 45 minute ride to go about 4 miles anyway.
So I budgeted a year's worth of bus fare and bought a bike, helmet, lights and lock. Little did I know that would be only the first bike, and only the first group of accessories. I had no clue as to the existence of racks, panniers, studded tires and bikewear.
My current commuter rig set me back nearly five years of bus fare. Ha! Forget the bike--my new Lake winter cycling boots alone were seven months of bus fare.