Which Ticket Should I Buy?

Long Island Rail Road offers you several ways to save on your commute, with a choice of ticket types and purchase options. How much you save depends on how often you ride. Which ticket type/purchase option offers me the best value? (All fares are based on cost of one-way peak ticket. Discounts are approximate.)
One-Way Tickets Best for occasional riders.
One-Way Peak	Peak travel applies to all westbound weekday morning trains scheduled to arrive western terminals between 6 AM and 10 AM and all eastbound weekday trains scheduled to depart western terminals between 4 PM and 8 PM. Valid for 14 days including date of sale.
One-Way Off -Peak	27% savings; not valid during peak periods. Valid for 14 days including date of sale.
Monthly Tickets Valid for unlimited rides in calendar month. Best for commuters.
Savings	Save 50% (based on 42 one-way rides per month).
Weekly Tickets Valid for unlimited rides for 7 days, Saturday - Friday. Best for commuters who do not work a full calendar month due to vacations or business trips.
Savings	Save 30% (based on 10 one-way rides per week).
10-Trip Off-Peak Ticket Valid for 10 one-way rides (5 round-trips), 7 days a week. Best for occasional riders; can be shared. Valid for 6 months
Savings	Save 15% on off-peak travel to/from LIRR stations in City Zone 1.
Group Tickets Valid for groups of 30 or more traveling together. Best for large groups.
Savings	Save up to 60%

Other Ticket Options
Other ticket options include Family Fare of no more than $1 apiece each way for up to 4 children (age 5-11) per traveling adult (18 and over); Child Fare, with a discount of 50 percent of full fare; and CityTicket, which allows for weekend travel within New York City for $3.75.

Purchase Options
Monthly tickets can be purchased with Pay-Per-Ride or Monthly Unlimited Ride MetroCard and can be purchased through Mail&Ride program, which provides an additional 2% savings on rail fare with the purchase of an Unlimited Ride MetroCard. WebTicket offers Monthly, Weekly and Ten-Trip tickets; orders are sent to customers by United States Postal Service mail.

Commuter Benefit Programs
Pre-tax federal transit benefit programs can save you 33% or more in commuting costs. Contact your employer and ask about participation that saves both you and your company money.

Buy Before Boarding
Buying onboard is a cash-only transaction and incurs an additional charge of $5.75 to $6.50. Save money by purchasing tickets at ticket offices or ticket machines.