There isn't much you can do to polish the turd of commuting. If you fly for an ALPA carrier, go to the ALPA website and download the document on jumpseating with other carriers. There's good info in it, and it's usually pretty up-to-date.
When I was commuting to JFK, I found a guy who sold crashpad beds for $45/night, picked you up/dropped you off, and gave you a Dunkin' Donut bagel in the morning. It was an unbeatable deal. Between his place and the crew discount at our hotel, I never needed a crashpad, and I never spent more than $300 a month (which is what a crashpad with incidentals would have cost). Get a handle on those incidentals--food, transportation, the occasional movie or beer, laundry, etc.
Your company likely has a commuter clause. Know what it is, and if there are ways to work around it, learn them fast.
If you can do jetway trades with another pilot to/from work from your home, take advantage of it. You might get paid to fly home or to work, or you may get paid to fly part of the way. Sometimes you'll lose money on it, sometimes you'll gain money on it, but it'll even out in the end.
Carry a collared shirt in your bag so you can ditch the uniform shirt at the end of the trip, but still get access to the cockpit JS.
When you introduce yourself to the captain, also introduce yourself to the FO.
Accept the fact that sometimes you're just not going to get to work or get home, especially in bad weather or spring break. DON'T allow yourself to rush or do anything stupid just to get back to base to catch your flight home. Easier said than done, but you still need to keep your cool.
Don't rule out riding on freighters, but ask for help on figuring out how to get to/from where you need to be. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. The advantage to freighters is that once you list, the seat is yours. Your chances of getting bumped are almost zero. The downside is that a few of them also insist that if you are not going to need the seat, you call and cancel. If you don't follow this procedure, they will usually ban you after the second offense.
Keep your phone charged.
If you are commuting from a smaller airport, or from a big airport where your company has a small presence, get to know the gate agents. Be nice to them. Give them the occasional gift card to Starbucks or perform a similar gesture. There will eventually be days where they get you on flights they shouldn't...and if you get on their bad sides, they will keep you off of flights they shouldn't.
If you aren't going to start commuting until the end of the year, start keeping track of loads so that you can see what you're in for. You may decided that it isn't worth it.