If you try to commute to short-call without a crashpad, you'll end up living in the crew lounge. I tried commuting to long-call for a month when I was based in IAD and the money I spent on hotel rooms would have more than paid for a month at a crashpad. Short-call will be much less commuter friendly, with a lot of ready-reserve, day lines, and late duty-outs followed by early duty-ins. Commuting to reserve isn't fun, and without a crashpad, it would be miserable.