With money as tight as it is today most families are looking for any and all ways to save money. If buying an economy car or a hybrid that allows you to save on gasoline is not feasible, here are a few more tips for saving money on transportation costs.
Find Alternative Transportation
Try using a carpool, vanpool, public transportation – bus, subway, train, or Park & Ride bus service. If one is not already available in your area, try organizing a carpool yourself by posting notices in your building and those nearby your place of employment.
Ask If Your Employer Will Susidize Your Use of Public Transportation
A friend of mine who works for city government found that her employer would provide her with a bus pass free of charge if she would switch to public transportation. Also, seniors and students typically get a discount on bus rides. Just ask.
Avoid Using the Toll Road
Try a different route even if it takes a little longer time. It won’t cost as much in gasoline as it does to pay the toll. I save $3.50 each way per day driving on the toll road feeder instead of the toll road. Due to red lights, I have to leave 10 minutes earlier and I get home 10 minutes later. But 20 minutes of my time is worth $7.00 daily.
Keep Your Vehicle Maintained
Simple maintenance costs less than major repairs. Use coupons for oil changes and normal maintenance.
Compare Gasoline Prices
Save money on gasoline by comparing prices on the Internet before filling up. Get lower gasoline prices at Wal-Mart or Murphy USA by using a reloadable Wal-Mart gift card. Kroger, in conjunction with Shell, offers $0.03 off each gallon of gasoline when a customer presents their Kroger card at their gas pump. Customers can also earn $0.10 off each gallon of gasoline per $100 spent during the month in store purchases.
Review Your Car Insurance Policy
Check your insurance provider and their competitors on a regular basis and see if you can get on a lower rate plan. You may be paying for features you never use, such as towing and roadside assistance. If you must, you can raise deductibles to get a lower rate. Make sure the insurance company has the correct and up to date information on all drivers in the household. This is especially important if you are covering a teenager or young man on your policy. Make sure the insurance company knows when those birthdays roll by. Take a “Safe Driver” course to earn further discounts.
A friend of mine recently had to make a 500 mile round trip from West Houston to Dallas and back. She didn’t feel her car was safe enough to make the trip and she couldn’t pay to have everything repaired at one time, so she elected to ride a Greyhound Bus. (Did you know they were still around?)
Anybody can use these ideas. They have saved my family over $100 per month at a time when we have less money to spread around.