In the past several years, I have spent countless hours behind the wheel of my car commuting. With the ever-increasing prices of fuel, it can be a challenge to save money commuting to work. You would be amazed at how quickly the gas tank lands on empty when you are commuting. Here are some money-saving tips for commuting to work.
Take a Bus or Train
If it is possible, take a bus or train to work. You can purchase seasonal passes to cut down the cost of riding. Ideally, walking to the station or even riding your bike will further reduce the cost. You can eat a small packed breakfast, read the newspaper or just watch all the other commuters when you take the bus or train to save money for the work commute.
You can save a great deal of money on gas by using public transportation. Additionally, you will lower the amount of carbon emissions that you put into the environment by taking the bus.
Car Pool with Co-Workers
While I was at one job, I was amazed to find out that several of us lived within a 10 mile radius of one another. We set up a car pool to meet each other at the end of the driveway. We rotated who drove and it greatly reduced the wear and tear on the cars along with lowering the amount of money spent on gas. With a 40 mile commute to work, car pool was an excellent alternative to save money on the work commute.
I also enjoyed socializing and having time with my co-workers while we commuted to work together. It was a great way to get to know one another and to break up the monotony of driving back and forth to work. You can catch up on the latest television shows, hear some really hilarious jokes and find out about everyone’s kids. Not only do you save gas money, you get a chance to socialize a little bit outside of the office.
Trade in Your Gas Guzzler
If your car is a 6 cylinder or higher, chances are it is eating a great deal of gas to operate. You can get some pretty good trade-in values and even interest rates to go to a different model of 4 cylinder. The amount of money you will save in gas will more than make up the difference for switching out cars, especially if you are doing a great deal of commuting.
Turn Off the Heater and AC
Allow your car to warm up or cool off just enough to be comfortable. Once it hits the desired temperature, turn off the heater or AC. Operate the car as much as possible without either of these and you will notice a significant increase in your fuel mileage. The extra energy it takes to run the heater or air conditioning really takes up your gas. You can crack the windows or roll them down completely instead of operating the AC.