Save Money – Top Ten Car Tips Part 4

Slash Your Commuting Costs!

When two or more people buddy up and ride together, the number of cars on the road drops and gas is saved.

It’s that simple.

So, today I look at car pooling and ride sharing, as well as the car sharing business, and the differences between them.  There are ways you can make them more effective for your specific circumstances – don’t ignore them completely!  And of course there’s mass transit too.  All of these are ways you make huge dents into the costs of getting you to and from work each day.

7.  Car Pooling and Ride Sharing

A number of cities and towns have car pooling resources, and you can also benefit if your area has High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes by saving time.  The cities benefit by having fewer cars on the road and less pollution.

Ride sharing is another car pooling resource – it is a formal program that matches interested car poolers together. That can be a big help, since you may not live near anyone you work with. Ride sharing programs also sometimes provide central locations for picking up and dropping off car poolers, so time isn’t spent driving to all the participants’ houses. Some programs also provide help if car pooling plans fall through. For example, if the person you rode into work with gets sick and leaves early (or if you get sick and have to leave early), a ride sharing program will make sure you get home.

Car pooling isn’t just a good way to drive green and break up a lonely commute; it’s a good way to save a lot of money. By alternating driving days with another driver, you’ll cut your gas costs by half. And by not driving your car as much, you’ll save on routine maintenance. Driving only half as much will also slow the rate you put miles on your car, helping its resale value.  On the downside, consider insurance, plus sometimes the maintenance costs of a car which isn’t used frequently can be almost as high as those on a regularly-used car.

8.  Car Sharing Services – the benefits of a car without the hassle (or costs)

Car sharing is perfect if you do not want to drive every day but still want a car to run errands or drive on weekends.  Members pay a monthly fee and have access to an entire fleet of cars when they need one.  The cars are parked in designated spots around the city, so members only need to make a reservation, and then go to the designated pickup spot.  Car sharing has major environmental benefits because it lessens the number of cars on the road.  Members don’t drive just because they have a car. They plan trips, and if they don’t need a car, they don’t use one – but a car is available if they need to go shopping, go to the airport or have a day out.  All the benefits without the headaches of ownership (paying for fuel, insurance, maintenance, car repayments).  The costs are probably  higher per hour or per day than owning a car, but you only pay for the time you use the car.

For a list of car sharing companies in N America, and Europe too: http://www.carsharing.net/where.html  In Canada look up http://www.carsharing.ca/.  In Australia http://www.flexicar.com.au/ or http://www.goget.com.au/ and New Zealand http://www.cityhop.co.nz/.   In London look up http://www.carsharinglondon.com/london-car-sharing-companies.html, for the UK see http://www.nationalcarshare.co.uk/ or http://www.streetcar.co.uk/ or http://www.citycarclub.co.uk/.  For Europe see http://carsharingus.blogspot.com/2011/03/carsharing-news-from-europe.html.  Also see http://green.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/hertz-on-demand-zipcar-without-membership-fees/ for a new car sharing business model.

9.  Mass Transit

Whether you own a car, use a car sharing service, or don’t drive at all, mass transit is a great way to get around while staying green.  If two people car pooling removes one car from the road, the benefits are even greater when 30 people ride a bus and eliminate all their cars from the streets.  And think of hundreds of people on one train!

You save money too – take a typical commuter in the Washington D.C. area.  According to howstuffworks, commuting from suburb to suburb costs roughly $35 a week on gas, plus an additional $12 a week on tolls, not to mention wear and tear on the car.  That works out to about $9.50 a day in commuting costs.  The local Metro Bus costs only $1 a ride, which means a saving of $5.50 a day, or $27.50 a week. Plus, the metro bus can use HOV lanes, allowing a commuter to save traffic frustration and glide by, relaxing with a book or getting additional work done.  The benefits are even greater for workers who have to pay for parking.

Look into mass transit options in your area to see how much you could save.

More money-saving tips and options tomorrow.

Other ways to save money on your car:

Two easy ways to cut your fuel costs

Is the way you drive, costing you money?

What about alternative fuels and different car types?