5 Ways To Slash The Cost Of Driving

Running a car can cost a minimum of a four figure sum each year. Car tax, fuel, repairs, and maintenance can all add up to create an enormous drain that sucks away a lot of your money. A lot of people think that it is just a necessary cost, but the truth is, it really isn’t. And here are five ideas that can prove it, and show you how to slash the expense of running a vehicle.

Walk more

No, seriously! Walk whenever you can, for however long you can. Not only will you reduce the amount of fuel you consume, but you will also be stomping your way to health and fitness. It’s different in the United States, where fuel is cheap and everywhere seems so far away. But in the U.K.? There’s no excuse to take a car when you can reach your destination within twenty minutes or so.

Car share

If you want to slash your travel costs to and from work each day, just start a car share. In fact, if you can get three or four of you to do it, you can reduce your fuel consumption on work travel by almost 80%. Now that’s a lot of money over the course of a week. Let’s say you work ten miles away and have a twenty-mile trip to complete each day – not to mention heading out at lunch time. Five times a week is a hundred miles, and four weeks a month is four hundred miles. That is a lot of fuel in anyone’s eyes. If you can cut that back to once a week, you will only be spending for eighty miles. Makes sense, right?

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Fuel

Your fuel consumption is the biggest cost of all. So, when you must drive, make sure you are using your car economically. That means knowing its limits and finding out what the optimum speeds are. If you stick to around 2,500 revs, you should be working the engine in an efficient way. Also, try to avoid braking too much. Look ahead for traffic build ups or lights, and let the car slow down by itself. Every time you touch the brake pedal, you are burning fuel. And every time you burn fuel, you are spending money.

Get a company car

If you can get a company car, then do it! Not only will you save on the initial outlay, necessary maintenance, and expenses, but you will also save on insurance. Companies like Insure Fleet offer group insurance for cars and vans, which your employer may pay for. Alternatively, you could choose an electric car. That gives you free car tax and lets you drive in and out of London without congestion charges.

Maintenance

OK, so when the dreaded MOT rears its head, we all get a little nervous. And it’s no surprise, really. That small payment that you make to have your car checked is often followed by news of a triple figure repair job. Of course, some MOT centres are more honest than others, but how can you tell? Your best bet is to find a council MOT centre. Most places have them, or if your town doesn’t, there will be one nearby. There’s a great list over at UKMOT.com.

Any more tips? Feel free to share them!