Lockdown left many of us sitting idle. Work-from-home, curfews and social restrictions prevented us from setting out and about in the town. However, many people were surprised to find out exactly how much they were saving by not travelling to work every day during this time. Now, as things are opening up again and it’s back to the daily commute, we need to ask ourselves – how much can we actually save on travel?
The best way to ensure you’re travelling optimally is to plan your route. We are not experiencing as many ‘multi-events’, so we tend to go to one place and then come home. This can become expensive when we have to make repeat trips.
Here are a few more techniques you can employ to save a quick buck while still getting from A to B:
Keep the tyres pumped
An under-inflated tyre increases friction with the road, increasing the energy required to overcome that friction and increasing wear and tear on the tyre. Your tyres naturally lose pressure over time, so it is good practice to stop by the local petrol station every couple of weeks to ensure that your tyres are fit and properly inflated. With fewer trips to the petrol station, and less need to drive, your tires still need to be checked regularly.
Smooth the ride
Maintaining a steady speed, avoiding excessive speeds and avoiding unnecessary slowing will improve your fuel efficiency. If your vehicle is equipped with cruise control, use it whenever appropriate to maintain a consistent speed. Braking should be gentle and gradual. If you find yourself braking hard a lot, you’re probably wasting fuel. You should also plan your route so as to be able to spend more time driving on freeways where you can maintain a more consistent speed. Traffic is harder to predict with many people operating on different schedules – always give yourself a little more time for travelling.
Lighten the load
If you are hauling your golf clubs or yoga gear around everywhere, you are burning excess fuel to bring them with you. If you have removable roof racks equipped that you never use, you increase the drag on your vehicle. Remember, also, that less fuel in the tank means less weight. Filling your tank up halfway is a nifty trick to get more mileage (as long as you are sure you can make it to your destination!)
If a vehicle you own is rarely used (maybe you have a more permanent work-from-home setup now), consider selling it. You can use the proceeds to supplement your savings or pay off some debt. At the very least, you’ll be saving money on insurance.
As we emerge from the aftermath of lockdown, we may have lost some of our habitual patterns. This allows us to retrain our brains to be more conscious of our decisions and the financial habits that we nurture.