Most people drive at least twenty minutes to and from work each day. Many spend much more, sometimes ten to twenty hours a week in their car. If you’re looking to save some money, consider starting or joining a carpool. Carpooling reduces your costs for driving to and from work, especially if you’re driving a long distance. This alone can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.
Here are a few of the advantages of carpooling.
1) Save on gas
- Carpoolers usually split the cost of gas, either by having one person drive and be reimbursed, or by using alternating drivers. Either way, you’re going to cut your weekly costs for fuel and have some extra money.
2) Save on maintenance
- Commuting to and from work takes its toll on automobiles. Bad roads, weather, and sitting parked in the sun all day can lead to breakdowns, the need for new tires, and all sorts of costly repair work. Carpooling gives your car a break and should lead to lower maintenance costs.
3) Save time
- Most cities now have carpool lanes on major roads into the downtown or into areas where there are lots of businesses. If you carpool, you can fly by everyone else stuck in traffic jams by using the carpool lane. You’ll also be relieved of the worry that traffic might make you late for work.
4) Save on car insurance
- When car insurance companies calculate your rate, one of the things they look at is how much you drive. The more you drive the greater risk you have for being in an accident or incident. By carpooling, you can report less driving miles and may see a decrease in your car insurance premiums.
5) Increase your performance
- Carpooling can reduce the stress of your daily commute. By being the passenger some of the time, you might be able to catch some sleep(especially if you have a sleep disorder or suffer from sleep apnea), catch up on reading, or get some work done while you’re on the road. These can all lead to better performance on the job, which hopefully leads to more money!
There are other advantages to carpooling too. For instance, some two-car households find they don’t need to own and maintain two cars if they are able to carpool. And, in places that have good public transport, you may not need a car at all.
In addition, although it may not seem like it helps your bottom line, carpooling is good for the environment. It may not save you money, but you can feel good that you are doing something good for the world by reducing emissions in your own corner of the world.
When you’re ready to shop around and find reduced rates for carpooling, InsuranceWins can help. Just use our fast and easy form to compare rates and start saving!
