Budget 101: Saving on vehicle expenses

It’s budget speech week and we'll be bringing you budgeting tips and tricjs on everything from vehicle expenses to simply saving around the home. First up in out series of budgeting tips and tricks, we’ll take a look at how to save by using less fuel. Petrol is forever going up  and we run the risk of depleting our resources.   Here are our top four tips for ways to save on all things vehicle related.

1.       Make one round trip:

We all have busy lives, work, picking up kids, running errands, shopping for groceries,  it just never seems to end. In order to save on fuel, try to do as much as you can in one trip.  Make sure you list everything that needs to be done so you don’t leave anything out.

2.       Start a lift club

Get together with some people in your office and start a daily lift club. Whether you’re two or four people who drive into work together, not only will you be saving on petrol but also stress. Traveling together in the morning can make the frustration of traffic a little less.

The lift club also works for parents whose kids are still in school, set up a schedule between three or four parents for collecting kids from school and their extracurricular activities. You save fuel, cash and you do your bit for saving the environment.

3.       Use public transport, bikes or scooters

While public transport is not viable for everyone, it’s worth it if you live far away from work and you spend hours commuting. With new innovations such as the Gautrain and the Cape Town business train, public transport is no longer the headache it used to be. Do a calculation comparing the costs of using public transport to the cost of petrol to see whether it would be viable for you to switch.

Alternatively, if you live close to work, getting in a bicycle and cycling to work is a great way to get exercise and save  cash.  A scooter might also not be a bad option, depending on where you live and whether it’s within your budget to purchase one. and save  cash.  A scooter might also not be a bad option, depending on where you live and whether it’s within your budget to purchase one.

4.       Check your car insurance

When was the last time you’ve reviewed your car insurance?  If it’s been more than a year, it’s probably worth getting a few comparative insurance quotes to see whether you could be saving.  If you have moved house recently, even more reason to get a new insurance quote. Even saving as little as R100 per month will make all the difference in the long run, that’s a saving for R1200 per year!