With summer travel on tap for many consumers this season, national non-profit American Consumer Credit Counseling provides tips on how to save on transportation.
Boston, MA – June 16, 2016
As summer nears, many consumers will take advantage of long awaited warm temperatures to take road trips or drive to the beach. With this added travel, there are still ways to avoid the burden of higher gas prices. As part of National Dump the Pump Day, American Consumer Credit Counseling has developed savvy tips to save consumers money at the pump.
“With increased summer travel, consumers usually begin to notice the effect the cost of driving has on their wallets,” said Steve Trumble, President, and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling, which is based in Newton, MA. “While consumers usually see a rise in gas prices during the summer, there are several easy steps a person can take, such as carpooling or using public transportation, to reduce the expense of driving.”
According to a 2015 AAA study, the average cost for a vehicle driven at 15,000 miles a year adds up to $8,698 per year, about $725 per month and 58 cents per day. Costs can vary based on the type of vehicle – small sedans average $6,729 per year where SUVs cost an average of $10,624 per year. Over the course of five years consumers owning an SUV could pay as much as $18,000 just on fuel compared to $11,000 for smaller cars.
ACCC offers these smart and savvy tips to save consumers money on transportation:
- Carpool – Carpooling is an excellent alternative, especially if public transportation is not an option. By carpooling consumers save money on gas, reduce congestion on roads and highways, and have the ability to use carpool lanes, which could reduce consumers’ overall commute time.
- Public transportation – Utilizing public transportation is a great way to avoid gas costs. Taking the bus or train can help both your wallet and the environment.
- Don’t speed – The majority of cars are most efficient and use the least amount of gas when traveling between 50 and 55 miles per hour. Going over this limit will decrease efficiency and increase the amount of fuel used.
- Bike – Bike sharing has become extremely popular in most major cities, such as Boston (Hubway), New York (Citibike), Philadelphia (Indego) and Chicago (Divvy Bikes). Bike sharing can also increase options for getting around the city without having to deal with the expense of gas and parking or wasting your time sitting in traffic
- Route selection – Before hitting the road plan the route, and try to choose routes with less stop signs and traffic lights to avoid having to stop and accelerate too much. If you plan to make a few stops on your trip, make sure they are close in proximity.
- Utilize gas saving websites – Sites such as gassbuddy.com compares prices of gas stations in your location and can help consumers find the lowest price.
ACCC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides free credit counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and housing counseling to consumers nationwide in need of financial literacy education and money management. For more information, contact ACCC:
- For credit counseling, call 800-769-3571
- For bankruptcy counseling, call 866-826-6924
- For housing counseling, call 866-826-7180
- Or visit us online at http://www.ConsumerCredit.com
About American Consumer Credit Counseling
American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education. In order to help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources (https://www.consumercredit.com/debt-resources-tools/) on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loans, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living and retirement. Consumers can use ACCC’s worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to http://www.ConsumerCredit.com or visit http://www.TalkingCentsBlog.com.
