It must be one of life’s great dichotomies. That the freedom afforded to you on the road is one so many of us struggle to afford. Indeed, owning and running a car is one costly endeavour, and it’s one that never seems to stop; the wheels never stop turning on paying car tax and insurance, filling up with petrol every week, not to mention repairs and maintenance, a yearly MOT and breakdown cover.
Despite all of this, travelling by car remains the transport of choice for so many. It shouldn’t have to be this way; options to reduce the cost of car travel, and other options of travel altogether, are certainly available. Here’s a jump start; our 5 IDEAL tips for cost effective travel.
PAY WITH POINTS
There are some solutions to cost-effective travel that don’t even require you to spend any money at all. Nope, a free-of-charge teleport machine hasn’t just been invented, though we’re working on it. Instead, schemes run by certain supermarkets or big brands enable you to gain points every time you make a purchase, and these points can be saved up over a period of time and put them towards your travel fees, such as a train or plane journey.
PURCHASE FAMILY TICKETS
If you have a big family, the idea of travelling any other way besides the car and paying for individual tickets for public transport might seem implausible and counterintuitive, to boot. Ticket prices can often appear just as costly as it would be to travel in the car, and there are constant horror stories on the news about ever increasing, extortionate train fares.
However, this isn’t always the case; you just need to look in the right places to make your savings. For example, some train services provide the option of family tickets or discounts for children. And if your children are under the age of five, don’t forget that they can travel for free on the trains, while children between the age of 5 and 15 will save up to 50% on ticket prices. There are also railcards available if you’re going to make a habit of train travel, which significantly reduce ticket costs.
TRAVEL BY COACH
When people think of public transport, it’s usually trains and buses. In the UK, at least, travel by coach rarely gets considered. This type of travel, however, will not only provide a cheaper alternative, but it will also allow you to travel in a fair degree of comfort, too.
The pressure of finding the right platform and keeping your children in tow, the stress of changes and delays…much of this doesn’t occur on a coach. Coach hire companies even offer built-in WiFi, reclining seats, and air conditioning. Perhaps it’s time you broadened your horizons, transport wise?
CARPOOL
If your heart really is set on car travel, then an alternative, more affordable (not to mention sustainable) way to travel could see you starting up a carpool system. If your work requires you to travel for a conference, for example, then organising a carpool which takes multiple team members to the same destination is a much more cost-effective way of travelling for all involved. Taxi hire companies such as Uber and Grab also now offer this feature, at a vastly reduced fee for the consumer. Think about it.
WALK
It’s now irrefutable. The planet is burning and things need to drastically change. So instead of seeking a saving on your car travel, it might be prudent (well, not ‘might’, it definitely will be prudent) to stop using your car at all, and prioritise walking except in emergencies. Your bank balance will be healthier, and more importantly, so will you and the planet. There really is no reason not to.