With many of us working from home and driving less due to telework options during the COVID 19 pandemic, you probably noticed the money you saved in gas costs. Now that you are back at the office, or a return to the office is on the horizon, you can continue to realize those savings by carpooling or vanpooling.
Carpooling one day a week can lead to a savings. Find out what you save by learning how much you spend on your commute by using Pima Association of Governments’ commute cost calculator. By plugging in a few details, you can not only find out how much gas you are using, but get a good estimate of your daily, monthly and even yearly operating costs of driving alone.
Operating costs include: fuel, tires, maintenance, repairs and mileage-dependent vehicle depreciation.
Using current gas prices, someone driving a national average commute distance of 16 miles in a medium-size car with average gas mileage will spend more than $16 a day in operating costs. By carpooling, you not only save on gas costs, but vehicle maintenance and wear and tear as well.
Someone driving an SUV, or a half-ton pick-up, could expect to spend over $5,000 annually to maintain and drive their vehicle.
Rising gas prices also make this a great time to think about joining a carpool or vanpool to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. Since Dec. 21, 2020, the average gas price in Tucson has climbed from $2.49 a gallon to $3.38 at the end of March, according to globalpetrolprices.com.
Depending on the number of people in a carpool, your commute cost can be significantly reduced. Not only will you save money on gas, you will put fewer miles on your car, limit wear and tear and possibly receive a break on your insurance costs.
Want to start your own carpool? Sunrideshare.org is a great start.
Learn more about the benefits of carpooling.
