Many people save money by not owning a car, getting rid of a second car, or by sharing a car.

Car Sharing
Sharing a trip with a friend, neighbour or colleague can be a good way of helping you cut your
travel costs.

Joining a car sharing scheme
If you don’t know anyone who is making a similar journey to yours, you could find a car-share partner through 2 www.somersetcarsharescheme.co.uk . The scheme is free of charge and open to both individuals and businesses. Could you use it for a one-off trip, or for regular journeys to work or college?

For further information or to join the scheme visit www.carsharesomerset.com/


ONE car instead of two?
One of the best potential ways of cutting car use and cutting your costs is to downsize. If you have more than one car in your family, how often are they all on the go at the same time?

Keep a travel diary and find out the amount of time you need both cars at the same time. Could one of those trips be made in an alternative way or at an alternative time? Could you get a lift in the other car?

Remember, a new bottom-of-the range car will cost the average household over £3,300 per year:

That’s £280 per month or £65 per week. What else could you do with £65 every week?

Cut down the number of trips you make
One of the best ways of saving money is to use your car less. Before you use your car ask yourself:

Do I really need to make this journey?

Could I combine several trips rather than make lots of short trips, or share a car?

Short journeys (less than 2 miles when the engine is cold) use more fuel and pollute up to 60% more per mile than when the engine is hot. Several short ‘cold start’ trips can use twice as much fuel as a single, longer trip that covers the same distance.

Could I walk or cycle or take the bus instead of the car?
Plan your journey in advance to avoid congestion, roadworks and getting lost.

Websites such as www.rac.co.uk and www.theaa.com can help you.


Discover the benefits of travelling in alternative ways
Have you thought of the benefits you could enjoy from making some of your journeys by sustainable ‘active’ means?

Benefits to your:

• Health: by getting active travel into your routine;
• Wealth: by saving money by making more economical travel choices;
• Time: by saving you time, or by allowing you to use your time more productively while travelling;
• Quality of life: by providing you with opportunities to travel in stress-free ways at the same time as protecting your local environment.