Drivers who find themselves sitting on a beach, or back at work, wondering how to pay off unexpected holiday expenses could liftshare their finances back into the black, say the AA and liftshare.com.
With liftsharers saving on average £20 a week, a driver with a credit card holiday hangover could track a shared road to better finances before the next statement hits the doormat.
Since petrol prices hit a new record high in early May, over 21,000 more drivers have signed up to the liftshare.com network. This has raised the total number of people who have joined the free scheme to more than 385,000.
Benefits of car sharing include:
– at least halving fuel costs
– saving on maintenance costs
– saving on parking, tolls and other additional travel costs
– reduced driving stress
– reduced congestion
– reduced CO2 emissions
“That credit card statement after the summer vacation is the moment of reckoning for so many holidaymakers and, with petrol 12p a litre or £6 a tank dearer than last year, it may be time to make this the moment of reckoning on expensive car commutes,” says Paul Watters, head of AA Public Affairs.
“This summer, we have seen holiday drivers look for ways to cut back on fuel costs, perhaps cutting back on trips, giving expensive fuel stations a cold shoulder, or helping to raise new diesel car sales 11.8% in July. However, car commuters have far less room for manoeuvre on cutting the cost of driving. Signing up with liftshare.com won’t only help toward this year’s holiday bills but probably contribute to next year’s as well.”
Ali Clabburn, founder of liftshare, said: “When times are tight, we are all looking for ways to cut back on unnecessary expenses – and halving driving costs by sharing some journeys is a great way! Many motorists simply don’t realise how much money they waste by not car-sharing; a lot of our members save more than £2,000 a year, simply by sharing their daily commute with other people going the same way.”
Source : AA Press Release
