TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – With many gas stations across the state hitting $5.00 a gallon or more, you are probably spending a lot more money than usual if you have a long work commute, or if you’re planning a summer road trip.
Terre Haute resident Jessica Nuckols said she and her husband drive between 80-100 miles a day for work.
The Nuckols’ own a water and drainage repair company which takes them all over the area to fulfill contracts.
“It used to be we didn’t think much about it, we would just tackle whatever contracts we needed to or ride together but now we really try to organize and do the least amount as possible,” Nuckols said.
She said she and her husband have created a color-coded map of where they need to go throughout the day to try and carpool as much as possible.
Because of the significant increase in gas prices, Nuckols said they now spend about $800 a month on gas alone.
“Before it was about $500 which was still kinda crazy, that’s you know, our car or truck payment. But you know, a couple hundred dollars or a few hundred dollars, that’s stuff we used to do fun things with,” Nuckols said.
No matter where you need to travel to, the owner of Finzel’s Mastertech said there are a few ways to help stretch your dollar if you’re going to be traveling a lot by car.
“First off, obviously any time that you know, talking about the vehicle, any time the vehicle is idling when it doesn’t need to be running. Proper air in your tires so that we have less resistance to the road and alignment believe it or not, like the angle of the tires if they’re pushing the car down the road,” Steve Finzel, owner of Finzel Mastertech, said.
Finzel said you should be doing things like checking your tire pressure and alignment as often as you get your oil changed.
He added that excessively running your air conditioner or driving too fast can also eat away at your fuel level more quickly.
“I’m going to say most of it is make sure the vehicle is properly maintained, air pressure and alignment is good, that the car feels like it’s driving down the road and not struggling and then slow down. Change your driving habits, that type of thing,” Finzel said.
Although some of these things may seem small, Finzel said saving a few dollars here and there, can go a long way.
