In the modern age of commuter travel and
migration from home towns, transport is an important part of our lives. It can
however be an extremely expensive commodity. Ashley Park Financial Solutions have compiled a few top tips to
help you get a great deal on your chosen mode of transport.
Train travel
You
can save literally hundreds of pounds on train travel by booking in advance. If
you know you have a trip coming up, aim to book exactly 12 weeks in advance.
This is when the tickets go on sale for your date of travel. You should also
split your journey and pay the cost of 2 singles, rather than one full return.
There
are tons of companies online offering cheap rail travel when you book in
advance. In particular, thetrainline.com
offers great online discounts. Be aware though that there are many other canny
travellers who will be looking for these discounts, so speed and planning are
key!
You
may also want to try split-ticketing. If, for example, you’re travelling from
London to Newcastle, you could break your journey at Grantham and Leeds and get
separate tickets for each part of the journey. You can potentially save
hundreds of pounds with this method and it’s perfectly legal – just make sure
the train actually stops at the stations you’re breaking the ticket at!
Car Travel
If
you’re in the market for a new motor, you should strongly consider purchasing a
nearly-new car, rather than a brand new one. Look at car’s that are around a
year old, then head to the showroom and tell them you’re looking for a nearly-new
car with most of the original warranty still intact. Be prepared to haggle on
the price they give you. You can save thousands of pounds buying this way.
You
can also save money by reviewing your driving habits. A few easy changes can
make your fuel consumption much more efficient. Driving smoothly and changing
gear when you reach 2500 revs per minute in a petrol car and 2000 in diesel. If
you cut your motorway speed from 85mph to 70mph you can save almost a litre of
petrol every 20 miles. Add that up over a year and it’s a saving of almost
£100!
Bike Travel
Thanks
to the Government’s Cycle to Work Scheme, you can now purchase a bicycle sans
tax. Speak to the HR department at work to find out if your company has opted
in. You can easily save around £100 on the price of a £250 bike. A more
expensive bike can offer considerable savings. You also need to make sure that
you purchase your bike from a store that is participating in the scheme. Click
here for more information on that.
Hopefully
you’ve got some great ideas for ways to save now and can start cutting your
bills right away! You can follow us on Twitter for regular tips and updates.
If
you’re struggling to cope with money worries, visit the Ashley Park Financial Solutions website for the full range of our services.