How to Save on Transportation

Getting from here to there costs $8,604 annually. Follow these suggestions for schlepping to work-and around town-without running your wallet dry.

*Be a zen driver. Aggressive driving guzzles up to 33% more gas on the highway & 5% more around town, according to the U.S.Dept of Energy. Pretend there's an egg under the gas pedal, suggests Christie Hyde, a spokesperson for AAA. "You don't want to hit the pedal so hard that it will break the egg." ANNUAL SAVINGS: $397

*Take the quickest route. The shortest way isn't always the most fuel-efficient. Sometimes it can take more gas to drive 3 miles riddled with stop signs & clogged with traffic than it does to drive 4 or 5 miles on empty roads. Use a GPS to find the most efficient way.

*Ignore the tire manufacturer. Don't follow the number printed on the tire's sidewall when adding air. Instead, fill the tires to the pressure that is printed on the sticker on the driver's-side door jamb or in the glove box & get 3% better fuel efficiency. "Different vehicles weigh different amounts," says Hyde, "and the number on the tire isn't based on your car". ANNUAL SAVINGS: $81

*Get a checkup. Performing regular tune-ups on your vehicle can boost its gas mileage by about 4%, according to the U.S.Dept of Energy.(Schedules vary with each model, so check your car's manual.) ANNUAL SAVINGS: $64

*Evaluate your insurance. If your car has a low resale value, you may want to opt out of collision coverage. Go to kbb.com to determine your ride's current value. Then take your comprehensive & collision premium & multiply that figure by 10. If your car is worth less than that, drop the coverage, says Bob Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America consumer advocacy group.

*Bike It - Commuters on two wheels who ride to work at least 3 days a week can get a tax break of $20 a month from participating employers to help cover equiptment costs & storage. ANNUAL SAVINGS: $240

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