Sometimes the ride is enjoyable, but more often it’s hard not to notice the time and money slipping away. Don’t even get us started on the short winter afternoons. Still, if you’ve got the grit to keep driving day after day, you also have opportunities to make your commute pay off.
Try these suggestions before you refill your travel mug and head out the door.
1. Stop Purchasing Premium Fuel
“Unless your engine is pinging, buying higher-octane gasoline is unnecessary,” notes theFederal Trade Commission.
They explain that vehicles built to run on regular-octane fuel (which is the majority) receive no benefit whatsoever from premium gas. Unless your owner’s manual calls for a higher octane, you’re wasting money on anything above regular.
If you burn through 800 gallons a year and spend 22 cents more per gallon on premium, you’re tossing away $176 annually. Stick with regular gas.
2. Dump Your Expensive Auto Insurance
It’s true: you can’t simply rely on your insurance company to keep rates reasonable. You need to look around.
Now you can useNerdWalletto compare several top choices at once — and let insurers tempt you with better prices.
Moved recently? Bought a new vehicle? Gotten older? You might be able to trim your bill by using NerdWallet to compare car insurance quotes from providers nationwide.*
Just spend a few minutesanswering questions about your car and driving historyto discover why it could be time to drop your current policy.
3. Find Car Insurance for as Low as $19/Month*
When did you last shop around for car insurance? Chances are your current plan is costing you more than it should.
If it’s been over six months since your last quote, it’s worth another look.
By checking a site calledCheapRatesOnline, you might shave up to $500 off your annual premiums*.
It only takes a couple minutes to answer some questions, and CheapRatesOnline’s matching tech will pair you with the insurers that best suit your needs. And don’t worry — CheapRatesOnline employs strong data protection and encryption, so your information remains secure.
The service is free and could even knock an extra 20% off if you add another vehicle to your coverage. You may end up paying as little as $19 a month* for car insurance.
CheapRatesOnline has already assisted millions in locating cheaper car policies.See how much you could savewith a different plan.
4. Install Store Loyalty Apps
Does your go-to grocery chain offer a mobile app? It could help you cut costs.
For instance, you cansave at Walmart using its Savings Catcher app. Build a shopping list, check in-store and online prices and browse the weekly circular. You can also scan your receipt in the app to automatically search for price-match comparisons and receive cash back.
5. Save $996 on Your Auto Insurance
You might not even notice that your insurer is charging you too much. In fact, they’re counting on your not noticing. Fortunately, this is an easy fix.
Don’t bother clicking through dozens of insurance websites. A company calledInsurifylets you view all your options at once — users often save up to $996 annually.
Provide some basic details about yourself and your car, and they’ll present tailored quotes so you can compare and pick the best one.
Fed up with overpriced insurance? It takes about five minutes to compare offers with Insurify andsee how much you might save on car coverage.
6. Replace Your Current Car Insurance
Here’s the reality: your present insurer is likely charging you more than necessary. But don’t waste time hopping from site to site seeking a deal.
Try asite called EverQuoteto review every choice at once.
EverQuote is the biggest online insurance marketplace in the U.S., so you’ll get top picks from over 175 carriers delivered directly to you.
Spend a couple minutesanswering a few questionsabout yourself and your driving record. EverQuote will then surface the best car insurance recommendations. In just minutes, you could be saving up to $610 a year.
7. Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards
You want a credit card, but with so many options it’s hard to choose. What should you do?
Should you just accept one of those credit card offers that arrive in the mail? That would be quick and easy, right?
Absolutely not. Don’t do that. That’s a sure route to getting stuck with a card that doesn’t suit you. Browse our roundup of top rewards credit cards to make the most of your spending.
*NerdWallet believes everyone should be able to make financial choices with confidence. While our site doesn’t list every company or product on the market, we’re proud that our guidance, information and tools are objective, independent, clear — and free.
Our partners pay us. That may influence which products we evaluate and discuss (and where those products appear on the site), but it doesn’t affect our recommendations or guidance, which are based on extensive research. Partners cannot pay us for favorable reviews of their products or services.
