Commuting to work and travelling in your leisure time is becoming increasingly expensive as trains fares and petrol prices rise. Take a look at our tips below to see where you can save some cash
Many people will be looking for ways to save money following weeks of eating, drinking and spending to excess over the Christmas period.
And with train fares increasing by 3.4 per cent this month, going back to work is going to feel like a real struggle for some.
Fear not though as we have researched the best ways to save money on travel.
Buy a two together railcard with a colleague
If you’re travelling in the same direction every day as your colleague, this is a great way to save on rail tickets.
It costs £30 for the year but you get a third off standard and first-class anytime tickets and a third off advanced and off-peak fares.
The only catch is you have to travel together for the card to be valid.
Split the cost of your rail ticket
Train passengers who split their tickets could save up to 87 per cent off their fare, according to ticket splitting website trainsplit.com.
For example, it can be cheaper to book a ticket from Bristol Temple Meads via another city rather than travelling direct to the end point.
It’s perfectly legal as long as the train you’re on stops at the stations you’ve bought tickets from.
Car share
Not only is this one way to save money but it’s also good for the environment.
If you live near a colleague why not share lifts and split the petrol money? It’ll mean fewer cars on the road and more pennies in your pocket.
Walk or cycle part of the journey
As well as the obvious health benefits, this could reduce the cost of your commute to work.
Why not walk to the train station rather than get a bus or cycle to and from work one or two days a week?
It will improve your mental and physical wellbeing and save you money in the process.
Clear your browser when booking flights
Ever wondered why prices on comparison sites can suddenly surge when you click to the checkout?
Airlines and booking sites have come up with a sneaky way to charge you more.
They can record your internet history by installing cookies on browsers, meaning they can compare their price with what you have viewed previously and bump up the price as they see fit.
To avoid this, clear your browser cache and cookies and turn on private browsing before you go window shopping on airlines or booking sites.
Download a petrol-saving app
The cost of petrol varies from garage to garage across the UK and, although the price in savings may only be a few pence, over time that will add up.
There are now various apps you can download to find the cheapest places to buy petrol.
Petrol Prices is a free app that covers 98 per cent of the UK and compares prices at 8,490 petrol stations.
Avoid automated ticket machines
If you are buying your rail ticket on the day, always purchase from one of the counters rather than a ticket machine if you have time.
Lots of people aren’t aware of this but most automated machines do not display the discounted and group tickets – you’ll need to check at the counter for the cheapest fare on offer.