Rideshare and Save Money

There are many ways to save money when it comes to your children's schooling, and one way that is often overlooked is carpooling. Regardless if the school your children attend is a far distance from where you live or relatively close, sharing the efforts with neighbors and/or friends can definitely help you out.

The benefits don't only come only in the form of money, but also time. How long does it take you to take your kids to school every day and pick them up? Additionally, when school starts, so do all the after-school and weekend activities. If you plan on driving to all of these functions you are going to spend more money on gas than usual, and so are other parents who are doing the same activities.

Share the burden and save some dough on carpooling this school year. Here's some helpful tips on how you can get involved in carpooling and the benefits you'll see in return:

Speak with neighbors
Chances are you live near parents whose children attend the same school as your kids. Why not team up? Even if your children are not yet friends, or you don't know the parents well, joining forces will help you both out tremendously.

Check out programs with the school
Schools often offer programs to those looking to carpool. If bus service is out of the question for one reason or another, then speak with the school administration office about any carpool services they may offer. According to Care2, a healthy living advice website, school systems sometimes have carpool programs established that you can join.

Help out the environment
There is an increase in environmental awareness and people are taking the additional steps to go green in many aspects of their lives. Carpooling can be one of these ways. By reducing the number of cars on the road, you will be cutting back the amount of emissions polluting the air. This is a win-win for you and the planet.

Keep your car in better shape
One aspect of carpooling that many people don't consider is how it helps prevent wear and tear on your vehicle. As financial and relationship advice site, Tie the Money Knot points out, the more you drive your car the faster you will pile up the mileage. But when you scale back the number of trips taken per week, this will help keep your car in better shape. Additionally, several fewer days a week of children jumping into the back seats will prolong the vehicle's interior integrity as well.

Cut back on maintenance costs
Similarly, there are more expenses that come with driving a car other than just gas, one is oil changes. When you limit the amount of driving you do each week, you scale back the frequency of how often you need your oil changed.

There are many aspects of carpooling that are sure to keep some dollars in your wallet, some time in your day and some stress off your plate. Find a carpool or start your own, but pull your resources together to make everyone's school commute as efficient as possible.