In an effort to offset the amount of money they’re spending on fuel, more Americans are doing car repairs themselves instead of paying mechanics to do it.
A study by of more than 5,000 by 3M revealed this trend. The study found that more than 30 percent of today’s car owners are washing and detailing their car at home rather than taking it somewhere to have it done. In addition to that, nearly 70 percent of female baby boomers are also more likely to do this job at home to save money for their household.
But these aren’t just the lower-income households that are taking these measures. In fact, the families who reported incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 were the most prominent group that admitted to washing and repairing their cars at home to save money. Families making less than $35,000 were the ones putting their major focus on reducing fuel costs. More than 75 percent of those families are driving less while about 56 percent of them are keeping their cars in “tip top shape” to get the optimum gas mileage.
Here are some other interesting facts that the study revealed:
• 68 percent of all drivers in the United States are cutting back on driving as a direct result of soaring fuel costs.
• Women are leading the way in saving gas with 71 percent of them cutting back on driving. Only 65 percent of men admitted to altering their driving habits to save on fuel costs.
If you visit your local Pontiac dealer, you can get a great deal on one of the new fuel-efficient vehicles on the market today. You might still want to change your driving habits to save on fuel, but you won’t need to change them too much.
