The school run can finally be called the school walk, but this is mainly due to the cost of car insurance and petrol that a decision to take more exercise. According to a new report by Bridgestone Tyres, cash strapped parents are abandoning their cars for shorter journeys and hitting the pavements. Recent hikes in fuel, car insurance and other strains on the household budget has resulted in 70% of parents using their car less than they did 12 months ago.
This means that not only are they making short journeys such as the school run on foot, but have also made fewer plans to use the car during the school holidays to take their kids out on day trips. Additionally, the report revealed that one 1 in 20 mums have sold one of the cars in the household, and another third are considering doing the same due to the soaring price of petrol and diesel.
The report also made other key findings such as 9 in 10 mums are feeling the adverse effects of the economy, 2 in 3 are worried about how much they will spend in the school holidays, 9 in 10 are saving less and almost half are regularly going overdrawn. Many others have responded to this strain on their finances by using less energy, shopping for supermarket’s own brand products and giving their children less treats.
