5 Ways to Cut Your Commuting Costs

5 Ways to Cut Your Commuting Costs

Not everyone has the luxury of working from home, which has as one advantage: the fact that you don’t have to brave rush hour traffic to or from the office.  Perhaps more of a headache than long hours on the road, however, is the amount of money it costs to shuttle yourself to and from work.  Here are a few suggestions for cutting costs on your daily commute.

Be More Fuel-Efficient

There are many ways to be more fuel-efficient that don’t just include purchasing a fuel-efficient car – which is a great solution.  Make sure to keep your car in good shape, as a vehicle that runs properly and has good tires will use less gas.  Check the air pressure in your tires, because the difference between right and wrong can cost you a few miles per gallon in fuel. Also consider taking unnecessary items out of the trunk or back seat of the car, since your car uses more gas the heavier it is.

Carpool

A simple solution to reducing commuting costs is to carpool.  Figure out whom from your office lives near you, and take turns driving to work.  If you can’t do this, search the myriad of websites that coordinate carpools for people in your area.  Not only will the drive be less expensive – it will also be less lonely!

Public Transportation

Not every city has great public transportation like New York City.  But if you have the option, consider using it.  You’ll save a lot of money over time, and sometimes your employer will offer to cover the price of a monthly or annual pass.  If you’re worried about having to leave earlier or the commute taking more time, remember that it’s much easier to read or work on other projects while on the train, bus, or subway.

Lower Your Car Insurance

When you commute less, your insurer will often lower your rate with a special low-mileage discount.  Do some research and determine what kinds of savings you can reap, and make sure to inform your insurance company of any commuting changes you make.

Bring Coffee From Home

If you buy coffee or breakfast during your commute, it could be a significant part of your daily spend. Instead of spending $2 to $7 dollars everyday on a coffee purchased during your trip, make your coffee at home and bring it along in a reusable travel mug. Bringing breakfast from home instead of purchasing it during your commute will save you even more money.

When you start looking at the bigger picture when costs add up, it’s frustrating to see how much you have to pay to go to work.  But there are multiple simple solutions you can take that will save you money.

Source:Doostang.com

Driving In Rainy Conditions Tips from Borcherding

Skidding and Hydroplaning in Rainy Conditions

Losing control of your car on wet pavement is a frightening experience.
Skids are scary but hydroplaning is completely nerve-wracking.
Hydroplaning happens when the water in front of your tires builds up faster than your car’s weight can push it out of the way. The water pressure causes your car to rise up and slide on a thin layer of water between your tires.
Taking these simple tips into account can save your life.

1. You can prevent skids by driving slowly and carefully, especially on curves. Steer and brake with a light touch. When you need to stop or slow, do not brake hard or lock the wheels and risk a skid. Maintain mild pressure on the brake pedal.

2. If you do find yourself in a skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. You must be prepared to turn the steering wheel again and again until the front of the vehicle is traveling in a straight line. For cars without anti-lock brakes, avoid using your brakes. If your car has ABS, brake firmly as you steer into the skid.

3. Avoid hydroplaning by keeping your tires inflated correctly. Maintain good tire tread. Don’t put off replacing worn tires. Slow down when roads are wet, and stay away from puddles. Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you.

4. If you find yourself hydroplaning, do not brake or turn suddenly. This could throw your car into a skid. Ease your foot off the gas until the car slows and you can feel the road again. If you need to brake, do it gently with light pumping actions. If your car has anti-lock brakes, then brake normally. The car’s computer will automatically pump the brakes much more effectively than a person can do.

5. A defensive driver adjusts his or her speed to the wet road conditions in time to avoid having to use any of these measures.

Source: [weather.com]

The 5 Best Free Travel Tools, Apps, and Services of 2012

The 5 Best Free Travel Tools, Apps, and Services of 2012 You need a vacation, and trips are sometimes expensive. Fortunately, you can find lots of services to plan your vacation that won’t cost you a dime. For starters, as you’re deciding how to reach your destination, use the BeFrugal Fly or Drive Calculator to estimate the cost and time required to complete your trip by airplane or by car, so you can determine which mode of transportation is better. Once you’ve made plans, TripIt and WorldMate are two Web services that will organize your itineraries so that you stay on schedule. Entering itineraries is easy: Both services simply ask you to forward the confirmation email message from each airline or hotel, and then they input your schedule automatically. When you arrive at your destination and you find yourself in need of a connection, tryHotspotr, a Web tool that can help you find Wi-Fi in public places in the United States (and in some areas internationally). Other users report where they found Wi-Fi, and whether it’s free; as we went to press, 3794 cities had recorded Wi-Fi spots. Just looking for some food? Foursquare (for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS) is an old app now, but its new Explore feature lets you search by keyword for areas around a city, and if you’re new to a place it’s a great alternative to Yelp for finding what locals (and visitors) like. Source: [PC World]

The New Borcherding Buick GMC is Coming Soon!

The NEW Borcherding is Coming Soon!

We are excited to begin construction on our new facility towards the end of this year.
We would love to hear what our customers have to say!
Please visit our Facebook Page and feel free to comment.

The Vehicle Exchange Program is Back at Borcherding

The Vehicle Exchange Program is Back! If you missed the last one, now is your chance to take another look. Chances are you are in the perfect position to exchange your vehicle for a brand new one for a lower payment! Contact us now to find out if you qualify. Need to sell your car? If you would like sell your car rather than exchange it, we would love to purchase your vehicle. We can’t seem to keep inventory on our lot! Receive an estimate here!

What's happening in Cincinnati for June?

Around Town: June Events Cincy Fringe Festival The 9th Cincinnati Fringe Festival is May 29 – June 9. During the festival, 32 artists from all over invade downtown Cincinnati for 12 days of artistic celebration in both traditional and non-traditional spaces. These artists represent a variety of media including theatre, dance, music, poetry, visual art, film and beyond. www.cincyfringe.com, 513-300-5569 Individual tickets are $12, package passes are also available. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park 513-868-8336, www.pyramidhill.org 2nd Annual Dog Dayz June 3,2012 noon – 4PM great family fun with your pooch! Games, contests, food, park walk, lake races, we will also be featuring a traveling sculpture ahow called BIG DOGS by Dale Rogers!! Great sculptures and a great artist. There are tons of things being lined up for our 2nd annual Dog Dayz bring the family and your puppy out for a day at the Park!! Mary, Queen of Heaven Funfest June 23rd 29th Annual Summer Festival – 3 DAYS OF FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY – Friday 6:00-11:00 PM, Saturday 4:00-11:00 PM, Sunday 4:00-9:00 PM. Rides, Kiddyland, Gambling Boothes, Main Raffle, Food & Drink Boothes, Live Entertainment. Call the Parish Office at 859-525-6909 for Main Raffle Tickets ($25.00 each) – ALL CASH PRIZES – Grand Prize – $12,000 Cash, 2nd & 3rd Prizes – $1,000 Cash and 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th Prizes $500 Cash. KY Charitable Gaming License #0535>Click Here To Go Back

National Running Day, and Here are some Tips

It's National Running Day, and you can bet we'll be lacing up our sneaks to head out for a run before the day's out. But before we do, here's a look back at some tips and techniques to help turn anyone into a better runner.

Getting Started
Before you hit the ground running, make sure you know all the basics to help you ensure proper technique and avoid injury. Start with these tips on buying the right running shoes and perfecting your running form, and then get to know the following tips.

• Get started with our insider beginner running tips. You'll learn everything we wish we knew before we went on our first run.
• After feeling comfortable with running on the treadmill, follow these helpful tips for running outdoors.
• Paved roads getting boring? Here's everything you need to know about trail running for the first time.

Up the Ante
Once you have a solid running routine down, challenge yourself by incorporating new training techniques into your regimen. It'll help you run stronger, longer, and faster.

• Why do the same run day after day? Here are seven treadmill interval workouts to up your pace and calorie burn.
• Here are four techniques that will make you stronger, faster, and more efficient on your feet.
• Combine cardio and strength training into one workout with these tips on incorporating muscle-toning moves into your running routine.

Additional Training
Becoming a great runner is more than just lacing up and clocking in mileage. Keep reading to find out what techniques can enhance the good runner you already are.

• Many runners suffer from injuries that can be prevented if they stretched their tight muscles regularly. Here are five yoga poses that will help ease tension and prevent pain.
• Most runners suffer from tight hips, hamstrings, or lower back, but here are three lower-body stretches to do every day — even on the ones you don't run.
• A runner doesn't need to follow a strict diet to be in tip-top shape, but here are a few foods every runner needs to fuel workouts, improve performance, and speed up recovery time.                                                              Source: Thinkstock

41 percent Of Buick Buyers New To Brand

Whereas the average customer age grew by three years to 51 across the automotive industry, that of Buick fell from 62 to 59 according to research by R.L. Polk & Co. The accomplishment is noteworthy because Buick is the only automotive brand to achieve a decrease in the average age of its customers.

Thanks to new vehicles such as the Regal and Verano, the brand is reaching a younger crowd that’s new to General Motors. The average age of a Verano buyer, for instance, is 57 — and trending down. The median age of a Regal GS customer? 43 years old — according to Buick. In fact, the brand’s own market research exhibits an even more substantial drop — from 65 to 59 over the last five years. And there are signs that the average age will continue to drop even further thanks to the discontinuation of the Lucerne, which was often purchased by the elderly, as well as the introduction of the upcoming Verano turbo with an optional manual transmission and subcompact Encore crossover.

The brand expects the Encore, for instance, to primarily attract two groups of buyers: 25- to 30-year-olds and empty-nesters, perhaps in their early 50s — according to Buick marketing manager Lloyd Biermann. However, Buick still has the second-highest average customer age in the industry — only behind Lincoln.

More important that average age is perhaps the statistic that a whopping 41 percent of Buick buyers are new to the brand. But serving younger customers, who are usually more fickle and more likely to change brands, presents a challenge of its own.

Buick sales were down 16 percent through April of 2012, mostly in part due to the discontinuation of the Lucerne large sedan — which was a fleet queen. On that note, fleet sales are down drastically and incentive spending is lower than a year ago. Has Buick found its mojo? Perhaps. But the brand still needs to fill several important holes in its lineup — and a midsize crossover, full-size flagship sedan, andincreasing the content of its current model range woulnd’t hurt.

The GM Authority Take

While a decrease in the average customer age is an interesting statistic, let’s revisit the basics: the goal should be to sell cars at a profit. And since Buick is positioning itself to be a luxury brand, and luxury brands usually command a premium over their non-luxury counterparts, a sale of a $50,000 LaCrosse to a wealthy elderly couple should be celebrated just as much as a sale of a $25,000 Verano to a 35 year-old up-and-comer. Because let’s face it: the law of averages dictates that the older, the more wealthy!

Source:GM

Top Ten Fuel Saving Tips

Top Ten Fuel Saving Tips

1. Avoid High Speeds
As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.

2. Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard
By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%.

3. Keep Tires Properly Inflated
Keep tire air pressure at the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. A single tire under inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1%.

4. Use A/C Sparingly
When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.

5. Keep Windows Closed
Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.

6. Service Vehicle Regularly
Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.
7. Use Cruise Control
Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas.

8. Avoid Heavy Loads
Remove the sand bags from your trunk in the spring and pack lightly for long trips.

9. Avoid Long Idles
If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.

10. Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle
When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle’s rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.

Source: [Gas Buddy]