Summer’s almost here. Are you looking forward to vacation? With the kids out of school and no homework duties, it’s time to trade in long pants and slacks for sandals and shorts. Planning to hit the road for some much needed stress relief and fun? Thinking of packing up the car and heading to the beach, the lake, mountains? Is it time to visit a favorite relative? For most Moms, vacation planning includes taking a hard look at the family budget and working a little magic on the family checkbook. Fuel is often one of the biggest expenses in a vacation budget. Is your car a gas-guzzler? Maybe it’s time to consider a more fuel efficient car, van or SUV. But selecting a vehicle that works for you and fits into your budget can be a challenge.

 Here are some facts that can help you make a smarter car choice:

• The average driver puts about 12,000 miles on a vehicle each year. If your current car gets 20 miles per gallon, that’s 600 gallons of fuel burned in one year. At $3.00 per gallon that’s a fuel expense of $1,800 per year.

•  A Mom who upgrades her vehicle to one that gets 35 miles per gallon will only burn 342 gallons per year. Her annual fuel cost would drop to $1,026 saving $774 each year on gas. Think of what that kind of savings could mean to your vacation.

• Moms who are average drivers keep their vehicles about 4 years before replacing them. Multiply the annual fuel savings over 4 years, and it’s over $3,000!  A Mom who stashes that kind of      money in a savings account can upgrade the family vacation, remodel a room, or make a nice down payment on her next car.

• When gas prices are $3.50 per gallon, the savings is $903 annually or $3,612 in 4 years!
• When $3.75 per gallon, that’s a saving of $967 annually or $3,868 in 4 years!
• At $4.00 per gallon, savings are up to $1,032 annually or $4,128 in 4 years!
• That’s enough for quite a few family vacations.

• Acura TSX Sports Wagon: 30mpg highway
• Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon: 27mpg highway
• Honda Civic: 36 to 44mpg highway
• Honda Fit: 35mpg highway
• Hyundai Elantra Touring: 30mpg highway
• Lexus IS 250C: 25 to 29 mpg highway
• Toyota Scion xB: 28mpg highway
• Subaru Impreza: 27mpg highway
• Toyota Prius: 48mpg highway
• Volkswagon Jetta Sportwagon: 29mpg highway