Florida Drivers: Commuting to Work Is Costing You a Disney Vacation Every Year
Andrew Koole
· 3 min read
Anyone with young kids shudders at the words “Disney vacation.” Instead of the joyous thoughts of rollercoasters and cartoon characters, parents tend to focus on their bank accounts. Seven days of hotel rooms and Disney World park tickets for four to costs between $4,000 to $7,500.
Floridians have the advantage of proximity, but that doesn’t automatically make the full Disney experience affordable. Still, cutting one activity from the average
Florida
driver’s lifestyle would pay for the whole holiday. The average commuter in the state spends $4,900 every year to get to work, a full $300 more than the average American according to data analyzed by
Jerry
. Nearly the whole difference is the result of the average price of car insurance
in Florida. So how can lower this expense and get a free Disney vacation?
Why is commuting so expensive in Florida?
In a lot of ways, the average commute in Florida is very similar to the national average. Distances and time spent getting to work are only slightly longer in the Sunshine State. Cheaper average gas prices nearly balance out the difference.
But then car insurance happens. The average car insurance rate in Florida is $2,595 a year, $290 more than the
national average
. Add a low percentage of carpoolers, and you get the expensive results calculated by Jerry.What can Florida drivers do to lower the cost of their commute?
The best way to cut commuting costs is to stop commuting. The pandemic has made
remote work
and schedule flexibility increasingly popular. Choosing to work from home makes these expenses magically disappear.Of course, this isn’t an option for everyone. Whether you work in an Amazon warehouse or an auto garage, some work relies on a specific workspace. For people with these types of jobs, living closer to work and driving fuel-efficient vehicles can help make getting to work cheaper.
Another change many Floridians can make is sharing the ride to work with others. Jerry’s data analysis finds that nearly 80% of commuters in the state drive to work alone. Carpooling allows you to spread the financial weight of commuting with others while making the trip less boring.
What can Florida drivers do about the high cost of car insurance?
Carpooling helps lower the cost of gas and the wear and tear on your vehicle, but it doesn’t affect the main factor driving up the cost of commuting in Florida—car insurance.
There are a lot of tips out there for lowering the cost of car insurance, but the most effective thing you can do is shop around for quotes before choosing a policy.
Jerry
makes that process quick and easy. Jerry is a personal insurance broker that lives in your pocket. But don’t worry about buying tiny office furniture, Jerry is an app.
Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions that will take you roughly 45 seconds to complete and you’ll immediately get car insurance quotes for coverage similar to your current plan. Jerry customers save an average of $887 a year.
