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While we spend thousands of dollars on them, a study says we really only use our vehicles about 9 hours a week here in Minnesota.

We love our cars here in Minnesota and across the country, right? While public transit is starting to catch on in some parts of the U.S., for many of us-- unless we're working from home, thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic-- when heading into work, it usually means climbing in our own car, truck or SUV and driving there and back.

But, as it turns out, the amount of time we actually USE our vehicles isn't all that much at all. According to this story from SWNS Digital, we're actually only in our vehicles for a combined time of about 9 hours a week. According to the stats, the rest of the time — around 159 hours per week — our cars, trucks and SUVs are sitting idle in the driveway, in the garage, in a parking lot outside our places of work.

And for some of us, the time we're in our vehicles is even less. Like me, for instance. It takes me about 15 minutes to drive to the Townsquare Media Communications Complex downtown from our house in northwest Rochester. That's 30 minutes a day, roundtrip, and if you multiply that by 5 days a week, and I'm only in my vehicle for about 2-and-a-half hours a week.

Of course, everyone's situation is different and the time you spend in your vehicle could be much more than mine (it likely is, unless you work from home.) Even if your commute was an HOUR each way (like it might be if you live in the Twin Cities) that's still only about 10 hours a week we're using our vehicles. Which means we're still spending a LOT of money on a major purchase that most of the time, we don't actually use!

And speaking of spending money on our cars, one of the most expensive things we spend money on is gasoline. And even though gas prices here in 2020 are relatively low, keep scrolling to check out just how cheap gas was when you first got your driver's license!

UP NEXT: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

 

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