7 Simple Changes to Budget for Your Ignition Interlock Lease
When you receive a drunk driving conviction, like many others, one of the first things you may worry about is how costly all of the legal requirements will be, including the monthly lease payment for your ignition interlock device (IID), more commonly known as an in-vehicle breathalyzer.
The cost of a device is not as scary as some may think - in fact, a monthly lease can run about $60 - $90 per month, depending on what state you are in and what make and model of vehicle you have. And comparatively, the loss of a drivers' license and ability to drive to their job and perform daily tasks can be even more costly for those who consider forgoing an IID.
There can be staggering costs of alternatives to IIDs, such as $5 per day on public transportation, or $40 or more per day using a rideshare service. The cost per day of an ignition interlock device comes out to about $3 per day - less than a latte, or a fast food burger.
With that in mind, many people do their best to adjust their expenses in order to accommodate the monthly lease fees to have the device. The following are money saving tips that can be used for anyone to save for any reason, not just to save for IID payments. But if you do need to make budget changes to accommodate an IID, we hope that these can be helpful as you review and plan your monthly budget. We want to help you get back on the road quickly, safely, and legally!
Potential Money Saving Changes To Make
1. Invite friends over.
You can easily spend your monthly food or entertainment budget in one evening if you decide to do dinner and drinks out. Instead, host an evening with friends at your house — play games, watch a movie, have a potluck, build a fire and roast marshmallows. You’ll save money on both food and drinks if you’re staying in rather than going out.
2. Negotiate the interest rates on your credit card, or transfer your balance.
If you carry a balance on your credit card, you’re spending money every month on interest. If you’ve been making payments and are in good standing with the card issuer, try negotiating your interest rate down. If this doesn’t work, you can transfer your balance to a different card with an introductory 0% APR that could save you hundreds of dollars in interest over time. Just be sure that you continue payments so that you don’t incur more charges once the introductory period runs out.
3. Meal plan and shop sale items.
Make a weekly meal plan, shop only for the groceries you need and stick to that plan. When you shop without a list and plan, the impulse items that end up in your cart often cost more money and are likely to go to waste. Even better — make a meal plan around your local grocery stores’ weekly specials. Planning meals that use only items on sale can save you even more money.
4. Get thrifty.
When you need to buy something — clothes, books, appliances, games, sports equipment, household items — visit thrift or consignment stores to see what deals you can find. You will spend significantly less money on gently used items. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, shop sales to save money, or ask a friend or family member if you can borrow what you need.
5. Make coffee at home.
Instead of hitting up the gas station or a coffee shop for your morning cup of joe, make your own coffee at home. At a convenience store or coffee shop, you’ll spend anywhere from $1–$5 per cup of coffee. Brewing your own coffee at home costs around 16–30 cents per cup. You could save hundreds up to a thousand dollars per year if you typically purchase coffee every morning.
6. Pack your lunch.
Just like brewing your coffee at home, taking your lunch to work could also save you thousands of dollars per year. You could even compromise with yourself and take your lunch to work three times per week and still save a significant chunk of change.
7. Work out a trade for babysitting.
Getting a babysitter for a date night or other event can be expensive, so consider swapping babysitting duties with another friend or a relative instead of hiring one. You’ll be able to get the occasional evening free without having to pay the price tag for a babysitter — and on the evenings when it’s your turn to watch their kids, your kids will have some friends to play with.
Intoxalock is here to support you through your journey, offering peace of mind with an easy-to-use device and 24/7 customer support. Many states have financial programs to assist with device pricing for customers who qualify, visit our financial assistance page for more information. Additionally we have a few state-based promotions offered on a rotating basis, current promotions can be seen here. For more information about an Intoxalock ignition interlock device, call our state specialists at 833-623-0200.
