1-24 Question - What are you doing to save gas

[suzwantstobefree]

With the price of gas going up (once again) I am curious if anyone is cutting back and if so - how?

I am cutting back by not traveling by car one day a week. If I need something I walk or ride my bike. Other than that, I am not sure what else to do.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nothing. Right now, my gas bill runs around $50/mo. Even when gas was pushing $4/gallon, it was no more than $75.

I drive frugally all year round, regardless of the gas prices.

[Deleted]

I took care of that when I bought the car. I have an economy car that gets great gas milage. And when I moved I made sure I was close to work so it isn't a long commute. It turns out I am not driving as much right now but that is because it is cold and I don't want to go outside.

[rumples]

Nothing. When gas shot up a few years ago, I started combining my errands into one day a week and planning them in a "circular" path. I also eliminated running out for one or two little things - a gallon of milk here, an ink cartridge there, etc. Instead, DH just stops on his way home.

[doxieluvr]

Jan 24, 2011 7:04:11 GMT -5 @suzwantstobefree said:

With the price of gas going up (once again) I am curious if anyone is cutting back and if so - how?

I am cutting back by not traveling by car one day a week. If I need something I walk or ride my bike. Other than that, I am not sure what else to do.

We have spent $390 in gas in January.

So far the only thing we have been able to do is staying home on the weekends. DH makes one trip to the grocery store on Saturday morning and thats it. Unfortunately we both have hour commutes to work.

I cringe at extra trips. Tonight I have to take one of the pups to the vet which is an extra 20 miles. Living in the country is a double edged sword. The peace and quiet is lovely but the drive to everything really takes a toll. Of course if all those items were closer we would not want to live where we do.

[sidney]

We also live in the country. We pay cheaper housing but higher gas costs. Dh shops after work so no going to town for extra trips. When wrestling season is over we will stay home more on the weekend. Which I prefer anyways.

[writer88]

I don't remember who told me about it, perhaps JD Roth at getrichslowly.org , but the website fuelly.com is great for gas saving tips. I go there to enter info on each fill-up. There's a place to add notes. For example, I jot down when I've driven longer distances than usual, or when I've used my air conditioner / heater more than usual. Fuelly calculates my MPG and produces a handy chart so I can see my progress.

Two great tips:
1. Learn the value of coasting (i.e. taking your foot off the gas pedal). I coast going downhill. I coast when approaching a stoplight or stop sign. I coast when looking for parking spaces.

2. Learn your car's "efficiency window". Most cars reach their level of most efficient operation between 55-65 MPH. Therefore, you will save on gas by reaching that "efficiency level" as quickly as possible, and staying there for as long as possible.

I work in a villa of a small village. It's a 15 kilometers / 10 miles drive from my house. There are 2 routes available to me:
A) the scenic (read: fun) route through the outskirts of my city, with lots of curves and great views, or
B) the main highway (read: boring) route that is a straight downhill shot between my city's entrance and the village.

I used to take Route A, until I started the WIRR process and focused on whittling down my expenses. Now I take Route B about 80% of the time. The savings: between $35-45 a month.

[Deleted]

"We have spent $390 in gas in January. "

Wow! I feel much better about my $95.

[pbmom]

Gas is around $3.05 a gallon where I live. I have a 30 minute drive to work, so I really can't cut that out. I live in a small town so the grocery stores and Walmart are only a few miles away. Other than not driving back to the big city where I work and we shop and go out, I can't do anything different. My boyfriends truck loves to drink gas so I'm trying to enstill into his head that if he doesn't have to make that 30 minute drive, other than for work, he doesn't need too. I think he's starting to get but i'm not really sure yet.

[dancinmama]

I try to bundle my errands as much as possible.

DH takes public transportation to work (although he still has to drive to the bus station).

[Deleted]

I don't use enough gas to worry about saving any.

Like another poster said: "I drive frugally all year round, regardless of the gas prices."

[daisylu]

I too am in the "nothing" group.

I live way outside of town, where there is nothing but a gas station every 15 miles or so. My commute to work in town is 20 miles, so I do all errands after leaving work.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I don't drive very much. My car is 5 years old and has about 18,500 miles on it ~ so far, mainly because we tend to take it to the coast 3-4 times a year when we go on vacation. It gets slightly better gas mileage than my wonderful DH's Explorer (and it heats up/cools down faster, too ~ it's a Mustang), so we do tend to drive it around town more than his. Sometimes in the summertime if I'm not going anywhere, my wonderful DH drives it to work because the a/c works better!

I bike when I can, but otherwise I tend to select and drive to stores on my side of town rather than driving all the way across town for things (unless I have no choice.) But my wonderful DH's work IS all the way across town ... so when he's in town and working, that's pretty unavoidable.

All in all, having him deployed 6 months of the year seems to be the most efficient way to keep our gas expenses down ... but, frankly, I'd rather have him home.

[Deleted]

Jan 24, 2011 14:46:39 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

I don't drive very much. My car is 5 years old and has about 18,500 miles on it ~ so far, mainly because we tend to take it to the coast 3-4 times a year when we go on vacation. It gets slightly better gas mileage than my wonderful DH's Explorer (and it heats up/cools down faster, too ~ it's a Mustang), so we do tend to drive it around town more than his. Sometimes in the summertime if I'm not going anywhere, my wonderful DH drives it to work because the a/c works better!

I bike when I can, but otherwise I tend to select and drive to stores on my side of town rather than driving all the way across town for things (unless I have no choice.) But my wonderful DH's work IS all the way across town ... so when he's in town and working, that's pretty unavoidable.

All in all, having him deployed 6 months of the year seems to be the most efficient way to keep our gas expenses down ... but, frankly, I'd rather have him home.

awwwww

[tiredboomer]

Living in a small town, both my husband and I have very short commutes to work. However, with just one store (grocery), we have to go out of town for many things. I am getting better at keeping track of what we need, and making multiple medical appointments for the same day so that we don't have to travel so much. I am utilizing the internet more for ordering things sent here although the handling is sometimes so high (one company charged $11 p & h for a $13 cd) that it's cheaper to drive even with the current gas prices.

[Deleted]

Good question of the day! Karma for suz!

[MonicaLee5186]

Fortunately for me, I am reimbursed for all of my gas from my employer. I drive mainly between two counties, but am responsible for 4 so sometimes my monthly expense report is not pretty!

Fortunately for them, I drive a small car that gets about 30 mpg on average. My costs every month are far less than some co workers, and I easily do double the driving that they do!

If and when I leave this job, that is definitely a perk that I will be missing!

[coffeegrl]

Just trying to drive less overall. Not much other than that.

[kathyattraverse]

I also try to do errands on the way to and from work. No special trips. I also try to fill up when the price is down. It irks me when the price raises 20 cents in one day!!!!

[merryheart]

Since I'm trying not to spend any extra anyway, I try to do all of my errands on the same day - like most others - and minimize all other driving. It will be hard if gas does go up to the $5 predicted as my gbabies are about 60 miles away and I won't be happy if I have to cut out those trips!

[TheOtherMe]

Since I live in a very small town and am retired (except for a 20 hour a month job), I run all my errands when I go in to town. I volunteered to take care of my great nephew and niece one day a week so I try to run my errands on that day. That includes groceries, etc. I do some volunteer work, so if I can't do it when I take care of the kids, I do my errands then.

For the most part, I stay home on weekends.

[NastyWoman]

I drive an economy car and carpool most days. That sure brings my gas bill down, especially living in a HCOL area.

[marvholly]

I have cut back to driving ONLY every 3rd day. I bundle my shopping/errands and do them then. If I REALLY need something I have both a WAG & a CVS in walking distance.

If gas goes much higher I will HAVE to cut back further.

[ambellamy]

I try and combine trips.

when i'm coming home from work, i'll pick things up at trader Joes because its on the way home, same with the bank one day, or i'll go to the smaller ralphs on the way home from work if i need just one or two things.

I also try and hit costco when i'm low on gas and fill up for 3.05 instead of 3.35...

[jsjjkelly]

Well, we're revisiting this topic I guess, because the last time gas went up, we were in Alaska and it went to $4.39 a gallon. I have a paid for Expedition, and I put $50 in at a time, and that's what I got. Thankfully it was during the summer, so the kid obligation to their activities was minimal. We used our bikes to go most places. I usually ended up putting in the $50 every other week, so the pain was minimal.

Now a few years later, it's the same thing. Gas here in FL was $3.03 yesterday... my inlaws called and asked me when I'm trading it in for something more fuel efficient. BUT, it's paid for. The extra money in gas would in now way make up for the car payment for a new car! It's a 2003 and it has 69k miles on it. I plan to drive it until it dies...

Right now,I ride with the kids to school on their bikes (it's at the end of the subdivision, so less than a 1/2 mile). And I try and stay home during the day. I'll end up running errands during drop offs to the kids activities at night. But yet no one cares to comment on my car when they come visit and everyone fits.... If we had a 4 person car, we'd have to take 2 cars everywhere! And no one ever offers to pay for gas, or rent a car, or what have you.

What it has affected is my husband's family is having a reunion this summer. We were going to take the kids on a good old fashioned road trip, but if gas is going to keep getting higher, it might just be cheaper to fly and rent a car. We figured it would take between 4 and 5 fillups to get to Ohio. And a hotel or 2 on the way up. So, even if it cost $100 to fill up, that'd be almost $700 ($500 in gas, plus $100 a night by 2 for hotels). That's ONE WAY! So even if I pay $200 a person (there's 4 of us), it'd be cheaper, and much nicer.

So right now, I'm stuck because I'd like to take the road trip, and I'd like to take home some of the things I've been moving around the country for people. If the price of gas would just be normal, we wouldn't even be having this discussion! But we just might end up flying because it's cheaper.

Shawn in FL

[kadee]

I've slowed down! I used to push it well past the limits but we have sooo many cops out now looking for speeders to fill the coffers of our local governments it just isn't worth it. It is also saving gas!
I consolidated my errands years ago and go in a circle to accomplish them all in one day. I've stopped going to the store every week...I'll only go now if they have a super good special on several items I need....not worth it for just one item! We consolidated our VA visits w/shopping at Sam's/Costco long ago too. I don't have either one of those in my immediate area, at least 45 mi. away & where the VA is located so are both of them!

The only other thing I can think of where we will save gas will be to only mow the yard every other week! That may make it look pretty ragged inbetween but if that is what it takes that is what we will do! We have a BIG yard, mow about 5 acres +/-!

DH does handyman work so sometimes he is making multiple trips to town for different people/jobs...during the last spike in gas prices we had one gas bill that was over $700! I nearly freaked...told him he HAD to raise his prices, we couldn't absorb that kind of increase!

[Artemis Windsong]

I drive a Prius and fuel up at Sam's club station. We quit idling the car to warm it up. Most errands are done on the same trip. I try to drive to the opposite side of town just once per day.

Our major fuel consumption is in the 4WD that pulls the snowmobiles. And fuel for the snowmobiles. This is not a daily or even weekly use. Thanksgiving we burned a lot of fuel as the kids and grandkids used the snowmobiles and we went out of town. Just like all of the other sports, this has a "shelf-life" meaning we won't be doing it forever. But we need to do it while we can.

Several years ago DH figured out that the boating to get a couple of fish just didn't pay. We kept the boat and use it for family campouts or my DS uses it. The boat is old but in good condition.

[motherto2]

I keep my butt at home ;D. And that has side benefits - I'm not running around spending money on things I really don't need.

[museumgal]

We're trying to do all our chores in one trip, one day, instead of running out to the grocery store one day, the bank the next, the post office the next day, etc. Also trying to do a better job of planning ahead with meals so we can get everything we need for one week in one trip.