Well, I spoke a bit about this in a previous article, but the importance of this subject is a nagging importance and I feel we all need to understand what we are going to be dealing with in the near future and what we can do to make it more manageable for ourselves and our families.
Now, as I said before, there are many projected numbers floating about in the oil company offices that state we will be paying seven to eight dollars per gallon at the pumps by THIS TIME NEXT YEAR! They actually expect us to be paying this much money. Now, if you’re having a hard time coming up with the money to fill your tank these days, think about how bad it’s going to be when it costs double the cash. Now, consider your options. It’s best to start out now by easing your way into it. Even at a slow pace of transition, you’re likely to see huge savings since the gas budget is becoming one of the largest parts of our financial expenditure. If you find another way to work one day a week right now, and your job is ten miles away, if your car gets 20 miles to the gallon (as many cars do), you’ve just saved 3 bucks that day. Not a whole lot of money, but it all adds up. If you find a completely different way to work every day of the week, assuming you work five days a week, you’ve saved 15 bucks that week.
What if your job is more than 10 miles away? I would love to work ten miles away from my home, but as is the case for many other people of the world, I work much further away. Let’s say you work 30 miles away from home. That’s 9 dollars in savings if you just cut out one day of driving to work a week, and it’s a whole 45 dollars in savings if you find other modes of transportation all five workdays.
But even beyond going to work, you probably use your car for other things, too. That’s why it’s a good idea to consider investing in a more economic vehicle. I am really excited about scooters these days. Their MPG is AMAZING and they’re not really those wimpy little things you might be thinking of. Many scooters can drive just as fast as you’ve ever driven your car (unless you’re a professional racer). Plus the average scooter gets twice as many miles to the gallon as the average hybrid car. One more fantastic benefit is the fact that the average scooter costs nearly an eighth, ninth, or tenth of the price of a new car, so you’re saving so much money already!
So, if you bought yourself a new scooter, you’ve sold your car for the price it’s worth nowadays, and you’re saving tons of money at the pump, you’re well on your way to solving your fiscal problems. If you have the time to do so, you can take care of everything you need to and have excess cash. Now’s the time to be relieved.
But if you don’t want to drive a scooter, you can still consider getting a hybrid car. The savings will be a bit lower, but you can still sell your old car and cut down on fuel costs. I am of the opinion that hybrids will be obsolete in the near future, but I might just be completely wrong. Whatever the case, you need to find some way to save on your fuel consumption now or else you’ll be stuck as the last person on Earth paying for gas at astronomical prices.
Fiscal benefits aside, fuel conservation is an important practice. I won’t fully explain all the reasons it’s important, but consider the environment, the possible need for emergency fuel if we manage to save some, etc.
If any of these methods of fuel conservation are feasible for you, go out there and take charge now! Your wallet will thank you when it’s no longer starving for cash.
If you can’t go out and buy a new scooter or hybrid car, what else can you do? Maybe you don’t want to walk to and from work, but you can walk your kids to the park. You can walk for those short trips around the neighborhood or to a nearby convenience store. Just starting your car up will use as much gas as a short trip, so what you’re burning is actually doubled anyway. Does your city have a light rail or subway system? If so, take advantage of it! Even if buses are the only public transport available in your city, if you have a long way to go and it’s straight in one direction, the bus fare is more than reasonable and with bus transfers, you’re getting a really good deal.
All of these are different ways you can save more money on getting around town, but I’m not the end-all on ideas for this sort of thing. Get creative and think of some ways you can do so in your unique lifestyle. I guarantee you there is at least one different way you can save money. GO!