Price of gas--have you changed how you drive?

[BusynMember]

I seriously try to make one trip into town a day and do everything in one fell swoop. I also dumped our van and now drive an Escort wagon and love how good it is on gas. I can drive from mid-WIsconsin to Illinois on a half a tank. In the summer I bike ride or walk a lot (we don't have public transportation here). What are your gas prices? Yesterday ours was $2.99/gallon and that's cheap lately

 

[hearts and roses]

I switched from a VW Passat wagon that used only premium gasoline and got about 23-24/mpg to a Honda Civic Hybrid which uses regular gasoline and will eventually get me about 44+/mpg. It's still being broken in but I average about 34/mpg so far.

Our regular gas is about $3.14/gallon - sometimes I can find it cheaper.

I do find that I am driving less, but that could just be the weather - I don't like to run around when it's cold. And when I do go out on a Sat to run errands, I try to get everything done while I'm in town rather than make several trips. Sometimes that is unavoidable due to scheduling issues, but I try.

 

[donna723]

Gas is about $2.90-$2.95 here in town, closer to $2.99 at the stations near the Interstate. I drive about 70 miles a day just going to work and back and there's nobody reliable enough to carpool with so I don't have much choice. My car gets pretty good gas mileage but paying for gas still takes a major chunk out of my paycheck.

The price of gas has definitely had a big affect. It was one big reason that my son and I decided to stay home this Christmas instead of driving to my daughters house in S. Carolina this year. Living in the boonies doesn't help either - we have to drive a ways to get almost anywhere. Even the closest Wal Mart is over a half hours drive from my house, and it's over sixty miles to the nearest mall. I have turned in to an expert on consolidating my trips.

 

[skeeter]

I unfortunately drive 50 miles a day for work - I jump at the least little excuse to either work from home or go to a site that's closer to my house (for years I worked only 2 miles away).

We have a used conversion van we purchased to do music festivals in - the back seat is a queen size bed, etc. It's not moved from the driveway (except to pick up drywall) in almost 2 years because of the price of gas. It has a 33 gallon gas tank on it - OUCH!
It was cheaper last year to drive my car, cram everything into it, and use a tent instead.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

$3.16/gallon here ($0.83/liter).

I commute on the train. We live about a mile and a half from the train station. wife drives me in winter, and I ride my bike the rest of the year. My gas cost for work is therefore negligible. I have to pay $126/month for the train. If I drove I'd have to pay $85 a week for gas and parking, almost three times what the train costs, so that's a no-brainer. Plus I get to read or nap on the train instead of stressing out in traffic, so there is a definite health payoff too. And I have the train cost deducted from my paycheck in pre-tax dollars which saves me even more.

on the other hand, we drive difficult child everywhere. Between AA/NA meetings and work, we drive her around 150 miles per week, which works out to $21.50 a week in gas.

 

[Star*]

IT certainly has changed how we do things. We're long time old recycle type of people, but this gas thing - WOW. I think gas here is $3.19 gal. Milk costs more!

We are now making lists and stating we have a "go to town" day to do chores. It's nice actually - I've found loads of stuff to do with the time we have for not running to town all the time - so it's worked out for us. And I make trips on the way home from work if there is an emergency - like being out of a $4.99 gal of milk.

Our news station here locally posts on their website which station is the cheapest so if you are in that neighborhood you can fill up. AND we started filling the car up - at night. Something about fumes and getting more gas at night - (whatever) and using a fuel stretcher we sell. It works good for gas cars and awesome for diesel.

Good post -

 

[happymomof2]

Least expensive gas here in North Florida is 2.95 a gallon. I always consolidate trips and really hate when I have forgotten something and have to go back out.

The nearest beach is about an hour a way, we didn't even go once last summer. Hopefully we can make at least 1 trip this year. My husband has a 99 silverado extended cab and I have a 2002 trailblazer - neither are 4 wheel drive but both drink plenty of gas.

The gas prices have really changed how much we drive. difficult child will be taking the bus to school but I have to take easy child to school everyday. Only about 10 minutes away but that is 4 trips a day. It all adds up!

 

[DammitJanet]

I have to take Billy to school and work every day. That is at least 3 to 4 trips in my car...depending on his schedule. Ticks me off!

I do get about 30 mpg but gas is about 3 bucks a gallon right now and it fluctuates so badly lately that who knows what it will be from week to week.

I try to consolidate trips but between running him and my doctor appts it is difficult.

Cory did just buy him a scooter so that takes a load of me...lol. Now we just have to worry about if he will get himself killed on it...sigh.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

I still drive my SUV but try to combine and plan ahead when running errands and driving carpool. Christmas Eve I filled up at my local Exxon and gas was 2.79 a gallon - yesterday I drove by and noticed it was up to 2.88 a week later.

Sharon

 

[mom_in_training]

OMG!!!! You bet I have but its not like I travel long distances that much anyway. I call my van The Hog. 98 Pontiac Transport and you would think that its an old Ford F-250 with a V-8. Just taking my son to and from school s u c k s up almost 1/4 tank. Yikes!!!! I wish I could get something more economical but I have to have the van for my sons wheelchair darn it and its paid for. I don't even have a wheelchair lift (I am the lift system) in it either that would add additional tonage that would increase the gas use so go figure. Where is the lil weight lifting emoticon when you need it, Lol!! :faint:

 

[Marcie Mac]

I just filled up the truck and it was 85.00 - thought I was going to have a stroke.

I used to drive 45 miles each way to work - and it took about 2 hours to get home (it was even longer on a Friday), and that was in the carpool lane. The only reason I moved the office a mile from home was because the traffic was making me crazy - am so glad I did as the price of gas is pretty much obscene now.

Thankfully all major shopping malls are only about 10 miles away, and the grocery store only two blocks, so a tank will last me about 3 weeks..

With all of the technology out there, I would bet lunch they already know of alternate fuel methods but won't implement them because of the oil companies and their profits..

Marcie

 

[Marg's Man]

Those of you in the US and we here in Australia have some of the CHEAPEST petrol in the world. I am going to use litres here because a litre is the same size all over the world but a gallon is different depending on what country you are in. A US gallon is a bit less at 3.8 litres than an Imperial gallon of 4.5 litres.

For us we count it cheap if we can get for less than AUD1.35 per litre. According to my on-line currency converter that is about USD1.18 per litre which is bad enough. Away from the big cities like Sydney you are doing well if you can get it for less than AUD1.85 (USD1.42) and parts of the Outback go over AUD2.00.

When we were in New Zealand last June we counted it cheap at NZD1.65 per litre, I saw it as high as NZD1.85. According to the same currency converter that is about USD1.27/AUD1.44

A friend of mine just got back from the UK and filled his hire before returning it (as you do) for the comparatively low price of GBP1.99 per litre. According to that currency converter this is about USD3.95/AUD4.50! He said it is even worse in the rest of Europe.

It hasn't changed our driving much because our fuel has always been close to world parity and the increase has not been too bad a shock. I have other US friends who always get a (rude) shock when they see the prices the rest of the world is paying. I am afraid that you are in for more pain as you begin to catch up with the rest of the world.

Marg's Man

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Adjusted for inflation, the current peak is approximately equal to the 1981 peak, so in actuality we are catching up after 25 years of cheap fuel.

There is no magical alternative fuel being kept hidden by oil companies. I worked in the industry, in exploration, for many years. Competition is such that if there is an economic alternative fuel, it will be marketed. With the price of oil depressed (relatively speaking) for the last quarter century, there has been no economic incentive to do the research and development, but that is due to change now that the price has caught up, as it were.

 

[goldenguru]

I plan one 'stay at home' day. My car does not leave the driveway. I don't care how much I need milk.

We live in the country - so I am very careful to consolidate my trips. That helps some.

We have our home up for sale to move back to town. The gas prices are killing the already tight budget.

 

[timer lady]

Since husband was hired at his new positionlast year we anticipated (budgeted) for a higher fuel expense (& downtown parking - ugh!).

He worked 3 weeks in the office & the company sent him home to work from his home office (complete with a laptop).

That alone has helped tremendously with our fuel savings (which is good because we own 2 minivans in the midst of the city). Our biggest trips now are to see wm weekly (he's about 20 miles north of us) & some medical trips.

I wish mass transit were a bit more user friendly (buses/light rail at our end of town). I expect I'd be using it a great deal more if it were.

 

[skeeter]

Linda - you and me both on the mass transit.

In our city, ALL bus routes go north / south, not east / west. I looked at NL riding the bus to the zoo for his volunteer work (the zoo is about 6 miles east of us). He would have had to take a bus downtown, then transfer to one going north. It would have taken him 2 hours of riding to get those 6 miles!!!
He does ride city buses for school, but it's an "xtra" route that's only for that - and it still takes him an hour to go about 10 miles or so.

 

[1 Day At a Time]

I am a big telework advocate.

I telework two days a week now, and I am pushing for more. I either take the subway or commute with two of my neighbors who also work in my office on other days.(We take my hilarious looking Scion XB clown car that gets wonderful mileage). I live 7 miles from my office, and 1/4 mile from the subway station.

My husband's office is 1/4 mile away, so he often walks or bikes to work. difficult child's school is literally across the street from husband's office. We've been working hard for many years now to keep our carbon footprint small, and that quest determined where we bought our home.The taxes are high, but they are completely offset by avoiding expense commuting costs.

by the way, I paid $2.85 for a gallon of gas last time I purchased it...

 

[Marg's Man]

Another option here in Australia is LP gas. About 30% of Australian cars have been converted to run on LPG which runs cleaner than petrol or diesel. It's also a lot cheaper per litre but due to a factor called energy density, the fuel mileage is poorer. Still it works out about three quarters of the cost of liquid fuels

Linda, you said that you wish mass transport was a bit more user friendly.

I can really relate to that because I work right in the centre of Sydney. Even if I could afford it; there's still nowhere to park within a mile (literally) of where I work. I have three options to get to work.

The usual way is to drive about 20km (16 miles) to the rail head and catch a commuter train into Sydney. The nearest station to work is a twenty minute walk. This also saves on gym fees because if I 'power walk' I get some useful exercise. This takes me about 90 minutes each way.

The other two ways take about 2 hours each. Least preferred is drive all the way 55km (45 miles) of bumper to bumper peak hour traffic for TWO HOURS each way. I am exhausted when I get to work and the site censor won't allow me to describe how I feel when I get home.

The third option is the most relaxing but, due to the fares involved, actually costs about twice the price of the other two, even at our petrol prices. I walk to a ferry which serves our 'island' which takes me to another railway station than the one I drive to and catch a train from there. This station is further out than the other so the fare is about twice as much. Then I have my power walk to work. I usually only go this way when my car is off the road for some reason. Another downside is that we are so far out that I am catching the second ferry out of the day and only just catching the last one home, finish work late or miss a train connection and Marg has a 40 km round trip to get me home.

Marg's Man

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

I'm trying to learn to fly.

Or at least hover. Hovering would be a good start.

 

[susiestar]

I have a 1987 Chrysler LeBaron with less than 75,000 miles on it. Gets about 27 mpg. husband drives our 2004 Chevy Classic. I have no idea what the gas mileage is on it.

I have not driven since early October. Have been driven since then for safety reasons. May get to drive in a month or so!!! Trips are very consolidated. And brief.

I have learned that we really don't need to go and do things. Staying home saves all kinds of $$$ AND we are rediscovering things we already have!! (Like the living room floor, LOL!)

But husband drives 75 miles EACH WAY to work. He can work at home some days, but really needs to be in the office. We planned for much higher gas prices when we decided where to live. It would cost so much more to live in the city where his office is. And the cost for schools for the kids would be out of sight!

We used to have an Escort Wagon until it croaked beyond resuscitation (sp?). We absolutely loved it and would happily get another. It got almost 40 mpg most of the time!!!

This is not popular with many drivers, but driving at 55 mph saves so much $$$$ husband has tested it out and can get about 8 mpg MORE on his drive if he does that!!! His drive is country highways where the speed limit is 65, but he often drives 55. It only gets him home 15 minutes later.

I know his drive is long, but he finds it very relaxing most days. He can listen to cd's with no one fussing about the volume or music (or chant or whatever), and he can process his day and make the transition to home so he is happy to see the kids and share events with us. I have to say he is much happier than when he had a shorter drive of bumper to bumper. That is worth something to us, and was weighed in on our decision about where to live.

Susie