I have yet another way to save on gas. Some of the other methods I’ve discussed on previous pages were not well received, because they can be painful to implement.
This will be another one of those dreaded and difficult to implement changes. It’s hard to adjust driving habits. Saving money on gas is not fun. When you take a look at the big picture it’s something that’s necessary for most motorists.
Gas prices go up and down, but the overall trend is upward. If you’re reading this article and you feel great, because gas prices are below the three dollar range you have already accepted this upward trend as a part of life. In November 2008 a gallon of gas was under two dollars. If you saw this price today you would get in your car and drive all over the place.
When it comes to an efficient way to save on gas consumers have two options for reducing their expenditures at the pump. You can either drive less or drive a vehicle that is more fuel efficient. Buying a new car that takes advantage of the latest technology and can post gas mileage figures over 35 miles to the gallon is an expensive proposition. If you can afford to buy one of these cars, you’re probably not concerned with how much you spend on fuel.
Changing Driving Behaviors Saves Fuel
So this article is about another way to save on gas and that it is to reduce your driving. Many say after reading that last sentence that they cannot adjust their driving behaviors. For some this may be true but consider the fact that for many of us driving less is a personal choice.
Many Americans have sucked it up during the great recession and its aftermath and have simply driven fewer miles than they ever have before. According to an article I read in a local newspaper this was actually the first decline in vehicle miles traveled in the United States in several decades. This choice of driving less is difficult for millions of Americans who live in the suburbs and must commute to work or whose jobs require a lot of driving. This is where the really tough choices come in.
We all want the freedom of waking up having our cup of coffee jumping in our car and driving to work alone. What if we instead got together with a bunch of people we work with and formed a van-pool or car pool? Of course this isn’t possible for everybody, but where it is possible the small inconvenience can save a lot of money over a year’s period of time.
I’ve seen this first hand as my stubborn father changed his driving behaviors. He would drive an hour up the New Jersey Turnpike to get to work everyday. Although his office was kind of small he went around finding out where everybody was coming from.
He found 13 people that entered the New Jersey Turnpike at the same entrance. He went to the owner of the company and got them to sponsor a thirteen passenger van. They all took turns driving and they all contributed a small amount towards the fuel and upkeep of the van. My father’s favorite part about the van pool was they would all take turns driving. Those not driving could get an extra hour sleep on the commute to work and get an extra cat nap on the way home.
I understand that this method of saving fuel by driving less is not possible for everybody, but for those who think that it is not possible take another look at your situation. Try to reduce your driving at every point.
Do you really need to go food shopping today or could you put it off till tomorrow when the dry cleaning is ready for pickup and perform both trips in one shot. Can you wait three days for food shopping and combine dry cleaning, food shopping and a third task altogether in one day?
The effects of not getting into your car and driving somewhere on your overall fuel and expenditure over a year’s time can be huge. For another way to save on gas go over and visit my main page for increasing fuel economy. There you can choose from several different articles that will discuss things you’ve probably heard of but do not practice.
See what the Government has to say on this subject over at their page about gas mileage tips for drivers. You can also visit the Auto-Facts.org Homepage to see what else is available here.