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Still, I do have transportation costs. Last week I was discussing this with a friend who seemed genuinely surprised that I can go nearly anywhere in the city, every day of the week, for only $13.00 a week; using a weekly prepaid transit card. It gives me unlimited usage on trains and buses in the metro area. My friend was moaning that he spends that much a day in gasoline expenses. Still, he didn't seemed to be hurting enough to stop his wasteful ways. Maybe I could start a 12 step program to help people get over their private automobile addictions...
If you could save significant moolah by using public transportation, or ride-sharing, or some other method (telecommuting, perhaps), would you choose the alternative? At what point will you give in to the crushing costs of personal ownership? Or, will you downsize to a more fuel-efficient scooter or Smart-like car?
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oh, and on a nearly unrelated topic whatever happened to Friday Foo? I mean, I ride the bus across town, it takes all day, and there's no Foo, and it seems too late in the day to start it...
I ride the bus across town, it takes all day, and there's no Foo, and it seems too late in the day to start it...
Get a car, you'll get there quicker.
Sorry grandpa I couldn't resist :)
I work out of the house so my monthly gas expense is low, around $120.
My daughter and son in law both have a long drive to work and spend about $1000 a month on gas.
If you could save significant moolah by using public transportation, or ride-sharing, or some other method (telecommuting, perhaps), would you choose the alternative?
I also bicycled 126 miles down to my cousin's wedding last month instead of driving.
Get a car, you'll get there quicker.
Sorry, I couldn't resist either :)
I understand commuting could be a problem for a lot of people, but I suspect far more are feeling the pinch and could make a few adjustments... which is what this thread is really about, btw; moreso than how much we actually spend. By example, I think I can demonstrate that public transportation is a bargain, even without Friday Word games.
At the end of the month, then decide if any tradeoffs are worth the amount of money saved. They may be, or they may not be. But you won't know until you try. And you never know- you may even find yourself deciding to do the alternative more times/week. :)
[edited by: LifeinAsia at 7:09 pm (utc) on July 1, 2008]
I once heard a philosophy that sounds like fanaticism, but the more I think about it, the more I agree . . . .
I wish they'd just run out of fossil fuel. Just burn it up. Poof it's gone. Sure there will be a few wars here and there, riots, people will freak out (maybe) . . . but then we'll do what we always do. We'll find some other way to get from point A to point B.
All those alternative sources are on the back burner for a reason. Oil companies and their corporations want to keep the status quo. That's really the only reason.
Run out of gasoline, the air will be cleaner, billions of tons of metals will now be available for other uses, the monopoly on fuel sources will dissolve . . . it will all be good.
It may already be happening. We have an electric-only car lot in our town of 20K. People are buying them and driving them. Top speed 45 MPH, but it's only a matter of time before they develop that into speeds that will continue killing on the highways.
My neighbor, who is about as old-school as it gets (Pickup driving NRA member, you know the type) came home with a Toyota hybrid last month. If you can sway the mind of an old-school redneck, the world is changing. :-)
As for myself, I'm a walking, talking example of the path of least resistance and human laziness. I won't change until I am forced to. :-) At least I know it . . . .
Also, the buses around here are crap. It's a 10 to 15 minute drive to a local shopping centre, or an hour and a half on 2 buses.
My mate used to get the bus to work before he drove, it was a 20 minute walk, followed by almost 2 hours on 2 buses, and that was one way. It's a 20 minute drive.
I don't blame people for driving but I think car pooling is a good idea.
Pretty happy with my 10 minutes walk to the office :)
I'm sort of a recluse so my fuel bills are fairly low. I fill up maybe once, twice, thrice a month. Just checked the mileage and I have a little over 8,000 miles on a car that turns one year old this month. Those are mostly "joy riding" miles and "daughter" transportation. :)
I had to fill up yesterday and it cost me just shy of $58.00. I say "just shy" because my OCD in rounding off fuel purchases has been totally screwed up with current gas prices. Its very difficult to squeeze a penny or two out of those pumps these days. One "light squeeze" and there goes $.04 cents. Hey, damnit, I was shooting for $57.50 not $57.54, arrrggghhh! Let's see if I can squeeze $.06...
I've had the pleasure of driving various electric vehicles here in California. My daughter and I absolutely love this one...
[ecarco.com...]
And we are seriously considering a custom candy apple purple with pink leather so she can cruise around with Daddy in style! They are a blast and what a head turner. The 2 hour trips we originally made in the California Roadster turned more heads than my BMW does when I accelerate, go figure...
I work out of the house so my monthly gas expense is low
I also do this as well. However I do still have to meet with clients and make some sales for new projects, but I try and cluster my meetings on the same day and also plan them back to back. Finally, I try and arrange them so that they are as efficient as possible in driving to them. Also like pageonresults I am also a bit of a recluse as well so if I can get out of the meeting in the first place I will do it.
I also bicycled 126 miles down to my cousin's wedding last month instead of driving.
Exactly how did your suit look after being stuffed into saddle bags for a 126 miles :)
Also like pageonresults I am also a bit of a recluse as well so if I can get out of the meeting in the first place I will do it.
I just avoid them altogether, I'm virtual.
Exactly how did your suit look after being stuffed into saddle bags for a 126 miles.
Oh, I thought he had his suit on for the ride? And a helmet? So you walk into the meeting with helmet head. What? Oh no, can't mess with the doo!
Exactly how did your suit look after being stuffed into saddle bags for a 126 miles :)
Now, the SUV was going to make the trip anyway, whether or not I biked. As were my trips to/from their house to drop off/pick up the suit and other stuff. But the net result of 1 less car (mine) making the trip from my house to the wedding and back still stands.
Had the clothes transportation not been an option, I probably would have driven. Although I would've seriously considered FedExing it down there. :)
Oh, I thought he had his suit on for the ride?
I used to bicycle to/from junior high and high school (before I got my drivers license) and went through jeans pretty quickly, until I got smart and wore bike shorts and changed clothes there.
[edited by: LifeinAsia at 11:13 pm (utc) on July 1, 2008]
I just avoid them altogether, I'm virtual.
That sounds interesting, can you expand on that a little? Do you have meetings with clients to sell them? How do you get new business? I have found for some odd reason people want to always meet me, at least once before they agree to work with me. I would love to just do it virtually, but so far that hasn't been an option.
But the net result of 1 less car (mine) making the trip from my house to the wedding and back still stands.
Truly commendable, but I would sweat so much that my shower/water bill would outweigh any benefit I would get from not burning up gas. Assuming I didn't shower that much I would have to do everything virtually because nobody could stand to be around me :)
I've bought a bike and have been using it once or twice a week to commute (20 mins, up hill to work, down hill back). Temperatures around 95F don't help much with that.
For now.
I recently got a second car because I have to make a 3 hour drive twice a month. My Land Rover was killing me at the pump and my car gets 30mpg and doesn't require premium fuel. It's a nice, loaded, Ford Taurus SES (03) and it still gets 30mpg. It has cut my fuel costs in half which more than offsets the cost of the car. Oh, and whenever possible I ride my motorcycle. At worst it gets 75mpg and the best I've had is 105mpg!
Oh, and whenever possible I ride my motorcycle. At worst it gets 75mpg and the best I've had is 105mpg!
105 mpg! What are you riding, a moped?
I was shooting for $57.50 not $57.54, arrrggghhh! Let's see if I can squeeze $.06...
ROTFL! I am totally the same way as P1R. The days of the "perfect pump" are over. Sometimes I think that they set them that way on purpose because I get so upset when I hit $50.01 that sometimes I just try for $51.00.
It could just be the math involved in the price of gas though vs. the ticker on the pump. I like to think it's a consipiracy.
-Doc
105 mpg! What are you riding, a moped?
Nice lookin bike. It's my first one so I thought I'd start small.
Sometimes I think that they set them that way on purpose because I get so upset when I hit $50.01 that sometimes I just try for $51.00.
Ah, a "Fellow Rounder". I was waiting for someone to catch that! I'm the guy over there pumping fuel that is making Yota sounds each time I try to get an even number! I remember when you could do a quick "full squeeze" and get a few cents in $.01 increments. These days, a full squeeze is apt to tack on $.15+.
Light squeezes don't help much either. I've been watching it and it appears to roll in $.02-$.04 increments. Every now and then, you can "lightly squeeze" $.01 out of it but, its becoming more of a challenge. Maybe this is good for my obsession? ;)
