What are you doing about the rising price of vehicle fuel? What should you do as the price continues to go up?
It's a sure thing that fuel cost will not be going down to where it was a couple of years ago. For whatever reason, we're being conditioned to pay more for fuel. For some time now, the media has been preparing people to pay $4 per gallon of gasoline. Prepare now so you won't be caught unaware.
It is important for you to not just look at fuel cost, but your total transportation costs in light of your family budget. The cost of fuel is just one item in the long chain that keeps your family going. As you look at your overall family plans, of which the budget is part, you may see a glaring need for some changes:
1. Many people drive older (or larger) vehicles that do not get good fuel economy. If you don't need the larger vehicle, then sell it and get something more fuel efficient with cash. If you have a large vehicle (like a full size van) for transporting your family, and it is in good condition, then getting another more fuel efficient vehicle is probably not an option. Consider what trips you are currently making, and what you really need to do. As the price of fuel rises, it makes sense to at least consider selling the vehicle you have and buying a fuel efficient used vehicle with cash.
I used to have a 1968 Plymouth Valiant that I put a Dodge 360 V8 engine into. This car was fun to drive, but I was going to the gas station at least twice each week. Here are the figures I used to get my weekly (fuel only) cost* to drive this car versus the cost of driving a newer fuel efficient car:
* - Assuming gas costs $1.40 per gallon when I did those calculations. At the current prices, the difference would be even more staggering.
As you can see, the difference in fuel alone would save me $34 and change each week, or $137 per month. I live in a rural area, so I would not be able to reduce my driving appreciably. Moving to the Toyota Corolla would save us a nice hunk of money each month, so that is exactly what we did. I sold the Valiant and bought the Corolla. Though I miss the fun the V8 provided, I sure do pass a lot of gas stations every week!
2. Consider how much you're earning now by driving the distance you do. Can you earn the same amount and drive less? Perhaps you could find a job closer to home. Many people are turning to home-based businesses instead of the daily commute. There are a lot of reasons to look at that. Our book Radical Debt Elimination discusses more about being in business for yourself.
3. After we moved to our new rural home, we all but stopped making special trips. To make a trip to the nearest major town is a 50 mile round trip. It is pretty foolish to take an hour of travel time (not to mention the cost of gasoline) to grab a loaf of bread at the store! It became necessary for us to make the most out of each trip into town. Years later, we still run errands after church, and get the bulk of our groceries once a month. Though you may not live that far from the store, you too should plan ahead to minimize special trips.
4. Riding the bus may be a viable option for some people. We did that out of necessity years ago when I was out of work so much. The real problem for us was that it took a couple of hours in some cases to get where we wanted to go. Few of the bus routes were directly where we wanted to go, so we had to transfer to different lines and wait for that bus to arrive. Though busses have their place, few people can afford hours a day to ride the bus. If you live right along a bus (or subway) line, then this option should certainly be considered.
5. Carpooling is an option for folks who work along the same route. This may be a good option for some. The downside is the lack of mobility during the day for those sharing the ride. The real killer is if someone needs to work late and does not have a ride home. A special trip to pick up the "stranded" worker negates the savings of the carpool for that day, never mind the aggravation factor.
6. Motorcycles and bicycles may also be an option for some people. When we lived in the Philippines, I bought a new Yamaha 125 Enduro and rode it to work every day. I got over 60 miles per gallon, so it saved us tons of money over the 3 year assignment. Motorcycles there were very inexpensive, and gas was high (was $1.40 on base when gasoline in the states was in the $0.80 range). Just before we left, I sold that bike for what I paid for it, so it was a nice investment indeed!
A word of caution: though most cars get horrible fuel economy compared to motorcycles, the safety factor should be a huge consideration. Is riding a bike or motorcycle with the associated fuel (and insurance) savings worth the possibility of serious injury or death? Only you and your spouse can decide that. I rode my bike only on base (about 5 miles each way), and the maximum speed limit was 30MPH. That is very different from riding a bike out in the civilian world here in the United States. Yes, there is savings... but at what cost? You must decide that one.
7. Simple maintenance on your vehicle is really important. Changing the air filter and oil at regular intervals is crucial to keeping thing running well. Making sure the tires are at the recommended inflation keeps them in good shape, and reduces the rolling resistance.
8. We use Amsoil (100% synthetic) products in our vehicles, and have for years. I bought our Corolla new, so it was a good test case for going completely synthetic from the start. We left the original oil in the car for the first 2000 mile "break in" interval, then changed to Amsoil. After doing nothing but changing to this new oil, I was truly amazed that the vehicle responded instantly with a nearly 20% increase in fuel economy. This oil is good for ~25,000 miles, so it is a good investment indeed. Instead of using fancy tests to determine when to change the oil, I simply change the filter at 10,000, and go ahead and change the oil and filter again at 20,000 miles. How often do you change your oil? If your vehicle is in good shape and you will be keeping it for awhile, you too may want to consider switching to Amsoil.
When it was time to change the air filter, I installed a special K&N air filter. This filter flows more air (even while "dirty") than a new OEM style filter. These filters are washable, and virtually last a lifetime. Some people see a mileage increase by using K&N filters, but I did not. I simply know these filters are the top-of-the-line... and a good investment for the long term.
9. I did a project to see how much mileage I could squeeze out of my Corolla. I bought a Hydrogen Boost kit and went to work installing it. The kit came with a ScanGauge device which I plugged it into the OBD II connector. I really liked the ScanGauge box (lots of engine info), and used it to establish an average MPG reading as a baseline for my testing. I then began changing the way I drive. I did not see a significant change in my mileage just by running the Hydrogen Boost unit itself, but saw huge gains by changing my driving habits. In all fairness to the developer of this system, I did not install the fuel heater (I was squeamish about cutting the expensive radiator hoses only to find out later that it did not work & had to buy new hoses), and had problems installing one of the engine controls, so I abandoned the rest of the kit. The developer said that the combination of gains by each kit component is what gets the mileage gains, not necessarily by using only the hydrogen generator. The kit is well thought out, and doubtless it will work "as advertised" for most vehicles.
I ran only the hydrogen generator portion of the system for several months before seeing that it made no appreciable difference in my mileage. I will say, however, that I had my irridium spark plugs changed at the recommended 100,000 miles by a local shop. The mechanic said he was very surprised at the super clean condition of the plugs and cylinders based on the engine's mileage. I attribute this to the Amsoil keeping the engine "bottom end" clean, the number of continuous highway miles, and the small amount of hydrogen super cleaning the combustion chamber. One of the side benefits of using hydrogen is that it keeps the intake system and top of the engine really clean.
My Corolla has an automatic transmission, so I was not able to employ some of the driving techniques the kit maker recommended. Employing many of the other recommendations from his website, however, allowed me to see improvements in my already frugal car to 43MPG. Even without buying the kit, you can simply employ the recommended driving techniques to save loads of money.
It's a sure thing that fuel cost will not be going down to where it was a couple of years ago. For whatever reason, we're being conditioned to pay more for fuel. For some time now, the media has been preparing people to pay $4 per gallon of gasoline. Prepare now so you won't be caught unaware.
It is important for you to not just look at fuel cost, but your total transportation costs in light of your family budget. The cost of fuel is just one item in the long chain that keeps your family going. As you look at your overall family plans, of which the budget is part, you may see a glaring need for some changes:
1. Many people drive older (or larger) vehicles that do not get good fuel economy. If you don't need the larger vehicle, then sell it and get something more fuel efficient with cash. If you have a large vehicle (like a full size van) for transporting your family, and it is in good condition, then getting another more fuel efficient vehicle is probably not an option. Consider what trips you are currently making, and what you really need to do. As the price of fuel rises, it makes sense to at least consider selling the vehicle you have and buying a fuel efficient used vehicle with cash.
I used to have a 1968 Plymouth Valiant that I put a Dodge 360 V8 engine into. This car was fun to drive, but I was going to the gas station at least twice each week. Here are the figures I used to get my weekly (fuel only) cost* to drive this car versus the cost of driving a newer fuel efficient car:
* - Assuming gas costs $1.40 per gallon when I did those calculations. At the current prices, the difference would be even more staggering.
As you can see, the difference in fuel alone would save me $34 and change each week, or $137 per month. I live in a rural area, so I would not be able to reduce my driving appreciably. Moving to the Toyota Corolla would save us a nice hunk of money each month, so that is exactly what we did. I sold the Valiant and bought the Corolla. Though I miss the fun the V8 provided, I sure do pass a lot of gas stations every week!
2. Consider how much you're earning now by driving the distance you do. Can you earn the same amount and drive less? Perhaps you could find a job closer to home. Many people are turning to home-based businesses instead of the daily commute. There are a lot of reasons to look at that. Our book Radical Debt Elimination discusses more about being in business for yourself.
3. After we moved to our new rural home, we all but stopped making special trips. To make a trip to the nearest major town is a 50 mile round trip. It is pretty foolish to take an hour of travel time (not to mention the cost of gasoline) to grab a loaf of bread at the store! It became necessary for us to make the most out of each trip into town. Years later, we still run errands after church, and get the bulk of our groceries once a month. Though you may not live that far from the store, you too should plan ahead to minimize special trips.
4. Riding the bus may be a viable option for some people. We did that out of necessity years ago when I was out of work so much. The real problem for us was that it took a couple of hours in some cases to get where we wanted to go. Few of the bus routes were directly where we wanted to go, so we had to transfer to different lines and wait for that bus to arrive. Though busses have their place, few people can afford hours a day to ride the bus. If you live right along a bus (or subway) line, then this option should certainly be considered.
5. Carpooling is an option for folks who work along the same route. This may be a good option for some. The downside is the lack of mobility during the day for those sharing the ride. The real killer is if someone needs to work late and does not have a ride home. A special trip to pick up the "stranded" worker negates the savings of the carpool for that day, never mind the aggravation factor.
6. Motorcycles and bicycles may also be an option for some people. When we lived in the Philippines, I bought a new Yamaha 125 Enduro and rode it to work every day. I got over 60 miles per gallon, so it saved us tons of money over the 3 year assignment. Motorcycles there were very inexpensive, and gas was high (was $1.40 on base when gasoline in the states was in the $0.80 range). Just before we left, I sold that bike for what I paid for it, so it was a nice investment indeed!
A word of caution: though most cars get horrible fuel economy compared to motorcycles, the safety factor should be a huge consideration. Is riding a bike or motorcycle with the associated fuel (and insurance) savings worth the possibility of serious injury or death? Only you and your spouse can decide that. I rode my bike only on base (about 5 miles each way), and the maximum speed limit was 30MPH. That is very different from riding a bike out in the civilian world here in the United States. Yes, there is savings... but at what cost? You must decide that one.
7. Simple maintenance on your vehicle is really important. Changing the air filter and oil at regular intervals is crucial to keeping thing running well. Making sure the tires are at the recommended inflation keeps them in good shape, and reduces the rolling resistance.
8. We use Amsoil (100% synthetic) products in our vehicles, and have for years. I bought our Corolla new, so it was a good test case for going completely synthetic from the start. We left the original oil in the car for the first 2000 mile "break in" interval, then changed to Amsoil. After doing nothing but changing to this new oil, I was truly amazed that the vehicle responded instantly with a nearly 20% increase in fuel economy. This oil is good for ~25,000 miles, so it is a good investment indeed. Instead of using fancy tests to determine when to change the oil, I simply change the filter at 10,000, and go ahead and change the oil and filter again at 20,000 miles. How often do you change your oil? If your vehicle is in good shape and you will be keeping it for awhile, you too may want to consider switching to Amsoil.
When it was time to change the air filter, I installed a special K&N air filter. This filter flows more air (even while "dirty") than a new OEM style filter. These filters are washable, and virtually last a lifetime. Some people see a mileage increase by using K&N filters, but I did not. I simply know these filters are the top-of-the-line... and a good investment for the long term.
9. I did a project to see how much mileage I could squeeze out of my Corolla. I bought a Hydrogen Boost kit and went to work installing it. The kit came with a ScanGauge device which I plugged it into the OBD II connector. I really liked the ScanGauge box (lots of engine info), and used it to establish an average MPG reading as a baseline for my testing. I then began changing the way I drive. I did not see a significant change in my mileage just by running the Hydrogen Boost unit itself, but saw huge gains by changing my driving habits. In all fairness to the developer of this system, I did not install the fuel heater (I was squeamish about cutting the expensive radiator hoses only to find out later that it did not work & had to buy new hoses), and had problems installing one of the engine controls, so I abandoned the rest of the kit. The developer said that the combination of gains by each kit component is what gets the mileage gains, not necessarily by using only the hydrogen generator. The kit is well thought out, and doubtless it will work "as advertised" for most vehicles.
I ran only the hydrogen generator portion of the system for several months before seeing that it made no appreciable difference in my mileage. I will say, however, that I had my irridium spark plugs changed at the recommended 100,000 miles by a local shop. The mechanic said he was very surprised at the super clean condition of the plugs and cylinders based on the engine's mileage. I attribute this to the Amsoil keeping the engine "bottom end" clean, the number of continuous highway miles, and the small amount of hydrogen super cleaning the combustion chamber. One of the side benefits of using hydrogen is that it keeps the intake system and top of the engine really clean.
My Corolla has an automatic transmission, so I was not able to employ some of the driving techniques the kit maker recommended. Employing many of the other recommendations from his website, however, allowed me to see improvements in my already frugal car to 43MPG. Even without buying the kit, you can simply employ the recommended driving techniques to save loads of money.
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