How do you still get around, while saving money on gas?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Asked my DH if we would ever use my corolla to his outback. Nope. Gas is $4 and cost $65 to fill up. Whatever just adjust the budget. We bought a house close to work. Close to transit if needed. I that saves us when gas prices go up. People who live far away from work don't have as many choices.

[nick__45]

Ouch--This is a sore subject for me.
My workplace just moved last month. My drive just went from 25 miles (and about 25-30mins) to 35 miles and about 45 mins. So, instead of 200miles a week, it is now 280 miles.

Unfortunately, I got you beat on this one. My commute went from 0.5 mile to 35 miles each way when we moved to the city. Quality of life is actually better as we don't feel strapped to the weekend schedule when the weekend do come around. Before, we would be driving to the city 3 times a week minimum and now we're driving that same distance but 5 times. I am looking at 350-450 miles a week for work now. Work does pay for driving around or any place outside of the office, regardless of distance. However, they also provide free transportation for that; therefore, I don't want to get listed as greedy and penny counter if I ask for mileage reimbursement for driving from the office to meeting within 5 miles. I figure I put about 25 miles extra each day if I do have to do it. I try to avoid doing so. Work also pay for van pool so my commute could be completely free. However, I work overtime and want to enjoy my flex-time privilege as well as not wanting to trust my life to a different driver each day.

My car gets 28-35 mpg depending on driving condition. One day each week, I do need to drive my sport vehicle which only gets about 25 mpg but I want to give it at least one long trip so it doesn't rot away from not being used a lot.

If gas gets to $4.00/gallon, I do plan to ask people to car pool with me. I used to do that but stopped because I work OT. Currently, 2 hours OT can pay for all the gas my family use in a week. So I do manage to work enough OT to pay for gas. However, I welcome $1.50-$2.50, which I think is fair.

The problem with Americans is that we are a bunch of cry babies but we don't have a ball to do anything. If we all just stop driving one day week, we'll get gas back to $1.50 within a month. But instead we just condition ourselves to get raped at the pump more and more each day.

[nick__45]

Asked my DH if we would ever use my corolla to his outback. Nope. Gas is $4 and cost $65 to fill up. Whatever just adjust the budget. We bought a house close to work. Close to transit if needed. I that saves us when gas prices go up. People who live far away from work don't have as many choices.

Most of the time living close to work is too expensive. In my case, work is in the middle of no where and I don't want to start a family there, let alone raising children. Houses are a little more expensive there but that's because there is very little foreclosure to speak of due to the company being there but that is not normal. I have no choice but to live far from work so my kids can go to better school and not have to be in/out of school as there is no plan to move. A lot of time is wasted commuting but there is no traffic jam and I just need to find better things to occupy my time during the drive. I will probably learn Spanish or something.

[jerrycates]

Find the most efficient fuel saver car if you can. That is a start to get good savings on gas on a long term basis. But if you think that saving gas comes in an instant, not really, unless you consider car pooling and break gas-costs among your peers.

[dh1989]

I commute 55 mi each way for work. Here are my strategies:

-Slow down:
55 MPH means about 40 MPG vs 35 MPG if I do 75 MPH. That's a few bucks a week there. It makes my 1 1/2 hr drive longer though, which is no fun.

-Find a shorter route:
I can take back roads out of the city (I work in Boston) late at night. I work 2nd shift so this only helps me on the ride home. On the way in everything is too congested, so I'm stuck with the longer highway route.

-Drive less:
If gas gets too expensive I live out of my car 1-2 days a week. I'm not looking forward to that and hope I don't have to get that drastic, but it's an option. I'd probably get a gym membership somewhere near work to have something to do.

[Campfrugal]

I got rid of an SUV - listed it on craigslist and sold it the same day. Then I started sharing my daughters Neon with her. You have to keep a great scheduled calendar. Between her 2 days at college and 2 days at work, me - one day at class and I can walk to work (it is 1/2 block away), plus my 16 yo son takes classes on one day and all the dentist appts., doctor appts., zumba classes, grocery shopping, family get-togethers, etc., you have to have good planning. It has been 6 months, but has worked out well. We have split the cost of insurance and gas and it has been a win/win situation.

[couchrobt]

Carpooling is always the best bet to this. Find several friends whom you can get a ride with, or rotate yourselves who's turn it will be the next day and split on gas expenses. It can be done. I have seen it, never tried though...yet.