How Have You Changed Your Driving Habits...

**Spikey1341** · 10-22-2008, 09:11 AM

since gas prices rose? And since they are falling are you still practicing this?

I have definitely cut out short trips here and there and combine errands. I tend to stay home a lot more and drive more gently. You know, no jack rabbit starts, trying to imagine an egg between my foot and the gas pedal. And I also do a form of hypermiling. On hills or when at a stop for more than 10 seconds I shift my automatic transmission into neutral. True hypermilers turn off the engine but I just can't get into that yet. I'm not totally convinced that would save more than what I am doing now.

How about you?

**Moor** · 10-22-2008, 09:21 AM

I have certainly changed the way I drive.

I used to have a really lead foot. So did dh.
Now we both drive like granny's as he calls it. lol
I combine trips all the time. There are very few times that I get out with only one place to go.
We got rid of our gas guzzling truck and got a toyota yaris. Which has almost paid for itself in the gas savings! lol Our truck got 11 miles to the gallon. The yaris consistently get's 38/40 miles to the gallon. DH drives 26 miles round trip to work 4 days one week, 5 days one week/per pay period. So instead of 75 to 100 a tank full, we are looking at around 20-25 a tank full. And since he gets better gas mileage, we are filling up less. We never let it get to the point the gas light is on. We keep the maintenance up on both vehicles.

**Natalie** · 10-22-2008, 09:25 AM

Yup. The economy is still nuts, and there's not more gas available to drill for just 'cause the price at the pump is lower. Besides, I'd like to not fill up 6 times a month like I was before (still have to fill up 4 times a month anyway).

**sunshine** · 10-22-2008, 09:42 AM

Driving less all around -- no vacation, getting groceries on my way home from work, instead of on my day off (no matter how tired or how much pain I'm in), carpooling when possible, etc.

Still doing the same things, even with lower gas prices -- as everything else has gone up so much, I need to cut everywhere I can.

**Spikey1341** · 10-22-2008, 09:48 AM

We also have an RV that gets 8 1/2 miles to the gallon. No big trips for us this year! Although I miss camping, I am glad the season is over for now because of the gas. Although DH did fill up when it was 2.49 a gallon before storing for the winter. Another option would be to get a permanent campsite, but we don't particularly care for those campgrounds. We like a change of scenery, and different routes to ride the motor scooter. (which also takes gas but at 125 miles per gallon it doesn't hurt quite so much!)

**Cricketlegs** · 10-22-2008, 09:49 AM

I drive only where I have to go.

I plan trips and get all errands done at one time plotting my best route.

I always budget $60 for gas and I have the same 3 paydays I get gas no matter what is going on in my gas tank. I may sit on the money but I keep it safe for gas use.

At the end of the month extra can be rolled into whatever(this month I bought food and dogfood for my stockpile.)

I get gas with cash-when it is gone it is gone so I make sure I get through the month

I get gas where I get a 5% discount on my grocery totoal if I spend $35 in gas. Free food, can't beat that!

Mostly I park Bluebelle. She needs her rest! lol

I got gas on the 15th--I still have over 3/4 of a tank.

**SweetCasey** · 10-22-2008, 09:55 AM

I've always been frugal with regards to buying gas - and wasting it!. Luckily, I own a Honda Civic which is great on gas and I also live close to work - 10 miles round trip. I try to combine shopping trips whenever possible and make sure my car is maintained on schedule. When I purchased my car last year (my old car was totaled in an accident), I was tempted to buy a larger one. But I went for the Civic and am very glad I did.

Most of my around-the-town errands are within a 10-mile radius of my home. My only "road trip" is to the hair stylist, 25 miles away, but that is only every 8 weeks or so (I have short hair).

**Michelle** · 10-22-2008, 10:33 AM

I've been combining errands for the longest time and will continue to do so, regardless of the cost of gas. It just makes sense, and the gas savings is a plus.

**Gardengal18** · 10-22-2008, 10:38 AM

I combine all my errands into one outing. Other than back and forth to work, there are very little "joy rides" out in the country anymore.

**peanut** · 10-22-2008, 10:54 AM

No changes. I've been frugal on gas for some time now. We bunch errands as much as possible. I walk for local errands as much as possible.DH bikes to work. We get 10-15 km to the litre, depending whether it's summer or winter/city or highway. We go through 1 1/2 - 2 tanks of gas a month...$80cdn.

Jean

**DonnainME** · 10-22-2008, 11:31 AM

I still combine trips as much as possible. We rarely go if there aren't at least 2 things we can do on the way or there. I also try to combine deliveries (for my business). I try to make sure that I can do other things at the same time - either personal like groceries or business like other deliveries or dropping off brochures. My car is a Kia Rio Cinco and I regularly get 30 mpg. I do some hypermiling - I have a stick shift so I just go into neutral. Usually takes the RPMs from about 2500 or 3000 down to under 1000.

We are considering getting a van next Summer but I told DH that I would drive my car as much as possible and only drive the van when I HAD TO because of the gas mileage.

**cab54** · 10-22-2008, 11:46 AM

When I get home to Ohio, in a few days, I plan to ride my bicycle to the store (4 miles there and back) till it gets too cold/icey. Exercise and groceries in one trip!

**Buc-O-Mama** · 10-22-2008, 11:52 AM

It's been a year or so now since we've changed our driving habits. I plan trips out better, and spend less money because I won't just hop in the car and go out for one thing. Funny, now that the price has dropped a bit, I'm trying to conserve even more. My mind keeps telling me to use this less expensive gas slowly because we might have to pay more at the next fill up.

**YarnTotingMama** · 10-22-2008, 12:07 PM

We consolidate trips and stick to 55 on the freeway. DH has to do quite a bit of driving to and from work on the freeway but he's managed to boost our Honda Civics' gas mileage quite considerably and under normal circumstances only needs to fill up once a week now which is a great improvement on the way it was..

**dancar3** · 10-22-2008, 01:13 PM

We've changed our driving habits here and are combining trips and just not taking some long trips to other places like before. I do find wanting to go back to my old ways since gas is $2.18 now, but I keep trying to tell myself that the leftover money will go towards debt......it helps.