I like to combine all my errands in one trip. I'll park downtown, go to the shops, dry cleaning, etc... and on the weekends, have lunch and head for home.
I feel minimalism is different for each of us. Using fitness as a comparative example. Of course we all don't strive to run a marathon or bench press 500 lbs. However, the concept of physical well being is the common denominator. Likewise, one person may use weights, the other an excercise rower. We simply use different paths, means and modes of transportation to get to a similar destination. Minimalism can espouse the same principles. My wife and I have downsized to the point where we only have what we need and use and so far, it has worked.
My husband and I share one car. I try to limit unnecessary driving. I use gas coupons from local circulars, and I try to fill up on Double Coupon Day at a local gas station that accepts competitor coupons when possible.
I ride my bike whenever I can to save on gas. I was a member of a grocery store gas rewards program for a few years, but it was recently discontinued. I may sign up for SA's rewards, saving 3 cents a gallon. I also combine trips whenever possible and carpool to events that friends or family are also attending.
When I moved in with my partner I made a conscious decision to remain a one-car household. This isn't possible for everyone but it works for us because I'm a home-based worker. When I need to get somewhere I walk or take the bus; occasionally I drive him to work so I can use his car.
Again, this won't work for everyone. But the relief of not having a car payment and an insurance premium far outweighs the occasional aggravation of "How am I going to get there?"
To save on gas, I constantly plan ahead with my driving. If I know I have to go a long distance one day, I try to space out other long trips for another week. I may be using the same amount of gas, but that helps me fit the cost into my budget and track just how much I'm spending, which makes me think twice about some trips!
a lot of gas stations and grocery stores offer discounts for paying with cash, but personally I gas up at Wal-Mart which offers a permanent 3 cent per gallon discount, and often runs promos with discounts of 5 to up to 25 cents off per gallon.
On top of that, it's a WalMart Discover card, so there's a 1% cashback on top of that. Just be sure to of course pay off in full before the end of the month!
I keep up with my oil changes and observe tire pressure. When running errands, I mentally map them out so I'm not driving all over the city wasting gas.
Mostly just common sense habits:
- combining trips
- check ahead for needed items during the week and grab them on the way home
- planning your route to avoid backtracking
- avioding the impluse trips and waiting until they fit in with other scheduled trips
- paying attention to gas prices along our routes and hitting the ones that are cheaper on a regular basis
I save on gas by a) not "jack-rabbitting" at stop lights and b) leaving the house a few minutes earlier in the morning to avoid the majority of the traffic. When I made these changes I found I was getting about 30 miles more per tank of gas.
Consolidate trips. It's easier with a toddler anyway. It takes awhile to pile him in the car, so it's actually easier to make multiple steps all in one day anyway.
If the trip is a mile or less, I walk! (I know, it should be a limit of two to three miles, but if you're carrying ice cream in 90-degree weather, it sort of defeats the purpose.) I've read that taking lots of very short trips isn't good for the car's engine anyway, so hopefully I'm helping to extend the life of my vehicle as well.
My favorite is freezing foods to preserve them, especially fruits like bananas and strawberries since they get back SO quickly! These make great soothies later and it much more frugal than throwing them away.
I use http://www.automatic.com/. its a device that connects to your car's ODB port and it reads the car's computer and relays it to your iphone or android. its app displays your route, your speed, any hard breaks, how much gas you used and it gives you a driving score for the week with suggestions on how to improve. It also allows you to set alerts like going over a certain speed, when you did a hard acceleration or a hard break, all things that impact gas mileage. It will tell you why your check engine light went on, what needs to be fixed and it will reset the light for you. The other neat thing is that it will show you on a map where you parked your car!
I like to combine all my errands in one trip. I'll park downtown, go to the shops, dry cleaning, etc... and on the weekends, have lunch and head for home.
I feel minimalism is different for each of us. Using fitness as a comparative example. Of course we all don't strive to run a marathon or bench press 500 lbs. However, the concept of physical well being is the common denominator. Likewise, one person may use weights, the other an excercise rower. We simply use different paths, means and modes of transportation to get to a similar destination. Minimalism can espouse the same principles. My wife and I have downsized to the point where we only have what we need and use and so far, it has worked.
Mostly by combining as many trips as possible.
My husband and I share one car. I try to limit unnecessary driving. I use gas coupons from local circulars, and I try to fill up on Double Coupon Day at a local gas station that accepts competitor coupons when possible.
Great post! Will be leaving on a working holiday visa to Ireland shortly, although I still haven't quite found my career :) x
Thanks for the mention!
I use fuel rewards programs
I ride my bike whenever I can to save on gas. I was a member of a grocery store gas rewards program for a few years, but it was recently discontinued. I may sign up for SA's rewards, saving 3 cents a gallon. I also combine trips whenever possible and carpool to events that friends or family are also attending.
Drive 55 miles an hour and not brake often if possible.
I walk walk whenever and where ever I can. I love walking. My commute to work is not walkable, but most of my errands and entertainment spots are.
Keep the tires properly inflated. Also, use rewards programs like MyPoints to earn points and then redeem them for gas gift cards.
When I moved in with my partner I made a conscious decision to remain a one-car household. This isn't possible for everyone but it works for us because I'm a home-based worker. When I need to get somewhere I walk or take the bus; occasionally I drive him to work so I can use his car.
Again, this won't work for everyone. But the relief of not having a car payment and an insurance premium far outweighs the occasional aggravation of "How am I going to get there?"
It seems obvious, but I list my errands and plan the best route to get them all done most efficiently. I use the maps app on my phone.
To save on gas, I constantly plan ahead with my driving. If I know I have to go a long distance one day, I try to space out other long trips for another week. I may be using the same amount of gas, but that helps me fit the cost into my budget and track just how much I'm spending, which makes me think twice about some trips!
a lot of gas stations and grocery stores offer discounts for paying with cash, but personally I gas up at Wal-Mart which offers a permanent 3 cent per gallon discount, and often runs promos with discounts of 5 to up to 25 cents off per gallon.
On top of that, it's a WalMart Discover card, so there's a 1% cashback on top of that. Just be sure to of course pay off in full before the end of the month!
I pump a full tank and use my trusty app GasBuddy!
I keep up with my oil changes and observe tire pressure. When running errands, I mentally map them out so I'm not driving all over the city wasting gas.
I walk when I can.....which is to quite a lot of places. I also take the bus.
Mostly just common sense habits:
- combining trips
- check ahead for needed items during the week and grab them on the way home
- planning your route to avoid backtracking
- avioding the impluse trips and waiting until they fit in with other scheduled trips
- paying attention to gas prices along our routes and hitting the ones that are cheaper on a regular basis
I save on gas by a) not "jack-rabbitting" at stop lights and b) leaving the house a few minutes earlier in the morning to avoid the majority of the traffic. When I made these changes I found I was getting about 30 miles more per tank of gas.
Consolidate trips. It's easier with a toddler anyway. It takes awhile to pile him in the car, so it's actually easier to make multiple steps all in one day anyway.
If the trip is a mile or less, I walk! (I know, it should be a limit of two to three miles, but if you're carrying ice cream in 90-degree weather, it sort of defeats the purpose.) I've read that taking lots of very short trips isn't good for the car's engine anyway, so hopefully I'm helping to extend the life of my vehicle as well.
My favorite is freezing foods to preserve them, especially fruits like bananas and strawberries since they get back SO quickly! These make great soothies later and it much more frugal than throwing them away.
I use http://www.automatic.com/. its a device that connects to your car's ODB port and it reads the car's computer and relays it to your iphone or android. its app displays your route, your speed, any hard breaks, how much gas you used and it gives you a driving score for the week with suggestions on how to improve. It also allows you to set alerts like going over a certain speed, when you did a hard acceleration or a hard break, all things that impact gas mileage. It will tell you why your check engine light went on, what needs to be fixed and it will reset the light for you. The other neat thing is that it will show you on a map where you parked your car!
I always use the GasBuddy app on my iphone to check out where the cheapest gas is close to me before I head out to fill up.