Gas prices don't affect me much -- I haven't owned a car for more than 10 years. I walk to the grocery store, I take the bus to work, I do a lot of shopping on eBay (you'd be surprised at what bargains you can find here if you look and shop carefully). Whenever I need to, I group my errands and rent a car for the weekend to get everything done. Usually that includes a selling trip to Half Price Books or the local used music/movies store, which pays for most, if not all, of the rental.
I find that since I can't jump in the car and buy many things on impulse, I have to think things through: Do I really need this? Do I have to go there? That alone saves a lot of time and money! I couldn't believe how much more disposable income I had after I let the junk man haul my last used car away for $100, and it wasn't just the extra C-note.
I think not watching a lot of TV also helps. Practically all I watch is TCM, and occasionally Classic Arts Showcase on the community channel (usually while I'm waiting to watch a movie on TCM). So, for the most part, I'm not driven by advertising to go out and get a lot of stuff, either.
On the whole, it's amazing how little you actually need when you start thinking things through . . .
Gas Prices
CharlieT:
I know exactly what you're saying about how you use the car. I'm not one of those nosey biddies who lives behind her lace curtains, but my couch does look out on one side of my building, and I watch the people across the street coming and going. With a Chevy van, an Explorer (like you), and a full sized Lincoln, they run in and out all day but sometimes their trip takes only 15 or 20 minutes which means they have to be going somewhere in town (our main street is only two blocks away). They will come home with one bag from Jewel (grocery store) or K-Mart. And they make as many as 5 trips a day sometimes. That is just dumb.
The mistake I made in buying my dumb little Neon was thinking it would be better on gas, but I was unaware of the power of the engine which uses more gas, so little trips for me in starting up uses those little spurts of gas to start the engine. So I generally drive over to the Super K-Mart for groceries, in that way, I can purchase most of my needs, and walk across the street to the Dollar Tree to finish.
Anne
I know exactly what you're saying about how you use the car. I'm not one of those nosey biddies who lives behind her lace curtains, but my couch does look out on one side of my building, and I watch the people across the street coming and going. With a Chevy van, an Explorer (like you), and a full sized Lincoln, they run in and out all day but sometimes their trip takes only 15 or 20 minutes which means they have to be going somewhere in town (our main street is only two blocks away). They will come home with one bag from Jewel (grocery store) or K-Mart. And they make as many as 5 trips a day sometimes. That is just dumb.
The mistake I made in buying my dumb little Neon was thinking it would be better on gas, but I was unaware of the power of the engine which uses more gas, so little trips for me in starting up uses those little spurts of gas to start the engine. So I generally drive over to the Super K-Mart for groceries, in that way, I can purchase most of my needs, and walk across the street to the Dollar Tree to finish.
Anne