Fuel Inflation
Inflation has been a problem for the past year and just when we all think it cannot get worse, it does. Every time we drive past the gas station we see the price per gallon increase and there is no end in sight. Driving to work, to the grocery store, to pick up our children, and to run any simple errands has become a costly adventure. We all feel powerless to control this expense; however, there are several ways to save money at the pump.
Being Efficient
The most effective way to save money on fuel is to not take pointless and wasteful trips. This can be accomplished through being thoughtful and planning well. Every time we turn on our vehicle we are spending money on gasoline and a great way to save is to never go to the store for just one item or go shopping with no end goal in mind. If we spend some time planning we can drastically increase our efficiency. Meal panning is just one example of how to achieve this. If we spend time at the start of the week planning out each meal and what we need to purchase for them we can make an efficient shopping list. Having a proper list to shop from will ensure we do not forget anything. The other benefit to meal planning is it will allow us to eat healthier and will likely reduce our overall food cost as well. This planning rule can also be applied to almost any shopping adventure. If we think about and know what we need, we can ensure we go to the proper stores in a productive order. This can reduce travel time and miles driven to help mitigate the cost of fuel.
Modern Technology
Another way to save money on fuel expense is to upgrade to more modern technology. Car manufactures have spent the last decade working on more fuel efficient vehicles and their work has paid dividends. Modern cars and trucks travel far more miles per gallon then their predecessors. The biggest down side to upgrading your vehicle is the increase in cost of a monthly car payment. However, we must consider if the decrease in the amount of fuel used will offset the cost of a higher monthly lease or car loan expense. This question is entirely depended on each individual situation and how fuel effective our current vehicle is. There is a large difference in fuel efficiency between a 5 year old car and a 15 year old car. Finally, we must consider if a modern fully electric car makes sense. A decade ago a functional electric car was highly inefficient and not worth having. This has drastically changed. Many companies now offer practical fully electric vehicles. The national charging station network has also drastically improved which enables electric car drivers to travel long distances. They are no longer forced to recharge at their homes where they have proper set ups. This technology continues to evolve and it is very possible that electric cars become the majority of vehicles purchased and driven in the next decade or two.
Public Transportation
The final way to save money on fuel is also the simplest. Take advantage of public transportation, carpool programs, or group ride programs. Every major city has some sort of public transportation and these networks are designed to get us to where we need to be. Busses, trains, subways, and other types of classic systems exist for the benefit of city residents and their costs are typically reasonable. Additionally, not having to drive allows us to have more time to think, focus on other things, read, and relax. When taking public transportation we can sit and do whatever we need or want while someone else takes us to where we need to go. However, this does require a bit of planning. When relying on public transportation we must research where we need to go, where we need to depart from, transit times, and any connections we must make. We must also remember that a train or bus waits for not single individual so we must be punctual. Public transportation companies have great resources to help plan a trip and figure out a routine that is functional for each individual person. You can go online, get a printed flier, or check a posted schedule at any station. This can be difficult at first but using public transportation becomes easier with time and practice. After while it becomes easy to remember the routes, the departure and arrival times, and how long an individual commute takes. Do not be afraid to give your local public transportation network a chance. You could end up saving a lot of time, money, and learn to love the services they offer.
The price of gasoline continues to increase and even though its inflation will hopefully stabilize soon, it is unlikely that the price will ever drop to pre-Covid levels. We must get used to this change and adapt our lives to it. If we make good decisions and plan accordingly we will be able to handle this increased expense. Hopefully one day our society will no longer be dependent on fossil fuels, until that day comes, we must cope with the increases in price and continue to live our best lives.