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Gas prices are at record highs. If you've filled up recently, you probably felt a little sick after dumping $50 or more into your gas tank. Gas prices are high, but there are a few things you can do to save yourself a few bucks.

This is the 4th article in a multi-part series on gas prices in the United States. You can read Part 3 (High Gas Prices – What Can We Do About It?) of the Gas Price Series here.

Before we begin, let me just say I'm not a big fan of the "save a nickel here and there" philosophy. If I'm going to spend my time doing something, it should be worth it. Remember time is money. However, here are a few things that you can do to save money on gas without spending a lot of extra time (or worse, money).

1. Drive Less

   The Problem

   OK, this is about as brain dead simple as it can get. Don't drive if you don't have to. I know I'm guilty of this. On Sunday afternoon we usually take a little trip to get out of the house, grab a newspaper, fill up with gas (oh, the irony) and just drive around. This is the typical Sunday drive that used to be so popular.

   The Solution

   The better option is to consolidate your trips. We now hit the gas station right before going to the grocery store. This saves us money in another way also (we use our Sam's Club card to get a discount on gas).

   I also used to work out on my lunch break. However, the gym is about 10 minutes away so I've stopped that for now. I'm telling myself it's because of gas prices and not just that I'm getting lazy.

2. Carpool

   My wife and I work on the same side of town. It's been convenient for us to drive separately so far. I take my son to daycare in the morning and she picks him up in the afternoon. If gas prices get much higher, we'll be riding together.

   This is the only way I would carpool. I just can't see riding with someone else everyday. I used to do this in high school. If you were in sports you practiced after school. Some of us "farm kids" carpooled. We had to as many of us lived 20 miles or more from the school. And those were the days when gas was cheap. I couldn't imagine what our parents would say about that now.

3. Work From Home

   Everyone can't work from home. However, many people can. I'm one of them. In fact, I could probably do a better job at home because I could concentrate better. Most of my job involves concentrating and typing. I can do about 90% of my office communication through email or instant messenger. I don't need to be in the office.

   Problems

   However, there are a few problems working from home

   • Will your company let you? You might have to convince your boss or someone even higher up the ladder that working from home is a good idea. Many companies like to keep their employees in the office where they can keep an eye on them. This is the old school management philosophy that says your employees have to be in the office to be working.
   • Will it cost you more to work at home? Are you running the air conditioner or furnace all day? If you are then you're gas savings are offset by your heating and cooling costs. The best time to work from home is probably in the fall or spring when heating and cooling costs are at the lowest.

4. Trade in that Gas Guzzler

   If you're in the market for a new car then I'm sure mileage will be a big factor in your decision. My parents are looking for a new vehicle and they are torn between fuel efficiency and comfort. That's my problem also.

   Here's my dilemma: I have an older Jeep Grand Cherokee that I really love. I bought it for a ridiculously cheap price. The problem is, it's got a V8 and it drinks gas like a frat boy drinks beer on spring break. That is to say, it's not very fuel efficient. However, I love driving it.

   I'm taller than average so finding a comfortable vehicle is a problem. For some reason, automakers are designing tiny cars as Americans are getting bigger. I simply can't fit in most of the tin cans made by Honda and Toyota. Even many American made cars are just uncomfortable.

   I also don't want to spend a bunch on money on a trade in. Finding a good used car is tough. I have a buddy in the car business. I usually call him and tell him to keep an eye out for something. He usually finds me a really good deal, however I just don't like going through the pain of trading cars, especially when I like the one I have.

   If gas prices get high enough, I'll probably trade it in, but for now I'm sticking with the Jeep. I can't justify spending $20,000 to $30,000 grand or more on a new vehicle just to save a few dollars on gas right now.

5. Walk or Bike

   If you can, walk or bike to where you are going. This is great in theory but most Americans just can't do this. Why?

   There are many reasons:

   • Most American Cities are not bike friendly. You are taking your life in your hands when you bike through most cities. The roads were designed with cars in mind, not bikes. It can be very hard to maneuver through traffic. Most drivers aren't watching for pedestrians or bikes.
   • You'll sweat. I know many of us, (including me), could use more exercise. However, after riding an hour through traffic on a bike, you going to perspire at least a little bit. Your funk may not bother you, but it's going to bother your co-workers.
     
     If you have a shower at work then you could shower when you get there. However, biking to work is going to consume a few hours of your day. That may be fine for some people, but I just don't have the time.

   • The Kids

     Children have a way of dispelling your naive aspirations to health and environmentalism. Simply put, kids take a lot of work. If you have to take the kids to daycare, a bike is probably out of the question for all but the most dedicated cyclists.

     What happens if they get sick and you have to pick them up? Are you going to hop on your 10 speed and pedal over there? Hold on kids, I'll be there in 2 hours.

     Why not get a daycare close to home? Because the world doesn't work like that. We chose a daycare based on the quality of care our son would receive not how much gas it would take to get him there. That's the reality that many Americans face. You have to get your kids to daycare and you have to go to work. Everything else is secondary at best.

Keep Gas Prices in Perspective

Gas prices are still pretty affordable in the US. This is both from a historical perspective and a world wide perspective. Again, I don't think it's worth it (yet) to trade in you vehicles or do anything drastic. Just take a few simple measures like driving less and consolidating trips.

Tags    Enviromentalism    Gas    Gas Prices    Oil    Oil Prices    Spending & Saving    Taxes

Related Posts

• High Gas Prices – What Can We Do About It? Gas Prices Part 3
• Gas Prices – Part 1 – Why Does Gas Cost So Much?
• Should You Buy a New Car for Better Gas Mileage?
• When You Save Money, You Make Money
• 6 Ways to Spend Your Stimulus Money

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