How Much Does Your Commute Suck?

February 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment

One of the most painful things of any person’s day is the commute to and from work.

In the morning, you’re half asleep, stuck in traffic surrounded by a bunch of idiot drivers, and heading into a job you’d rather not be at. In the afternoon, you’re drained from sitting through boring meetings, being stuck in traffic surrounded by a bunch of a-holes, and probably heading to a hectic situation at home.

Driving your car used to be a release. Now it’s just an added stress.

Fun!

Thankfully, according to a recent poll, it appears that most of us don’t have to spend a “significant” amount of time blowing a gasket while bonding with our fellow commuters.

When asked “How long (on average) does your roundtrip commute take?” nearly 250 Daily Fuel Economy Tip readers responded with the following answers:

  • 44% – Less than 30 minutes
  • 26% – Between 30 minutes and 1 hour
  • 19% – Between 1 and 2 hours
  • 11% – Greater than 2 hours

A roundtrip commute of less than 30 minutes really isn’t all that bad. I know I’d enjoy that.

And with a one-way commute of about 15 minutes, it sort of begs the question: how many of these people walk or take mass-transit?  Nothing like letting someone else do all of the driving.

What’s your commute like?  Leave your comments below.

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Has the Economy Changed Your Vacation Plans?

August 3, 2009 by 1 Comment

The current recession, which just entered its 21st month and is the longest downturn since World War II, has caused many of us to reevaluate our personal finances.  With unemployment rising and credit still hard to come by, saving money and cutting costs has become a priority for many families throughout the country.

While most of these cost cutting measures haven’t been too drastic (i.e. not going out to eat as much, making fewer impulse purchases, etc.) many of us have had to take things a little further.

One of the bigger “discretionary” expenses for families (and individuals) is the summer vacation.  Whether it’s driving to the beach or flying across country to visit family, when everything’s said and done, a week long summer vacation can cost thousands of dollars.  No matter your financial situation, this is a lot of money.

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Higher Gas Prices Leading to More Carpooling or Mass Transit?

September 9, 2008 by 4 Comments

As the price of gasoline climbed over the last 12 months, many economists and transportation pundits were expecting a mini-boom in the number of drivers – especially commuters – taking part in carpooling programs and/or using mass transportation more frequently.

With gas prices spending a significant amount of time above the $4 mark, many of us were starting to feel financial pain every time we went to fill up our cars.  And since the easiest way to save on gas is to simply not drive as much, it would certainly make sense if there was a jump in the number of people carpooling and using public transportation.

Unfortunately, common sense didn’t win out this time.

According to a recent poll on GasBuddy.com, the recent bout of high gas prices has done very little to push drivers to carpool or use public transportation.

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High Gas Prices Forcing You to Drive Less?

September 3, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Over the span of the past 18 months, the national average price of gasoline has jumped from a low of $2.13 per gallon (February 2007) to a high of $4.12 (July 2008), back down to today’s current price of $3.69.

While the price decline over the past two months has come as a relief, the 75% price increase between early 2007 and now is clearly unprecedented and has to have made a profound impact on many of our personal finances.

And since money doesn’t grow on trees – especially in this slumping economy – chances are you’ve had to cut back somewhere in order to account for having less money in your pocket. According to a recent poll on GasBuddy.com, nearly 70% of us have reduced the amount of driving we do in order to cope with higher gasoline prices.

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Gas Prices Continue to Fall, At Lowest Level in Nearly Two Months

July 29, 2008 by 1 Comment

Thanks to decreased demand and falling oil prices, the national average price of gasoline has fallen each of the last 13 days, and is now at levels not seen since the end of May.

Since hitting its record high of $4.12 per gallon on July 15, the price of gasoline has fallen 19 cents – over 4% – and now stands at $3.93, a price not seen since May 29.

According to Gasbuddy.com, Hawaii is reporting the highest state-wide average price at $4.55 per gallon, while Oklahoma is reporting the lowest state-wide average price at $3.62 per gallon. Eleven states and Washington, D.C. are reporting an average price above $4 per gallon.

Much of the decline in gasoline prices can be directly attributed to the fact that Americans have started adjusting their driving habits in order to compensate for having to pay more at the pump. For example, according to Federal Highway Administration, Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May 2008 than in May 2007.

According to an article written by Kenneth Musante and Aaron Smith published on CNN.com (see the above link), Americans have traveled nearly 41 billion less miles in 2008 than at the same point in 2007.

Assuming the average vehicle gets about 20 miles per gallon, Americans have used over two billion less gallons of gasoline so far this year.

Additionally, the reduction in miles and corresponding decrease in gasoline consumption doesn’t take into account the fact that many Americans are still driving the same amount, but have traded in less fuel efficient vehiclese such as trucks and SUVs for cars with better fuel economy such as compact cars and hybrids.

Hopefully even if gas prices continue to fall, we’ll continue to be mindful of the amount of miles we drive and continue to move towards more fuel efficient vehicles.

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Walking or Riding a Bike More? Thanks Gas Prices!

July 23, 2008 by 6 Comments

With gasoline prices being about 40% higher than what they were last year, it should come as no surprise that many of us have started to significantly reduce the amount we drive.

That being said, it’s not like we’re not still going to the store, or taking a short trip over to a friend’s house. We’re just taking alternate forms of transportation.

Based on a recent poll, it appears as if many of us have become reacquainted with two of the oldest forms of transportation: walking and riding a bicycle.

For the past two weeks, I’ve had a poll up on Daily Fuel Economy Tip which asked the following: “Are you walking and/or riding a bike more due to higher gas prices?” Here’s how the responses broke down:

  • 49% stated they are walking/riding more thanks to high gas prices
  • 48% stated they are not walking/riding more
  • 3% stated they were unsure

Even over the last couple of weeks, it seems to me that my morning commute is far less crowded and there are more people walking or riding their bicycles to work on the paths adjacent to the roads I’m on.

In fact, on several occasions, I’ve taken my bike into work as well – 8 to 10 miles each way, depending on which path I take – something I never would have thought to do if high gasoline prices weren’t starting to affect my bottom line.

It will be interesting to see how these numbers change as the major car manufacturers adjust to the fact we no longer have a significant demand for trucks, SUVs and other gas guzzlers, and start producing more fuel efficient vehicles.

However, because we’re in the midst of a relatively seismic shift in energy/environmental awareness, even with more gas friendly cars available, it wouldn’t surprise me if the number of people walking and/or riding more continues to increase for an extended period of time.

Maybe we can knock out our energy and obesity problems at the same time!

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Online Gas Price Sites – Do They Really Save You Money?

June 29, 2008 by 8 Comments

With the national average price of gasoline holding steady above $4 per gallon, it seems as if more and more people are using online gas price sites like Gasbuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com to help determine where they’re going to go to fill up. While there’s certainly plenty of satisfaction in knowing you’ve picked up the cheapest gas in the area, is it possible that these sites are actually causing you to spend more on gas even if you’re paying less at the pump?

Confused? Let me give you the following example:

You drive a car that gets, on average, 20 miles per gallon and has a 10 gallon tank. Before leaving your house to fill up the car, you check out GasBuddy.com and see that the gas station closest to your house, which is only a mile away, is selling regular unleaded gas for $4.15 per gallon; however, another station that’s only six miles from your house is selling regular unleaded gas for $4.00 per gallon.

Certainly, it would be a no brainer to go to the $4 per gallon station. After all, assuming you have to fill up all 10 gallons, you’re going to save yourself a whopping $1.50:

$4.15 – $4.00 = 15 cent savings per gallon x 10 gallons = $1.50 savings

Now, if this is where the analysis stopped, you’d probably be feeling pretty good about your decision to go to the farther away station. I mean, $1.50 doesn’t seem like much, but you’d much rather have it in your account than hand it over to the gas station clerk, right?

As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, this isn’t where the analysis stops, so let’s continue:

At 20 mpg, you’re burning 1/20th of a gallon of gas for every mile you drive.

1/20 x 2 miles (close station) = 1/10th of a gallon of gas used for the round trip.

1/20 x 12 miles (farther station) = 3/5ths of a gallon used for the round trip.

$4.15 x 1/10 = 41.5 cents in burned fuel to go to and from the closer/more expensive gas station.

$4.00 x 3/5 = $2.40 in burned fuel to go to and from the farther/less expensive gas station.

So, by going to the farther away gas station, here’s what your net savings actually ends up being:

$1.50 + $.415 – $2.40 = -$.485.

By driving out of your way to save 15 cents per gallon of gasoline, you actually end up being about 50 cents in the hole. Again, I know these numbers don’t seem like much, but wouldn’t you rather keep your money? Besides, over time, ever little bit adds up.

It’s probably unlikely that you’ll do this sort of analysis before you decide where to purchase your next tank of gas, however, it is something that you should probably keep in mind. Long story short, unless you’re going to save a significant amount on each gallon of gas, or you need to fill up a mammoth tank, its probably not worth it to go out of your way to purchase gas.

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Fuel Economy Tip – The Two Mile Rule

June 19, 2008 by 10 Comments

There is little doubt that the recent spike in the price of gasoline has caused many Americans to change their driving habits. Whether it’s a drastic change like picking up and moving, or a more subtle change like making sure to drive the speed limit, chances are pretty good that we’ve all done something to help offset higher gas prices.

One way many people have tried to reduce the pain at the pump is by walking or riding a bicycle when they need to take “short trips.”

Considering a large portion of our driving is done within a close proximity to our homes and places of employment, implementing this change into your life could considerably reduce the amount of money you pay for gasoline.

I know some of you out there think this is a waste of time and isn’t worth trying out. So, for those of you who are skeptical of making such a change, I’d like to present to you the argument for the “Two Mile Rule.”

Very simply, the Two Mile Rule says that, when safe, you either walk or ride your bike when you’re going some place within a two mile radius of your home, work, etc. The only exception to this rule would be if you absolutely needed your vehicle – e.g. you’re going to the grocery store and are picking up way too many items to carry home.

Here are the three main reasons why you should follow the Two Mile Rule:

  1. You’ll undoubtedly reduce your gasoline consumption. Obviously, if you’re not driving your car, you’re not going to be using gas. Also, short driving tends to be marred by lots of stop signs, traffic lights, and needless idling, all of which do a great job of sucking gas and reducing your fuel economy. And, like I said before, it’s likely that much of your driving consists of these short trips. If you can eliminate these trips, you should see a significant savings.
  2. Less wear and tear on your vehicle. It doesn’t take a degree in mechanical engineering to know that the more you drive your car, the more wear and tear you put it through. So, if you can reduce the number of miles you drive, you should expect to increase your vehicle’s lifespan, which over the time you own the vehicle, could save you thousands of dollars in repairs, insurance and vehicle replacement cost.
  3. You’ll end up in much better shape. In addition to the health benefits, by losing weight you’ll increase your vehicle’s fuel economy when you do have to get behind the wheel. As you probably already know, for every extra 100 pounds you carry around in your car, you reduce its gas mileage by 2%. So, if you can find a way to lose 25 pounds by being more active (assuming you need to lose the weight), you should see a slight increase in fuel economy.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to incorporate the Two Mile Rule into my driving routine. Whenever possible I try to walk or ride my bike. I’ve even started riding my bike 16 miles round trip to and from work. A bit outside the two mile radius, I know.

While it was a pain when I first started, I’m certainly glad I kept with it. I feel like I’m in much better shape, I’ve dropped eight pounds and I’ve been able to add a couple of days to each tank of gas. And, considering my car’s starting to get up there in age, I’m hoping that I’m extending its lifespan as well.

On that note, give the Two Mile Rule a try. Your bank account, car and body will thank you.

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It’s The Commute, Stupid

May 28, 2008 by 3 Comments

You’ll have to forgive me for the rather abrupt title, which is a ripoff of a James Carville inspired slogan for the 1992 Clinton presidental campaign, but I need it to make a point.

The point being: you can blame $4 gas on your morning and evening commute.

America has been built on the notion that personal transportation would always be relatively cheap. The most obvious example of this has been manifested in the exponential growth of suburbs and exurbs during the last two decades.

As we were pushed farther away from cities and their immediate suburbs – which, coincidentally, are where a vast majority of Americans work – and climbed into our cars – in many cases, a gas guzzling sedan, truck or SUV, and almost always by ourselves – we started to put into motion the scenario that’s playing out right now.

Invariably, the more we drove, the more fuel we consumed. Because oil is a finite commodity, the more we demanded, the more we tapped into the world’s ever decreasing supply.

In order to get a better idea of how far the average American commutes to and from work, I recently added a poll to Daily Fuel Economy Tip which asked the following: “How far is your commute (round trip) to and from work?” Here’s how nearly 200 people responded:

  • 29% have a commute that is longer than 31 miles
  • 28% have a commute that is between 11 and 20 miles
  • 25% have a commute that is less than 10 miles
  • 18% have a commute that is between 21 and 30 miles

If you were to assume that the average commuter vehicle on the road gets about 21 miles per gallon – which isn’t a stretch considering all of the trucks, mini-vans and SUVs on the road – then nearly half of Americans burn more than a gallon of gas per day just to get to and from work.

While that may not sound like much, over the course of a year, that’s over 18 billion gallons of gasoline, assuming a total workforce of 150 million individuals.

Back when oil was $25 a barrel and gas was $1.25, it didn’t really matter what type of gas mileage our vehicle got or how far we drove to and from work because at the end of the day, it wasn’t going to cost much to fill up. In fact, it cost so little to fill up that even driving a gas guzzling Suburban was probably just as cheap as using public transportation, not to mention the fact that it was much more convenient.

Unfortunately, it appears that this perpetuated even more driving, which continued to push up demand on what has become an increasingly limited supply.

Don’t forget, as our demand continued to grow relatively unchecked, our friends in developing nations such as China and India began to consume more oil, thanks in large part to growing middle classes that could now afford automobiles.

So here we are now, with oil pushing $135 a barrel, a national average gas price of just under $4 a gallon and a razor thin margin between the world’s supply and demand for oil.

Happy commuting.

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How People Are Offsetting High Gas Prices

May 20, 2008 by 5 Comments

As gasoline prices continue to set record highs with each passing day – now nearing a nation-wide average of $4 per gallon, up nearly 30% in 2008 – more and more Americans are beginning to see a significant hit to their budget’s bottom line.

With little relief (if any) in sight, many Americans have started to make adjustments to help ease the sting of high fuel costs. Many drivers have made minor adjustments that have caused minimal lifestyle changes – such as reducing highway speeds – while others have had to make much more significant and life altering changes – such as take a job closer to home.

In order to gauge how most Americans are coping with higher gasoline prices, I recently included a poll on Daily Fuel Economy Tip which, very simply, asked the following: “What is the biggest thing you have done to try and combat high gas prices?” Here’s how nearly 200 people responded:

  • 33% stated they are driving less and/or using mass transportation more
  • 25% stated they are working harder to maximize their current vehicle’s fuel economy
  • 13% stated they’ve done nothing
  • 12% stated they’ve bought a car that has better fuel economy
  • 9% stated they’ve moved closer to work or taken a job closer to home
  • 8% stated they’ve done something not mentioned in the poll’s list

Based on the above results, nearly 9 out of 10 people have attempted something in order to try and offset record high gasoline prices.

In the end, hopefully there will be some good to come out of $4 (or $5, $6, etc.) gasoline.

Whether it forces us to reduce our driving, shift towards smaller cars with better fuel economy, force the Federal, state and local governments to offer better public transportation, etc., it’s clear that expensive gas is going to force significant changes throughout America.

While it may hurt (a lot) now, in the end chances are pretty good we’ll be better off in the long haul.

Filed Under: Drive Less, Driving Habits, Fuel Efficient Vehicles, Gas Prices Tagged With: , , , , ,
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