Are you planning to take a road trip over the Fourth of July weekend? How much do you expect to spend
on gas? I spent nearly $60 to fill my tank last week, a painful
increase from a cost that used to hover around $20 just a few years
ago. With predictions promising prices to rise as high as $5 per gallon this summer,
it kinda makes you reconsider the importance of our cars, and the cost
of that independence. I am sad that the days of the long family driving
trips are about to become seriously impacted.
Emma over at Simply Green
mused about her gas budget: "After setting a lifetime record on the
amount I spent on gasoline to fill my '99 Volvo, I was prompted to
consider the gas I was consuming that day, as well as how much it would
cost to make the day trip I had planned for the next day. "Can I make
it through the two travel days on one tank? Wow, I just filled up, and
I might have to fill up again tomorrow night." Sad to say, but I was
one of those who handed over my gas card, said "fill'er up please," and
that was it. It was part of my regular budget, and there was no need to
think about it. But the wake-up call has arrived, and we now have no
choice but to think about it."
She
hit the nail on the head when she said: "The wake-up call has arrived."
Our friends in Europe have been facing terrible gas prices for years,
and their solution has been to downsize into sporty little cars with
more-efficient diesel engines. Unfortunately, Americans don't want to
give up their ginormous gas-guzzling vehicles, choosing instead to
drive around (most of the time) in great big vehicles filled with lots
of empty space - for the sake of having the room "Just in case they
need it."
She continues, saying "We are fortunate to be living
during a time of great opportunity, but we don't always take full
advantage of it. Let's shift out of the current gotta-have-it-NOW
mindset to a what-can-I-do-with-what-I-have thinking, and even carry it
over into our businesses."
Have you been impacted by the
rising price of gas? How are you changing your day-to-day driving
routine to accept this increase? Considering buying a hybrid? Thinking about downsizing to save fuel costs? What about outside your car? What are you doing to be more eco-friendly in general?
By Brandy Schaffels
AskPatty.com Editor
conservation
