I'm doing a little experiment. I filled up my gas tank Friday June 1st and am going to see how far it gets my by the 15th (the 16th I am heading out of town and will fill up again). I live in town, and need my car very little if I actually plan!
Happy to say I am back to commuting by bike 3 days a week, and hope in the summer it will be back to 5. I volunteered at RunWenatchee's trail run this Saturday so I had to drive to the trail heads beyond Cashmere, but coming back into town it forced me to do my URM run since it was en route. For the business I am at URM once a week and Costco twice and need my car for those trips, but its making me plan better. I buy majority of my groceries at Costco, a few little things we may need I can walk to Safeway, and once a week I get my CSA share from Farmhouse Table (which I can also walk to). Eating out and movies is right down the street, again walking and summer music is down the street. I used to fill time going to Target when I'd run out of one little item, now I maybe make a trip there every 6 weeks. Not only saves in gas but money I'd spend buying things I don't need.
I support Washington state gas tax (our federal excise tax per gallon is 18.4 cents, and the state/local tax is 37.5). Because of my business and needing space to haul stuff (that and 2 dogs, one being an 85lb. Shepard) I drive a car larger than I'd like (Honda CRV), but for the most part in town I get 21/22 mpg and hwy around 27.
Another bonus to this, is the time spent with the kids. I walk Lo home from school most days, it's during this time she talks all about her day, in detail while it's fresh in her mind and she's excited. Our evenings and weekends aren't spent running errands. They are spent at home, or together out doing stuff.....bonding!
My goal by the 15th is to have only gone through 1/2 a tank. I am the volunteer coordinator for a bike race this weekend, which means a lot of driving to Malaga, so I am going to have to try to cut driving in all other areas to make this goal! We'll see!
No comments:
Post a Comment