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To quote Hugo Chavez, "The days of cheap oil are over". Peak Oil has arrived on the horizon. We need to adjust to the new order, which means escalating gas prices. There's going to be some turbulence in car prices. Prediction: Hummers & SUV's are going to go down in price. GM is already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy; this may push it over the edge.
Gas conservation will be the new buzz-word. Here are some tips for saving that precious Black Gold. Also add tips on what works for you.
1) Start carpooling to work. If you don't know anybody who drives the same distance, see if your office can organize a car pool. There may be a web site which organizes this. Tri-Met in Portland has this feature. If kids need to go to sports, make arrangements to share driving.
2)Drive less. On the weekends, try taking one day off from driving. When driving on errands, try to combine trips so that they are all done in the same loop. Don't make special trips for just one errand if it can be helped.
3) Get rid of your SUV/Hummer and buy a smaller car. It's probably a good idea to do this quickly, in particular if you have a gas hog. The selling price will go down as gas prices go up. Consumer reports keep track of which cars are the most gas-efficient; you can pick up a magazine at the local library.
4) Buy regular gas. I've read there's really not much difference in the grades. You may need to add some kind of additive if your car runs less than perfect, but the savings will add up.
5) Make sure your tires are inflated properly. Tires with low air use more gas; they're dangerous because it's harder to steer; can cause problems with braking.
6) Don't speed. Accelerate slowly, don't stomp on the brakes. Be more consistent about driving speeds. Highway driving typically uses less gas/mile than stop & go city driving.
7) Buy a locking gas cap. As the price of gas goes through the roof, expect little Pilferers to come in the night, sucking out your $50.00 tank fill-up from the day before.
8) Lighten up your car. Don't drive around with 100-pound cement blocks in the trunk, even if your husband owns a cement company. Get rid of all extra stuff. Your lighter car will use less gas.
9) Consider cost/benefit analysis to driving. If you need to drive 10 miles to buy some groceries which are on sale, be sure you add in the cost of gas to buy them. It won't pay to save 50 cents on that Iceberg lettuce.
10) Take public transportation. Public transportation is usually supported by tax dollars. Take advantage of the best way to save on gas. Unfortunately, many communties are still without this option, but maybe it will become more affordable as gas goes up.
11) Consider taking the train or flying instead of driving this summer. If you must drive, consider not driving to California to visit aunt Millie which will now cost much more. Plan vacations closer to home.
12) Hoard gas. Just kidding. I think this is illegal. Is it?
13) Start your own oil well. (just kidding!) I think that as the price of oil goes up, suddenly some dried-up old holes in Texas might become profitable again. Also, alternative fuels will become feasible, now that gas is at $3.59 in Big Sur.
14) Any other strategies? I've read that people have actually poured a quart of Wesson oil in their tanks and they drove off just fine. I'm not at that point yet.
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