Day Four Frugal Motorist

Becoming a frugal motorist can be difficult if your not one already. Just jumpin' in the car and driving around for something to do will be a hard habit to break! You'll need to find a replacement habit that is frugal, like reading used books, or walking around!

Tire pressure is one of the things a frugal motorist is going to monitor. Proper tire pressure will not only will it increase the life of your tires, it will dramatically improve your gas mileage.

Frugal motorists plan their trips, they don't just drive to the store, then back home, and then run out to hot dog joint, then back home to pick up the kid to bring to a friends house. Planning your trips, even the short ones, will save time, money and wear and tear on your vehicle.

And, speaking of wheels, specialty shops are where you should shop for wheels. If there is a place in your area that does nothing but sell, mount and balance tires, you'll get a better deal on the cost of the tires than you would if you went to your favorite general service center.

The same is true for oil changes and mufflers. It's less expensive to go to the quick lube place, or the muffler guy. Think of it like this. You wouldn't see a corporate lawyer if you needed to have a deed drawn up, nor would you see a dentist if your foot was bothering you. So, why go to a generalist when your tires need to be replaced?

Drive a steady speed whenever possible. Use cruise control if you have it (and when its safe, don't use it driving through the middle of town!). Doing so will help conserve gasoline.

Shop around for the best priced gasoline, and fill up your gas tank. Don't wait until you're on empty to get gas, because if you HAVE to buy gas because you're on 'E', you won't have the luxury of shopping for the best price in town. The best price around where I live is almost 14 miles away! Some would say that whatever I'm saving in the cost of gas, I'm spending on wear, tear and the drive to buy the gas. I disagree because I lump all of my trips into one, and besides, the drive to get the gas is into another state that doesn't charge a gas tax of .15 cents per gallon. It's like getting a gallon of gas for free!

Car pool if you can, and use public transportation if you can, especially for getting back and forth to work. If you could reduce your cost (gas, maintenance, tires, wear and tear) to get to and from work, it would be almost like getting a raise wouldn't it? If it costs $5 per day in total expense to get to and from work if you drive your car vs. a buck a day to car pool, that's like an $80 dollar per month raise (use this to pay down high rate credit cards, or add it to your retirement savings).

Tomorrow- The Frugal Parent