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Budget Idea: Save on Gas

Seeing this Segway today made me think about all the things we've done to save on gas; not just during this past year, we've been trying to lessen our dependence on oil for years. It's hard, but possible. Let me share our top ideas along with this awesome video to get your idea wheels turning...



.... this guy's brilliant, complete with his briefcase, likely traveling downtown to home after work on the mountain, judging from his direction. Segways are so much fun - IF used for transportation instead of an excuse not to walk.

Gas might be only $1.80/g right now, but you can bet we'll see another spike again this summer.
So on to the ideas- simple, green, or downright crazy, take your pick!

1. When I first got my Toyota Tacoma, I was a little guilty about the gas mileage. Though published (as usual) at a 18-22 city-hwy m/g rating, the Tacoma actually only got 15-18 when I started tracking my "Mountain Girl". After several months (6-10) of data gathering, I found that the rumors were true; if I waited till she was empty to fill her up, those last few gallons sunk my mileage considerably- as low as 10-12m/g on that last gallon. Ouch. But if I used 1/2 a tank and filled it, then I could get 16-18 even in the city, and definitely 18-19 on the highway. So start by putting a small notebook in your car and keep a journal with date, gallons filled, miles since last fillup, and equating the two into your m/g to see where your vehicle stands for a few months. Then start filling it up at 1/2 a tank and see how those #s go up!


2. I read in one of my crystal books that if I taped quartz points- preferably double terminated, meaning pointed at both ends - to the gas line I could save about 2 miles per gallon. One company sells them as "orgone energy boosters." So I put this wacky idea to the test shortly after I got the Tacoma, and have been doing it ever since. I taped three small crystals onto the cool pipes of the gas line and took data for six months. Sure enough, I was getting more like 16 where I used to get 14 m/g. Similarly on the highway, I was actually getting more like 20.

When I took my truck into the shop for an oil change, Mikey didn't laugh as I expected him to. He said he'd heard of that before, and seen it on one other car in the valley. Apparently the crystals inate peizoelectric energy helps increase the flow of gasoline through the lines. It could also be the way gas is created that makes this work... but hey, if it works, it works. You should cleanse these crystals in filtered water about once a year.


3. An obvious yet perhaps the hardest one: use the alternative options to driving yourself such as the bus (free in Steamboat, so a no brainer), your bike/walk (also easy in the 'Boat with a 7 mile path that stretches the length of town), metro or train, or carpool.

Even if it's just one day a week or just on Earth Day, make a point to leave your car at home when it's possible and reduce your cost of gas.


4. Go Biodeisel. If you drive a deisel truck, this is the time of year to start thinking about biodeisel. Many areas are seeing this option increasingly- even Steamboat has a company that provides it now in the summer months. Winter's aren't so easy up here, as the biodeisel freezes at a much lower temperature and needs to be cut with regular deisel.

Don't try this on your own without some great mentoring, but poke around your area to see if someone is offering biodeisel as an option and get in for the details. Talk about the ultimate reduction of dependence on foreign oil.


5. Here are some other easy tips to increase gas mileage from increasing the proper functioning mechanics of your vehicle. http://www.ajc.com/wireless/content/business/stories/2008/04/07/gastips_0408.html

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