Discover card:
Current Balance $0.00
Visa card:
Current Balance $0.00
Now it's onto the debt that's not charging interest.
-=Russ=-
I haven't blogged in a while, so I figured I'd take this chance to update people on what's going on in my life, and make a few suggestions regarding ever-increasing gas prices.
I'm now an official Graduate Assistant, which means I'm getting paid to go to school and work on interesting projects with ISEAGE. My time is flexible, my projects are interesting, and my work environment includes, literally, 200+ computers available for use when they're not being used for other things.
Continuing, my thoughts on fuel economy/bicycling/etc.
Gas prices are going up. This is the nature of gas prices, it seems. They may very well hit $4/gal this summer.
Car fuel economy, especially in short, around-town trips, sort of sucks. 15-20mpg is normal for knocking around Ames. This means you're paying $0.20/mile in gas, more or less. Take a 5 mile trip, it's $1. That adds up quickly, especially if you're taking a lot of short trips (even worse fuel economy).
However, there's a great solution. Two wheeled vehicles.
Bicycles are wonderful in Ames. Take it from someone who bikes around a lot, and has lived in several different cities: Ames is bikeable. There are wide sidewalks/bike paths, there are bike paths creating wonderful shortcuts, and you can get anywhere you want in Ames, safely, on a bicycle. Plus, the exercise is good - and it beats doing cardio in a gym, staring at a TV. The wind, the scenery, etc.
A cheap-but-serviceable bicycle can be had for $50. A good commuter bike can be had, new, for $400.
Figure out how much you pay in gas/oil/tires/etc for your car. If you drive a newer vehicle, the government figures fair reimbursement is almost $0.50/mile. Older vehicles are lower, but it's still a good bit per mile. A bicycle pays for itsself FAST.
Another option for getting around town is a motorcycle or scooter. An older motorcycle (late 70s to mid 80s) with a 500cc-750cc motor can easily get 40mpg in-town, and most can do better. Or, a scooter can do 70+mpg. Either one will, again, pay for itsself quickly.
Beyond changing vehicles, there are other things you can do to help with fuel economy/cost:
1. Keep your tires inflated. If you don't know how to check them, learn. If you haven't checked them, check them. Underinflated tires wear out quickly, and take significantly more gas to move around. If you don't believe me on this, ride a bicycle with properly inflated tires. Then remove half the air from them and ride again. The difference will be immediately obvious.
2. Do a tuneup. Just because your car runs doesn't mean it's running well. When was the last time the spark plugs were changed? How about the oxygen sensor? If it has more than 60k miles on it, it's probably not performing terribly well. The car runs fine, but fuel economy suffers.
3. Combine trips. A warm car gets better mileage than a cold one. Make loops with your trips to avoid doubling back.
Anyway, hopefully this helps some. The best option, IMO, is a bicycle. No fuel costs, insanely low maintenance costs (even being maintained at a shop, $20/mo is reasonable to budget for bike maintenance), and exercise.
... and, my bicycle isn't lonely when parked outside Stonebrook.
-=Russ=-