...to save on fuel consumption? What are people that you know doing to save gas or to at least cut down on what you use?
I bought a 4 cylinder vehicle and my family and I don't go out nearly as much as we did about a year ago.
Right now here on base in New Orleans, gas is $3.62 a gallon.
To fill my wife's Tahoe cost about $80 and about $65 for my Tacoma.

Gas prices are expected to continue to rise while oil companies are having record profits.

I heard on the tv..there saying supply will exceed demand in less than 4 yrs.

I bought a suzuki savage 1cyl a couple of years ago..i believe it has paid for it's self already buy saving me money at the pumps.

i am debating buying a new ford taurus (i own a 94) a mini van..either honda or dodge..or a nissan 4 door truck soon..mpg will probably have me leaning toward the taurus..its for the xo.

sc

It has hit 4.00 plus in Maine.

We have three vehicles for two drivers:

Honda Accord Wagon 27 mpg

Ranger Pickup 23 mpg

Dodge wheelchair van 14 mpg (ouch)

Drive as little as possible. Have added lots of insulation in the attic and have been plugging holes in the old house here (oil heat is now 4.14/gal.). Fixing a chimney for the wood stove. Lots of hardwoods on the property. Cord wood, split and delivered was $180-200 a cord.

I wonder what it will be going to? Coal stoves have popped up around here in the last two years. Designed to auto feed like the corn/wood pellet stoves.

I'm thinking junk mail is now a gift!

Dave
I was stationed at Group S. Portland 71-74. Back in the oil embargo days. Heating oil was 17 cents a gallon. It went up to 34 cents the following winter. We thought we were going to die. The old house we owned had three fire places. Hard wood was there for the taking. I split alot of wood for a couple of years.

Tom, you bring up an interesting point. Home heating fuel I don't think many are thinking about that now since we are past the cold season... but by Sept , Oct it will be on the minds of everyone in states that use 'heat'....

If I were up North, I'd have my tank filled right away. It certainly wont get any cheaper. I don't know how those in MN or those other frigid states do it.

Sure gald I don't have to worry about that one.

Wray...

Good call....We did ours last fall when the fuel oil was "cheap".

Wray,
I still have a fireplace here in Florida. On some of the cold nights I'll light it off. I only buy enough oak for about weeks worth of cold weather. More visual than anything.

Tom, I have a fireplace as well.... sure didn't use it much last winter.. as you say, it is more for atmosphere than anything else.... although mine has a 'heat a lator' system in it, and it does produce a lot of heat if you want it to...

I have a car top carrier full of oak, but actually prefer the store bought logs.. they don't stink after they are burned like the real wood, and not near as messy to clean up.

Wray...

I have done nothing to conserve on fuel consumption. I choose to think of it as, I am helping stimulate the economy. Still driving my truck and SUV. I know, its a crappy job but, someone has to do it. Dave

Well, changed my driving habits a bit. Don't mash the gas at all anymore, gets pricey with a V8. Trying to keep it below 2k rpms. Don't let the tank get below half and fill up only the morning (heat/empty space causes gas to vaporize). Noticed a difference, averaged 16 mpg, now between 18-20. Lastly, started carpooling.

Wife drives a big Suburban and I drive the fullsize gmc hd2500 crewcab. With all the gear we carry for the seven of us (rec and music) we ussually take both cars when we head to Maine or Vermont. The gas prices suck , but its nice to have the flexabilty of two cars and all the outdoor gear (climbing, hiking,tennis and fishing) and instruments(two guitars, harminicas , bongos). We are looking into having a couple of pellet stoves installed in the house this summer.
Have a great holiday weekend,
Dick

Of all the suggestions for increasing gas mileage I still believe if you thought about an egg between your foot and the gas pedal and not breaking the egg as you accelerate you'll do better with that than all the others.

I have a Honda Element I use to go to work. Local driving I get 25 mpg. Still working with same egg.

Still waiting on the darned Yamaha mechanics to finish my carb rebuild on my bike. Haven't even had a chance to ride it yet....ever.

It should help with fuel over the summer and into the fall. Beats the heck out of 16 mpg with the Dodge RAM I have.

1980 Yamaha XS1100SG


I still see boaters filling up at gas stations some times. How the heck they can afford to go boating is beyond me.

Don

Don,

I have never seen so many boats for sale. Many others have become lawn ornaments or planters.

I've had to cut back on playing softball this year. The team I've played with for over 12 years is on the Cape and an 80 mile round trip. I can only make the double headers and play part time. I knew my softball career would eventually end by running out of gas but this is ridiculous.

quote:

Originally posted by Wray:
Tom, you bring up an interesting point. Home heating fuel I don't think many are thinking about that now since we are past the cold season... but by Sept , Oct it will be on the minds of everyone in states that use 'heat'....

If I were up North, I'd have my tank filled right away. It certainly wont get any cheaper. I don't know how those in MN or those other frigid states do it.

Sure gald I don't have to worry about that one.

Wray...

Wray,

It's a good thing you don't live up here. Home heating oil was around $4.50 a gallon 2 weeks ago. It's still too early to fill up. Better to wait until July or Aug when demand is way down. We also pay a nickle or dime a gallon to lock in a rate before the winter. I paid $3.15 a gallon all winter long. I locked in 2000 gallons used all but about 700 gallons this year.

Awhile back you were asking about Rehoboth, Mass. you never said anything about why you mentioned it, just curious.

quote:

f you thought about an egg between your foot and the gas pedal

funny you bring that up ... I was just thinkin' about that old girlfriend who used an egg between her knees as birth control.

... damn egg sure was a sticky mess to deal with.

I am considering buying a pellet furnace. You can tie it into your current system and use either oil or pellets. The upfront cost is high but over time it isn’t bad.

As for gasoline… I currently drive a 2004 Dodge Ram with a Hemi. It has over 100,000 on it. Because of my legs, I cannot get in and out of a small or even large car. I need a high sitting vehicle, hence the truck. I considered a hybrid but none do what I need them to do. Considered buying an H3 but couldn’t get the deal I wanted.

I am screwed when it comes to gas prices. I need gas to run my business. I need a big vehicle. Face it, I am screwed!

My bike still gets me to work and back, unless its raining. Between that and being underway, a tank of gas has lasted me over a month.

What have I done ... let's see; I raised my mobilization-in rate for new projects to the maximum IRS allowance of .505 cents per mile. That oughta do it.