Gas and the single home !

The price of Fuel aka Gas aka "Car Juice" is a hot topic in question for every household. The increased prices of car juice is directly proportional to the price increase in commodities. Insignificant as it seems, but there is an increase nonetheless. The bills tantamount to debt and related misery. So what can we do to remedy this menacing reality?

Get rid of our prized cars, mini-vans and convertibles??? Perish the thought! To even think of asking a N. American to give up their car is like asking for their right hand (or left) . To others it might seem ridiculous, but N. Americans are dependent on our 4-wheelers only because, we live away from almost everything including work. 2-Options come to min- A hybrid vehicle (that costs more than a regular vehicle), & Public transit.

Hybrid vehicles- New technologies take ages to develop and conspiracy theorists have deduced hybrid vehicles will never be the norm as long as the oil cartels have their way. In addition, Hybrid Technology is its infancy and the different variations like ethanol, electricity and propane gas (might I also add Water and air), do not have the needed infrastructure for their existence. Even if there is some infrastructure in place, it is at most negligible. So until further notice...Que Sera Sera !

Public Transit- The "Better Way" as Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) calls it. Not limiting ourselves to the latter, Transit in general is time consuming , sometimes unreliable and uncomfortable . It does get you from point A to point B , again the time factor is critical.

Weaving back to our main topic in question aka Gas, these are some general , that we can save on gas

1. Regular Tune-ups - Oil Changes, and regular servicing are are a must for a longer life of a vehicle. My dad once told me " treat a vehicle well and it will return the favor" .
2. Reduce Idle time- Long idling wastes more fuel than restarting an engine.
3. Proper inflation of tires - Use recommended tire pressures (aka psi) as specified on the tires. This truly makes the ride smoother and less strain on the engine.
4. Observe the Speed limit - Did you know that by observing the posted speed limits you can save a lot. Try it ; never mind the dodo who races off from behind you.
5. Close your Windows at High Speeds- When driving on the expressway, we know that you want to feel the wind in your hair. But this causes air-drag and forces the engine to work harder and hence increased fuel consumption for the same speed.
   
6. Plan your trips- Apart from work, try and club your grocery shopping with another errands and do it all in one go.
7. Carpool- I have tried this in the past when I used to work in Mumbai and it worked like a charm. You might be apprehensive at first, but after a couple of trips , it becomes a norm. Carpool with your own colleagues and save the two of you a ton ! Call it friendship building...or hey for those that have an eye for making it teh top, offer to drop the boss to work (just saying ..LOL !!) . For Canada , there is a web-site called http://www.carpool.ca/ or http://www.erideshare.com/

Options for the not so Car crazy...

1. Greens rides- Here I mean Bikes...gosh the evergreen bicycle has been around even before the car. Flex those muscles...and even if you cannot there is the moped..the bicycle on steroids. The moped is immensely popular with commute in Asia and their hot rod versions, the "Auto rickshaws" aka "tuk-tuks", are equally popular. So there you have it options galore.
2. Walking - Need I say more when it means a 10mins walk to the nearest grocery store. Exercise is key.

I have been exploring the points I shared above and the best thing that comes to mind, especially with summer around the corner is the bicycle.

Hope this article shares some light..and adds some relief to your wallet.