Reducing fuel costs is a summer tradition for many Americans. Air conditioners go on and gas prices go up. Articles abound in every form of mass media with suggestions about how to ratchet up the number of miles you can squeeze out of a full tank of gas. Using this gold standard to measure performance however overlooks some big opportunities to reduce your monthly spending.
Miles per gallon improvements are really minimal once you have already purchased a vehicle. The opportunities for reducing costs however are increased significantly if you shift your perspective away from MPG thinking. One of the biggest opportunities to reduce your fuel costs is getting beyond the assumptions that both your starting and end points for travel are fixed.
When I changed jobs recently I made an effort to find us housing as close to my new employer as possible while still meeting all of our other requirements. The result was a four mile one way drive that replaced my previous fifteen mile trip. It seems like a small thing, but the results are significant. I achieved a 73% reduction in fuel cost and a 40% reduction in travel time. To achieve this same fuel cost reduction I would have needed a 2010 Prius (50 MPG) and all of the costs that go along with it.
Since this first step I have upped the ante again and begun riding my bike to work. This has cut my fuel costs to zero (or very close, I am still driving in once every two weeks or so) and has still resulted in a time savings over my previous commute of 14%. In addition I have eliminated nearly five hours per week of gym time by getting my daily exercise during my ride to work.
Telecommuting is another good way to achieve the same or even better results, but good discipline and a career that does not demand your physical presence are required.
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