This week, it cost $49 to fill up my Hyundai Elantra. For the record, an Elantra is a small car. And as non-hybrids go, it is very fuel efficient. And, on a busy week with lots of court dates and such, I sometimes have to fill it twice. (This week is mostly just to and from work, though, so I'll hopefully only fill it once.)
I'm trying to find ways to economize. I am failing miserably.
First, I took tons of extra junk out of the car. I'm trying to carry only what I need (for better gas mileage). But that include my work bag (heavy with files) and laptop, Ander's car seat, Ander's stroller (with my current bad back, I dare not leave home without it, though I use it rarely), and assorted other kid-related stuff.
I'm also trying to telecommute for a couple of hours on Friday, instead of driving into work. But when you run a business, you have certain errands to run. For example, I have to stop by Office Depot for a supply refill of supplies that need to be physically looked at and can't just be reordered on-line. And when you are a high risk pregnant woman, you have other errands. Refill your meds. See your doctor. Draw your blood. Basically, if you don't do this stuff some other day of the week (while you are busy...um...working), you do it on Friday.
At this point, I'm burning more gas on Friday than any other day.
There is no grocery store in walking distance. (Well, there is one in walking distance for me. But not for Ander. And the route to it is heavy traffic and has no place to push a stroller.) I can't bike anywhere (pregnant and heavy traffic and have a child). I try to drive slower, but frankly, on my mostly interstate commute to work, driving at an environmentally-friendly speed can get you killed.
And forget visiting friends in Baton Rouge (or further away). It costs too much. So we sit at home, wishing we had something fun to do. Or we squeeze in friends around errands (since we've already driven to town) and end up exhausted and cranky.
There is no good answer.
Etcetera.
1 comment:
One small answer would be for the cities and parishes around here to actually enforce speed limits. Doing anything less than 15 mph over the posted limit anywhere near here, including on the Interstates, most major surface streets, and even through most neighborhoods, effectively amounts to expressing a desire to be tailgated so badly that you can count the following driver's nose hairs in your rear-view mirror.
Apparently, gas prices aren't high enough yet for the majority of people in the area to try driving sanely.
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