Considering bailing early...

I'm paying 3.98 for regular (87), 90 grade is 4.22...and using about a tank per pay period. I can't wait to back down to Colorado where is still under 3 bucks at some places! Depending on how life goes, I may have to bail on my truck and get something...cheaper that uses less gas!

 

Not here in the Springs. Its just above $3 for 85.

 

http://www.coloradogasprices.com/ Looks like theres a Shell in NE Springs at 2.92...

 

Well, dam. I did fill up on Sunday, maybe the prices went down.

 

I don't know man but I might even start to fill up with premium once I get down there just to feel like I'm putting enough gas in my tank haha!

 

Corolla S
Scion TC
Mazda 2 or Mazda 3
Subaru Impreza

 

My motobecane carbon bike cost around 1200 and has quality components on it. I ride to work 1-2 times a week, more for the excercise and fun than anything but it does save a little $.

 

I feel your pain. I too just bought a boat and these gas prices suck ass!

 

I'd have to second the comment above about buying a newer car to try and save money on gas. You spend say 5k for a decent car, how long will it take to recoup the money you spent for the vehicle ? It doesn't really make sense money wise. Keep the truck, get a cheap econo car, you're still going to have to pay 3,4,5 bucks a gallon like the rest of us.

 

VW Deisel if you can find one. Golf or Jetta. My mom had a 2001 Golf TDI that got about 45-50 mpg and was torquey as hell. Would def beat my truck in a race. It has about 100,000 now and has had no major maint. Lots of fun to drive. Now my brother has it.

 

having recently purchased two used higher mile vehicles for my offspring, i can tell you that with very few exceptions it is very difficult to get a dependable used car that gets much more than 25 or so MPG combined for anywhere near 5K

if you got lucky and got a used dream car for 5K that had no repair or replacement costs for a few years (nearly impossible), you'd need to get 25K miles down the road just to start to break even.

buying new to save money on gas is something i don't understand

but we can all:

- slow down
- exliminate unecessary trips and combine trips (actually plan routes)
- take any unecessary crap out of the vehicle (i've seen people with 100 or more pounds of crap in the trunk of their car)
- maintenance / tire pressure / etc.

All those are mostly free.

I can relate to the OP having lived in Houston (NE burb) and worked downtown while driving 60 miles a day in a 5.9 Dog. After learning my lesson, when I moved to DC, I got a place 4.5 miles from work. Now I live about 11 miles from work. I've found that's the kicker.

 

As an alternative to selling your truck, let me offer some finance and budgeting insight. First of all, the sky is NOT falling. If you stop and do the math you can probably easily keep your truck and barely even notice this price spike.

Let's look at the numbers. The average person drives 15K miles per year. If we assume 16 MPG (I get higher than that in Houston traffic and I know some get lower than that) and the price per gallon goes up by $.25 you are looking at a $4.50 / week increase. If you bought a coffee pot and made your morning coffee at home instead of stopping at Starbucks one day a week (or skipped one Monster Energy, or brought your lunch instead of eating out, etc.). You wouldn't even notice the gas price increase. If gas were to go up $.50 a gallon you just need to find another $4.50 / week to not spend (buy Miller Lite instead of Corona). We are really not talking about major sacrifices here! Now if gas goes up by $2 a gallon, then it is much harder to shuffle your budget to manage the increase.

A lot of people ran out and bought Civics and Corollas last time gas prices went up, and then traded them in for trucks when prices went back down and lost thousands in depreciation when it would have made more sense to suck up the higher prices for a little while. There is nothing wrong with smaller cars...I just don't want to drive them and by adjusting my budget slightly I don't have to.

Some of the other ways to save money are as easy as making better choices. For example, I know some of you only buy Premium fuel. That is your choice to make. I think a Toyota engineer, at a much higher pay grade than most of us, determined that Regular Unleaded works fine so that is what I buy and that choice saves me money.

 

Like I tell my family. Don't whatasize your whataburger and learn to save a few dollars here and there.

 

$3.15! That's amazing. I filled up the other day at $3.49 and that was the cheapest Chevron i could find (I only fill up with Chevron). Others were easily in the $3.60 range...

 

Thought about doing this too, then the wife through that thought of the window.

 

Maybe a Mazda 3 (?). I have not owned one, but I have read some good things about them.

Good utility with the hatch and has some giddy-up.

Worth looking at, anyway...

 

That is a great way to put it right there

As others said, it will take awhile to re-coup. I have a 97 Honda Del Sol that gets 35-40 mpg that stays parked in the winter. No way do I want to get hit in that. Good luck & as TacoRun suggested maybe cut corners other ways? I would miss my truck if I sold it, guaranteed. Been there done that. Good luck whatever you decide & if you do no need to leave TW

 

I just paid $3.93/gal yesterday! My most expensive fill up yet @ $72.xx

 

I'll second the VW Jetta TDI. Great car, even better mileage (47mpg for me). I sold my TDI at 180,000 miles to get my Tacoma. I don't regret the sale, even after getting kicked in b*lls every time I visit the pump, but if I ever need a car again, Diesel is where I will look first.

 

i started commuting in my wifes car a few months ago and it cut my fuel costs considerably. the wifeys car is an 02 toyota celica with 164k miles. i debated getting her an old 4runner like she wants but we decided to just fix hers up. new tires, new struts, trans service, coolant flush, etc. then when i get my taco paid off in few years we get her a new 4runner. i like that idea better

i paid $3.52 at the pump this today