I used to think my little car was fine, but then I saw the numbers

For years I drove my old sedan everywhere, even for a two mile trip to the store. I finally looked up my gas use last spring and it was over 50 gallons a month just for short trips. Now I walk or use my bike for anything under three miles, and I fill up maybe once every six weeks. Has anyone else cut down on driving and been surprised by how much it adds up?

2 comments

2 Comments

clairepark9d ago

Wait, fifty gallons a month just for short trips? That's a whole tank for me. I pictured you using like, a gallon to zip to the store. My brain just can't make the math work out for two mile drives. That's practically walking distance.

sagesingh9d ago

Clairepark, the math works out if you think about cold starts. Your engine uses way more gas for the first few miles. So a two mile trip is basically all the worst part. My old truck was the same, it got maybe 12 mpg on those short hops. Adds up crazy fast over a month of errands. Switching to a bike for that stuff was a total game changer for my wallet.