You’re doing everything right to maximize your fuel efficiency. You’re slowing down, your tires are always inflated properly, and you would never think about idling for 20 minutes in the car pool line. Well, here you are again – pumping gas! It’s time for the weekly $70 tank of gas in the mom taxi! Don’t you wonder where all the gas goes since you don’t leave your little 6 mile radius in the suburbs?
If you’re feeling like a mom taxi, and your typical day is…
Drive to elementary school.
Drive home.
Drive to middle school.
Drive home.
Drive back to the elementary school because your son forgot his lunch.
Drive home.
Drive to the dry cleaner and the dentist.
Drive home.
Drive to meet a friend for lunch.
Drive home.
Drive to elementary school.
Drive home.
Drive to middle school.
Drive home.
Drive to piano lessons.
Drive home.
Drive to dance, baseball practice and then pick-up a poster board at the grocery for a school project.
Drive home.
Drive back to dance and baseball practice, and then make a mad dash to the drive-thru where you’ll idle for 5 minutes waiting for your order!
Still wonder where that tank of gas goes?
Let’s run the “meter” on the mom taxi, and maybe that will give you some motivation to drive less. There’s nothing like a few word problems to make you realize that you need to do a better job of planning ahead to avoid multiple trips to the store.
Mom Taxi Math:
School
You drive 3 miles round trip to drop off each child at school, and you do this four times a day because you have 2 children. Your car gets 16 m.p.g., and gas is $4 a gallon. How much did it cost you to drive your children to school 5 times a week? Answer: $15.
Errands
At least twice a day you run out to the store, the dry cleaner, the bank, the post office…you know the drill! Each round trip is 12 miles, and you do this 7 times a week. Remember, you car gets 16 m.p.g., and gas is $4 a gallon. Answer: $21
After School Activities
4 days a week you drop off and pick up children from 3 different activities. Total miles per day: 24. You’re still driving that gas guzzling sport utility that gets 16 m.p.g. and the price of gas is still $4 a gallon. Answer: $24
These simple reminders of how much each short trip costs should be a wake-up call to all of us.
This just might be the school year to put the brakes on the mom taxi and drive less!
Could you walk or ride bikes with your children to school? You’ll burn calories, not gas!
Declare this the school year of planning ahead in an effort to save gas.
Plan your meals and make 1 trip to the grocery each week.
Consider car pooling for extracurricular activities to drive less.
Try limiting yourself to running errands just twice a week – this will force you to do a little planning ahead!
It really is possible to drive less and save a little gas. How are you reducing your fuel consumption?
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Related posts:
- Slow Down, SAVE GAS – A look at the numbers
- Gas Savings!
- Could This Be The Perfect Stay-At-Home Mom Job?
- Wrap Up a Vacation and Put It Under the Tree!
- Planning Ahead = Saving Money on Back to School Shopping
So true. We try to coordinate all the errands we have to run so we don’t waste gas!
With the price of gas, I’m amazed that so many people don’t coordinate their errands! Thanks for visiting TheBudgetDiet.com!
Great ideas and perfect timing as school start back up!It’s crazy how often I seem to be at the gas stations
It’s amazing how a few minutes of planning can save you both time & money!!!
[...] Exercise – It’s probably the most common resolution, and the school year offers the perfect time to jump start your routine! Get in the habit of walking or riding bikes with your children to school, you’ll save gas and burn calories! This is the year to put the brakes on the mom taxi! [...]
My kids are eleven so both in the same school thank goodness but one thing I did last year was to make them go hungry or use their allowance for hot lunch if they forgot their lunch. It sounds a bit cruel and I did feel guilty the first time but they cut down forgetting but I didn’t waste my time, adrenaline or gas going back and forth. I batch errands and drive slowly. It’s amazing how calming it is to consciously keep to the speed limit. Try it!
You just have to ignore those people racing by you and smile because you’re saving gas, and they’re not!
I have totally cut back on the driving I do. It’s been years since I would drive all over without even thinking about it. Now it’s been so much better on gas. Unfortunately, we’re rural and have to drive 1/2 an hour for most things!
I think folks that live in the city could learn a few lessons about planning ahead from people like you! I’m sure you’re much better about making lists when you have to drive 30 minutes into town!