# Our Fix To High Gas Prices



## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

We made a few changes this weekend..

We found a 2001 Toyota Corolla LE with 68,000 miles on it, for 7K, which was under book by some, so we went ahead and got it.. The car is super clean and has been well cared for..

The wife has been using the Dodge truck to run around town in.. It has been getting 14-15 mpg, but thats still no good when she generally drives 300 miles a week. So she ask me to find her a lil car.. So now she takes the Corolla and I get the new pu...







The Corolla gets 30 mpg in town, so we are doubling our mileage there.

I have been driving an old full size Jeep Cherokee for many years.. It gets about 10 mpg on the highway or in town.. So since all my driving is highway to and from work, and the dodge gets 18-19 on the highway, I now get that! So we are almost doubling our mileage there also..

I think we will about cut our gasoline bill in two with our new plan...

I guess we'll see..

Best part for me is I get a new truck! The ole Jeep is goin on the choppin block.... Its outa here!

Carey


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## kjdj (Sep 14, 2004)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> We made a few changes this weekend..
> 
> We found a 2001 Toyota Corolla LE with 68,000 miles on it, for 7K, which was under book by some, so we went ahead and got it.. The car is super clean and has been well cared for..
> 
> ...


We thought about doing the same thing. The numbers won't work for us.
I our case the truck that gets 10 mpg would be cheaper to operate than a new 20mpg when we considered the $600/mo car payment.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Sounds like a really good plan








Regular unleaded is $3.55 down the street








I drove a bit farther to get a better deal at $3.46








Cost $53.00 to fill my highlander


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

I hear ya.. I drive about 35 miles round trip to work everyday.. My ole jeep has over 300k on it.. I keep it up, and I custom painted it a few years ago.. It a pretty sweet rig for a Cherokee.. They are very rare anymore, but they still arent worth much..

The engine and tranny is still original.. They are both needing rebuilt soon, so by the time I would do that, I was gonna spend 5-7k anyway.. It seems I cant do anything cheaply.. lol The wife and I figured whats the point... After spending all this money, we would still have a 10mpg rig..

So for us, we had to spend the money anyway, so we might as well better ourselves..

I've had my Jeep since the mid 90's I have had a lot of good times in her, but its time to say goodbye.. Getting a Hemi Ram is a fair trade I feel... lol

Carey

Right now we are 3.11 a gallon.. I think its going to continue to go up for a while..

Carey


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

My gas chuggin' suburban has not moved in a month or more. My wife has a Honda civic and it gets 30ish mpg, we usually pile in that. I have an ol' S-10 that gets 20mpg but I try to ride my HD as much as I can and that gets 35ish ( to much right wrist action ) and we only work 8 days a month so that helps too but we spent 525 $$$$ to Savanah GA and back ( plus sightseeing ) thats enough for me.....


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## GarethsDad (Apr 4, 2007)

Gas here is between $2.99 and $3.05 depending on what brand you want but diesel is still $2.89 and holding. I get 18 to 20 mpg with 85 diesel sub with 4 wheel drive.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

[quote name='battalionchief3' date='May 6 2007, 10:10 PM' post='213981']
...and we only work 8 days a month so that helps ....

hey....don't give away the trade secrets...next thing you know, everyone will want our job.









Tim


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## 7heaven (Jun 4, 2005)

Carey, We did the same thing last year and don't regret it. We bought a new Kia Spectra for about $14K out the door and leave our nice, big van parked except when we all need to go somewhere (church, camping, etc.). It has cut our fuel bill significantly.


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## outback21 (Jun 17, 2006)

I just traded my PT Cruiser GT for a Mustang GT...it gets better fuel mileage, believe it or not!


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> We made a few changes this weekend..
> 
> We found a 2001 Toyota Corolla LE with 68,000 miles on it, for 7K, which was under book by some, so we went ahead and got it.. The car is super clean and has been well cared for..
> 
> ...


Believe me, I run through this decision virtually every day myself, but the economics are very difficult to justify. Based on the information you provide, assuming $2.80 diesel and $3.00 unleaded, it would take 5.2 years of driving 300 miles a week to pay off your new-to-you Corolla on gas savings alone.









You don't mention your daily mileage, so I can't complete the calculation for your savings. Since you would be retiring a 10 mpg vehicle, the 5 year break even should go down some.

Personally, I'm looking for a 1996-1997 Volkswagen Jetta TDI on the cheap; 40-45 mpg on oil sure would be nice!


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

You only spent $520.00? Heck, I spend that and then some each month.

I travel 40 miles one way to work each day. DW travels 15. I use my van for work, so I usually travel another 50-100 miles a day while working.

Me thinks soon it will be less expensive for me to stay home and do nothing than pay for the fuel to work!


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

GoVols said:


> My gas chuggin' suburban has not moved in a month or more. My wife has a Honda civic and it gets 30ish mpg, we usually pile in that. I have an ol' S-10 that gets 20mpg but I try to ride my HD as much as I can and that gets 35ish ( to much right wrist action ) and we only work 8 days a month so that helps too but we spent 525 $$$$ to Savanah GA and back ( plus sightseeing ) thats enough for me.....


But arent your 8 days, full 24 hour shifts? If so, you work about the same hours everyone else does... You just get to cram them into 8 days...

Has both good and bad points..

Carey


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

This gas issue is just a bunch of greedy companies who found out a way to get into your pockets. The same oil companies who force us to stay on oil.

We now have a real bright California politician who it trying to pass a bill that will add a $2500.00 tax on large SUV's and trucks and then give a $2500.00 bonus to those who buy the so called green hybrid car. a regular Robin Hood this guy is. I sure wish they would give a real choice instead a car that is under powered over priced and carries a ton of earth polluting batteries. A lot of small gas cars get better gas millage then these hybrid cars and don't have to carry a ton of dangerous battery and they don't consider them green









Yeah I might go green some day like a nice big 1 ton truck with a huge V8 or V10, color green of course


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

N7OQ said:


> This gas issue is just a bunch of greedy companies who found out a way to get into your pockets. The same oil companies who force us to stay on oil.
> 
> We now have a real bright California politician who it trying to pass a bill that will add a $2500.00 tax on large SUV's and trucks and then give a $2500.00 bonus to those who buy the so called green hybrid car. a regular Robin Hood this guy is. I sure wish they would give a real choice instead a car that is under powered over priced and carries a ton of earth polluting batteries. A lot of small gas cars get better gas millage then these hybrid cars and don't have to carry a ton of dangerous battery and they don't consider them green
> 
> ...


Totally agree Bill.. I liked the last one... Big green 1 ton.. lol

Carey


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

$2.86 at Sam's in West Texas. Filled up the truck this morning - told my wife that she would be better off not looking at the total on the pump. Hope she doesn't see the total here. lol. $62.00.

-CC


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

my brother is offering us a 98 Escort zx2 with 83,000 miles in great shape, the gas mileage is very very tempting........hmmmmmmm. It would be Rick's back and forth to work car.


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## Mgonzo2u (Aug 3, 2004)

As my energy stocks continue to rise, it simply washes any at the pump increase in our case.

If you can't beat them, join them.


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## outtatown (Feb 15, 2005)

I threatened to do this for the last two years...and when I saw gas climbing towards $3 a gal. before May had even gotten here, I knew I had to do something.

So, two weeks ago, I traded in my 04 Explorer Limited for an 06 Chrylser Town and Country. Cut $200 off my monthly payment, will only owe for an addition year and 1/2...am getting 26 mpg instead of 14.

I figure I saved myself almost $300 a month.


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## luv2rv (Jun 21, 2004)

We had my 2003 Sierra 2500 and 2000 Pontiac Montana. I was driving the truck round trip 60 miles per day. Lots of gas and wearing out the truck.

Montana is paid for so we just picked up a 2006 Mazda6 4 cyclinder. (paid cash so no monthly payment)

Now I drive the van and DW drives the Mazda - saving mileage, wear and tear and gas $$$.

Wayne


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Any way I cut the numbers, it doesn't make sense to get a 3rd vehicle. Insurance alone would eat up any savings in gas...


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## GarethsDad (Apr 4, 2007)

Did your insurance company offer you a multi car discount? It only costs me an extra $150 for my winter truck so I leave it on the policy all year.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

GarethsDad said:


> Did your insurance company offer you a multi car discount? It only costs me an extra $150 for my winter truck so I leave it on the policy all year.


I suppose I should qualify my previous statement by mentioning that I'm 6'3" and like big vehicles. Therefore, my fuel economy improvement would not be that large. Heck, my wife is getting a new car and we'll actually be decreasing her mileage because her last car was too small to comfortably transport the family







. Oh well, I guess that's life. I'm just wishing someday I'll be able to get double digits pulling the OB! Maybe I have to plan a trip that's all downhill with a tailwind....


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## WYOCAMPER (Mar 28, 2007)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> We made a few changes this weekend..
> 
> We found a 2001 Toyota Corolla LE with 68,000 miles on it, for 7K, which was under book by some, so we went ahead and got it.. The car is super clean and has been well cared for..
> 
> ...


Moving to a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle is obviously a great way to save on gas costs. my wife and I found kind of a "different" way to save on gas. A few years ago, we packed up the family, all of our belongings and made the move out west from Chicago to Wyoming. As it worked out, I cut my daily work commute from 45 miles (60-90 minutes depending on traffic) each way to about 7 miles. Instead of spending 2-3 hours per day driving to and from work, it now takes me about 10-15 minutes. That translated into some serious savings on fuel costs for the family. But more importantly, I get to spend more time with my kids instead of sitting in rush hour traffic. And soon enough, those savings should hopefully translate into a nice new shiny 23RS sitting in the driveway...


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

She filled the lil Corolla today.. Combo half highway, half city, 37.8 mpg.. Compared to the Ram she was driving at 14-15, this is a huge difference. She is happy and you all know the sayin... if she's happy, all is well.. lol

Carey


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