The Solutions of the High Gasoline Prices

When the first time I came to USA in August 2002, the price of the gasoline was around USA $ 2 per liter. In the next 2 years after that, its price was getting higher. Following the years, the gasoline price kept increase and increase, till right now most in many areas around where I live, the gasoline price is around USA $ 4 per liter.

2 (Two) increasing numbers of the gasoline price from USA $ 2 per liter to USA $ 4 per liter, it means a lot to me and my husband. We can not avoid this reality and we have to face it with our slowly-increasing income. It means we should be smart in spending money while our incomes don't increase so high and the gasoline price increases sharply.

What we are doing right now to have our own solutions in facing this globally problem, as I write them below:

1. We have had two cars since last year, sedan and truck. Before, we just had one car, it was a truck and we knew it would cost a lot of gasoline in using it. After I bought the second car, we both use the sedan most than our truck because it saves more money in using the gasoline. Every morning my husband drive the sedan to go to his work and in the evening after he goes home, I would drive the sedan to my work. We just drive our truck in certain needs, for the examples: when we should bring the children or I need to drive my daughter to Pre-school that around 3 minutes from our house meanwhile my husband drives with the sedan to his work. Through this way, we have saved money.

2. The second way that my husband does right now is inviting his friend who works at the same office and always passing our area every time he goes to work to stop by at our house and goes to work together with my husband. If today they drive with our sedan and his friend's car will be parked at our driveway, then the next day they will drive with his friend's car. Our sedan will be parked at our driveway. This way is really help in giving the solution of the high gasoline price.

3. Before I work to WALMART, we used to go for our weekly/biweekly shopping in ACME, GIANT, etc. But after I work at WALMART, we almost never go to those places to shop the food that we need. I just buy them at WALMART in all our needs for the food. Except I save the gasoline with not to drive to ACME or GIANT that far away from our house, I also get the discount with using my employee discount card for the certain products. We just go to ACME and GIANT if we really need something that we can not find at WALMART.

4. If we pass the area and we see the gas station with lower price, we used to stop and fill the gasoline tank full. Through this way, we have saved some dollars. Some dollars it is better than nothing.

5. My husband and I prefer to turn off the engine when waiting for something except if the air is drop off (cold) or very hot.

6. We both prefer to open the car window to let the air circulates inside the car and gives the fresh air then using the air conditioner except if the air is really hot especially in the following afternoon. It means whatever we can save that can reflect with our budget, we should do it.

I am sure every person has different solutions in facing the high gasoline prices. Whatever we choose, as long as it will help our budget, we have been smart already to take those actions than nothing actions in facing the high gasoline prices. (*)

Published at Helium Network, July 28, 2008