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catfish99 Champion Author Wilmington Posts:13,989 Points:2,498,475 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: May 12, 2009 2:55:07 AM Ignore catfish99 Report Abuse As we have discussed, the only way to lower your energy costs is to USE LESS ENERGY. So this summer, instead of wasting your time with "boycotts" and other useless measures, why not make an effort to cut your use? Here is a simple plan-pay yourself for eliminating unnecessary driving. For each trip you skip, put a few dollars away in a jar. Instead of running out to the store because you are missing one ingredient for a dish, substitute. Then pick it up the next time you are passing the store. Don't run out to Blockbuster, grab a book of the shelf. Got an impulse to race to Best Buy and get a new CD? Download it instead, or order it from Amazon. Each time you stop yourself from driving, make a quick guess on the saved mileage and put fifty cents away for each mile. As your savings builds, you will get a visual reminder of your savings, and you will shed the habit of just jumping into the car on an impulse.

catfish99

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Wilmington

Posts:13,989
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Message Posted: May 12, 2009 2:55:07 AM

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As we have discussed, the only way to lower your energy costs is to USE LESS ENERGY.
So this summer, instead of wasting your time with "boycotts" and other useless measures, why not make an effort to cut your use? Here is a simple plan-pay yourself for eliminating unnecessary driving. For each trip you skip, put a few dollars away in a jar. Instead of running out to the store because you are missing one ingredient for a dish, substitute. Then pick it up the next time you are passing the store. Don't run out to Blockbuster, grab a book of the shelf. Got an impulse to race to Best Buy and get a new CD? Download it instead, or order it from Amazon.
Each time you stop yourself from driving, make a quick guess on the saved mileage and put fifty cents away for each mile. As your savings builds, you will get a visual reminder of your savings, and you will shed the habit of just jumping into the car on an impulse.

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JoeTheGuyInRI Veteran Author Rhode Island Posts:413 Points:63,340 Joined:Jul 2005	Message Posted: Jun 17, 2009 8:16:04 AM Ignore JoeTheGuyInRI Report Abuse Saving gas by not going to a store to shop is okay but shipping costs are more than the price of gas in a lot of cases. Sure I could save $2.50+ per gallon of gasoline but when the store is a few miles away and the shipping is $5.00 on something, that's pretty much being penny wise and dollar foolish. However, if you combine errands into as few trips a week that would be a savings as long as the stores are all in one area and not too far from home.
Sneakers55 Champion Author Houston Posts:51,322 Points:2,144,925 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Jun 16, 2009 9:30:14 PM Ignore Sneakers55 Report Abuse Install a taxi meter in your car. They're not extremely expensive.
ricebike Champion Author New Jersey Posts:10,043 Points:1,857,670 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: May 18, 2009 10:08:36 PM Ignore ricebike Report Abuse languageman, as capt said, this is a conservation/ fuel economy measure that you're describing; not a boycott measure a boycott measure would be something like this: boycott the use of diesel fuel when straight used veggie oil works just as well when you process it correctly and adapt the extra heating elements, filters, pumps, hoses, etc. on your diesel-powered vehicle
LanguageMan1 Champion Author Tampa Posts:11,729 Points:1,663,635 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: May 18, 2009 3:05:11 PM Ignore LanguageMan1 Report Abuse Catfish99, this IS all a part of the new boycott. People have been doing this for over a year, so is improving your fuel efficiency and saving where you can. Plus, just like carpooling, consider shoppingpools as many have been doing for over a year. Some have actually been doing it for over 10 years. At least they saved a few bucks, and every dollar you save will come in handy in the future.
swede Champion Author Cleveland Posts:3,777 Points:1,677,950 Joined:Feb 2003	Message Posted: May 14, 2009 4:34:37 PM Ignore swede Report Abuse Be energy efficient.
catfish99 Champion Author Wilmington Posts:13,989 Points:2,498,475 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: May 14, 2009 2:34:06 AM Ignore catfish99 Report Abuse I know, Capn. Just trying to inject a small amount of sanity into the coming flood of inane boycott topics. Happens every summer, then they go away when the price drops in the fall.
Gellin Champion Author Michigan Posts:9,756 Points:2,743,605 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: May 13, 2009 2:40:51 PM Ignore Gellin Report Abuse I haven't done anything such as a boycott of gas yet but am doing everything possible to use less. Combining trips and even walking or biking when it is feasible to get where I need to go. I also have a Chevy Cobalt that gets it's fair share of use over our other less fuel efficient cars. It get 25+ mpgs in heavy city traffic and can get upwards of 36-40 mpgs on the highway. Very miserly on gas consumption.
CaptSquid Champion Author Billings Posts:25,663 Points:3,179,990 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: May 13, 2009 10:45:40 AM Ignore CaptSquid Report Abuse What you are suggesting are FUEL ECONOMY measures, not Boycott/Gasout Talk. And they're hardly new.