This afternoon is an errand afternoon. With gas prices up to $3.75 a gallon (EEEKKK!) I’ve been trying to combine my trips and head out of town with the car as infrequently as possible.
Thus comes the dilemma. When is it worthwhile to drive out of your way to pick up a bargain, and when is it better to buy the more expensive option locally, but save on the gas money.
Sigh.
I don’t think there is any easy answer to this one. We have a small, locally owned grocery store here in town. I mean literally 1 block from the house. They do run the occasional worthwhile meat sale etc, but usually their merchandise is almost 3X as expensive as driving the 30 minutes to Save a Lot or Aldi’s (depending on if I’m heading East or West).
My plan thus far has been to limit my errand days to 1X a week and head in one or the other direction. Then I spend a tiring afternoon of trying to hit 5 or so different places for various reasons.* I also drive a 5 mile trip daily to drop off and pick up Buddy from preschool. And then there are dance lessons once a week. . .
For the summer I’m going to try to use the car as little as possible. There won’t be any trips to nursery school or dance. The summer recreation program is held less than a block from my house-plus they provide busing. I’ll try to cut my “town” trips down to once every two weeks-as much to avoid dragging both kiddos with me as to save the gas.
Of course there will be other types of trips that come up-going to the swimming area at the state park 2o min away, spending the day berry picking at my friends wood property, etc. But the goal will be to spend much more time at home enjoying the things that can be had for free. Free swim at the town pool. Library programs. Redbox movies for free on Mon nights (thanks Amy). The town playground. Picnics at Nana’s. Playing in the backyard with friends. The sprinkler. Free vacation bible school offered at the Methodist Church right down the street.
I could even cut down on my trips to town more if I asked Yankee Bill to do some of the grocery shopping on his way home from work. After all-he’s already in town most days. The problem is that YB is more of an impulse shopper, an is less likely to do a unit price check on the items. I guess if he just went to Aldi’s that would work, but he’s more likely to run in to Wally World. I’ll have to think more on that.
What are all of you doing to combat the high price of gas, and deal with the “driving dilemma”?
*on today’s calendar-Wally World, Lowes, Chiropractor, Save-A-Lot, 2 Dollar Stores, and a hardware store that was willing to order the spray paint I need to finish up my wicker. Oh-and I may stop at other places to put up posters for the Blessing of the Bikes I’ve organized at church.
Hi
i think it is time that we need to batten down the hatches for the next year and half until the money world settles down.
I think ordering online will come into it’s own, meaning less cars being used and so less petrol.
I think we will just have to go back to the days when using the car was a luxury rather than a every day occurance.
I’m struggling with this little. With four little kids, the all in one day errand extravaganza is tough! Just getting them in and out of all those carseats wears me out! But at the same time, I’d much rather spend money on food for us rather than gas for the car. Trying to work out some alternatives!
Gas may go up to $10.00 a gallon. I am combining trips, buying only what gas I need every few days, using cruise control, filling up at night, going to town less and trying to do more in the area. The cost really is causing me problems. People are begging for gas and not eating ect to get to work. IT is a real nightmare.
Our gas prices are ove $3.70 now (just came from my parents in CT, it was $3.99 for regular there) and I have to admit that I am not bothered by the prices. $3.99 got to me but only slightly. I fill up my tank once every 2 weeks (I drive a CR-V) and the increased price hasn’t made much difference. No habits changed.
Are gas prices really that bad for your budget that you need to change your habits? I think its a good idea to try and combine trips and save as much as you can, butit doesn’t seem to be a budget buster.
If you could even get together with a friend, each taking a direction with a list for each other of things you need, it would take the pressure off slightly on your one day errand extravaganza and mean that you actually get everything you need in one day.
I limit my out-of-town shopping to once every 2 weeks. On that particular shopping day, I make the drive out first to the locally-owned whole/health foods store to purchase the bulk grains I enjoy. I save a ton buying them this way–locally I can buy, say, quinoa at my Price Chopper (5 mins away) but it’s $5 for a 1-pound bag. At the whole/health foods store 30 minutes away, it’s half the price. Plus I purchase other items there that cannot be found in my small town.
As part of that trip, on the way there is my favorite farmer’s market stand, so that’s an extra advantage. Afterwards, I travel north from the health foods store to my nearest BJ’s (like a Sam’s) and do any bulk shopping necessary, have a frugal lunch ($2.75 for a hot dog, chips & fountain drink), followed by a gas fill-up at the BJ’s gas station (which is THE cheapest gas price anywhere around here).
By combining trips, I save gas while still getting all those things I like to have from out-of-town. By not making any other trips out of town, that full tank of gas from BJ’s lasts the entire 2 weeks. (We have a big truck… a fillup is over $100.)
I also call my friends to see if they need me to pick up anything for them while I’m at those places–no sense in everyone driving out of town for a few pounds of millet!
Hi,
Have you considered walking or biking to your local grocery store. Another way to cut down is to car pool to the store. Do you have a Costco or Sam’s Club nearby to buy in bulk too? Grab 2 or 3 friends and drive in together & split the gas! I know everyone is concerned about gas right now & now food prices are rising too. We’ll have to “pool” our resources for the summer.
Hi Jenn!
We are about 30 minutes away from town too. I do shopping as much as possible on the way home from work.
1) Make sure Bill *knows* why you want him to go to the discount store and give him a specific list of things you know are the cheap items.
2) Make sure your vehicle is gas-friendly:
a) don’t carry around extras in your trunk – extra weight
b) tires properly inflated
c) drive speed limit
d) gradual stops and starts.
3) I like the prior comment about swapping errands with a neighbor.
Regards,
Trond
What I do is limit my trips to Binghamton 1x a month, and that trip I usaly invite a girlfreind to go along. Luckly they are building a new Alidi’s next door to my favorite thrift store on front street, so that will save some gas being able to stay on Front Street. And I know all about sending dh to the store, I limit him to trips to the Hess Station to buy milk ( usally the best price in town)