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Tess
Member
04-13-2001
| Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 6:19 pm
You're welcome, Happymom. I get free shipping several places because I put things on my wish list or whatever depending upon the website and just wait until I have enough to qualify for free shipping. If the site doesn't offer free shipping for anything, I try to think far enough ahead so I can take the cheapest shipping they offer. If I'm shopping for myself, I definitely put things on a wish list or save for later (whatever) and then come back to pare it down so when I finally place an order, all my impulse items are gone.
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Serate
Member
08-21-2001
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 5:18 am
Other states can't compare to the prices of 10% ethanol here because there is a state mandate on how high it can be sold. That's why I made an effort to check the prices of regular unleaded when I was out and about yesterday. [We get it at WalMart and ours only sells ethanol, no regular unleaded.] Usually it is a 10 cent difference in regular gas, but for some reason right now it is 18 cents. I think this state mandate ends in a couple years. I'm NOT complaining because we are able to use it in our cars. My Tracer is 11 years old but even when I didn't live in Iowa I was here enough that using the Ethanol kept the inside of the gas tank clean. Our 05 Focus had ethanol in it 3 - 4 times a year if not more before we moved here so no gunk was able to build up. Those with older cars who have never used ethanol can use it but will have to change their fuel filters frequently until all the gunk and rust is cleaned off the inside of their gas tanks. Oh and the ethanol I use is just 10% not the kind that you have to have a special engine for.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 12:47 pm
Ideas for NOT saving gas (cuz I'm a dope): I'm at my house this morning. Need to go to Costco to do some shopping for my aunt. From my house to Costco, a little over four miles (south)with lots of traffic, quite a few stop lights, and lots of stopping and going for reason I don't ever get. Then Costco to my aunts house, 4 1/2 miles straight north. Then back from my aunts to my house, mile and a half. From Costco to my aunts house to my house, also lots of traffic, stop lights and stop and go. I started out simple, go to Costco, go to my aunts (I was also buying some groceries for my house but planned to put them in her house while I was there,) clean her house and give her a shower while the kids swam, Darren was supposed to stop by on his way from work to do some yard work (it's just a little out of his way but not too much.) Then come back home and stay here, no where else to go. What really happened: I got the kids to get dressed, called Kota into the kitchen, pulled her (refrigerated) antibiotic out of the fridge and set it on the counter, and then she wandered off. We went to Costco, shopped, and were half way to my aunts house just chit chatting and Caleb said something and I went, "CRAP! I left Kota's meds sitting on the counter!" She's still got several days to use it so I can't take any chances of it going bad or something. I dropped the groceries and kids off and had to run home to put her meds away. Now I have to drive back to my aunts to clean and give her a shower and pick the kids up. Told sis I'd be back after Darren gets off, I can save him the little trip over there and we'll only take one car but it totally ticks me off that I had it all planned out how to use the least amount of gas and do everything in one trip and instead I have to turn around and come home then go back. I am very confused and keeping track of how much I'm driving and how much gas I'm using. My car keeps track of miles driven, how many miles til it'll be empty, and gas mileage. We've been thinking it's been off for a while, which is why I'm keeping track. Darren talked to a mechanic last week who suggested that because we had new tires put on the van that were not a nissan tire the computer needed to be readjusted and wouldn't keep accurate track of all that stuff...something about the size of the tires. When I filled up Tuesday night, this was what it said: Odomoter: 55440 DTE (how many miles til I would be empty): 275 Distance traveled: 0 When I got home, I have three different numbers: Odomoter: 55466 (according to that I've driven 26 miles.) DTE: 252 (a difference of 23 miles.) Distance traveled: 25.4 miles. Everytime I have reason to take the car in to the Nissan dealer, we tell them how lousy the gas mileage is on the car but they haven't been able to figure out why. I'm wondering now if it's computer problem and not the actual gas mileage (I never let my car get too empty!)
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Beth4freedom
Member
10-24-2003
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 12:58 pm
Just a thought inspired by seeing a long waiting line of cars at the drive-through window at Wendy's last night: Why can't we eliminate drive-through except "after hours" when the main store is closed? I've never understood the attraction of drive-through anyway. It often seems faster to just park your car and run inside (good for your body too) to grab take out. Rather than juggle your way in amongst a line of cars spewing toxic fumes and then trying to juggle food and change back and forth through the car and building windows. And I find more mistakes on the rare occasion I've gotten drive-through...and then I have to walk back inside to tell them they forgot the onion anyway. Wonder if there is anyway to "lobby" for this?
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 1:44 pm
Beth, I see what you're saying. It is a good idea. It would be better for us and the earth. It would not have worked for me when my kids were little though. I even chose a bank with a drive up ATM and a pharmacy with a drive up window. Getting them all in and out of car seats etc is just not worth the time etc. The fast food restaurants would probably lose a lot of money if they closed the drive throughs except late at night. Also, like Sea said, sometimes " I wasn't looking fit for being THAT public."lol! It is very annoying when they make a mistake. The last time I went through a drive through, they had a sign on the order board "sorry no atm/visa" so I was stuck in that line ... couldn't go back or forward...and couldn't even get anything. I hate wasting gas, it is such a personal project for me to hyper mile as much as I can etc. And that does it for me. I am fed up. No more drive throughs. I so rarely go to fast food. If I do in the future, I'm going in! War, your story made me smile, we've all been there! It also helped me to remember to take my meds! It's the afternoon and I'm supposed to take them when I wake up! I forgot because my usual morning routine didn't happen today. So thanks for the reminder. And about your car...just reading what you wrote has me confused! At least the numbers are close. Tess, that wish list is a good idea! I'll have to pay more attention when I am looking online. Other than Amazon, it never occurred to me that a wishlist even existed. Dipo, I noticed that the delivery rates for Safeway delivery have gone up a lot! I hadn't had Safeway delivery for awhile. I shopped online last night and will have the groceries this afternoon and it was free delivery. I didn't even have to use a coupon. I ordered 5 items from the list and put GRILLING in the promo. I didn't need 2 more bottles of ketchup, but it was a good price and won't go bad and it is very worth it for that free shipping. I didn't even need to use one of the many coupons they have sent me! Not only am I saving gas and time, I didn't impulse buy. Also, I can stay home in my somewhat cool house, it is at least 15 degrees hotter than normal here right now.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 2:00 pm
LOL, you're welcome Happymom! Besides leaving her meds sitting on the counter, she never did take it this morning. I'll give it to her when she gets home. Basically, all those numbers should add up the same. If I've driven 25.4 miles, my tank should be empty in 249.6 miles and my odomoter should read 55465.4. It's not a big difference but still. My car also tells me how many miles per gallon I'm getting, right now it's saying 13.1, which makes absolutely no sense at all, by our math (Darren's not mine, lol) I should be getting over 17 per gallon. Granted, almost all of my driving is in town with the traffic, the lights and stopping and going. Darren drove it out of town a couple weekends ago and that was the first time in I don't remember how long. I've started turning my car off when I go through any drive thrus, its just not worth leaving it running. I would at lights but I'm bad at figuring out how soon they're going to change, lol. My biggest thing is to just not drive as much as possible. Some days I can't avoid it (today and tomorrow) but most days I can and we stay put. I can't get out of going to my aunts several times a week, but at least I'm consolidating trips...Dakota's bf's house is on the way and I'm usually picking one girl up or dropping one off.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 2:08 pm
Yeah, Happymom, first they went from $9.95 to $12.95 and then they tacked on the fuel surcharge. It seems I can never get the free delivery, so I have tried to make my deliverys once every two weeks. That doesn't always work but I try, LOL. Wargod, keep consolidating those trips!!
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 3:39 pm
Another thing about drive thrus... having 'em around means the stores can have smaller parking lots. So less pavement. And less pavement IS actually good for the environment. Those folks waiting in a drive thru just need to learn to turn off their engines.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 4:23 pm
Good one, Costa! And actually at the In n Out I go to the parking lot isn't all that convenient because of the drive through line, but I did and will be turning off the motor instead of idling. Also since I don't mind repetition, I usually buy more than one burger and heat up the next day so I'm not driving as often. I went through McDonald's the other night and ordered three southern chicken sandwiches and they guy at the window apologized and said it would be over 7 minutes for them to cook, was that ok? LOL.. I said are you kidding? They will be fresh! I was fine, had a new CD in the player and a book to read and of course turned off the engine while I waited.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Friday, June 20, 2008 - 4:46 pm
If there is any sort of line at the drive through (and often even when there isn't) we'll park and go in rather than sit there burning gas (I'd rather not be turning my engine on and off eight times or so). What bugs me though is I think they give the drive through people better and faster service than the people who go in.
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Beachcomber
Member
08-26-2003
| Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 9:26 am
Woohoo!! The IRS is raising the mileage reimbursement rate to $.585 effective 7/1/08.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Friday, June 27, 2008 - 10:03 am
Beth, I heard on the news that one town is talking about banning drive thru restaurants! I don't know where it is but I was watching San Francisco Bay Area news. I googled and briefly saw a town called Middleton and Madison WI talked about banning them. It also looks like San Luis Obispo CA has and had a ban. I didn't look too closely. I also saw several places in Canada were mentioned. Ronn Owens has had a long running morning radio talk show out of San Francisco. One of his topics the other morning was on saving gas. I'm so glad more and more people are talking about it. One caller talked about his car's computer keeping track of avg. miles per gallon and he constantly challenges himself to get higher and higher. One of our cars does this too. GM says avg. 22 city and 26 highway, I have had it up to 33.7! I keep trying and trying!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 4:32 pm
I REALLY REALLY REALLY tried today and was foiled at every turn! I was going to the hairdresser, about 15 miles away. I knew I could take two busses.. So first off the two schedules were just off.. the bus going north got to a certain stop at 11:28 but the second bus got to the stop where I had to get on at the same time, but the first bus wouldn't be there yet. OK.. so leave 20 min. earlier. So.. I knew from the other day that my stop wasn't in service (due to roadwork by the city which seems like they are disrupting as many blocks of the street on both sides, as well as many driveways and sidewalks as is humanly possible), and I knew the stop to the south of mine was also out of service, so I headed north to the next stop.. wrong.. there's a sign saying go to next available stop. So I still have some time and scoot on north and find that the next stop is ALSO out of service and a sign tells me to go to the next major street.. not all that close.. and I gave it a try but the bus went zooming by me. Grr. So I go back home, wait a bit and take the car.. and on the way I note that the stop they sent me to is even beyond that major street. Then when I turn on the street in north county, I noted that the bus stop (that was listed on the bus schedule as of June 08, as of today online) was gone, so I'd have had to walk a fair distance under an over pass and up a hill to the next one. So I wasn't destined to take the bus, but it would have cost me $3.00 round trip. Instead I drove 30 miles and it looks like I'm only getting 15.5 mpg so it would have been almost two gallons (the gas in the tank was $3.23 but the gas I put in today was $3.399 and that was the cheapest in miles.
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Merrysea
Moderator
08-13-2004
| Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 4:37 pm
$3.39?! I got gas yesterday and it cost me $4.399 - and that was at Costco! It cost me over $50 for less than 12 gallons.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 5:17 pm
LOL.. clearly I'm in denial.. $4.39!! My tank wasn't even half empty (in fact it took 6.333 gallons and it was over $27.
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Monday, June 30, 2008 - 3:39 pm
I think part of the problem is that states and counties tax gas. So, it depends on your state and your area's taxes. An interesting read: http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp This doesn't include local gas taxes.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Monday, June 30, 2008 - 4:16 pm
I really think we should go back to horse and buggy.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 11:32 am
"One caller talked about his car's computer keeping track of avg. miles per gallon and he constantly challenges himself to get higher and higher. One of our cars does this too. GM says avg. 22 city and 26 highway, I have had it up to 33.7! I keep trying and trying!" Over the weekend, I had it up to 37.7 mpg! (avg)For a car that should only be getting 22-26 mpg! I wonder if I can someday get it up to 40 mpg! The hypermiling is really working.
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 1:38 pm
ITA with Supergranny
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Sharinia
Member
09-07-2002
| Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 11:53 am
Anyone catch Nightline the other night? Apparently some ppl who live near the Mexican border are enlarging (doubling) their gas tanks and then driving to Mexico to fill up, where gas is way cheaper (b/c of govt subsidies)
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 3:17 pm
I've seen and read about that.. I think there will be bloodshed eventually because it is causing shortages there, for the people who live there.. I hadn't heard about the enlarged tanks but that isn't surprising. I wouldn't be tempted to drive across the border, ever, but being 100 miles from that spot, wouldn't save anything anyway for me. Also wonder, at the busier crossings, how much gas they are using while waiting in line to come back into the US?
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Sharinia
Member
09-07-2002
| Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 4:00 pm
They said that it takes 2.5 hrs to cross the border, obviously eating up some of that gas. People are paying $1500 to enlarge their tanks, but say that its worth it. Unreal. Hadn't heard about it causing shortages there...interesting that NL didn't report that. My dh is biking it to work now if the weather is good...30 miles round trip (40 if he takes the 'scenic route')
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 8:21 pm
Sharinia, make him wear garishly bright clothing and neon helmet while he is biking. Go to a safety store and get him a really bright vest and MAKE him wear it. It is essential to be SEEN on both a bicycle and a motorcycle.
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Sharinia
Member
09-07-2002
| Thursday, July 03, 2008 - 9:55 am
THANK YOU so much, Juju. How did you know that I can't get him to wear a helmet?? I bug him about this every other day. He says he tried a few on once, but none fit. I guess he has a big head lol (doesn't look it to me, but he is 6'3") (if anyone knows where I can get biking helmets for big & tall men, pls lemme know!) I had never thought of a neon vest - excellent idea. Of course you are right---*I* will have to be the one to buy it. He says that he's on side streets or a bike trail (thru forest preserves) nearly the whole time, but I still worry.
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Sharinia
Member
09-07-2002
| Thursday, July 03, 2008 - 10:11 am
Okay, so I just called a local bike shop and talked with the owner...says he is 6'2" and has a big head, lol...doesn't fit in one-size-fits-all caps, but can wear the helmets.
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