Living Green: The Missing Manual

Driving Smarter

The previous section has lots of suggestions for getting around without a car. But sometimes you have no choice but to drive. This section tells you how to leave the car in the garage more often, which will save you money and help the environment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend 17% of their household budgets on car-related expenses: car payments, maintenance, insurance, gas, and so on—after housing costs, it's people's biggest expense. (And that number is from a 2004 survey, before gas prices went through the roof; the percentage is likely higher now.) So help your pocketbook—and the planet—by using your car as little as possible. If you can't walk (Put on Your Walking Shoes), bike (Ride a Bike), or take public transit (Take Public Transportation), try one of these strategies:

• Form a carpool by finding others who regularly take the same route you do—to commute to work or drop kids off at school, for example—and then take turns driving. This saves money and wear-and-tear on each car, and cuts back on unnecessary driving. If you carpool to work with three other people, for example, you'll drive just once every four workdays.

  Tip

  Strictly speaking, carpooling requires a car, because each person in the pool takes turns driving. But don't let that stop you: Even if you don't own a car, you might be able to share rides (offer to help pay for gas). Post a notice on the bulletin board or intranet at work, or advertise in the rideshare section ...