the Angie’s List Blue House Blog

So I’ve been in my new place a month now, just a couple of blocks away from the Blue House. In keeping with such descriptive names as the Yellow House and, of course, the Blue House, my home is known as the Pink House, despite my best efforts to get such terms as Poguetopia or Pogue’s Secret Villain Headquarters into the regular discourse.

The nearness to work is by far the coolest thing about Pogue HQthe Pink House. The sheer change in gasoline costs alone, from my previous 25-mile-each-way drive, makes a significant difference. And with the current pump crunch and gas prices sailing past $4 in some places, every gallon counts.

Which has me thinking about conservation. When something is in short supply, the easiest and most effective way to cope is to use less of it. Finding more is always nice, and that’s definitely the second step, but reducing the overall demand for gas is the soundest long-term strategy for dropping fuel costs. We only have a limited amount of control over how much gas is on hand at any given time, but we have a fairly significant amount of control over how much we use.

Most people aren’t going to be able to work a stone’s throw from home, of course. But just seeing the change in my work-related gas costs got me looking into other ways to cut my driving. I tend to schedule more errands together at once, and if I want to run down to the store, I give serious thought to whether it can wait until I’m out for something else. I’m probably saving one or two fill-ups per month just by cutting out frivolous driving. And in the days of the $50 tank of gas, that’s a significant dent in anyone’s budget.