Are you abusing your appliances?

That is why I try to walk to and from the school with my kids. It is 1/2 mile there and 1/2 mile back and we are the farthest house in the neighborhood. Most people in my neighborhood drive - when it is nice weather. (Right now in the afternoon I have to pick him up as the heat index is 100+, but that won't last forever.)

I agree with the laundry thing. My dh wears things for a short time and puts them in the laundry. I gather them up every other day, put them in the dryer for 2-3 minutes and hang them up. He has yet to figure this trick out.

I have now started to walk to the post office instead of drive. I just bring a beach bag to put my packages in. (Unless I am expecting something really big)

I know you're going to laugh but I used to drive over to my friends house to go for a walk. I probably still will in the winter. I know it's crazy but I am much more motivated to walk and walk longer if I get out with a friend. Well now in the summer we take turns riding bike over to each others houses and then go on our walk. We did this years ago and quit well a month ago we finally started up again and my walks are sacred. I try like heck to get them in every night during the week.

As for laundry I go through my daughters stuff and take out her pjs at least every other week. She will change pjs every night if I don't catch her. I will ususally wear my shorts twice before washing because I will put them on after work for the evenings a couple hours at most.

I do abuse the dishwasher sometimes too. I know it's not all the way full but there isn't enough room for another meals worth of dishes so I'll spread things out a bit.

Yes, I totally agree. I used to be nuts about doing laundry every day. Now it gets done a couple times a wekk only when there are full loads to do.

It's hard about the car thing. I wish I could walk more places, but where we live it's pretty rural. Every place I need to go isn't within walking distance. Even biking is out of the question, because I'd have to go on a busy highway. In Minnesota, it's pretty cold 1/2 of the year too, so it's even harder in the winter. Maybe I'm just making excuses. However, I have noticed I try to lump my errands into fewer trips now. It helps save both time and gas. Also, I end up shopping less so there are fewer impulse buys.

This is an article that was in my cities free paper last week about cars:

Cars are really expensive a decent one $20,000.00 drive it for 5 yrs and w/ a $2,000.00 residual value you're paying $3,600.00 per yr for the car. Add maintance of up to $850.00 per yr. Insurance at $800.00 per yr. $2,250.00 for 900 gallons of. $$1,000.00 per yr in finance charges or oppoutunity cost of being unable invest $20,000.00 plus parking/washing etc @ 500.00 per year. Thats $9,000.00 per year to own a car!

By contrast, a bike costs very little $100.00 per year. Maintenance $200.00. No insurance, gas no finance charges or parking. Maybe $200 for incedentals, special clothing etc. That totals $500 per year to own a bike.

Lets say you make $16 an hr after taxes about $12 an hr. Now lets assume you drive 15,000.00 miles a yr. At an average speed of 40 mph your speding 375 hrs a year driving. But dont forget it takes you many hrs of work simply to afford the $9,000.00 annual expense for a car. $9,000.00 @ 12 per hr requires 750 hrs of work. So the total time required to afford and drive your car 15,000 miles a year is about 1,125 hrs a year. No faster than the average cyclist.

Okay so perhaps its not realistic to become car-free. But consider this: Lakewood families have 2 cars. Think about how you might be able to get by with just 1 car, and put 9,000.00 a year to better use. Thats a LOT of after-tax money you can spend or save any way you want.

The 1 car family is much easier to accomplish in Lakewood than neighboring suburbs. We have neighborhood schools, dozens of stores, recreational and cultural amenties, wonderful parks easy access to public transportation and downtown Cleveland and much more all packed within a mere 5.6 miles. Lakewood took shape as a "mixed use" community back when motoering was really expensive, and as a result it just might be possible for many of us to become a "one car family" Give it some thought!
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My dh and I are a 1 family car how about where you all live is it possible?????

Leighann

Unfortunately both my dh and I work so we cannot have only 1 car. My dh leaves for work at 3:30 am and my schedule changes from day to day so there isn't even a possibility of ride sharing. We live 20 minutes from the nearest town where there are any stores at all. Our rural community has a bar, 3 churches, and 1 gas station. That's it literally. I have made every effort to go into the closest town 1 time a week only sometimes every 2 weeks. I combine errands like crazy so it may take all day to get them done. I ride share to events whenever possible. My biggest thing is taking the bike when weather permits when I'm in my little town, park, post office, milk run etc...

as for the car we have no choice but to use it, we live out of town and dh works, and dd has swimming lessons right now and when i go to work. as for laundry, well i only do that 2 times a week.

This is an oldie but goodie and one that I totally could add mine or DH's phone too. I love my smartphone but I also find myself fiddling with it too much. I use to play with it in the car but now I try to keep it in my purse and I shut it off at off at night. Well I shut DH's phone off at night and need to start doing mine as this morning we received a call, for him, on my phone and it woke us all up.