When gas prices jumped over $4.00 a gallon I parked our car for the foreseeable future and started using our bike and the public buses again.
It’s not worth it for myself and others to drive in comfort to work if I’m going to be paying twice as much to do so as usual.
On top of the cash savings, I’ve already lost 15 pounds and I’m starting to feel love I have more stamina than before. I can get to and from work without much issue, and if there are any stops that are too far away for just riding, the bus takes myself and others the rest of the distance. Some people in these setups worry about heavy groceries such as bottled water or laundry detergent, although I have those products delivered to our apartment instead of worrying about getting them myself directly from the store. The only time that I don’t feel completely free with our situation is in Wintertide when the weather gets too cold for myself and others to ride our bike. Every one of us also get a lot of snow and ice that make it considerably harder to get around on a bicycle, which leaves myself and others with the public bus plan from November until May every year. Sadly, the bus is constantly so cold that I’m shivering while in our ride, there is a meager heating plan on all of the city buses, but it never hits our body with enough force to prevent myself and others from noticeably shivering while others are not. It’s nice to save cash using public moveation, although I don’t love the constant judgment from others when it comes to the public options.