I'm so damn preachy

   There has been a fair amount of talk recently about the price of gasoline. People around the United States are experiencing prices anywhere from $2.00 to $2.50 per gallon. Here in Southern Ontario, where we pump gas in Litres instead of gallons, prices are currently hovering in the $0.90 per Litre range. If you do the math, that's about $3.00US per gallon. And I live in the most competitively priced area in the country. Other provinces (except, of course Alberta) pay significantly more.
   It seems not a week goes by without a newspaper or magazine article demanding a government investigation into collusion by the major gas companies. It seems to be the norm these days that people want other people to solve their problems for them. The funny thing is, it is pretty dang easy to reduce the impact the price of gasoline has on your wallet. Use less gas.
   That's it. It's not complicated. Use less gas. Here follow a few very simple strategies for reducing the amount of money you spend on gas each week.

1) Drive less often. Simple. Going down to the corner store for milk and butter? Don't take the car. Walk, or ride a bike, or roller blade. Not only will you use no gasoline, you will be contributing to a healthier you. But, I hear you say, milk and butter are more expensive at the corner store than they are at the super-multi-mega-store on the other side of town. Are they? After you have factored in the gas, maintenance costs, and insurance costs involved in using the car, are they really?

2) Share the load. Start taking public transit to work, or start up a carpool group at your office. Not only will you be saving on transportation costs, you will also be reducing your stress levels, and getting time to read those books you've had gathering dust on your shelves. The social aspects are great, as well. Some of the best conversations I have ever had have been with strangers on a bus.

3) Buy a more fuel efficient car. Unless you're already driving one of the fancy new gas/electric hybrid cars, you can improve your gas mileage considerably by moving to a more fuel efficient model the next time you buy a new car. The effect on your wallet will be immediate. Not only will you have spent less on the car, as smaller, more fuel efficient cars tend to be less expensive, you will be using smaller bills to pay for your weekly fill ups.

   These three simple suggestions will have not only the immediate benefit of leaving more money in your wallet for other things. They will have longer term effects as well. If a significant number of people follow these guidelines, people in general will be in better health due to increased exercise, and reduced pollution in our air. Reduced pollution in our air will lead to a slowdown in the progression of global warming, leading to a better future for our grandchildren. And, surprisingly, the drop in the local demand for gasoline will cause prices at the pumps to drop. Talk about a win-win situation.