Gas Anxiety

After 23,000 plus miles on the LEAF all at a cost of under $600, I wondered "Hey! how much is my Prius "saving" me? After all, its the mileage King"

So, I went back and got my gas receipts for the last 23,000 miles on the Prius to find out and really wish I hadnt.

In retrospect; I wanted to continue to think that my Prius was dirt cheap to drive. I wanted to continue to think that I was not paying anywhere near what others were paying to meet their transportation needs. IOW, I wanted to continue to fool myself into thinking I had it handled... but, it was too late.  I had looked.

I double checked my figures. I questioned Open Office's ability to perform the basic function of addition. I manually went thru and added it up myself.  After all, this was a spreadsheet I used and designed to track my mileage expenses.  I had to have made a formulation mistake somewhere...somewhere there is a mistake here...

Tracking my mileage is something I had been doing since Thanksgiving Weekend of 2003 when I ordered my first Prius.  I was driving a 1990 Ford F-150 Pickup back then.  So when finally taking delivery of my 2004 Prius on June 30, 2004 the differences were EXTREME!! I was saving tons of money! I was stoked!!  So, the practice continued with my 2006 Prius, and now with my 2010 Prius.  But the F-150's stats had lulled me into a sense of complacency.  Its huge numbers and the Priuses' little (or so I thought) numbers were just like so different, it was like another time, a different generation...hmmm? a different generation?

But there is was.... Nearly $1900!! WOW. my "Eco" bubble shrank (along with my bank account!)  I no longer felt green... (kinda blue actually!)  I mean it was like the same distance driven but more than $1300 of difference.  That is like 65 Lunch Buffet specials at my fave Sushi place! the loss was almost inconsolable. CRAP!!, I mean CASH!!!

had to stop the flow of cash! I mean suddenly I realized, I have GAS ANXIETY!!

Immediately I had a sit down conference with the SO. Had to coordinate our travel intenerary.  But one thing was clear.  Two jobs, two commute needs, two different directions!

Each conflicting need especially when the distance was well within the LEAFs range was like a knife in the pocketbook but not nearly as painful as the very short 2-4 mile trips we so frequently have to make.  These are not "50 mpg" trips in the Prius. they are more like 25 mpg trips especially at this time of year!!

Now, have to go.  gotta apply for a "gas loan"