Money Hacks

This is the first Money Hacks entry to be dual-posted at Get Rich Slowly. This is my transitional measure until I decide exactly what I’m going to do.

I don’t usually think of Boing Boing as a source for money hacks, but they just posted a blurb about Wayne Gerdes, who “may be the most fuel-efficient driver in the world”.

Through tricky coasting, careful acceleration, and driving without breaking, the “king of the hypermilers” can apparently squeeze 59 MPG out of a non-hybrid Honda Accord and more than 100 MPG from a Toyota Prius.

I read the original article about Gerdes and listened to the interview with him. Here are some of Gerdes’ recommendations for achieving fuel economy:

• Don’t speed.
• Go easy on the brakes.
• Inflate your tires to maximum pressure.
• Never idle. (His rule of thumb is: “If you’re going to be stopped more than seven seconds, turn off the engine.”)
• Know your route so you can time the traffic signals.
• Keep your vehicle as empty as possible. Added weight reduces fuel economy.
• Remove racks and other objects on the outside of your vehicle.
• If you’re comfortable with it (because it is illegal), use a rolling stop.
• In parking lots, don’t use reverse. Pull into a spot so that you’re facing out.

[Boing Boing: Mileage hacker Wayne Gerdis]

Last spring an AskMetafilter user wondered: At what point is a car not worth repairing?

My ten-year-old 130k-mile Saturn is showing its age pretty badly — leaking oil, disturbing noise coming from the front end, crumbling exhaust system. I’m having a tough time coming up with a satisfying way to determine if it makes financial sense to pay for the repairs or to just ditch the car and buy a new one (living carless isn’t an option, cool as it would be).

The discussion includes how to decide when to buy a new car, whether one should buy new or used, and the advantages (or disadvantages) of leasing. One poster invokes the Car Talk guys, who say: “It is always cheaper to keep driving your old car than it is to buy a new car.”