Originally Posted by
Santaria
Without getting into numbers, the reality was this - she believed we were only spending somewhere near $200 a month on gas (1996 Econoline E-150 van); the reality is that we were really spending closer to $400.
I showed her how, even after the initial investment of buying her a bike, with some adjustments to how she does things - along with me helping more by picking up the kids with a trailer (for my 5 year old - too young to ride on the streets just yet) and my 11 year old, and other errand services, we could save $10,000 in one year.
That still means the van can be used a few times a month when needed. But through just not filling up but once ($100) a month and instead, using the bikes/bus/walking we will save $10,000.
While I certainly agree that you can get some savings, it's not clear how you get to $10K. Dropping the gas bill from $400 to $100/mo gives savings of $3600/yr, but if you still keep the van then insurance, registration, and other fixed costs stay the same. You're likely to see some savings in maintenance, but there will also be some added bike purchase and maintenance costs so it's hard to see where you'll get the extra $6400 in savings.