Originally Posted by
Smaug1
- My short commute is only 4 miles/day. I figure I will do that 4 days/week = 16 miles/week = 720 miles/year (assumes 45 weeks' worth of bike commuting)
- I do at least one grocery trip per week, which is another 4 miles x 45 = 180 miles/yr
- 180 + 720 = 900 mi/yr
- My car gets 25 mpg around town.
- 900 mi/yr ÷ 25 mi/gal = 36 gallons of gas
- 36 gallons of gas x $3/gallon = $108 yr saved just in gas.
- ↑ Savings would be a LOT more for longer commutes.
What if we eliminate a typical $600/mo car payment too?
...then about $100/mo for insuring the car? Maintenance on the car vs. that of the bike.
Car upkeep would be near zero for those first 5 years on a new car with the big payment, but beaters start to cost that money again; depends on how good your beater is.
By all means, do your own numbers, but be realistic. A nice bike or eBike is easy to justify vs. a car, even a paid-for beater car.
True,
IF the nice bike or eBike purchase is the catalyst for eliminating the typical $600/mo car payment and the other high dollar fixed costs of ownership. Otherwise the savings are relative chicken feed, as in your example of $108/year in fuel costs; that amount of savings is contingent on the bike purchaser having zero requirements for any transportation other than commuting or shopping by bicycle or walking, as well as no need to arrange to take passengers, travel when under the weather (literally or figuratively) or transport larger packages or luggage.