Here's something right up Ms. keesan's alley:

http://www.detnews.com/2004/money/0404/12/c04-118813.htm

Frugality begins at home
Penny pinchers contest seeks ingenious ways to save money
By Michelle SIngletary / The Color of Money

HOW TO ENTER
To nominate yourself or someone else, send your frugal stories to 
Penny Pincher of the Year Contest, c/o Michelle Singletary, The 
Wasington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Or email 
colorofmoney@washpost.com. 

"Of course, there will be gifts for the folks with the winning 
entries."

18 responses total.

I am not trying to save money so much as to avoid wasting resources.  We spend
more money to buy organic food and whole grains.  And use good quality
building materials that will last a few lifetimes.

A good American wastes as much as possible, Ms. Keesan.  If you truly loved
your country you'd buy a Hummer and drive it back and forth to New York every
weekend.

And to the corner and back once an hour, at least.

And you'd run out of food items, and drive to get them, one at a time.

Guess we are not Americans.  We just suspended the car insurance again, after
our biannual pilgrimage to Warren.    This is still actually cheaper than
taking the train ($15 round trip per person) because it is only a few dollars
for insurance, $37/year for registration, something for license renewal every
four years (useful as ID the rest of the time), and once in a while a new belt
or muffler patch.  Plus the train does not go in the morning and it is 15
miles from the nearest station to Warren and we don't want to bike in Detroit
at night coming back either.  We would have tried it if the hours were better.

So, how does suspending car insurance "avoid wasting resources," other 
than a few pieces of paper that would otherwise be required to continue 
making the payments?  It appears that you are actually "trying to save 
money."  Give up and enter the contest.  You can even do it by e-mail 
(unless you are opposed to wasting electrons, too).

We wanted to take the train instead, even though it cost more, but the timing
makes it impossible to go and return the same day and I cannot get more than
4 hours sleep there.  I am annoyed that it is cheaper to drive than to take
public transportation, and that it is nearly impossible to take public
transportation most places in this country.  

(Imagine what the difference would be if you were to be charged the 
COST of public transportation.  But we digress.  You failed to address 
the question of why you cancel the insurance, if the cost is not 
important to you.)

The insurance is unneeded so why have it?  I also do not pay for cable TV (I
din't have a TV).  Imagine what it would cost if drivers had to pay the full
cost of roads directly, rather than everyone being taxed for them.  Private
motor vehicle transportation and air transportation are a lot more highly
subsidized than trains in this country.  In most countries the price of
gasoline includes enough taxes to pay for the roads, so it is $5/gallon or
by now probably more, which makes trains relatively cheaper.  In London there
is a high charge for cars to enter the city now.  With higher costs for cars,
more people use public transportation, which makes it a lot more cost
efficient.  Ann Arbor buses are a joke - 3-5 people in a large bus.  In other
countries they are so crowded you have trouble getting in and out.  

As gasoline rises in price we do not notice lines forming at bus stops.

Gasoline is still ridiculously cheap in the US.  Which is one cause of the
current fad for driving trucks (AKA vans, SUVs).

As gasoline rises in price we do not notice lines forming at bus stops.

Sindi, you've put klg into an infinite loop, sort of like that old Star Trek
episode where Kirk destroyed the computer by pointing out its own illogic.
Perhaps klg forgets that period back in the seventies where high gas prices
caused a sweeping change in car buying habits?  

I don't think klg is old enough to remember the 70s, but gasoline was about
$1/gallon when my rent was one fifth what it would be now for the same room.
In addition to buying smaller cars, people with cars also spent a lot of time
waiting to buy fuel for them.  I would love to see prices go back up to that
level in time to slow down the sprawl and get rid of SUV and vans.

(Ms. keesan,
Respect your elders, please.  The reasons we have become conservative 
are (1) that we remember what the Democratic party used to be and (2) 
we have seen the failure of activist government policy in "solving" 
problems.
Additionally, perhaps you fail to realize that according to the CPI, 
the national price level has increased approximately 5 times since 
1968.  Thus, the real price of you room has actually stayed level.  
Also, you need to consider the demand for living space specifically in 
Ann Arbor.  Furthermore, if the price of fuel were to increase 
substantially, for which you fervently wish, and people were forced to 
live closer to the center of the city, your rent might easily double 
in a few years.  Take care of what you hope for!)  

Nobody would be forced to live closer to the center if public transportation
improved.  Anyway, most of the shopping has left the city.
Yes I know rents go up with inflation, but gasoline prices are about one third
what they would be if they had gone up equally, which is why we have the
current problem of so many motor vehicles going so many miles.  
klg, are you over 50?

(In a prior response you opposed sprawl.  But now you are implying that 
you do not?  You sound like John Kerry.)

You are inferring.  I am not implying.  Are you over 50, klg?

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