Hit 1,000 miles of carpooling last week and had to double check the math

I always thought driving alone saved me time, but after logging every trip for a year I found out my neighbor and I saved 400 gallons of gas between us by riding together. Has anyone else tracked a personal milestone like this and been surprised by the numbers?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_webb681mo ago

Let me play the other side here. That 400 gallon savings sounds nice on paper, but have you thought about what you lost in flexibility and time? I tried carpooling for six months and found myself waiting 15 minutes almost every morning for my neighbor to be ready. On top of that, you have to plan your whole day around someone else's schedule. If they need to stop for groceries or pick up their kid, you're stuck going along for the ride. The money saved on gas might not be worth the frustration of losing control over your own time.

abbyk101mo ago

Totally agree, @henry_webb68. I gave up on carpooling after three weeks because I couldn't handle waiting around and then being stuck on random errands. Seriously, the gas savings just weren't worth feeling like I had zero say in my own schedule.