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No, we commend you. And some of us are a bit green with envy that you do so well. We just want some secrets. In terms of the diet, how about brown rice and beans and fruits and veg's with some homemade p-butter cookies? A bit of real cheese here and there? I know you're not asking for advice in this dept, and it is off topic, sorry.
Not a problem. I have been homeless multiple times in my life in which I learned on how to be extremely frugal. I do not need a new car or a large place. I will admit that not everyone could do what I do in more expensive cities. Vegas not having an income tax helps too.
The pony is by far the lightest Escort. Mine has a 5 speed manual, no power steering or air conditioning. Here are the specs on it. It is 31 city and 41 highway like I said:
For some reason people on here think I am lying about my living situation. I have no reason to do that. Is it so unbelievable that someone could live on $9.50 an hour and not have financial problems?
O.K., I can see what you're talking about; my Ford Escort has both power steering and air conditioning, and both lower gas mileage. Plus it is a little heavier than yours. I was a little dubious about that gas mileage figure and was not questioning anything else. Now you have convinced me about the mileage.
I, too, commend you. I have nothing but respect for the way you have taken responsibility for your living situation. And for the people living over their heads but drowning in debt I have nothing but contempt; some of those people are a paycheck away from not making the payment on their BMW or Mercedes, whereas you and I are debt-free with our Ford Escorts. Good for you!
O.K., I can see what you're talking about; my Ford Escort has both power steering and air conditioning, and both lower gas mileage. Plus it is a little heavier than yours. I was a little dubious about that gas mileage figure and was not questioning anything else. Now you have convinced me about the mileage.
Do you have an automatic transmission? The automatics got a LOT worse mileage than the 5-speeds.
Do you have an automatic transmission? The automatics got a LOT worse mileage than the 5-speeds.
No, I have a five-speed. But as I stated before, I also have a lead foot.
Of course in a Ford Escort, no one else could tell that I do because the acceleration is so nugatory, but it lowers the gas mileage nonetheless.
It is not how much you make, it is how good you are at managing your finances.
This says it all. I looked at last years compared to this years gas bill. So far its a $24 a week (0.80 increase per gallon) increase and I compared last years food bills to this years and it grew by about 10%. I changed my animal feed from Eukanuba to Iams which put me back into the black again. Also some of other stuff dropped in cost over last year (auto/home insurance went down, cell phone dropped by $40/month when renewed just to mention a few).
This is what I was speaking of earlier when I was mentioned demand response to higher prices. US gas usage is falling in response to higher prices.
This is generally the point that the $15 gas or $500 oil people are not educated upon. Not to mention that if the US dollar was back where it was in relation to Canadian currency we'd be paying maybe $3 a gallon right now.
This is what I was speaking of earlier when I was mentioned demand response to higher prices. US gas usage is falling in response to higher prices.
This is generally the point that the $15 gas or $500 oil people are not educated upon. Not to mention that if the US dollar was back where it was in relation to Canadian currency we'd be paying maybe $3 a gallon right now.
Also, none of these analysts factor in how much more efficient automobiles have become in the last few years. In 2005, besides the Prius, 34 mpg was pretty much the upper limit for compact cars and most midsizers hovered around 25-26 mpg. Now midsize & large cars are hitting 28-34 mpg and compacts are in the low 40's. That may not seem like much of an increase, but when you are talking daily commutes of 40+ miles and how many people in this country drive, that is an enormous amount of gas saved.
O.K., I can see what you're talking about; my Ford Escort has both power steering and air conditioning, and both lower gas mileage. Plus it is a little heavier than yours. I was a little dubious about that gas mileage figure and was not questioning anything else. Now you have convinced me about the mileage.
I, too, commend you. I have nothing but respect for the way you have taken responsibility for your living situation. And for the people living over their heads but drowning in debt I have nothing but contempt; some of those people are a paycheck away from not making the payment on their BMW or Mercedes, whereas you and I are debt-free with our Ford Escorts. Good for you!
If one were buying a Ford Escort today (automatic trans), what would the gas mileage be road/highway? How many cylinders - 4 or 6?
If one were buying a Ford Escort today (automatic trans), what would the gas mileage be road/highway? How many cylinders - 4 or 6?
The Escort is a hatchback, right?
What generally do they run $ to buy?
To buy a Ford Escort today you would have to buy a used car (very used), because it is a model which Ford updated with another name. It is now called the Ford Focus, which debuted in the United States in the model year 2000. The Escort came in both sedan and hatchback models, as does the Focus. The Focus occupies the same niche as the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, the Mazda 3, and other models from other manufacturers. As far as I know, none of the above come with a six-cylinder engine; they are all fours. This niche could be described as the next-to-the-bottom-of-the-line, but the way the automotive world has evolved that has a too negative sound about it. These are all very nice cars - reliable and comfortable. They come in different states of engine tune, with the base models getting very good gas mileage. I do not have figures at hand, but Googling would do the trick for you.
$1/gal gas is a lot more likely than $15/gal gas in the near future..
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I have been homeless multiple times in my life in which I learned on how to be extremely frugal. I do not need a new car or a large place. I will admit that not everyone could do what I do in more expensive cities. Vegas not having an income tax helps too.
The Ford Escort is a discontinued model.
