BY JUSTIN WINGER
Do you want to minimize the number of miles you drive? Many people try to rely less on their cars for various reasons. Whether the motivation is to help the environment, reduce fuel expenses, or just avoid the drudgery of sitting behind the wheel, folks who aim to say goodbye to driving have lots of options. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to approach the challenge. Here are some of the most effective ways to reduce your total miles driven, save some bucks on gasoline, and live a less stressful life.
Not everyone can swing it, but if you're able to work full-time from home, it's the fastest way to opt-out of the car-based society. Except for personal use and an occasional trip, you won't need to get behind the wheel anymore once you snag at-home employment. Even if you are currently in an office job, check with the manager and see if it's possible to telecommute a few days per week. Every little bit helps out the cause of going car-less.
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There's no reason to hop in the car every time you need a medical checkup, referral for a specialist, or healthcare documentation. Many routine health-related tasks can be taken care of over the phone or via your desktop computer. For example, you can get a medical marijuana card in Virginia and multiple other states without an appointment. The whole process is simple and exceptionally fast.
The best part is, applicants need not even pay the $99 fee unless they're approved. That means no commuting to a state office, hunting for an open parking space, or waiting for who knows how long to see a clerk. Healthcare used to be a hassle but if you leverage the power of your computer connection, it's not that way anymore.
Don't hop in the car every time you need a medical checkup, refer a doctor online. Flickr
One of the simplest hacks for chopping your total mileage is to do grocery shopping only one time per month. You have to plan for this one, but after the first time or two, it's a piece of cake, no pun intended. Considering that many consumers shop for food once or twice per week, changing to a once per month habit means many fewer trips. Monthly shoppers usually notice that they spend less on impulse purchases and become more savvy about buying in bulk to save money.
If you don't already own a bicycle, and if you're in good enough health to use one, consider purchasing a multi-speed one for taking care of local errands. A large front or rear basket helps, and you'll discover that your motorized vehicle is not as necessary as you thought it was.
Always wear a helmet, use lights if you ride at night, and wear a reflective vest so motorists can see you. The obvious added advantage here is that bicycling, even at slow speeds on flat surfaces, is good exercise.
Unless you live in a rural area, use buses and light rail trains as much as possible. The cost is much less than driving and you can multitask while you ride. Millions of working adults do job-related tasks while they travel to work on the train or bus every day of the week.
(Disclaimer: The article is sponsored, and hence promotes some commercial links.)