Hello, friends!
Megan and I are currently in the throes of car buying. This is definitely an area where I find great joy as someone who loves analysis and where Megan is less than enthusiastic on account of all the details. There are a lot of questions to answer! Here's what we know:
- We need something with space. Much of our job entails hauling things and people. As great as The Rolla was, and it was great, one thing it didn't have was a ton of space.
- We need something with good in town mileage. CoMO isn't a huge town and most of our driving will be in town. We will occasionally go to St. Louis for staff functions but mostly we'll be hanging out within 10 miles of home.
- Mileage is important but not a deal breaker. Generally speaking, the lower the mileage, the better shape the car is in. While we know that's important, we also know that we drive WAY less than we used to drive. We are willing to take on a little bit of an older car if it has the other things.
- We need something relatively cheap. Missionaries don't exactly rake in the big bucks, y'know? While we are certainly not in need, we also know that we need to be good stewards of what we have been given.
Right now we are leaning towards either the Honda Fit or Toyota Prius. We could also be talked into another vehicle in the "Compact Hatchback" category. =0). We'll see where the search takes us. Until then, more biking for everyone!
Stats:
Miles: 6 ($.55)
Meters: 11 hours on campus ($11)
Total: $11.55
Grand Total: $445.22
Left to Save: $137.91
Happy Biking!
~Adam
The story of a guy trying to rationalize the money he spent on his bike and other random thoughts.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Why, Weather, Why?!
Hello, friends!
Guess what the temperature was yesterday for a high? I'll give you a hint. It was about half of what it was on Tuesday.
Yups, after 2 days of gloriously warm weather that made us think that spring was actually on its way, Mother Nature kicked us in the face with another child one, complete with wind chill, rain, and even some snow. It was not the most fun day I'd ever had biking.
Alas, this is the way things go here in the great state of Missouri. Just when you think it's safe to go outside, it gets cold. You think Weinert is in full swing and then you'll get hit with a 70 degree day. I'm not even sure if putting away or taking out my winter clothes is even worth it.
But hey, there are still chances to bike, right? That is really what I want to do. As I've said before, I can deal with the cold. It is the wet that makes things dangerous. The snow and rain melted away by the time I needed to get going so it wasn't a big hassle. I guess this is just the way it is going to be until the sweltering summer gets here. =0).
Stats
Distance: 7 miles ($.66)
Meters: 5 hours downtown ($3) + 8 hours on campus ($8)
Total: $11.66
Grand total: $433.67
Left to Save: $149.46
Happy biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Making the One Car Thing Work
Hello, friends!
Like I'd mentioned a few weeks ago, the Rolla died a glorious death and has gone off to that racetrack in the sky. The wind will always be at its back I'm sure but I certainly won't be the one gently easing down on the accelerator. (I've been told that I drive too carefully for someone of my age. I respond that The Rolla was getting 41mpg by me driving this way so folk could drive their own gas guzzlers however they want). Until we get a new car, that means we are down to 1 car for a bit, which was part of the plan anyway.
Honestly, I'm kind of glad that we were able to get a test run at doing the 1 car thing before we actually made the jump. It's given Megan and me a chance to see if this is what we really want to do. In some ways it has been easier than we anticipated. In other ways, it's been a little tougher.
For the most part, Megan and I have been doing just fine. We go a lot of places together, in which case you only need one car. Our schedules are also compatible enough that there are very few conflicts. For example, on Tuesday mornings, my small group meets @ 6 and hers meets @ 9. I take the car to small group, bring it home, and she is out the door a few minutes later. It works out really well.
There are some situations that have proven to be a little more difficult however. Pretty much it is Wednesday night, when ACF has Large Group. Megan has been in charge of the cooking (since she is an AMAZING cook) with students which means going grocery shopping and getting there early to start cooking. Since I have been doing the teaching, my preference is to come a bit later so I can do final preparations before I move on to hanging out with students. Unfortunately, given the cold and such these past few weeks, I have been unable to bike to Large Group, meaning I have had to run over there early with Megan and try to find a happy place.
It isn't the end of the world and overall, I'm actually finding that it's working about as well as we could expect. A nice added bonus is that I have been walking and biking more since I don't always have a car, which is great for the bottom line as well as for my waist-line. =0).
Stats:
Distance: 8 miles ($.74)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $4.94
Grand Total: $421.91
Left to Save: $161.12
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Like I'd mentioned a few weeks ago, the Rolla died a glorious death and has gone off to that racetrack in the sky. The wind will always be at its back I'm sure but I certainly won't be the one gently easing down on the accelerator. (I've been told that I drive too carefully for someone of my age. I respond that The Rolla was getting 41mpg by me driving this way so folk could drive their own gas guzzlers however they want). Until we get a new car, that means we are down to 1 car for a bit, which was part of the plan anyway.
Honestly, I'm kind of glad that we were able to get a test run at doing the 1 car thing before we actually made the jump. It's given Megan and me a chance to see if this is what we really want to do. In some ways it has been easier than we anticipated. In other ways, it's been a little tougher.
For the most part, Megan and I have been doing just fine. We go a lot of places together, in which case you only need one car. Our schedules are also compatible enough that there are very few conflicts. For example, on Tuesday mornings, my small group meets @ 6 and hers meets @ 9. I take the car to small group, bring it home, and she is out the door a few minutes later. It works out really well.
There are some situations that have proven to be a little more difficult however. Pretty much it is Wednesday night, when ACF has Large Group. Megan has been in charge of the cooking (since she is an AMAZING cook) with students which means going grocery shopping and getting there early to start cooking. Since I have been doing the teaching, my preference is to come a bit later so I can do final preparations before I move on to hanging out with students. Unfortunately, given the cold and such these past few weeks, I have been unable to bike to Large Group, meaning I have had to run over there early with Megan and try to find a happy place.
It isn't the end of the world and overall, I'm actually finding that it's working about as well as we could expect. A nice added bonus is that I have been walking and biking more since I don't always have a car, which is great for the bottom line as well as for my waist-line. =0).
Stats:
Distance: 8 miles ($.74)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)
Total: $4.94
Grand Total: $421.91
Left to Save: $161.12
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)