how much does it cost you to drive?

[carpenter_jai]

I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I am interested to know how much you pay to drive, so please take this poll to compare. Make sure you mention what part of the continent you are from.

Cost of my car when I bought it with 100, 000 km (62, 000 miles) in 2000: $5500
Cost of insurance per month (no tickets or accidents, 6 years experience) $78
Cost of gas currently $0.92/l or $3.48/gal ($90/month)
Where I live: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Jai

[hot_sd]

In order to have a meaning ful poll maybe everyone should convert to a single currency (US$ or CDN$). Also for the poll to be meaningful the total distance convered per month should be taken into account. One way to do that would be for the poll to ask for cost per unit distance so people would take total cost and divide by total distance to get this.

[carpenter_jai]

I thought of doing something like that, and decided that would be pretty complicated. The only way for this to be meaningful is if people take the time to post a reply describing their driving habits. Such as how many miles/km travelled, how good is driving your driving record,and how much is gas in your area. I am really asking three questions in one, so I expect it to not be very scientific. If anyone can figure out a better way to do this, please do!

Jai

[DOCTORBILL]

First your Poll question does not correlate with your Thread Title.

Change the Poll.....

Add:

How many vehicles does your family drive?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, too many....I don't care - I am Ted Kennedy.!

What average mileage per day per car does your family drive?
5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 100, 200, 300

Country - ?
Canada, USA, Australia, UK, Afgahistan, Lower and Upper Slobovia,
Massachucetts, etc...

Average per year - per vehicle Insurance cost?
U$S 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200...(x10)

Total annual expenses to keep ALL the vehicles running?
U$S 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000,1100, 1200, 1400, 1600, more

What are Total City, State and Federal Taxes and fees required to own, park and
drive your vehicles (averaged per car)? Include Tolls for Bridges & Highways.
U$S 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000,1100, 1200, 1400, 1600, more

Do you play the Saxiphone?
Yes No ????

Then ask the rest of what you have in your Poll - but raise the amounts quite a bit!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9......... (x1) (x10) (x100)

Then add - percent of total take home pay?
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, more ......way too much!

Maybe just maybe then you'll find your answer....It will surprise most folk and make
them crap their pants! All that just to transport your butt from here to there!

DoctorBill

[vcrmonthly]

Without getting COMPLETELY into scientific calculations & advanced algebra, I'm going to respond with a simple answer: I live in SLC, UT. The price of gas on my last fill up was $2.17/gallon. I had a $.10 off coupon from my grocery store, so it cost me $2.07/gallon. Further, the grocery store gas station is a Sinclair & I paid with my Sinclair Mastercard which gives me an additional 5% rebate on my gasoline bill. Bottom line: I paid $1.97/gallon for 85 octane unleaded regular gas. I drive a '93 4 door GEO Metro. I get between 38 to 45 miles per gallon depending on driving conditions and how hard I decide to "whip" that horse. My monthly auto insurance is $103 for a '98 Blazer, a '95 Chevrolet Corsica & my GEO. The portion of insurance for my GEO is $35.

[carpenter_jai]

First your Poll question does not correlate with your Thread Title.

Yeah Bill, you're absolutely right, gas and insurance are only the tip of the iceberg. I have never forgot about those other costs, it's just that it's alot of work to get all that information together. I write down everything I spend my money on and I know I could calculate a cost for every one of those costs you point out, but that's more work than I would expect from any one on this forum, save you perhaps!

A poll has to be simple, or there will be little feedback. I suppose this one is no good, for the points you make. Maybe when I'm not so sleepy, I'll try it again.

BTW, what's the saxiphone have to do with driving? Just curious. Is it some kind of way to determine if Bill Clinton is taking the poll?

Jai

[DOCTORBILL]

I was just trying to make folks aware of just how much of their income actually goes into
their damned automobiles!

I don't believe most people are aware that cars suck them dry.

If you add up annual

car payments (new cars have terrible payments/month!)
insurance
taxes (licensing, tabs, tolls, fees, stickers, parking, more?)
gasoline purchased (this can be hideous!)
maintenance costs (oil, filter, repairs, tires, car washes, seat covers, radios, CD players, etc)
anything else....?

It can add up to 20% - 30% of a family's take home pay!

Maybe even more.

Just to transport your butt to work so's you can pay for it.

DoctorBill

Saxiphone - just added humor. Bill Clinton? More worried about the Hill-di-beast
becoming our next leader of the USA. Can you imagine?!

[carpenter_jai]

Saxiphone - just added humor. Bill Clinton? More worried about the Hill-di-beast
becoming our next leader of the USA. Can you imagine?!

Ah, Hillary. Ya, I had heard that Mrs. Clinton is the next favourite of the Dems, and that the lack-luster campaigns of both Kerry and Gore were partly becuse they are saving their collective enrgy to get Mrs. Blow-job into office. (By the way, I hope that the post-administration label that Bush get's will refer to the plus 100, 000 innocent Iraqi's and thousands of U.S. soldiers that died all for a few re-construction contracts and crude. ITMFA!)

I haven't paid much attention to Hillary's tenure as senator, but it doesn't matter. I don't trust any of them further than that Abrahams Tank in your photo will go on a Metro sized tank of gas!

You're an interesting fellow Bill. Sometimes you make comments that seem pretty conservative, you know liking tanks and whatnot, and then you inform people about the reality of their driving costs (rather liberal). Good on you, I say. Refuse to be stuck into a mold, and no one will ever know what you're thinking! I'm curious though, In November 2009, if your ballot says:

Rep. Cheney and Condi?
Dem. Clinton and Kerry?

Where will you put your 'X'?

Jai

P.S. Is it ok to be talking politics here? I get drawn into these rather easily.

[DOCTORBILL]

I just today posted and then deleted two long political comments on your comments.
Decided I didn't want to get blasted by the Liberals....

Let's all sing "Coom-bah-Yah"......don't worry - be happy!

Like the old saying goes, "Don't get me started!" Not hard to do, either!

The weather is getting better here in Spokane.

Thank God! I can get back to my Geo Metro.

Good old car - it isn't a Liberal, Democrat, mouthoff, mean spirited, mealy mouthed, political automobile.
Just some Iron and plastic.
I can handle that....

Now if I could just get it to run!

I am depressed today - does it show?

DoctorBill - "Mr. Happy"

PS - Whom do I vote for? - why, hopefully, the lesser of the two evils presented. As always, no ?
When have you voted for someone you really liked?