Been carpooling for 5 years

This coming Monday, Oct. 6 is my five-year carpooling anniversary. I can't believe that I've been carpooling with the same guys to and from work for five years. It's unbelievable. Work is going to use our story within the department and outside the department to promote carpooling. Supposedly we're going to be on the cover of posters and other paraphanelia. Fun times.

Here are some of the benefits we've enjoyed from carpooling for five years.

• 2,611- reduced number of two-way trips between Bellingham and Burlington
• 130,550 - reduced number of trip miles and wear and tear on our personal autos
• $76,371.75 - reduced cost of automobile ownership ($.585/mile)
• 5,222 - reduced number of gallons of gas consumed (@ 25mpg)
• $14,932.50 - reduced expenditures in gas purchases (ave $2.75/gal 2003-07, $3.75/gal 2008)
• $10,090.00 - received commute trip reduction incentive payments

These stats were based on the following:

• MPG Ave – 25
• Trip miles, roundtrip – 50
• Gas $/gal 03-07 - $2.75
• Gas $/gal 2008 - $3.75
• Incentive - $2.50 per day

Carpooling has never been about saving the world for me. It's always been about saving money whenever and where-ever possible. As you can see from our benefits lists, we've saved a lot of wear and tear on our cars and we've gotten paid for doing it. Granted the money we've made doesn't cover all of our costs, but something is better than nothing. One of the nicest benefits of carpooling is that I don't have to drive every day. Some days I just snooze in the car. Then I don't have to nap when I get home.