Friday Comparison: September 2

Our trip meter last week August 21-26:

Miles Walked: 12.5

Biked: 50.9

Bused: 2.1

Drove: 0

This week

Today, August 28-September 2:

Miles Walked: 6	Biked: 70.4	Bused: 0	Drove: 4	This week
43.7	183.3	12.6	403.9	Since August 14, 2011

We walked half as many miles this week and biked about twenty more. Most of those biking miles were Brent's. As a reminder, this tally is a total account of our joint family miles. If we bike or walk together, like we do for errands, they only count once, but if Brent's biking to work and I am biking to school, those are separate miles. I was not too sure what to do if London biked home from school but the boys and I walked with her, so I counted them separately because they were different modes.

Not included are the carpool miles. We were not driving, but the children were riding with someone else. Should those be included? Would they be a separate column or just under "drove?"

Savings!
Reducing our driving miles combined with giving away the car meant I got to call our insurance agent today and change our policy. We were paying roughly $1300 a year, or more precisely $117 a month to insure two vehicles, one with full coverage. Reducing the van to liability dropped the rates to $935/yr or $78/m. When I looked over the declaration I noticed we were listed as driving more than 8000miles annually for the van. Talking to the agent today we noted the change in our driving habits. Combining this mileage reduction with the removal of the car our annual rate is now $520 or $44/m. This savings is equivalent to two dinners out with the family, or a light week of groceries, every single month. While I hope we get to enjoy some of these things with our savings, it will also give us more to put toward our second mortgage, more for bike safety equipment and a bike purchase, more for sharing with our friends, more breathing room in general.