It's a tricky day. I feel like I drank 2 pots of coffe and the caffeine is eating my brain. Of course, I don't drink caffeinated coffee, so I don't know what's up.
I've been scouring my regular frugal resources for motivation, information etc and come up lacking. I love the feeling of getting revved up to get finances in better shape. I love being able to make significant changes in a short period of time. then the lull hits and there's not much you can do except little things- shut off the lights, track spending closely, make sure a good supply of cloth diapers is handy. Those are the dull things. Important, but dull. I don't get the "high" form saving $5 on groceries that I do from saving $60 on the homeowner's insurance.
I suppose the little everyday things are the ones that make the biggest impact over time, but that's hard to forget. I recall once reading about a woman who wrote down all of the money she saved- each coupon, each purchase she talked herself out of- and then wrote a cheque to herself to put into savings at the end of the month. Wow. That's a whole lot of work. I suppose it could be pretty motivating, though.
Anyway, I did some research online today about the new "smart" car that goes 400 km on a $10 tank of gas. We will have to purchase a new commuter vehicle in a few years, so maybe this is an option to keep in mind. Originally we were considering a hybrid Escape, but one never knows what the "real cost" of owning a cutting edge vehicle like that will be. I can't imagine a trip to the mechanic would be cheap with a vehicle like that. The Smart is like a glorified motorcycle. I think it's engine is smaller than that of the Norton I used to ride. Regardless, if DH would be willing to use it for his daily commute, it would be a great investment to pick one up for $20 K or so.