[tsakach]

I have nearly 200,000 miles on that Insight now. I need to update my TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for the Insight. I hope the Insight lasts till I retire.

Nice avatar! My Insight has <90k miles. I have substantially reduced annual mileage since I have access to good public transportation for commuting. However, fuel efficiency has dropped since it is used mostly for short local trips. Fuel expense runs around $25/month.

[Loki]

Glad to see I'm not the only OCD spreadsheet compiler

I bought a little dual-sport motorcycle (Kawasaki KLR 250) about 3 months ago. Since I got the bike I drive my Ranger (stick 2WD 4 banger) about 1/3 the miles I used to. The KLR only gets ~45 mpg, which is a lot less than it should. I think it's likely a combination of the aftermarket muffler that a previous owner installed, knobby tires, and a front brake that seems to stick a bit. But still twice as much as the Ranger (22 mpg w/ canopy).

Based on my spreadsheet figures, since I got the motorcycle I've reduced my gasoline consumption by the annual equivalent of 49 gallons. And that includes the "take back effect" of having a more fuel efficient vehicle. I have definitely been driving the motorcycle a lot more than I would my Ranger, not really because it's more fuel efficient, but because it's fun as hell. It's given me the excuse to explore a bunch of local back roads, I feel like I have a much better lay of the land since I got the bike.

I'll be interviewing for a job that will require me to commute (I currently live at work). I don't look forward to having to commute, but the job pays 50%+ more per hour, has good bennies, and much better long-term prospects than my current job. The motorcycle should be even handier if I have to commute, reduce my vulnerability to rapid gas price spikes.

[DomusAlbion]

Loki, you're one of my PO heroes. I hope you're not leaving your country, agrarian life for good.

[Shaved Monkey]

In 3 years of permanently moving from a temperate zoned city to rural sub tropics.

Electricity
Down from $1300 a year to $440 a year
Added Solar Hot water and PV

Gas (Propane)
About $130 a year (cooking only no heating required)
used to use natural gas to heat and cook before I moved to the sub tropics
It was about $150 a quarter or $600 a year.( that was cheap as I was well insulated, small well planed house, efficient heater, near the ocean, so temperatures were pretty stable...my dad spends $350 a quarter to heat his house)

Petrol
Used to use $3500 a year when petrol was half the price.
Currently use about $250 to $300 a year.

Water
Free except for pumping.
Used to use town water.
I bought 2 extra tanks (3 all up)

Sewage
I pee in the garden(have been doing it for nearly 20 years) so no new saving

Food
Make my own/Grow my own, barter,shop at local market
Big shopping trip has gone from weekly, to monthly, to every 2 months to once every 4 months.
Excel spread sheet for a shopping list, military precision.
Buy in bulk and reduced spending by about $1 to 2 thousand a year.

Wine
GFC and Wine Glut has reduced bottle prices from $12 to $15 a bottle to $5 a bottle
Australia Post delivers to my remote location for roughly the price of petrol when living in a city .
Savings of about $2000 a year
Will be planting my own vineyard to try and reduce that. over the next few years

Clothes
Subtropics means shorts sandals and t-shirt 99.9% of the year
Savings of about a $1000 a year .

[PeakOiler]

That's a great summary, Shaved Monkey.

I recently finished the totals for my utility's electricity use last year for powering this small 3-2 "country cottage". I spent $1,167.78 last year. Averaged $97.23/month. Not too bad for enduring the record-setting heat and cold last year here in Central Texas! The local utility average cost was $0.1222/Kw-hr in 2011. I use propane only for the BBQ grill, and a small tank will last me more than two years.
The house uses no natural gas, directly. The local utility does, as well as coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric from the dams on the Highland Lakes. When there's enough water in the lakes that is. I suspect the the exceptional drought pretty much put a big dent in hydroelectric power last year...and maybe this year too.

This house does need more insulation. I should also replace the 35 year-old ductwork from the central AC/heater as well.

The solar water heater helps a lot. The wood burning stove helps too. I really would like to install some more solar PV, enough to power the rainwater collection pump for the house.

[SeaGypsy]

I only flew 22,000km last year, as opposed to over 140,000km in 2010.
I junked the idea of owning any kind of ICE vehicle in 2007.
I moved into a small rented apartment in a capital city in Australia, from living and working remote. Was filling the bosses tank every week (at $2.30 liter). Now not driving at all and nobody has taken up my old job after more than a year.
Set up business in refurbs/ recycling. Still burning carbs, but a lot less.
Got no idea what all this adds up to.

[SeaGypsy]

As far as i am aware none of the flights were made especially for me, indeed would have even flown without me! When you work remote, you get flown every couple of weeks back to the capital city, from which you fly wherever your preferred base is. Mine was the Philippines. Still is, but now I am only doing 2 trips a year.

[PeakOiler]

My gasoline use history, updated for 2011:



Wow! Look what the retail price of gas did in 2011!

I sure am glad I get over 55 mpg!