Fuelly Forums - Last 22 years of driving

New to this site, just wanted to share.
Over the last twenty years I have used some gas saving techniques just to do it (my wife always laughed at me). I bought a new Toyota truck in1986. Four cycinder, manual shift. The sticker mpg for highway was 31. I live 6 miles from work and have three stop signs to deal with. Also have other destinations, sure, its mostly county roads. I always accelerate with ease, never on a hill, never! Whatever speed I had achieved( if there was no traffic 40 to 45 tops) I would always coast to a stop sign or light, at 55 mile an hour one half mile away I would still hit my point at 35 mile an hour. You see I can still back off.
I would anticapate the hills up and down and try to use that to my advantage. Oh, there were times that I got on the throttle, like at the end of work and I would punch it. But just taking it easy got me 31 per gallon per tank full. During the winters below 32 degrees it would drop off, you know why. When gas prices started going up over the years it made a difference, at some point my coworkers started saying thats a money maker. Its no record I know but it saved me money till I sold it in 2005. Its still running.

My next car was suppose to a temporay car till I got another truck. A 1995 neon. 4 cylider 5 speed, used the same approach. Suppose to get 35 high and get 36 mpg per tankfull. One month going in to work at 2 am I always drove no more than 40. 40 mpg time after time. My owners manual states that the best economy with this car is a 32 miles per hour. Ok, I know this can be very unsafe when the speed limit is 55, but watchout all the time. I get to my arrival point a few minutes later. Big deal. The big dogs at work with their huge trucks are suffering, Figure a 60 mile round trip and the man that never hauls anything is looking mighty little now. My wife has a big sedan that get 31 at highway, She has a digital readout that says she averages 20 mpg, ouch! I can't buy that truck right now gas prices keep going up. I'm 53 years old and when I was a senior in high school gas was 31 cents a gallon and they would clean your windshield, and try to check you oil(hey get out of there its ok!!) Never again never again, its sad. When I was growing up in Ohio, my Daddy who was born in 27 and grew up during depression would always walk to his office when ever possible in his adult life. Us being kids would say, Hey Dad give us a ride to the park, or swimming pool or what ever. And his reply was WALKING AIN'T CROWDED!!! What? WALKING AIN'T CROWDED!!! OH, your not going to drive us. NO. WOW! Learned something from that. He is still walking in his 80s and he has some money to throw around. Well anyway, I see more people driving under the speed limit and taking it easy and they know its saving them money.
Well later, and remember
WALKING AIN'T CROWDED! JDM