Let's focus on the cost of transportation.

We live in a country in which mass transit has never been completely funded and is non-existent in too many places. The automobile can be the only practical method of transportation with an infrastructure in place.

As I write, the price of gasoline is around $3.85 per gallon and rising, and auto technology is rapidly changing—so it makes sense to see how the technology shakes out before you invest in a new automobile. Therefore, let's focus on reducing the cost of transportation with the automobiles we currently have.

1. Take care of your vehicle and it will take care of you.
   
2. Change the oil in your car every 3,000 miles and monitor your tire pressure often. If you change your oil every 3,000 miles, you don't need to buy high-value synthetic oils, so save your money. The key is oil change frequency, not oil type.
   When you change your oil, the mechanics will try to sell to you a new air filter and windshield wipers, whether you need them or not. You will know that your wipers need replacement if, when it rains, your wipers streak.
   When the mechanic pulls your air filter and shows it to you (ask him, if he doesn't), check to see whether it is discolored and needs to be replaced.
   If you need a new air filter or windshield wipers, don't buy them where you get your oil changed. Go to a discount store, where the parts will be 50 percent cheaper. Wal-Mart normally will install them free.
   
3. Buy your gasoline at Quik-Trip. I have found those convenience stores to be the best value for gas. They are, on average, a couple of cents cheaper per gallon and the gasoline is high quality, keeps your engine clean, and won't freeze in winter.
   
4. Buy a small notebook. When you get gasoline, check your odometer and write down the current mileage of your vehicle. Also record the gallons of gas purchased, then divide one by the other to obtain your average miles per gallons driven. If the mpg suddenly drops, have your vehicle checked because something has changed mechanically.
   
5. Buy the minimum amount of automobile insurance required in Kansas and then build your insurance coverage back for collision, based on the value of your automobile and your judgment of the amount of collision coverage you need. Requote your automobile insurance every year to ensure that you are not subsidizing the insurance industry.
   
6. Drive at or less than the speed limit, with good driving habits (no jack-rabbit starts and sudden stops) to maximize the mpg your vehicle gives you. When you see a pickup go around you, honking because the truck driver cowboy thinks you're too slow, laugh because he's getting 15 miles per gallon and is going broke.
   
7. If you can afford it, invest in the new fuel-efficient tires that reduce rolling friction and thus increase your gas mileage.
   
8. Bundle your errands by locale to reduce the total mileage you drive. I use 3-by-5 cards and make a list of errands as they occur to me to ensure that my transportation costs are minimized (and I remember what needs to be done!).
   
9. If you have a computer, create a spreadsheet that compares miles driven by gasoline cost. Before you leave to run errands, you'll know what your transportation costs will be. Use the average mpg that your vehicle is getting (which you have determined in step 4). That way you won't run out of gas money before the end of the month or before your Social Security check comes.
   
10. Budget oil changes, car maintenance costs, and gasoline so you can keep your total transportation costs to a minimum and they don't destroy your budget.