My husband is obsessed with saving fuel and driving efficiently. He meticulously records mileage and gas-tank fills for our Ford Expedition in his notebook. He prefers to drive really slow, and coast down hills. When I use the vehicle, he expects me to do this, too. It's ludicrous. How do I deal with a man like this?
- Unhappy Traveller
Who can blame your husband, with the price of fuel these days? And how about you? Why are you so irritated? Is this really a big deal, or are you looking for excuses to trade in your husband for a newer model?
Just as there is a fine line between reasonable frugality and simply being cheap, there is also a fine line between driving efficiently and driving dangerously. In 1932, Chevrolet introduced an accessory called "Freewheeling", which automatically de-clutched the engine under specific rolling conditions. It was quickly eliminated due to safety concerns, but dangerous behaviour in the name of fuel efficiency continues to this day. Is your man doing things such as drafting behind 18-wheelers, or running the tires bald?
Motorists have always competed over speed, but the latest craze is competing over fuel economy. The world record for fuel efficiency is held by Wayne Gerdes. In 2006, Gerdes travelled 3,627 kilometres in a Honda Insight on one 52-litre tank of gas. He practises and promotes hyper-miling - defined by the Oxford American Dictionary as an attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one's vehicle and driving techniques.
There are various ways to maximize fuel economy. Vehicle weight is definitely a factor. I hate to point out the obvious, but perhaps it's time to trade in the SUV. Barring that, a properly tuned engine, wheel alignment, tire pressure, and reducing speed at any opportunity can all help lower fuel consumption. Laying off the brakes, turning off the air conditioning, minimizing idling, and mindfully choosing your routes and times of day for travelling also contribute to economy. Driving with the wrong type of tires for your vehicle, even when properly inflated, can significantly reduce your mileage. Completely filling a 100-litre gas tank - the equivalent of carrying the weight of an extra passenger - will also decrease mileage. When you're just tooling around town on errands, why not keep the tank at half?
Most new cars have fuel consumption meters. We could all benefit from paying more attention to these gadgets, to help reduce our fuel consumption. Perhaps your man is not motivated by environmental concerns. Maybe he's just plain tight, or worse - operating under a false economy. Is he the kind of person who will spend five dollars in gas to save 50 cents on a product at a local mega-store instead of walking to the corner store where the same product is only slightly more expensive?
Whatever his motivation, give your husband credit for trying to conserve the household finances. What is he scrimping for? Is the money saved being used to buy gifts for you? Is he saving for a holiday, or simply trying to balance the daily budget? It would be hard to argue with any of these scenarios as motivating factors. If he's simply being cheap while ignoring the effect it's having on your relationship, maybe it's time the two of you saw a counsellor. Nit-picking is a universal sign that a relationship has become stagnant and unhealthy. Your husband's insistence on doing things his way could also be the manifestation of a control issue, and an attempt to gain power in the relationship.
Why not challenge your husband to prove that his way of driving is better than yours? Initiate a friendly competition in which he drives for one tank of gas and you drive the next. Then determine if (and how much) he is actually saving. If you're right, then your mileage should be about the same. If it's not, calculate your potential fuel costs over a one-year period compared to his.
If he's unwilling to compromise and this continues to irritate you, put your foot down. Let your husband know that if he really wants to save fuel, he can take the bus or ride a bike.