Chewing The Cud

I admit, I was hesitant to believe I was actually going to relieve myself of my car when I moved to Portland. St. Louis definitely requires the car to get to almost anywhere I wanted to go. Plus when I need to haul stuff…you can only carry so much on your back and in your arms.

So it was with great relief that I found Flexcar via EcoGeek. From Flexcar’s site:

Welcome to a new era in personal transportation. It’s called car-sharing and it’s incredibly easy! You share access to hundreds of Flexcar vehicles, often within a five-minute walk of your home or work. You reserve a car online or by phone; you drive – to a meeting, to run errands, or to hit the lumber yard; and you return to the car’s designated parking space, all for one hourly rate that covers gas, premium insurance and 150 free miles. All you pay for is the drive. How simple is that? Plus, Flexcar is convenient, affordable, reliable, and great for the planet. Join the transportation revolution that washingtonpost.com called the “wave of the future.”

I looked at their monthly savings calculator and found the numbers quite pleasant:
My average cost of ownership is about $550 per month, mostly depending on the number of miles (which affects gallons of gas purchased and oil changes needed) I drive per month.

The cost of Flexcar, based on the number of hours per month, broke down like this:
5 hours per/month 45.00
10 hours per/month 85.00
25 hours per/month 200.00
50 hours per/month 375.00

So even at a high volume clip, I’m still saving $200-$300 a month. Plus, if I reduce my driving to almost none (which is my intention), that’s $500 or so a month I get to keep in my account. Granted, there will be other costs, like bus passes and the like, but by and large, I’ll be saving $6,000 a year, and that’s nothing to scoff at.

It’s no secret that to the best fresh fruit and veggies are the ones that travel the least to get to your kitchen. That’s why it is so important to spend your time and money at your area farmer’s markets. The benefits, short and long term, far outweigh the negatives. Sure, I can get corn 4/$1 at my local supermarket, but its pretty blah on its own and needs help. Conversely, locally grown corn purchased at the farmer’s market near me is delicious without any help from seasonings.

With that in mind, it is sometimes hard to know where these purveyors of fresh, local produce can be found. Fortunately there a plenty of websites that can get you started on your search. Two that I have found recently and like the cut of their gib include:

• Local Harvest
• Farm Locator

These only open the door to the possibilities near you. One thing to remember…it’s perfectly okay to eat seasonal food in season and leave it when the item is out of season. Abstaining from out-of-season foods will liven up your menu by exposing you to a wider array of choices and who doesn’t like variety? And sure, this all takes effort, but I think this is effort well spent. Enjoy your local markets!