Eight Good Things About Rising Gas Prices

Don't get me wrong. I am disappointed that I have to spend more to fill up. But this reminds me of the book "Boundaries," and how we should avoid letting external forces control how we feel. Here are some ways that we can adapt to rising gas prices and perhaps become even better off.

1. Get a tune-up. This is standard advice, because this is an easy way to improve gas mileage. New spark plugs, proper air pressure in the tires, oil changes, etc. all help out. But don't forget to realize that this also helps your car last longer and is good preventative measure against breakdowns.

2. Rethink routes and trips. Another standard suggestion. Is there a way you can go to the grocery store, Wal-Mart, and Home Depot in one trip, instead of separate ones? If you make frequent extended trips (say to the mall in a nearby large city), it may be worthwhile to go half as often.

3. Carpooling. I remember this being popularized years ago to save the environment. Now, there is also an economic reason, which will hit much closer to home for most people. Do you ever run into traffic in the morning? Imagine if instead of having one person per car, there were two people per car. That means one of every two cars would not be on the road. Traffic could be greatly reduced.

4. Pressure to improve/add public transportation. I always enjoy going to larger cities because most have well-developed public transportation, such as buses and subways. Smaller cities may feel more pressure to add bus routes as fewer and fewer people will be able to afford to drive as much. Done properly, this could reduce traffic and benefit many commuters.

5. Improve technology. When consumers have a problem, a real problem, with paying for gas, the demand will increase for more fuel efficient vehicles. Hybrids, electric vehicles, and alternative fuels will begin to gain popularity as it becomes profitable for the companies to produce them. It will become profitable when consumers decide they will spend money on these products -- instead of gas.

6. Pedestrian/cyclist friendly roads. Another alternative is to walk or ride a bike. This is difficult in many locations because there are no sidewalks or bicycle lanes. These public improvements can become more worthwhile as gas prices climb. Lots of people have begun to get in shape by walking or riding a bicycle instead of driving.

7. Pressure to look at or create a budget. This is a huge step in adapting to the cost of gas, as opposed to sitting around and complaining. Are you being wasteful in your budget anywhere? Freeing up $50 in one area would mean that you could spend $50 extra dollars in gas. If the $50 came from something that wasn't worthwhile anyway, then you haven't really lost anything.

8. Eventual reduction of dependence on oil. It all boils down to how much we depend on oil. And how things could grind down to a halt without it. This period of rising gas prices may be the right time to make some initially painful adjustments to prepare for what could be the future. If you can make changes in your own life to reduce energy consumption, then a rise in energy prices won't hurt as much.

As many people have pointed out, the various chain emails regarding not buying gas on May 15 (or whatever date) can't really do anything. We'll just buy gas on the 14th or 16th, and they still make their money. That is not to say that we as consumers can't change anything. The problem is that the first step is not quick or simple: We first need to change ourselves.

And there's nothing like gas at $4+ a gallon to make those changes finally seem worthwhile.