Dollars & sense: students save money at the pump

Nowadays, campus commuters gripe and complain about the ridiculous prices at the gas pump. In this day and age, gas prices have spiked so high that some people are wondering how college students can afford to fill up their tanks.

So what can campus commuters do to cope with the skyrocketing gas prices? Ride a bike? Walk to school? Invest in a hybrid car?

Emily Anafi, junior accounting major, found her answer to dealing with the dilemma. She suggests students search for good deals on gas and minimize leisurely driving.

“Definitely shop around for the cheapest gas prices,” she said.

In doing so, Anafi found an inexpensive price of $2.03 for regular gasoline at a nearby Wawa.

According to www.richmondgasprices.com, prices run the average of $2.10 in the city. As of April 27, the Amoco station located on the corner Grace and Belvidere streets offered $2.19 for regular.

On the other hand, the gas prices at the Hess station located at 535 W. Broad St., across the street from Amoco, start at $2.17 for regular.

Other than searching for cheap gas prices around town, find practical ways to counter the costly prices. For starters, use a car as a last resort. If you can find a different way to travel, do it, be street-savvy.

Park your car and cover the most ground by foot. Do most errands in one day instead of spreading them out in the week. Take care of your car by not speeding or breaking abruptly at stops.

If driving a car is necessary, avoid driving during the early morning commute or rush hour.

Emma Minor, assistant manager of VCU Parking and Transportation, encourages the use of campus transportation to ease students’ irritableness with the expensive gas prices.

“Use of the VCU transit system and the GRTC is an excellent way to reduce costs associated with rising fuel,” she said.

“In addition to saving money, utilizing mass transit reduces vehicle emissions, which are the leading source of air pollution.”

Minor also suggested for students who cannot ride the bus to participate in RideFinders, a local nonprofit organization that offers carpooling and vanpooling.

“Neighboring counties offer ‘park and ride’ lots, so that VCU commuters can still utilize mass transit even if they do not live on a bus route,” she said.

Minor recommended that campus commuters seriously consider substitutes to single-occupancy vehicle car rides.

But, with all the gas-saving tips available, some commuters have found different ways to deal with the rising gas prices.

Gaby Florido, senior biology major, said she dodges the expensive gas prices by filling up her tank before the weekend begins.

“I noticed that at the gas station where I pump gas the price of gas goes down late in the night, during midnight,” she said.

Myra McLauren, a junior French major, said she would drive in a circle around the city everyday because she works in Hanover, lives in Highland Springs and had errands in between.

“I used to get gas in Southside since gas was cheaper there,” she said.”But now, I just became one of ‘them’ — people who pay the high gas prices. I mean, it costs more to drive now so I just get gas anyway.”

Andy Chon, a first year medical student, depends on Shell stations because of their Shell V-Power fuel that cleans out the carbon deposits in the car engine, helping the car get better mileage.

“I regularly use Shell’s V-Power for premium gas,” he said. “It’s like I get another gas tank’s worth into my car.”

Chon, who lives in the West End, admits that he sometimes copes with high gas prices by not attending his classes if there is heavy traffic on the way to campus.

Amanda Harper, senior psychology major, decided to find a job to help compensate for high gas prices.

“I sought an extra job during the weekend for extra money,” she said. “Before, when I first started driving when I was 16, one gallon would only cost me 95 cents. But, now the prices have almost more than doubled. It would only cost $10 to fill up my tank and now I have to pay $21.”

Harper added, “Gas prices are so expensive.”

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