A’s: When it comes to money, it’s not going to stop you from doing anything you want to. If you see something you like, you go for it—life’s too short. One helpful tip: stop and take a deeper look at the long-term outcomes of your choices. Whether it’s buying that hot new truck or taking a well-deserved vacation, crunch the numbers and try thinking of at least three different manageable solutions.
Sometimes small savings seem insignificant and hardly worth bothering over. But often spread over a longer period of time, they are quite substantial. Ponder this: $1000 today is a chunk of change, right? And that $1.19 you probably spend each day on morning coffee for your commute to work probably seems like nothing, huh? Yet take that same $1.19 a day and invest it at 8% for three years and you end up with $1048 instead of a bunch of empty cups. Suddenly that pocket change is nothing to sneeze at.
Plus, it all translates into less stress and more free time since you won’t have to work as much (or as hard) at keeping up. And what better gift to your family than being home with them more instead of away working. Now go ahead and read B for a heads-up on taking tiny steps to thinking with a long-term vision.
B’s: You obviously think things through and have a vision for the future. By paying attention to where your money goes, you show that you think logically and have a good base of understanding for how alternative fuels can benefit you (and the earth). There are many varying contributions to the current state of our economy and environment, and by making responsible choices, you are part of the needed solution to waste, debt and pollution.
It’s a delicate balancing act between needs and wants. Continue to examine your deeper motives and true needs vs. wants when presented with the plethora of modern choices. Go ahead and read D—and remember it's OK to have fun too.
C’s: Life can certainly be tough sometimes. Remember to pay attention to your internal gauge of what is right and you’ll be able to wade through the confusion. Many decisions, like making smart transportation choices, have deeper implications than at first appear. Stand up for what you believe in and manufacturers and smart businesses will have the support needed to develop other viable solutions—like alternative fuel vehicles.
Here’s a tip: If it’s not initially cheaper, don’t write it off right away. Very often there are other points to consider. For example, a small difference in fuel mileage, say 28 mpg vs. 26 mpg can make a big impact.
If you drive 12,000 miles a year, that 2-mpg difference cuts your greenhouse gas contribution by 200 pounds per month—or 2400 pounds per year. Or think of it this way: One 42-gallon barrel of crude oil yields 19.5 gallons of gasoline. You’ve just eliminated the importation of 2 barrels of crude oil. Multiply that times the number of cars in your hometown, say 25,000—and right there’s 50,000 barrels no longer needed. In every town, every day, all over the world, that’s some serious savings. A good lifestyle habit to adopt, eh?
Indeed, that’s the strength in the power of one—do a small thing again and again and soon it’s a lot. Each and everyone’s decisions do matter and make a difference. Go ahead and read A—and begin taking steps to build a small investment savings.
D’s: There’s nothing more fun that hanging out with a laid-back friend. And we all need to relax and take it easy now and then in a day and age where it seems there’s more to do than ever before.
Incorporate your fun-loving lifestyle with smart choices and you’ll influence a lot of people to do the same. Folks really pay attention to easy-going people who put their money where their mouth is. Happy, smart, confident people are also an inspiration. After all, being different also makes you interesting. So how about pulling together your buddies and taking a look at the ways you can be a cool example. Think about it: It’s interesting to go alternative. Go ahead and read what those C’s are up to—you might just inspire one of them to make a fun, smart decision with you. And who couldn’t use some more bucks in the bank?