A friend of mine challenged me this morning to participate in the "Spirit 30/30/30" plan. Even though it is a promotion for their company, I applaud Spirit Airlines in their quest to save the public money, reduce fuel consumption and enhance our environment.
I plan to implement a number of their suggestions, because Lord knows I need to save some coin. How about you, are you ready to take the Sprit Challenge?
1. Carpool - sharing a ride with up to 3 other people can save thousands of dollars. Here are a few online resources to help you find a few folks to share a ride with: www.erideshare.com, www.icarpool.com, www.carpoolworld.com. If you drive a vehicle that gets just 20 mpg, you can get 80 mpg per person if you carpool with three others. Heck, some of you might make new friends...but you could lose some too if you do not invest in breath mints.
2. Use public transportation and leave the car at home. With the money you save, splurge on the breath mints for this option as well...and share them when necessary.
3. Flying Spirit not only can save you 30%* or more compared to others, we use up to 30% less fuel than many other carriers using older technology aircraft. Still bring the breath mints if you like...but stay away from chewing gum onboard - it is hard to clean up.
4. Walk or ride a bicycle for those short hops. You will save gas, you will not have to hunt for a parking spot and it will help you get that buff beach bod you have always wanted just in time for summer!
5. Pay your bills online and get off the junk mail lists. Snail mail not only needlessly wastes fuel (and paper), it requires you to store worthless information in your brain like what stamp prices are these days.
6. Turn up your air conditioning a few degrees and encourage your workplace to do the same. With that new figure you'll have from walking you can wear something skimpy and you'll feel just as cool.
7. Drink tap water instead of buying plastic bottled water. Get a filter to improve the taste or quality. But drink plenty of water, it can improve your health and might assist in even further toning up that new bod. By now, you should be well on the way to dropping those pounds.
8. Did you know many people waste over 30% of their food? All of that food you throw out not only wastes money, but think about the tractors that burned fuel to farm it, the trucks that burned fuel to get it to the store, and the energy used for processing and packaging. Then you throw out this waste and a garbage truck burns fuel to haul it away. Plan out your meals in advance and consider planting a garden. It's a great way to tan your new fit body!
9. Keep your car tuned up, change your car's air filter, regular oil changes, etc. You get the picture - you're car will be as stylin' as you. Treat your car like your first goldfish, love it as much as you can and feed it constantly, until, finally, it dies.
10. If you only get 15 mpg and you do not have a practical carpooling option, consider getting one of the many vehicles that get 30 mpg or more. If you drive 15,000 miles a year, you need 1,000 gallons of gas a year. At 15 mpg and $4 per gallon for gas, you will spend over $4,000 a year just at the pump! Consider the fact that if you start getting 30 mpg with a new vehicle, the $167 a month you will save on gas will put a major dent in that new car payment. Since you are going to be in shape and look great, why not show it off in a new car.
11. Instead of getting a new car, get a scooter. You could get 80 mpg or more, parking is easier and it's still a decent way to show off that new body. And who knows, you could just start a new breed of consumption conscious scooter gangs!
12. Improve your gas mileage by more than 10% by not speeding. Just think of the money you'll save when you stop getting those speeding tickets. It would more than cover the costs of having those teeth whitened, which you will need to go along with your new bod. Alternatively, you could use the extra cash to have hot flames painted down the side of your 80 mpg scooter.
13. Get the excess junk out of your trunk. OK we already know you're working on getting your hind end in shape, but seriously, we're talking about all the junk in your car's trunk here. Stop lugging around stuff you do not need.
14. Convince your boss that you need to do your part in conserving fuel and saving the environment by working virtually. This could cut your commuting gas consumption by 100% and the time you save from not driving will allow you to work even more...or perhaps frees up the time needed to CALL YOUR MOTHER!
15. With all the gas money you will be saving, go buy new compact fluorescent bulbs for your house. They may cost a little more, but they can cut your electricity usage by 80% and depending on your situation, can cut your bill (and energy consumption) by 5%. Just do not forget to turn them off when you do not need them. In addition, given your new figure, you may find that you want to turn down the lights more often. (Do not forget the breath mints.)
16. Get rid of that gasoline-powered mower and replace it with a self-powered reel mower. They are inexpensive and you will not have to buy gas for it. Moreover, it is just another way to tone up and tan that new you.
17. Stop air leaks in your home (we are not talking about your husband's hot air here) and cut down your AC drain. There are many tips online that will help you find leaks and fix them. Heating and cooling is most likely your biggest use of energy in your home, so ensure you are using it efficiently.
18. Join Spirit's $9 Fare Club. In addition to getting an unbeatable deal on that much needed - and well-deserved - getaway, it definitely makes that new fuel-efficient set of wheels within reach.
19. Your hot water heater is probably the second biggest consumer of energy at home. Check the setting and you can probably lower the temperature. You will use less water anyway given your new body will probably be quicker to wash.
20. Turn off power strips and unplug electronics when not in use. Stand-by power can account for as much as 20% of home energy use. This simple step could save you hundreds per year. Now you'll have enough extra cash for that full body wax, which will also cut down on your shower time since you won't have to shave every day.
21. Make sure your attic is properly air sealed and insulated. This could save you hundreds per year. And who knows what treasures you'll find up there that you could sell on eBay.
22. Install a programmable thermostat and save $100 a year. A variety of choices are available at the FREE SPIRIT Mall at mall.spiritair.com. Shop in the "Green Living" category. Not only will you find the perfect programmable thermostat and other items needed to carry out the Spirit 30/30/30 Plan, but you'll also earn FREE SPIRIT miles.
23. Use less hot water by installing a low-flow showerhead and save $150/year.
24. Get a home energy audit and save up to 30% on energy bills. Pay for it with your FREE SPIRIT MasterCard. What? You don't have one yet? Click here and you'll be on your way to the gift of free travel for taking step 22 to conserve energy.
25. Keeping your tires properly inflated saves on fuel economy and lengthens the life of your tires. If the nearly 250 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. were only 7% under inflated and brought their tires up to the specified level, together they would save about $23 billion per year. Trust me...your tires will thank you. Not only are they getting the tender loving care they deserve, but they appreciate that you have less junk in your trunk and you're new trim self is less of a strain on them.
26. Choose Energy Star appliances, air conditioner, water heater and windows. This could save you hundreds of dollars each year. Put the money saved toward that plastic surgery you've been putting off.
27. See if your local electric utility has Smart Meters available in your area. Smart Meters allow you to communicate in real time with your provider about your electricity usage and helps you save money by shifting some of your consumption to off-peak periods.
28. Plan your summer vacation to the Caribbean with Spirit. If you join our $9 Fare Club (click here), an out-of-town trip on Spirit is cheaper than paying for the gas to drive up the road for a getaway. (OK...so we repeated the $9 Fare Club, but what can we say....this is our promotion and the bottom line is that you owe it to yourself to at least check it out. Why wouldn't you want to be among the elite that receive $9 fares?)
29. Take cold showers - you'll probably need them anyway...yes, it's that hot bod thing again.
30. Tell at least 30 other people about the "Spirit 30/30/30 Plan" in the next 30 minutes by forwarding this e-mail to everyone you know. As a token of our appreciation for your help (told you there would be an added incentive in it for you) we have given you a coupon for $30 off our everyday low fares***. Simply enter "GREEN" in the discount box at www.spiritair.com. And the savings don't stop there - visit spiritair.com to take advantage of our incredible sale with fares from $30 each way.**
This is a serious call to action for Americans. Spirit is calling on all Americans to do their part in reducing fuel consumption by at least 30%. Simply start implementing as many of these 30 simple tips as possible during the next 30 days and together we can save billions.
Let's all try this.
Comments(0)