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It was a while ago but my driving instructor told me it was illegal to coast?don't quite know how you'd get caught out doing it tho'?!!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

what an interesting thread, have read all of the comments. i like doing the bulk shopping and cooking, it makes sense to me. food prices are ridiculous at the moment and we can waste food. I shop around and believe it can be done on a budget, I actually quite enjoy doing this shopping with a set limit and having to think what meals I can make. I suppose it is all in relation to the amount you earn really and how much you see is reasonable to be spent on food etc.

I totally agree. I'm actually enjoying trying to budget too! I think I'm more creative as a cook. We used to waste such a lot of money, and I'm not happy to do so anymore. Even if money's not the only factor - it's mad to ignore the other issues relating to our individual consumption.

We have a car, but barely drive anywhere anyway - DH cycles to and from work; and we try to recycle whatever we can. Having a composter makes me feel loads better about any kitchen waste too!

Its good to share money saving ideas, I wish I could cycle to work, it took me 5 hours to get home from west hampstead yesterday due to 'I have no idea' Time to change jobs.

Trains were buggered weren't they?

What's a DH Rhona?

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

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"start/stopping the engine increases wear on certain areas - starter motor being the obvious example and increases the draw on the battery so I'm sceptical about that one"

It may do, but that will be the next owner's problem. Sorry to be so blunt about it. And there will come a point where the price of fuel outweighs the cost of replacing the starter motor, etc., prematurely. (See also "Videos" at the bottom of this post)

"Coasting out of gear is not a particularly safe method of saving fuel - I'd advise against it to be honest"

Ah, now this I do have views on!

First, as I understand it, modern fuel injected (petrol??) engines will use zero fuel when you lift your foot off the accelerator. If your car does that then you can avoid the coasting-controversy altogether! Mine, by experiment, doesn't - and to be honest I struggle with how zero-injected-fuel can be the same as "the engine, with clutch engaged but zero fuel injected, causes zero drag"

I'm pretty sure I was told this was A Bad Idea when I learnt to drive, or around that time (eons ago!)

But why is it bad? I would not be in good shape to "accelerate out of trouble", [actually I frequently drop-the-clutch, rather than selecting neutral, and maintain a gear suitable for the car's speed, so I can change to acceleration if I need to] but I'm slowing down for a corner or a T junction (technically I am slowing down by lifting off the accelerator, and coasting, quite a bit in advance of the point where I would normally start pressing the brake pedal); if I was actually braking hard-ish I would not be in good shape to accelerate out of danger either. Sure, if I was in my sports car I would be using toe-heel as part of my braking procedure, and I would already be in a low gear and thus able to accelerate, but in a normal car I don't drive like that.

A youngster I was talking to the other day, about to sit his driving test, astounded me that they are now taught to slow for the bend and then select the appropriate gear [for the speed they are at] rather than changing down through the gears. (And Rubens Barrichello does that too, apparently)

Coasting down hill is a bit different, I might need to accelerate; but in practice I am coasting down hills that don't have blind bends etc. and I have a clear view of the road ahead. I can't remember all that many accelerate-out-of-danger manoeuvres I've done in my life, but I would guess they were all in towns, and that isn't really a down-hill-cost sort of environment.

In the old days with cable / drum brakes the whole engine braking thing was important. Nowadays I don't think it has any relevance; in an emergency you are suppose to stand-on-the-brakes and let the electronics (ABS) sort it out for you.

When I learnt to drive, some 35 years ago, the emergency stop procedure was "simultaneously depress clutch and brake as hard as you can [without locking the wheels]". If it was all right to disengage the engine for that then, why not to coast too?

I'd be very interested in reasons / arguments for keeping the engine engaged [rather than selecting neutral] for my two coasting scenarios - slowing for a bend and down-hill fuel saving, as I'm struggling to see the oft-touted danger.

I have a hill that is at a nice angle - "friction free" if you like. If I get to, say, 30 MPH down that and lift off I maintain 30 MPH all the way down. If I select neutral (or drop the clutch) I am doing 40 MPH by the time I get to the bottom. Yes the engine is using fuel if its ticking over, but I reckon I am using less fuel "Hypermiling".

Note also that from my previous "standard" driving style I have improved my MPG by 1/3rd. (It ain't going to save me more than a few hundred quid a year, but if every Man Jack on the planet saves 33% of their car fuel its significant - that's like driving for free for 20 years of your life!)

"Saving the planet is obviously a great idea, but don't put your own safety at risk because of it."

I'm very happy to be enlightened, and I HAVE given it some though and discussed with others, but I just don't see where the danger is coming from. (I do NOT turn off the ignition - some people do, that is clearly nuts - as is driving 1mm behind an articulated lorry to benefit from the slipstream)

So come on, enlighten me, where is the danger coming from that I have overlooked?

"It was a while ago but my driving instructor told me it was illegal to coast?"

nah, not illegal but yes it is frowned upon as being less safe, but (apart from now completely outdated reasons relating to engine braking and braking mechanics that have not existed for 40 years) I am struggling to think what the issue could be.

Videos: If you are completely anorak, or just plain bored, here are some videos Hypermiling Videos. The third one includes some turn-the-engine-off-whenever-possible religion! - including turn on engine and immediately drive off - so as to waste no fuel!

A Darling Husband. They're dead useful.

"They're dead useful."

Is that the same as having a large life insurance policy?

Supposed to get 39.4 pmg out of our car average wise. We get 55...gotta love tractors! :-)

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as compost?

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aka
Suzie

between three of us we probably spend around £220/month easily - but this will include toiletries which are expensive...can't believe how much it costs to wipe yer bum! I cook alot from scratch - at least four times a week, occasionally make bread if the mood takes me, usually make fresh sauces like tomato from scratch. problem is that i only have limited cupboard/fridge/freezer space. in a way this is deliberate as if i had more space i'd make more food that i wouldn't fancy eating and would then waste! i am now trying to buy little and often with a cupboard full of tinned/dried basics. always have nice things like tinned artichokes, tinned tuna and salmon, jars of salted anchovies and capers and vacuum packs of sundried tomatoes so always a good store of items for quick dishes. i always have basmati, jasmine and long grain rice at home but can't stand brown rice! i agree with lynda66, you can eat cheaply and healthily my son is 13 and refuses to eat canned soup or prepacked sandwiches as he prefers homemade. he might be slightly weird though as he doesn't eat ketchup or fishfingers either . i always buy fresh prawns in their shells and save the shells up for seafood stocks / soups and i always keep my chicken carcasses for stocks and soups.

I haven't worked out my budget, let's have a go:

breakfast: latte & porridge or yogurt: 87p
lunch: boiled FR egg: (20p) & salad (free). Diet Coke or OJ: 28p.
dinner: hummous, rice (65p) & allotment veg (free).
Snacks: maybe a breakfast bar (30p) or an apple

What's that? £16 a week. Plus wine ~ that doubles the bill!

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

It can be. Get them to use 2 sheets max per visit Nouvelle Recycled bog roll is about 25p a roll on offer. And it comes with a free parsnip/carrot pot inside!

I am trying to wean Mr Sheds off his branded shampoo/shave foam/toothpaste etc and onto own brands. Not happening yet!

I've just discovered A3da do an own brand suncream for £1.11. Factor 15. And a Basics Feta cheese (78p instead of over a quid).

We recharge our batteries (for remote controls, torches etc) and never have to buy any now.

What else? We don't use fabric conditioner (it's designed to eliminate static from synthetic fabrics ... we don't have any, so don't buy it). We use own-brand laundry tablets, bought when they're on offer.

Basically, I use a shopping list for what we need, but if something we use is on offer, we stock up. Eggs were 40p a dozen last night, so we're having omlette tonight. And tomorrow

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Mr Sheds has increased his mileage from 41 mpg to over 44 mpg, just by NOT racing and braking, racing and braking between junctions. He now drives sensibly, and is saving a few pounds too.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

There's a trick to reducing use by visitors of your loo roll. Leave an almost empty roll on the holder, with no replacement in the room. Most people are too polite to leave zero loo roll OR ask for more!

I took my driving test 13 years ago and I was also taught to brake and then select the gear appropriate for the new speed, so it's been around for a while.

Back on topic... we spend about £70 a week for all 5 of us, and that is at our local farm shop where food is 'apparently' more expensive.

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