Eco-friendly choices for housing, vehicles and food— generally perceived as expensive for the average individual or


family—often are not only attainable when pursued in a thoughtful way, but


can actually save us money compared to maintaining the status quo.


3. Choosing a Car We know two primary facts about cars: They are expensive and those with inter- nal combustion engines pollute during operation. Still, many of us need one. Reducing the total impact and burden of owning a car can be as simple as prioritizing fuel efficiency. It helps that fuel-sippers now come in more sizes than just small, yet small subcompacts remain a good place to start our research because of their budget-friendly prices and high fuel economy. A subcompact that averages 32 miles per gallon (mpg) and has a sticker price below $15,000 can save us so much money compared with a top-selling com- pact SUV—upwards of $16,000 over five years, according to Edmunds.com—that if we need a larger vehicle on occasion, we can more easily afford to rent one. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), both small and midsized, can be an even better choice, averaging 41 mpg. Cost comparisons show that an HEV can save a heavily travelling city driver nearly $1,000 in fuel costs annually versus a comparably sized conventional gasoline- powered car. Although a 2014 midsized HEV has an average suggested retail price of $28,431, the category has been around long enough to create a market in previously owned vehicles. A used


natural awakenings April 2014 41


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