The Hybrid Math...Six Months Later. And Boosters!
Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
It's been 6 months since we bought our first hybrid car (a 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid) and I wanted to see how much we’ve saved on gas so far:
In the first six months, we’ve used about 80 fewer gallons of gas, saving over $250 at current gas prices. The hybrid is getting over 34mpg versus 22mpg for our regular CR-V.
Of course, the hybrid cost us an extra $2200. But with a payback period of about four years and very attractive savings over the life of the car (see math below), it’s a great deal.
And there are benefits well beyond the financial:
The hybrid is noticeably zippier and smoother than our regular CR-V, particularly at low speeds when the electric motor kicks in.
The increased range (almost 500 miles on a full tank) means we only need to refuel every 2-3 weeks, saving us time.
The gas savings also reduces our annual carbon footprint by more than 1.5 tons.[1]
Second, boosters!
8 days ago, I received my booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine (I wrote about my original vaccine experience here). While I am well under 65, I have a major underlying condition (type 1 diabetes) that made me eligible for a booster six months from my second Pfizer shot, and I chose to get one. Making an appointment at our local CVS was very easy, and I was in and out in about 20 minutes.
This time around, the CDC has chosen to define eligibility very broadly, with most Americans (who received Pfizer the first time around) eligible one way or another. Eligibility includes age, underlying conditions (even including BMI over 25, which includes the majority of Americans), or occupational exposure. Notably, CVS did not even ask me for any proof of my condition this time around.
Getting a booster was the right decision for me, but of course this is not medical advice. Talking to your doctor is always a good idea.
And now…Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:
Red Oaks
As someone who loves coming of age teen dramedies, from the quirky (Freaks and Geeks) to the soapy (The O.C. and the original Gossip Girl) to the serious (The Wonder Years), I don’t know how I missed Red Oaks when it came out in 2015. But it’s a fun and well-acted show available free on Amazon Prime with great performances by Paul Reiser, Gina Gershon, Jennifer Grey, Richard Kind, and a bunch of younger newcomers.
On a much more serious note, I thought this NYT article about one girl’s journey through the Milton Hershey school was harrowing and sad, but also extremely well done. The Milton Hershey school, which I had not heard of before reading this article, is a K-12 boarding school for 2,000 underprivileged kids. It also owns a controlling interest in Hershey’s, giving it an endowment as large as the average Ivy League university. A profound story about the challenges of poverty.
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.
[1] Based on approximately 20lbs of carbon emitted per gallon of gasoline.
