I generally made sure that my gasoline expenses were covered by extra overtime or double-time & special fees for doing outside jobs for/thru my employer (at their other plants around the state). I averaged 10 or more hours OT for over half of my 46 years working for them, and was the go-to guy (on call 24/7/365) for two decades. I refused salary because I made more money my way.

Unless I was assured of enough extra income to cover my expenses, whether doing my daily shifts, or on a 2 or 3 times-a-year lucrative side-trip to fix machines at another plant (no outside jobs in my last ten years, though), I would not drive the gas-gulping '66 Chevelle or '69 Chevy pickup, unless the '86 S-10 was down for maintenance.

Later on, during the majority of my 120+ mile commuting years, the '69 Chevy pickup rotated with the S-10 ('til the S-10 got T-boned), and the (replacement) '04 Chevy 2500HD was used exclusively prior to the acquisition of the economical '09 HHR in Dec.'08.

Not mentioned previously, I drag-raced from March thru October, for 14 of those years, towing my Chevelle to races in two states, and paying for 116 octane gas to power the 10-second car. Not cheap. After I closed-down one plant & took a position at the old plant in 2010, I lost some income (I saw it coming in '08, so I retired from racing then), and limited my driving as best I could, up until I really retired 1/1/16. My only hobby now is camping (in my home-built trailer), once or twice a year, adding maybe 750 miles a year (down from 3-4x, and up to 2000 miles per year).

The X5 came in May '21, and I'm only on my second tank of gas (driving only just under 450 miles). Gasoline expense isn't a problem, now, and hopefully won't become one.

__________________
01 BMW X5 E53,3.0i-5L40E, 7/13/01
topas-blau,Leder-grau,"resto-project car"

Here:
14 Lexus ES350,3.5L-U660E
09 HHR Panel,2.2L-4T45E
04 Chevy 2500HD,6.0L-4L80E
98 GMC Sierra 1500,5.7L-4L60E

Gone:
66 Chevelle Malibu 2dr ht.,327>441c.i.-TH350>PGlide/transbrake
08 Cobalt Coupe,2.2L-4T45E
69 & 75 C10s,350c.i.-TH350
86 S10,2.8L-700R4
73 Volvo 142,2.0L-MT4
72 & 73 VW SuperBeetles,1.6l-MT4
64 VW,1.2l-MT4
67 Dodge Monaco 500 2dr ht.,383c.i.-A727
56 Chevy 210 4dr,265c.i.-PGlide