Spare the Air While Getting to Know Your Neighbors: Start a Carpool

Heatwaves are sweltering in Dublin and with Spare the Air a reminder for all of us wanting to save energy, here's an idea to ponder: Car pooling. Every day around 8:15 in the morning, my kids open the front door, back packs in tow and go to the car. Simultaneously, my neighbor across the street (who has kids the same age as mine and who go to the same school) packs up her kids and is doing the very same thing. Car doors close, engines start, and we are headed off.

After a few years of doing this we finally decided to do a car pool. We exchanged information and figured out our schedules - Which we both agreed can be crazy for both of us. I talked to my kids on pick up spots and what days we would be trading off for the carpool. Since they already know the kids across the street as well as their parents, this transition was pretty smooth. We have a set schedule and categorize pick ups according to our "little kids" and "big kids" - a strategy that has also proved to be a good buddy system.

A week has gone by (hot sun still gleaming) and gas prices haven't changed one bit. One advantage besides talking to your neighbors more, is the cost savings with carpools. Not only are you saving money on gas but also the wear and tear on your vehicle - even if you are going a short distance. You're saving money, time, and best of all, getting to know your neighbor just a tad bit more. Now asking to borrow some sugar has never been so easy.