juliajulia Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 We purchased a 3rd car so I wouldn't have to drive my gas guzzling 8 passenger van when I wasn't in need of all of those seats. It also would be the car the children used when they got their licenses. Now we have two teen drivers and myself driving this vehicle. Anyone have a good way of deciding how the gas costs are split? I realize we could just record mileage and figure the mpg cost but I foresee problems - "I forgot", "She didn't record all of her time" and lots of other excuses I haven't even thought of. Ooo, thought of another, they go on a 40 mile trip and do an errand for me on the way. I know one of mine would count that as my trip. Mostly my problem with this method is just the keeping up with it... Does anyone have a clever idea they have come up with that is easy to keep up with? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Just pay for all the gas yourself? Ask for extra chores to help you out. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 We just pay for the gas for our kids. They have one of our credit cards to use to purchase gas if they need to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Whoever is driving when the car needs gas puts gas in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 We too have always paid gas for our oldest two until they were out of college. Maybe come up with a set figure a week for the kids and anything over that you pay for? I'm not sure how car sharing would work, as we've never had that issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliajulia Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 I've been paying for it but they (especially one of them) NEED to "Get it" and understand the $$$ coming out of their pocket. Besides, we are out of chores/time (benefit/curse of having a bunch of kiddos) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Everyone fills up before bringing the car home. If someone is running an errand for you, you reimburse them when they get home. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 My teen isn't driving yet but when I was a teen and all through college my parents paid for my gas. However since you are trying to teach a $ lesson here, perhaps a flat rate per trip or per hour might be more doable. You would probably still be subsidizing some of their gas but at least they have a stake in the game about the costs of running a vehicle. Maybe for short local trips $5, take a dollar off if they run an errand for you type of pricing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliajulia Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 OK, I don't think I've been clear enough. The only thing I can think of is keeping a log book and calculating trip length and mpg. I was wondering if anyone had any clever ideas that were not as cumbersome. I'm always thinking there is just one option only to discover someone has come up with some fabulous idea. I especially find that homeschool moms can be VERY ingenious and original. Also, it a typical day, I might take the car out a couple of times and so will each of the teens for differing lengths of trips. My trips are negligible compared to theirs. The distance we drive is no where near being equal or consistent. We had decided that we (parents) would put one tank in/month and let them just take care of the rest but it seems they always think the other is getting away without putting in the fair amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 With our van, every few fill-ups, I have dd fill it up when she's driving it a lot (to work or class) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliajulia Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 Yes, Rosie, that is a good idea! My only problem is now I would have to go to the gas station more :lol: I think I'll mull this over though for sure. Perhaps I could keep up my 1 tank/month to keep myself from having to fuel so frequently. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I'd try to come up with a rough estimate on expected gas costs and then charge that weekly. Consider it the fee for vehicle privileges, and then it doesn't really matter which person took one 50 mile trip and which one took four 5 mile trips that week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 We live in town so even though there are frequent trips, they are short. Logging miles driven or filling up every time they use the car is not something we wanted to spend our time doing. And filling up the car 'when it needs it' didn't work for us either- with short trips, 'when it needs it' can be pretty flexible. We ended up deciding that it was just easier to set a value for 'use of the car'. I already knew what it cost me to use the car every month before we had extra drivers- so it was easy to pass on a portion of that to ds. We did the same with our dd who doesn't drive. Someone drives her to and from work, etc., so she chips in to cover the cost. They both have credit cards on our account so if they buy gas it gets paid out of that. Now, when ds goes a few hours away to visit a friend, he pays the gas for that himself. But otherwise a monthly 'use of car' bill works out fine. They pay it when they pay us for their cell phones since they're on our family plan. I'm all about making things simple. I know tracking miles and paying for gas used works really well for other people but it was just too much trouble for me to even contemplate it. We are trained to note mileage when we fill up because dh tracks miles used and gas costs, etc. But that's his thing and it's no trouble- I fill up about once a month so it's not a burden. But noting every time I drive? Nope. Not going to happen. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I always paid my parents x-amount a month before I had my own car. Some months I probably wouldn't use the full amount. Other months, I would use it plus more. It pretty much evened out in the end. Of course, this was when $20 went a long way with gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for but you could just have people log miles and have them pay you the current IRS rate for mileage reimbursement. This year it's 54 cents/mile for business driving. Of course you could set your own rate. Still cumbersome, but just tracking miles and not mpg might not be so bad. If everyone notes the mileage when they get in the car, it will be obvious if someone forgets to log theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Yes, Rosie, that is a good idea! My only problem is now I would have to go to the gas station more :lol: I think I'll mull this over though for sure. Perhaps I could keep up my 1 tank/month to keep myself from having to fuel so frequently. Thank you.If you are like me, errands are to the same places over, and over, and over, etc. Calculate the mileage for your usual trips, then give the $ for your share to the next teen driver. That way you never have to be the one stopping for gas. If they get tired of filling up every time, they may come up with a different plan on their own. I think Rosie's idea has merit because it makes the immediate connection between miles driven and $ for gas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 My best friend in high school had a car that her mom gave her - her mom's rule was mom would fill the tank up once a week. If she used any more gas than that, she would be in charge of keeping gas in the tank. She drove myself and a third friend around a bunch so we would chip in as well for gas. That worked out pretty well. You could also have everyone track for one month how many miles they drive or how many minutes they drive. On your end, keep track of how much gas you put in the car that month. At the end of the month, make a gas budget and have the kids contribute based on their expected use. Ex: juliajulia drove 200 miles in January teen 1 drove 500 miles teen 2 drove 300 miles You spent $100 on gas in Jan, so for February, you chip in $20, Teen 1 pays $50 and Teen 2 pays $30. For any unexpected longer trips (Teen 2 spends a weekend at a friend's house and has the car - Teen 2 is responsible for filling up before returning the car home). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 We always paid for their gas ourselves, but then they really didn't use the car much besides what was required of them -- classes, jobs, etc. And everything else (movie theater, etc.) was only a mile or two away so it was no big deal. But I understand what you're saying. Maybe only have them pay you when they do something over 15 miles that's personal/recreational? (as an example) Then figure out your own mileage reimbursement. If it's more to teach a lesson and not as much about you not being able to afford it, then you can set any price. 15 cents/mile? I'd guess times like that don't happen every day, right? So you could just quickly jot down on the calendar "B to X Town." Then at the end of the month you'd look at the calendar and see that child B drove to X Town which is 24 miles away. Give them a bill at the end of the month. Or, what we did, is we let them drive the extra car, but they had to keep it cleaned and washed (weekly), and be in charge of making sure the tank was full and the oil changed regularly. (We them use our credit card for that, but they had to physically do it.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 You could each keep a log and tally up miles per month. Also keep the gas receipts for the month, which would be easier if only you fill up. Then figure out who drove what percentage of the total miles and do the math. They could reimburse you at the end of the month. It wouldn't take into account city vs. highway miles and for me it would be a pain, but maybe it would work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 We always covered expenses in family car, but they didn't drive it much. When they could afford expenses, they got their own car. DIL has said her dad charged her by the mile every time she drove his car. I see it as hard to enforce myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Everyone fills up before bringing the car home. If someone is running an errand for you, you reimburse them when they get home. I really like this idea because it emphasizes that using a car is never free and also adds in an extra step that might reduce useless trips. I realize it adds a step for everyone but it seems worth it to keep the peace between sibs and teach a lesson. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I don't think I would nickel and dime it to that extent with my own kids. Having them reimburse you for a fair, flat amount every month seems like it would be less of a hassle for you, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Our dd uses our car all the time. We keep our vehicles full so whoever drives it just refills what they use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I don't think I would nickel and dime it to that extent with my own kids. Having them reimburse you for a fair, flat amount every month seems like it would be less of a hassle for you, too. This is what I would do, too, if I were going to charge them at all. Either that or have each person fill up after they have used the car as a couple other posters said. We didn't charge our kids, but they would fill up the car sometimes, especially if they drove it a significant distance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Not sure how much money they have/how much can they afford to pay? I'd say set a weekly fee, the same for both, and have that go towards gas. If there's any extra just keep it separate (an envelope or something), to be put towards oil change or whatever the vehicle might need. I'd continue to fill up once a month, or twice if I can afford it (still charge them, but if not all the money goes for gas it's OK, they need to learn there's more to vehicle maintenance than just gas). Oh, and just set it for in town or something. If teen A or B is driving longer than specified distance then they have to put some extra gas in vehicle. Something like that? Not really sure. But logging miles charging by the cent wouldn't work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 An easier way.... Have a set gas card for the car that you pay for. Any errands that you are doing, don't worry about tracking the miles. If you are willing to pay for something they are doing (like a school/sport/family errand), then don't have them document the miles. The only time you need to document...is If they are going with friends or running around. Have them send you a before/after pix on the phone of the mileage.(Hint.. If they use the tripometer it will make the math easier LOL) They have to send you a before picture before they leave and an after picture, before giving the key back to you. If they forget to send the picture, then add a penalty of 20 miles or something, it won't take long for them to learn the habit. Have them always use the gas card to fill up, and then just have them pay you personally for what ever gas they use. I would make a simple chart to track their mileage, and if they paid or not, because I would forget too easily otherwise. They can pay you via paypal, square (I think Square will do this), online bank payments, check, cash, deducted out of chores $, or whatever works for you. ``` I only have one driver on our extra car right now. For her, I buy her a pre-paid $25 fuel card at Costco when she tells me she needs it. Costco is very close to our house and there are several around our area if she is caught out and about. If she fills up somewhere else (never been an issue because she gets 600miles/tank of diesel), we would just need to do some math and I would have to pay her back. When I give it to her, she has to pay me $7.50. We have figured that is an average about of personal driving vs what I am willing to pay for for school/sports/household errands. We figure it averages out for during the school year, and in the summer we will have to refigure it. If dh or I drive that car, we usually just fill it up for her as a treat, but if I needed to use it more regularly, it wouldn't be a big deal for me to figure out a beginning/ending mileage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 This is interesting to me as I will soon have two young drivers in the house, so 4 people sharing two cars. For those who say "fill up when they take the car out" - do you really mean that literally - if they drive 10 miles, say, they stop for gas before coming home? And then, the next day, if someone drives 15 miles, that's another gas stop? Or do you mean it for longer trips? I can't imagine stopping for gas every time I drove! Sorry if I am being dense. It happens. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 This is interesting to me as I will soon have two young drivers in the house, so 4 people sharing two cars. For those who say "fill up when they take the car out" - do you really mean that literally - if they drive 10 miles, say, they stop for gas before coming home? And then, the next day, if someone drives 15 miles, that's another gas stop? Or do you mean it for longer trips? I can't imagine stopping for gas every time I drove! Sorry if I am being dense. It happens. That's what I was thinking- we live in town and most of our trips are under 6 miles one way. Today I drove to tutor a kid, came home. Ds took dd to work, came home. I went to the gym, picked up dd, came home. And ds and dd are going to a movie tonight. Total miles for all that: 13 miles. No way am I filling up every time, or even every day. This was a heavy drive day for us- we can usually go a month on a tank of gas. We'll use more in winter because we sometimes warm the car up and drive to places we'd normally walk since it's no fun to walk on snow and ice. The fill up every time you use the car method must be for people who have to drive farther when they go out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 (edited) They should just log where they went each day. Track the rough mileage when they get home with Google Maps each week. ETA: surely there's a smartphone app for this? Seems like there ought to be. Edited January 7, 2016 by fairfarmhand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliajulia Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 If anything we did was consistent or equitable it sure would be a lot easier to figure out! I usually drive that car a tiny bit but dd has been draining the tank and ds varies drastically. We live in a large metropolitan area that spans several counties and 3 states. If we stay in our little city it is no big deal but a lot of activities can take them on 40 mile trips. UGH! I think we are going to have to just do a log no matter how much of a pain I think it will be. Oh well, we have 4 more drivers coming up through the ranks so I should have it down by the time they all move on their own. :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 The fill up every time you use the car method must be for people who have to drive farther when they go out. We pay more for petrol than you do, so perhaps we are more likely to cluster our errands. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Quick Google search brought up this. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esocialllc.vel&hl=en and this: http://appadvice.com/appguides/show/Mileage-Tracking-Apps-For-iPhone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 We pay more for petrol than you do, so perhaps we are more likely to cluster our errands. Oh yes, I get that. We do try to cluster as much as possible regardless of gas prices. Sometimes it doesn't work out, depending on timing. I hate going to and fro all day long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 What if you made trips worth a certain number of points. Like less than 5 miles, 1 point. 5-10, 2 points, 10-20 3 points. Then you just have to note how many points instead of messing with mileage. I would find that easier. Each person pays $x per point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) Everyone fills up before bringing the car home. If someone is running an errand for you, you reimburse them when they get home. This makes sense. You could simplify by saying that they have to fill up if the journey is longer that x miles or if they have the car out for longer than x hours. While that means one person will be paying for another's short trips it would probably all even out on balance, and it wouldn't be necessary to reimburse anyone unless they're specifically doing a time consuming errand for you a long way from home. Edited January 8, 2016 by nd293 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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