41. Minimize car trips by combining errands.

Combinations, when done well, can produce AMAZING results. Some combinations are so good they start to spread, such as - popcorn with butter, chocolate with peanut butter, and bagels with…cream cheese…no, wait, butter! Producing great combinations does not always require chemistry or culinary skills. As suggested in this week’s post, you will just need logistic skills, discernment skills, and buttery-smooth driving skills to navigate your errand-reduced day.

Combining errands minimizes car trips which helps people save the big 3 (everyone say them with me - time, money, and energy/butter). Therefore we appreciate this week’s simple sustainable reminder and feel obligated to express this by combining Joy, Playfulness, and Gratitude into a simple word of - Joyplatitude

To help you “Minimize car trips by combining errands,” here’s a simple 2-step process:

1. Make a list of your errands
2. Combine all your errands first in chronological order, then hierarchical order, then alphabetical order, and use a memory palace (or a GPS) to rhythmically navigate through your checklist while reducing your miles and minimizing the shredded treads from your tires.

Your future you is looking back and sending Joyplatitude messages for your skillful savings of time, money, and energy/butter. Your future you will be better equipped to combine both more errands and more words of appreciation in the future, but in order to earn the Joyplatitude praise, it is conditional on your ‘combination of errand’ skills now, so start combining today, okay? Ghee…   

P.S. - It’s been reported that corporate housing companies also help ‘minimize car trips by combining errands’ since our properties are fully furnished, and thusly, our guests have fewer errands to combine. If you’re ever in a housing jam, just combine your luggage and your laptop with some joy, and bask in the simplicity of corporate housing Joyplatitude. Combine your errands. Then ‘spread’ the word.

This series is focused on Simple Sustainable Actions - based on Stephane Omsanski’s article in Parade from 2021.

https://parade.com/1300935/stephanieosmanski/ways-reduce-carbon-emissions/

41. Minimize car trips by combining errands.

Got three places to go today? Hit them up one after the other rather than running one errand at 9 am, another at 1 pm, and one later at 5 pm. Of course, sometimes we can't help it—we have to do things and go places!—but if your errands can be condensed at all, one car trip is better than three.