financial reflections

Sometimes the small things add up.  This time it was something simple, but potentially costly.  My spouse mentioned that someone noticed a low tire on our vehicle while I was out driving, so I pulled over to check it out.  Sure enough, the passenger side rear tire was very low.

As I pumped it back up, I inspected the tread.  It had the tell-tale wear on the outer parts of the tread - a sign that it had been below proper pressure for some time.  This could hurt me three ways:

• Fuel economy.  be tire smart!  Has tips on tire inflation and mentions this.  As of this writing gas is about $2.50 (or more) in the US.  Every gallon counts.
• Longer tread life.  Improperly inflated tires wear faster than inflated ones.  Goodyear has some nice pictures of under and over inflated tires.  The tires on my vehicle are NOT cheap.  I don’t look forward to replacing any of them early - which is what I’m going to have to do.
• Safety.  One cannot put a value on life.  Tires are (or at least should be) your only contact with the road.

Of course, you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your vehicle and tires — which is what I need to do more carefully.