Doesn't need to be junk. Anything unnecessary in the trunk of you car will cost you a little more in fuel. The difference in fuel consumption? Apart from getting rid of all you don't need, for those who are overweight, you should consider shedding some pounds. Get leaner, save some cash.
Is that to say that the amount of gas that would take you 100 miles by yourself would only take you & your friend 95-to-98 miles? Although I know you're talking about 'things which you are not using at any destination your car's taking-you-to,' considering "friends" as 'weight to carry' DOES shift the 'economy'-definition a little ... how much gasoline is 'peace-of-mind that comes with knowing there's no way you forgot ANYTHING' worth? Would you rather "waste" gasoline to have it & not need it, or waste EVEN MORE gasoline to need it & not have it & have to drive all the way back to get it?
I suppose you'd need to choose what's best for you because while it's possible to earn money every other day, that you'll find good friends that easily is an entirely different matter. When circumstances demand so, you can give a friend or friends a ride. Good way to avoid leaving anything [you might need] behind is to have some list. An inventory of sorts. Before you start out, you take a look at your list, confirm that you have all that you need and you won't have to waste gas.
I try to keep the trunk area of my car filled only with essential items and tools e.g. small toolbox, mechanic paper towel, rope and medium size chain, crow-bar, blanket, ready-to-go meals, jumper-cables, and a baseball bat. I never understood those people who have nothing in the back of their cars, then again, it unveils to me that he/she is far too dependent on the help of other humans. Honestly, things in the trunk of a car only makes a big difference to gas consumption when it weighs over 50 pounds or more.
I actually had forgotten about this fact. I do have some unnecessary items that have been in my trunk for quite some time. Had I thought about the fact that they are causing my car to burn more fuel, I would have removed them a long time ago. You bet, I will be removing them as soon as possible.
Good OP. After I removed all of my items for flea market set up I did notice that I re-fueled less often. I'm sure it all weighed more than 50 pounds. So I won't complain so much during flea market season now that I know why but I refuse to load and unload every week. That is a lot of work.
I have a habit of using my trunk as a storage unit, even though I have one already LOL. My mom is gently trying to break me of this habit because right now, I have $10 worth of water in my trunk but my car's at the mechanic. SMH. The only time I notice a difference in fuel is when I get a good tune-up. As far as the other junk in the trunk goes, I'm finding out the hard way that going for walks 2-3x a week was better than joining a gym. Mine is only $10 but it's too crowded and the staff just sits around chatting.
When our car was new (that was eons ago) we may be very excited that we had almost everything in the car - small folding chair and table, cooler, blanket for picnic, and some other things. My husband's brother was laughing when he saw those things in the trunk of the car. And when he said it was excess baggage, that kept us thinking. So now the only extra baggage in our car are cloth grocery bags and stuff toys.
Well I never really thought about it like that, but I have to say that it makes sense. I should really get rid of some of the stuff that I have in there. I am pretty sure that I have been hauling around two boxes full of books for the past couple of months, and those have to weigh me down a little bit. I am going to go move those today when I get to my car.
I have some bags with old clothes in my trunk, which I intend to donate to charity but never got to it. I figured I should leave it in the car so that when I remember to do it I already have it there instead of picking it up on my apartment, but i never remember. Either way, clothes are light enough that I don't think it makes much of a difference as far as fuel consumption.
I once lived in a 2nd story apartment right on a busy road. The amount of cars driving around just packed full of junk and garbage amazed me! People are literally spending money to transport trash around the city with them! Cars make a terrible place to store things. OP you are 100% right, junk in the trunk is money down the drain!
