I have a debit card. As a result, I spend money and don’t record it. Often.
Not that I spend more than I have. I just find stupid things on ebay that for some reason I feel I need. I diverge.
Anyway, my biggest expense comes at the pump. I swipe my card so I don’t have to go in to pay, which is great, but I never know how much I’ll have to pay for a fill up.
I want a system that supplements the fuel gauge with a digital display of the dollar (whatever currency) value of what’s left in my car, and how much it would cost (at the previous rate) to fill ‘er up again. Not only would I be more likely to take note of it for my own records, but I would watch my dollars burn away and make a better attempt to be fuel efficient.
New to the Bakery--go easy on me!-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jan 29 2004 //New to the Bakery--go easy on me!// Don't EXPECT it -- but a very novel idea. My $.50 croissant is yours ... [+]
It would have to somehow be updated with the ever changing prices of fuel, though. Perhaps some daily update via bluetooth at the pump is in order ...-- Letsbuildafort, Jan 29 2004 + for the simple fact that it might make people think a little more about the costs of the fuel they use.
Would be much improved if the $/£ showed the true cost to the environment, rather than simple cost at the pump.-- jonthegeologist, Jan 29 2004 Also, as you cross state lines from New York into New Jersey, the $ amount would change to reflect different prices. Cute.-- phundug, Jan 29 2004 Croissant from me. The problem, of course, is that the fuel gage is not very accurate. You would have to create a gague that determined how much gas was in the tank to the 1/200th of a gallon (assuming gas doesn't top $2.00 a gallon anytime soon) to get a gague that calculated to the penny. And you would have to do it without electrical parts. One electrical short inside a gas tank, and the whole world will see you running from Morely Safer, Stone Phillips, et al...-- dbsousa, Jan 29 2004 [dbsousa] you are making things unessesarily complicated, they already have gauges that tell you in liters how much you have left, just multiply that by the current gas price ( which could be entered manually).
Anyways [YDYD] isn't lauching a rocket here where acurate fuel amounts are critical, this is just a novelty.-- SystemAdmin, Jan 29 2004 Brilliant! Croissant for you.-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jan 29 2004 You just praised yourself?
I like this idea, I drive way too fast... Maybe my blow off valve will start making a "chii-chingg" sound........-- KLRico, Jan 29 2004 Your blow-off valve ... lets not go bragging here, 'Rico ...-- Letsbuildafort, Jan 29 2004 Hehe, Sorry.... I just HAD to thow that one in there ;-)-- KLRico, Jan 29 2004 I praised the recognition of simplicity here. Come on, now.-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jan 30 2004 This is quite an amusing idea, an integrated system could have some kind of Bluetooth fuel price updating dooberry as someone mentioned.
[dbsousa] I think most people would be happy with a gauge that was accurate to the nearest half dollar/pound/euro/whatever and stop stressing about gas prices; try driving in the UK, petrol works out to $5.80/US gallon over here.-- squigbobble, Apr 28 2005 Works for me. For those with fancy trip computers, they could also display the current cost per mile and cost per minute, taking into accout the price at which you bought the fuel and the way you're currently driving.-- st3f, Apr 28 2005 Auto PC systems abound.-- bristolz, Apr 28 2005 [st3f]Cost/mile & cost/min would actually be easier than cash remaining in fuel tank; many modern cars can give you an instantaneous mpg reading using data from the engine computer.-- squigbobble, Apr 29 2005 Directions to wedding: Get on Rte 87 North Drive $4.50 to Exit 16 Main St $2.55 until McDonalds on the left Turn left and church is $0.75 down Cedar Rd.-- phundug, Apr 29 2005 Calculated by speed limits along those routes.-- bristolz, Apr 29 2005 And, of course, the fuel consumption of the directee's vehicle.-- squigbobble, May 02 2005 You get a biscuit because I've thought of it, too.
(I doubt if I could ever get to all of the ideas on here I've independently come up with, though, so it may not be fair...)
I also like it because it's one of those things a garage tinkerer could cobble together himself (with manual price/unit entry).-- RunnerPack, Oct 17 2007 How would currency conversion work when driving across country borders? Could it be tied to the mph/kph switch somehow? (Rant: I am still upset my temperature readings do not switch to Celsius when I put my gauges in kph mode).-- ed, Oct 17 2007 Cool.
There's a few pumps around here that can read a transponder keyfob for credit sales; it may not be a big deal to get the car to talk to the pump and find out how much fuel was taken on, and at what price. Instant fuel mileage readouts already exist; that easily is translated to dollar mileage. (+)-- elhigh, Oct 17 2007 [SystemAdmin] - Great username.-- wagster, Oct 17 2007 I would love to have a gague directly on the card itself so as I am frivilously spending all over town, I would have a visual display of how much money I have left.-- Jscotty, Oct 17 2007 Buy an old taxi and flip the meter on?-- popbottle, Oct 22 2013 Much more polite than flipping the meter off (+).-- normzone, Oct 23 2013 random, halfbakery