Americans are driving toy cars, using public transit to save money as gas prices soar

NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) – Mali Hightower’s answer to high gas prices is a toy he fished out of someone’s trash.The 30-year-old handyman from Ellenwood, Georgia stuck a two-gallon, one-piston engine from a power washer into a ​broken pink Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper — a battery-operated toy car less than four feet tall.One pull of the lawnmower-like rip cord and he’s off ‌to the supermarket, knees at his ears, dirtbike helmet on his head.His real car, a 1996 Mercedes-Benz convertible, costs about $90 to fill.

“That’s too much,” said Hightower, who also installed a rack on top for groceries.“I drive this when I can.”His solution may be unusual, but the soaring cost of gasoline is reshaping everyday decisions and inspiring creative workarounds in households across the country.

Long enamored with their cars, particularly less fuel-efficient SUVs and light trucks, Americans are ​seeking alternatives like public transit or staying close to home.As of May 18, Americans paid an average of $4.52 a gallon for regular gasoline, up from around $3 before the Iran ​war started, according to AAA.In an April 28 Ipsos poll published by the Washington Post and ABC News, 44% of Americans said ⁠they had cut back on driving.Some are finding opportunities in the economic pain.

After spending nearly $40 more than usual to fill up her Buick Enclave, Renee Tocci, executive director of Camp Farley ​in Mashpee, Massachusetts, had an idea: pitch sleep-away camp as a cost-saving measure for parents spending a fortune schlepping their kids around all summer.“My colleague was like, ‘That is hysterical,’” Tocci said.“And I ​was like, seriously, I’m going to put it all over social media.” She began referencing fuel costs online and in marketing emails to boost enrollment.“Here’s a budgeting tip no one talks about: Send your kids to overnight camp,” reads one of her posts.Content creator Dafne Flores drives to Los Angeles from her ho...