Montanans are feeling the pinch at the fuel pump as gas and diesel prices continue to climb. Obviously, a logical way to save money is to drive a vehicle that gets great gas mileage. The difference between 12 mpg and 38 mpg is huge, especially as prices creep above $4 a gallon. If getting a little commuter car is out of the question, consider some of these unusual ways to get around.

Get a wind wagon.

The wind is almost always blowing in Montana and you can probably make pretty good time most days between Big Timber and Livingston. You'd have to keep an eye on the forecast though.

Credit Town Pump Facebook video screenshot.
Credit Town Pump Facebook video screenshot.
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Saddle up and head into town.

I know almost nothing about horse ownership, but I imagine the initial outlay to get one for commuting purposes is probably pretty steep. With the barn, the hay, the horseshoes, and whatnot. But if you've already got the horse and the gear, saddle up and save on fuel.

Photo by Michael Foth, Townsquare Media
Photo by Michael Foth, Townsquare Media
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Start hopping trains.

More reliable than counting on the weather to power your Wind Wagon, hopping trains will certainly save on gas. It's also highly illegal and quite dangerous, so maybe consider this option as a last resort. 

Brutal bearded man with vintage bicycle
Pinkypills
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Grow a hipster beard and ride a bicycle.

Are hipster beards mandatory for bicyclists? I suppose not, but a ridiculously well-manicured beard surely can't hurt. The ride-your-bike plan is a great seasonal option if you live fairly close to work. Which... if you do, you probably don't spend that much on gas anyway.

Photo by Lukas Bato on Unsplash
Photo by Lukas Bato on Unsplash
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Get a skateboard.

Good for short trips (and not really an option if you live on a gravel road) a skateboard or longboard could be a way to save a little on gas. At my age, learning how to skateboard seems like a trip to the ER just waiting to happen.

Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images
Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images
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Hitch up your dogs.

My dogs have been freeloading for their entire lives. It's time they start earning their keep. All I need is one of those sweet-looking dog chariots seen above and I'll be dog sledding my way into work in no time.

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Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
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Register the four-wheeler and hit the road.

Yes, ATVs consume fuel, but most of them get pretty decent gas mileage. Especially if you don't romp on the throttle like a madman. When fitted with the appropriate street equipment (mirror/lights/etc) they're legal on most Montana roads. Just make sure you've registered the ATV.

Photo by Vander Films on Unsplash
Photo by Vander Films on Unsplash
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Get a mini bike or moped.

With fuel prices so ridiculous, I no longer laugh at "DUI Dave" riding his moped around town. In fact, I'm jealous of the 50+ mpg that Dave is getting. Even better are those gas-powered bicycle conversions you see, with what is basically a weed wacker motor bolted on the back wheel. Laugh all you want... that dude is probably getting 80 mpg.

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

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