What to expect in (gloomy) 2009?

Due to the current economic situation, I foresee companies will adapt one or most of the things that I could think to ensure the sustenance and continuity of their business even during such tough times!
1. Time to revamp - companies will try to capitalize the moment to strenghten their internal processes such as tools, automation, structural issues and so on. Impact: Good utilization of resources to build skills, processes, tools and etc.
2. Consolidation of surplus or spare resources - be it hardware, human resources, office space or anything for that matter. Impact: job layoffs, companies moving to cost-effective remote locations, abondoning high-cost resources.
3. Cut on Travel cost - High usage of Video conferencing can be seen as travel on business meetings will be cut. Impact: Travel industries (Air, hotel, car) will see decline in business. Positively companies will buy high-end technologies to improve infrastructure such as video conferencing.
4. Highest ever attention to details - starting from working hours, power usage, supplies usage, parties/gatherings will be watched and optimized wherever necessary. Indirect Impact: companies may ensure employees applying leaves even for 2-3 hours late arrival. Less fun more work!

Some News to Bite

A good story about Mumbai International Airport http://www.hyperconnectivity.com/en/customer-story-mial.html

Follow-on: Smart ways to save gas! http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/19/autos/gas_wasting_habits/index.htm?postversion=2008052210

10 Smart ways to save some gas!

1. If your work has flexible timings, avoid going to office at peak hours. This would eliminate the chances of getting caught in traffic and also exhausting gas unncessarily by frequent breaking.
2. Similarly if work from home option is available, try to capitalize the option and cut down the frequency of going to office. (1) and (2) suggestions also help cut down your travel time to office.
3. Consolidate all the purchases/shopping to be done once or twice a month.
4. Choose the shopping places to be closer to the best possible, so that the need for using car to each shopping center is avoided or kept at minimum.
5. To refill fuel, better choose to do it mid-of-the-week as the fuel prices are relatively lesser during those days if compared to weekends.
6. Keep the vehicle serviced regularly, pressure checked to have efficient gas performance.
7. Some super markets like Costco, Sam's club offer low gas prices (atleast 10cents lower to market price) for its members - so it may be a good idea to take their membership and fill gas.
8. If you are going to a new place, make sure you have the full map on hand or use a GPS to avoid missing routes and exhausting gas.
9. Only make sure the necessary people are traveling in the car. More load to car, more fuel is used, so cut down on overall load to car. Check the trunk to clean unwanted things.
10. Try to use Highways as much as possible as the fuel/time saved is better if compared to country roads.

These ideas needs little discipline to get it to practice. Try yourselves and let me know if it works for you :))) Also feel free to add any other out-of-box ideas to be smart on gas usage:))

Happy savings!!