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Michael Caruso isn't clairvoyant, just easily aggravated.

Paying $3 a gallon for gasoline last summer prompted Caruso to dump his 2003 Dodge Ram pickup truck getting about 13 miles per gallon and replace it with a $700 1991 Saturn getting about 30. It's a decision he figures saves him $80 a week now that the price of gasoline has climbed to more than $4 a gallon.

Clint Williams/cwilliams@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Michael Caruso of Powder Springs figures he is saving $80 a week after turning in his pickup for a 1991 Saturn.

"It wasn't I was so bright as to see the future," said Caruso, who lives in west Cobb County. "I was just cheap. I'd go to the pump and spend $70 and get aggravated."

Downsizing his ride also eliminated a monthly car payment of $400 and cut his insurance premium nearly $300 a month.

Caruso admits missing the comfort and utility of his pickup but adds that he didn't really haul enough stuff to justify the costs.

"In the long run, it would be cheaper to go to Home Depot to rent a truck to do what I need to do," Caruso said. "Plus, I have neighbors with trucks."

While it can be aggravating to drive a stick shift in Atlanta's stop-and-go traffic, Caruso said, "Every time I get to the pump, I smile."

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