Taxi Pedometer Calculates Steps...And Savings!

Basic pedometers will calculate the steps you've taken, while other high-tech versions will also estimate how many calories you've burned. Now, a new gadget in Japan is taking it one step further by calculating how much cab fare you're saving by hoofing it to your destination.

According to reports from Reuters, Happinet Toy's "Taxi Walker" costs $23.20 and has a meter similar to the one found in taxi cabs in Tokyo. The starting rate is $7.90 for the first 2 kilometers (about 1.2 miles), which then increases by about $4 for every additional kilometer covered. That might not seem like much, but if you live in a big city like New York or Chicago and use taxis as your main form of transportation, it can really add up. Opting to walk a mile over taking a cab once a day works out to $55 a week, so just think of how much money you'd save if you doubled that on a regular basis.

And the money you'll save is just the beginning -- according to Kayoko Sakaba, the advertising director for Happinet, "It also shows the number of calories (burned), so as you're losing weight you also feel like you're saving money." Walking is a great exercise, and an average 150-pound person will burn around 225 calories per hour of pounding the pavement at a medium pace. Over time, that can really add up.

Currently, the device is only available in Japan, but you don't have to wait for it to hit North America -- just make an effort to walk more and watch your savings grow while your belly shrinks. Don't take many cabs? Walking to the store or biking to work will save you gas money and help burn off some calories.

And if it's too cold to walk outside, head to the mall for a climate-controlled stroll.