good to see you still here.
I personally dont think you would have saved much by going with the f 1500
the 150s i had didnt do that great with fuel milage..
I'd do what nasty said and buy a beater, much more bang for the buck..
i'd look for a little older vw tdi.. my sister and mom have them and the fuel milage is great, and then you still have your truck when you need it..
you can buy a lot of fuel for the difference in truck costs