Gas---Yikes!

Parent Cafe
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<p>Ok, Uncle! I admit it, the price of gas is reeking havoc on our household budget—and we don’t even drive one of those gas guzzling SUVs. Mine is a ten year old economy import. It cost almost 25 dollars to fill my ten gallon tank yesterday, and what’s alarming is that things are bound to get much worst before they get better (if they ever do get better). This time last year, a full tank cost about 15 dollars. </p>

<p>I know we are by no means alone in our dilemma. I guess I just want to commiserate with fellow CCers. What are you doing to minimize the economic strain brought on by ever increasing gas prices? I was watching a news segment a couple of days ago that showed a California man trading in his Hummer for a Saturn. It immediately brought to memory the 70’s, when people were unloading their American built land-yachts at fire sale prices for tiny Japanese imports (Most of us old geezers will remember that Jimmy Carter was in office at that time). I’d personally be hard pressed to find a smaller car. I certainly cannot afford one of the new hybrids. So I’ll be spending a lot more time at or very close to home—no more casual runs to the store for grocery items, etc. </p>

<p>But the price of energy impacts every imaginable segment of the economy. Sooner rather than later, the price of all goods and services will reflect the precipitous rise in the cost of doing business. Inflation, rising interest rates, unemployment, the collapse of the housing market… Continued acts of terrorism…Dominos anyone? It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that by the time “W” completes his tedious last term in office, The Democrats will be ripe to take over both the White House and both houses of Congress (what is politics, if not cyclical? After all, who took over after Carter?). All they have to do is scapegoat The Republicans and promise to “fix things”. Voters, in sheer desperation, will grab onto hope (however feable) and “throw the greedy bums out of office”. But by then, how bad will it be?</p>

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<p>Whether intentional or unintentional, the one thing that W has done is to move the U$A back to a free enterprise and market model, and the world to that model, even as bad as it seem to be. There are still severe dislocations that need to be addressed but those dislocations are political and also caused by the current adminstration and politcal thought. </p>

<p>I am going to use the bike more often, however, I live where I have to manage a 500ft rise to get home.</p>

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<p>Well, I told my daughter today that she needs to collect gas money from her friends when she gives them rides… and instead of the anticipated groans or arguments, she told me she had already been doing it. </p>

<p>So I guess the answer is – if you need to commute to school or work – find yourself a paying passenger. </p>

<p>My next car is definitely going to be a hybrid.</p>

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<p>The main road that connects to our sub-division is a narrow two-lane secondary with NO shoulder, and deep ditches on either side. Anyone riding a bike on this road is literally taking his life into his own hands. I wouldn’t even walk along this stretch. I wish biking were a more viable option. I could use the excercise.</p>

<p>Sorry itstoomuch, I don’t understand the point you’re trying to make in that first paragraph. “Free enterprise market model”, " severe dislocations"? What does that have to do with the price of a barrel of oil?</p>

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<p>Saw a gas station in San Francisco today right by SF State charging $3.18 for unleaded. The part that got me was that someone was actually filling up there; hopefully it was an emergency.</p>

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<p>I live in Alaska. I won’t be riding my bike to work when it is snowy out. That’s about a month from now. I would like to know how I am going to pay for heating oil! Ouch! Many layers and woolen socks for me in bed this year! Sorry, hubby! Come a little bit closer…</p>

<p>I would like to encourage drilling here in Alaska, though. Why is everyone in the lower 48 so adamantly opposed to it? Does anyone know how HUMUNGOUS this state is? And why do y’all get to have a say in our economic development? I mean, we don’t come down there and tell you not to build strip malls! (Although maybe someone should…;-)</p>

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<p>I remember a time when gas cost me a $1.50 and anything above that was outrageous. Of course this was when I had just got my liscense and it lasted maybe three months. Gas prices actually rose 30 cents in twenty-four hours and that was rather sickening. I got my credit card bills the other day and 90 percent of my bills were gas costs. I am so happy to be getting rid of my car for college. I am looking into getting a hybrid but since GM doesn’t make them I am kinda stuck as my mom is not willing to go for anything not made by GM. We get employee discounting and something for my dad being a retired gm employee.</p>

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<p>If it makes you feel any better, we pay about 1.30 Euros per LITER. About 60 Euros to fill our tank. But we can and do walk and bicycle a LOT. It is something I will miss greatly when we return to Atlanta traffic next year.</p>

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<p>I am showing my age here, but I remember the gas shortages in the 70’s and the discussion then about how would the pumps handle the pricing when it topped $.50/gal (or maybe it was $1.00/gal), not sure if the machines could do that. This weekend I about keeled over when I pulled into my regular station and the bottom price was $2.71. Thankfully I drove down the road a bit and got it for “only” $2.59. I’m glad I work very near where I live, unlike many people (DH included) who live in this area.</p>

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<p>Let’s see, D’s car, 10000 miles/year, 27 mpg, 370 gallons, $1036/year ($2.80/gal)
My car, 12000 miles/year, 17 mpg, 705 gal, $1976/year
H’s car, 5000 miles/year, 21 mpg, 238 gallons, $667/year
“Toy” car (summer convertible), 3000 miles/year, who knows how much/gallon, let’s say $500 year.</p>

<p>Obviously my car should go. Yeah, right. The comfortable 4-door sedan. If I got another 4-door sedan, I would lose at least $5000 in depreciation (dealer profit, fees, etc.) immediately, to save about 5 mpg. Which would reduce my gas costs to about $1500. Saving $400/year. But wait, my insurance costs would go up for the new car. </p>

<p>Guess I’ll just suck it up.</p>

<p>Oh wait, I remember on Sept 12, 2001, I paid $2.20/gallon. So gas has gone up $.60 over the last four years. That’s my 400 dollars right there. Because we’ve made the mideast (even more) unstable? Or is it because we’ve added extra gas taxes here in WA to pay for some road construction we need? Or because the Chinese want to have modern conveniences and are buying more gas on the world market? Or because the gas companies are making too much money? </p>

<p>I’ll be honest. I don’t think I pay enough for gas. It doesn’t hurt enough to make me drive any less, or do anything more about my driving habits than wince slightly when I see the total. As a country, we’ve done nothing to encourage conservation. And it’s made us internationally way too dependent on oil producing countries, many of whom are not (IMHO) exactly healthy democracies.</p>

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<p>our cars get the following gas milage -
my car - 32 mpg
moms car - 28 mpg
dads car - 28 mpg
my sisters car - 30 (i think)</p>

<p>i don’t know exactly how many miles we put on our cars per year… I know my dad puts about 35,000/year on hers. my mom probably puts about 6,000 a year on hers, and i’ve put 9,000 on mine since november, so about 12,000 a year there.</p>

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<p>hybrids are becoming very popular- we haven’t bought one yet though its still easier as I suspect for many to pay more for gas, than to pay more at the outset for the car.
My jeep is heavy so gas milage isn’t what I would like- but freeway is much better than back and forth- we just returned from a camping trip that we had to take both cars because of schedules- but most of the travel was on freeways or above 50 mph
So we take several car trips a year- all in the jeep- but in town if possible we walk/bus/bike.</p>

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<p>I can remember when people were complaining abut $1.10 a gallon…how little did we know about what the future would hold</p>

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<p>momof1, I agree completely on the drilling issue. To me ANWR is the perfect place to drill - so remote, inhospitable and unscenic that no one should ever complain about it ruining anyone’s scenic view. Drilling on the North Slope has shown that it can be done with no wildlife impact. The area to be drilled is also extremely small on a relative basis. They say that the wildlife preserve is about the size of South Carolina and the drilling site would be confined to an area about the size of a large airport. </p>

<p>While the drilling is never going to be a single solution to near or long-term energy problems, it is a reasonable first step with very little or no downside in my opinion. I think both the Republicans and the Democrats blew it on the energy issue. I think a good compromise would have been trading off drilling in ANWR for higher mileage requirements.</p>

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<p>$.33 cents a gallon is the lowest gas price I remember from my high school days. Of course, you could buy a brand new VW bug for $1800.</p>

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<p>Gas was about $.65 cents a gallon when I was in high school ( or was that cigarettes?)</p>

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<p>Thank you, funding father! Exactly. I like your compromise, too. </p>

<p>BTW when we we lived in Italy gas was 1700 lire per liter, about $4.00 per gallon, and that was a decade ago. </p>

<p>We have a Jeep, too, and it actually does pretty well on gas mileage. Here in Alaska we really do need 4wd and high ground clearance to get over the snow berms in the winter. It is amazing how many “cars” we see in the ditch during the winter. I would rather pay more for gas than be stuck at 62 below!</p>

<p>I remember sitting in line for gas with my mom during the gas crisis and worrying that we would run out of gas before we got to the pump!</p>

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<p>I guess I’m showing my age, but I remember when gas was $.29 a gallon, and people would drive in and say, “Give me a couple bucks worth,” and that would fill the tank. </p>

<p>As for the new hybrid cars, I just read an article recently that said most of them do not actually get much better mileage than their gasoline counterparts. The companies are just using the “hybrid” part for a boost in power. There were two or three that were actual gas-saving hybrids–Prius and I forget what else–but the good old US automakers think power is more important than fuel economy…</p>

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<p>I live in SF…don’t talk to me about prices, and we have a refinary across the bay!</p>

<p>I don’t even look at the price anymore. I go and stand there and pump my gas, yes, wasn’t the price supposed to be lower when we got to pump our own gas, and stop when it hits $35.00 to fill the tank.</p>

<p>Whenever I see a Hummer or a HUGE SUV driving on our city streets getting 5 miles to the gallon, I want to smack the driver…they are not helping the cause here, and they take up too many parking spaces and are road hogs. I have actually left sweet little notes on their tanks when they are using a space and a half to park. </p>

<p>“Wow, you are a special car to get TWO parking spaces and I got none!!”</p>

<p>i am sure it accomplishes nothing, but I feel a bit bitter, er better.</p>

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<p>The Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight, and the Honda Civic Hybrid are the gas-saving hybrids. (Both our cars are new-model Priuses (saying Prii sounds weird) and our third kid-car would have been the old original Prius except the boys wanted a stickshift car, so I sold the original Prius.) I have learned to drive with the correct “foot” (e.g. not too heavy, back off just <em>so</em>, pulse here, etc.) and have gotten >48mpg for almost 30K miles in my current car. My H with a heavier foot has “only” gotten about 40mpg over his 20K miles in his Prius, but he’s able to be taught. ;)</p>

<p>On our recent trip to Finland, we noted how everyone walks and bikes and TAKES MASS TRANSIT everywhere – oh sure they have cars and they use them, but it is NOT the first thought when planning how to get anywhere. The mind goes first to the subway and tram and bus, if biking/walking is not convenient, and only then to a car if the routes are not workable. I envied them their infrastructure, and am carefully considering this as I evaluate where my next home will be located. No more “nice house but you need to drive to get anywhere else” for me, I think.</p>