How are you handleing $4.50 gas??

I've been thinking about this oil issue (yeh, I know that can be dangerious).  Just wondering how your life has changed with this new issue?  We as Americans (with some Canadians) have had to handle crisis over the years.  We adjust and adapt.  The great depression, WWII, the gas crisis of the 70's, 9-11 all were in different ways like a punch in the gut.  We were shaken, but adjusted and moved toward a solution.  I don't want this to be a pointing fingers issue.  I'm sure OPEC, big oil corp., congress (both sides) have alot to lay the blame.  Either McCain or Obama will have to do some major changes in the near future for our countries best interests.  Like surgery it may not be fun, but necessary for a better body down the road.  Just throwing out...Here are a few things I am doing at this time.  Riding my bike more.  Doing some short errands with it.  When I'm going to Walmart or the store...asking my neighbor if he would like to come along.  Not going through the drive thru at the fast food restaurant if there are a ton of cars waiting there.  Using the smaller car for errands rather than the pickup.  Looking into mass transit (really looking) for some trips.  Don't want to be a "rah rah" or a bitter old man, talking about the good old days.  Just as we have to rethink our eating habits, we will need to do the same with our energy use...Thoughts??

We live in a more rural setting, so about the only thing we can do is to cut down on trips to the store and try more to combine errands when going out.  Regular went to $4.21 this weekend here and my Chevy P/U sucks up gas.  Driving to work (40 miles round trip) is coming out to almost $10 a day and public transportation does not exist.  Most things are too far away for a bike ride, so that is usually done for pleasure only.

 

Lou 

It's about $3.85 down here, so it's not as bad as in other places, but still bad enough. We need some relief or nobody will be able to do anything!

Gas was $3.85 this afternoon--NJ doesn't add much tax to the gas.  Who knows what it will be tomorrow?  My car gets 30 mpg and my wife's gets close to that.  I don't drive much but she has to drive 30 miles each way to work plus pay PA TPK and bridge tolls.  We live in western NJ and she works in eastern PA.  There is not public transportaion to take her there.  I've cut down on my joy rides.  I like to go near the Delaware River--especially near sunset.  So, I can calulate how much the trip is going to cost me.  I've cut down how many days a week I go.  Unfortunately, we're taking a mini vacation in July to NH.  We'll be taking my wife's car since we're taking my folks and her car has better seating comfort.  We think our mileage will dip to 28-27 mpg and we'll be doing highway driving 90% of the time.  We've put aside some of our economic stimulus money  to cover that trip.....By the way, the idiots who put out the commercials saying that there's enough gas to power the world if the oil companies could just drill for it are missing the point.  It's still a non renewable resourse.  Drilling for more oil will only delay the inevitable fact that there is only so much oil in the Earth and eventually it's going to run out.  There is a very real need to look for alternative fuels.  I'd like to see either presidential candidate come out in favor of more use of railroads both for passengers and for freight. 

We parked one car, and have committed to only driving the other. Being the primary child-care in my family, that meant that the kids and I stuck close to home all last week, only going out to the grocery store, etc.

We have noticed our frame of mind concerning travel this summer. Both being teachers, we usually are free to roam the West visiting family and friends which have dispursed over the years. This year we're not going anywhere. We planted a huge garden (25 tomato plants, 9 squash plants, 6 bell peppers, 2 tomatillos, herbs, a fig tree, two peach trees,and four cantalope plants) which we plan on tending until they all explode and we spend countless hours canning it all. We put up 280 jars of tomatoes last year, so we're used to it.

Anyone in construction? My father in law paves. He said that the $4.99 / gal diesel is what's killing his profits!

I don't know, since gas here is still under $4.00 for regular ..    but seriously, I guess no one liked my business concept for "consumer fuel cooperatives" I posted about earlier?      I still think they could help everyone out, at least during this crisis ..

I traded in my 2005 Ford Explorer back in April for a 2008 Fusion. The explorer got about 15mpg and the fusion gets about 36mpg on the highway and 25 combined city/highway. I was lucky I made my move when I did. I got more than $10,000 for my trade which was the book value. Last month a friends mom tried to trade in her 2005 Explorer and they only offered $5000 because no one is buying SUVs. Other than that I don't drive as much and drive slower when I do. I already started walking to the store instead of driving to get more exercise, now I just have more of a reason to do so. Here in Philly, I paid $3.99 today, although I did see a Lukoil station selling regular for $4.19. Is it me or does it seem like the russians are always selling gas for a higher price just like Exxon/Mobil?

Funny, I was just thinking about WLS and gas prices the other day. before WLS Food was such a part of my life that I would sometime drive aroiund just to see what looked good at the time, sometimes I mean 2-3 times a week. now that I am on the losers sides I was thinking this weekend about how just two weeks ago I would of hopped in the car and went to get something to eat just because I was bored or I was home. I am guessing I will not be doing that anymore.  As far as the actual price, combine trips or shop closer. For work I drive about 100 a day all around town, luckily, they pay mileage so I am still on the plus side of the table, rumor has it we will be getting a raise in mileage soon, I hope so. I have been very fortunate the last year in all aspects of my life, its amazing

I dont drive near as much as I used to. One problem is I live in a rural area and it is about 120 mile round trip to the Dr. Costs a fortune to go and I have at least one appointment per month. Costs me a fortune just to go to the Dr.

I switched my fleet of five vehicles over to Hondas, from Fords, over the last 5 years. 4 civics and a CR-V currently.  I am SOOO lucky to have traded in my F250 crew cab 4x4 Diesel about 18 months ago. Therefore, I do not feel the crunch nearly as bad as most of those in Texas, the Ginormous SUV capital of the world. I really feel for those in a pinch right now, and hope for relief soon. That being said, and I am sure to draw some wrath for this, but $4+/gal fuel is not all bad. If we are ever going to relieve ourselves of dependence on foreign oil, it is going to take something like this crisis to get us serious about our future energy needs. At $4+/gal, alternative fuels become financially viable to develop and bring to market. The demand for oil is only going to grow, and significantly, with the emerging markets in China and India. Unless we develop alternative fuels, significantly reduce our needs, or significantly expand our exploration and extraction efforts here, as well as our refining capacity (which is a bigger problem than the supply of oil currently) we will remain extremely vulnerable. I hate the US being economically vulnerable to anyone, period. Maybe at $4+/gal, we will get serious about becoming energy self-sufficient. I think it will take a combination of conservation in the short term, greater efficiency mid term and the development of alternative fuels long term to achieve the goal of energy self- sufficiency. In the near term, I fear it is going to get worse before it gets better. The effects of energy cost have already boosted the cost of groceries and other goods significantly, which will continue to get worse. With the recession we are arguably in already, we are going to see inflation as well. Hate to be a gloom monger, but add in the paralysis of fear and we could get ourselves into an economic tailspin. Personally, I think the economy is in much better shape than many believe, and as long as we keep the faith we will be fine. However, I think the days of cheap fuel are gone forever. JP