Gas Prices Soaring,How Has This Changed Your Life?

[TigerLilly]

I'm not out 'running the roads' anymore--no more scenic drives for the peacefulness...ALL my drives have a specific purpose & I'm staying home more.
Seriously considering getting a scooter!

 

[StupidBird]

it's truly amazing how fast people go from mocking my DH's smartcar (people think it's suicidal to drive something that small) to thinking we're all geniuses to drive a 40mpg vehicle that fits two tall adults, 1-2 50lb sacks of feed and a bale of shavings. My pickup gets 17mpg the same as my old 1966 Chevy Bel Air 4 door tank. There's nothing like the faces of the Home Depot staff when pulling up to load fence posts or 2x4s through the convertible roof of the smart. (hey lady, just pull that thing around to isle 12 and load up).

We're soon going to have share days when I ride in to the office with him, run all my errands at that end of town, spend the rest of the day at the library and pick him up to go home. Done it before.

And my old pick up is getting testy about running the cheap gas in winter - too much ethanol, I'm told. Whatever, but magically running the most expensive stuff makes it happier. Dang.

 

[sonew123]

Im stuck in ways. I live in the middle on nowhere and have to pay gas prices regardless of location It's 4.05$ a gallon today. I live 20 miles from work-I do all my shopping and errands after work. If I have a meeting or a game ( which softball season is upon me) I remain in town as my Sis lives 1/4 mile from the fields. I stay at home throughout the weekend and hate to travel anywhere beyond my house because of costs. It hasnt really affected us yet but Im getting ready for when it jumps ship on pricing!!

 

[newfoundland]

I have just worked out that a gallon of pertrol here is the equivalent of $10.60. We are being very careful with it. We combine as many errands as possible into one journey, and whoever is going out that day collects everyones groceries etc. We don't live far from the town, only about 8 miles, but even so our $45 dollar a week fill up only does about three journeys and we often have to top up again. Garages sell red diesal here (it is dyed red) which is much cheaper, but only to be used by farmers. The police can and do stop other motorists and check that they are not using it illegally. I believe the penalties are very severe. Lots of people are complaining that it has cost them nearly a thousand pounds to fill up their domestic oil tank for the central heating. The price has gone through the roof since the trouble in Libya etc.

 

[ams4776]

This gas is a killer.....only realcut backs are less playdates and more creative cooking. Cant wait to get the garden in for better fresh veggies.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Been hearing good things about wheat prices for this year, but buying feed may be not so good news.

Yes, prices are up, but not only are fuel prices rising but so are fertilizer and chemical prices so that wipes out any better profit margins. My fuel and fertilizer bill just this month is 5 figures.

We have less income now than ever so it's hard to get excited about better grain prices.

 

[Opa]

My pension is exactly the same amount of money as when I retired twenty years ago. Gas was just over a dollar per gallon and while retirement meant readjusting my lifestyle I could basically to almost anything I wanted to. Factoring the cost of living increases I would need twenty two thousand dollars a year more to be even. Now with gas at $4 per gallon and $5 predicted by summer I can't afford to do much of anything. At the current rate of inflation my pension will soon be worthless. I think I may have to die in order to take another trip. Hopefully up and not down.

 

[country lady]

Do the rest of you feel as I do, that using corn to make fuel is crazy? One little town newspaper near me wrote that food prices rose 5% the first quarter; food isn't included in inflation. Corn is in everything just as cotton is now high and in everything. Why can't politicians see that using a food product, like corn, will only drive up food and other products? It isn't rocket science.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Wow..i never even thought about that, Katy! (cause i'm a moron, as you know..)
All the fuel that farmers have to buy for plowing/ seeding/ harvesting/ transporting goods to market....etc..
Dang... that can be a killer for you guys! Do you get any govt. help for things like that because its for farming?
If not....

Off road diesel is usually a few cents cheaper than the other so I think that is probably the governments way of giving us a tax break on it. I know a over the road trucker doesn't want to get caught using it or he's in trouble.

 

[bakerjw]

Hasn't affected me at all. I bicycle to work most days. I'd estimate that my weekly driving is probably less than 40 miles.