how in the heck are we supposed to live these days

[MiniDriver]

I'm lucky: I can bike to work, or walk, or snowshoe, depending on the weather. I like having a car to visit my in-laws and do BJ's runs, but most other stuff I can do on bike.

The downside is I can't be as self-sufficient as I'd like. I only have so much room to devote to garden, and can only keep 3 chickens. I would love to have goats for milk, but I don't think city ordinances or my neighbors would approve. I can't have a wood or pellet stove. I don't get enough sun for solar.

Gas is already $8-10 per gallon in Europe, but they have much more public transportation. Nearly everyone there lives within a short bike ride from a train station. You see everyone from small children to senior citizens out on bikes. You pass a train station and there are hundreds of bikes parked. America has chosen to not build satisfactory public transportation systems except for a few major cities. And we'll pay for that choice.

 

[poopcoop]

I am still confused on How we can clone animals and ect......, but we can't find a alternate fuel for our vehicles. Like manure or garbage. I don't think Ethanol is the answer either.

Why do oil companies make Billions AND so many people can't even afford to drive to work. The people who make minimum wage are the ones who are going to hurt the most. The people who moved outside the city because they couldn't afford housing in the city. Big cities with no transportation system. The list goes on and on.

I am a stay at home Dad and trying to figure out more ways to provide for my family.

 

[Lanissa86]

Heck I don't see why us Texans can't ride horses to work! They might as well let us! When my brother visits other states up north and they find out he is Texan EVERYONE asks him if he likes riding horses everywhere! People think Texas is like an old west movie, its too funny. So why the heck not? Its would be so cheap to do so, they could just convert parking garages and parking lots into some stalls for those that choose to ride! lol. OK, I was in a silly mood this morning and yes, Gas prices are killing my whole family at the moment here in the city. It really stinks! And cutting all luxerious here in TX stinks as well. We are having high 90* weather and no A/C, and my family are all Big people, so imagine how we feel...but I guess it needs to be done.

 

[CritterHill]

Quote:
Well, I'm in PA and the Walmart down the road has a horse and carriage parking area (Amish country). So I don't see why it can't be done. There just needs to be a demand for it.

 

[coffeemama]

Things are getting tight for us for sure. Dh just proclaimed that we can only shop at Winco and Walmart

. He also asked if I was ever going to start sewing and selling things again (I have a children's clothing/mama accessories business). He is feeling the pressures of supporting ourfamily for sure.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Luckily I only work 3 days a week 4 miles from home. My husband has a company truck so he never has to pay for gas. The problem people are going to have along with the high gas is the fact that everything else including food cost are going up.

Here's what we're doing. We have a huge garden, all of our veggies are covered. We have our chickens for eggs and soon will get goats for milk and cheese. We don't shop that much at all. We buy toilet paper and other bathroom things that we can't make ourselves (I make soap and shampoo). I make my own laundry detergent. We hang our clothes out on the clothes line. We don't drive around and waste gas.

I always joke with people that gas prices are so high I'm going to buy a horse to get around...now since our drought here in NC hay prices are so high you couldn't afford to feed a horse.

I don't even know what else to say. Gas prices are crazy and I feel for the people who have to drive around everyday.

 

[Beekissed]

Doesn't matter, folks. When the NAIS is done with us, we will have to ask permission to take our horses off the farm anyway. I'm sure if they found out people were using them as an alternative transportation, they would charge a road tax and require all kinds of restrictions that would cost us even more money!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Well in case no one has heard, China is drilling between Florida and Cuba. Now it may be that they are going to be using the fuel that we could be using. Not sure.

They say our gas is high because of Hurricane Katrina, But I never believed that at all. We have enough oil in Alaska for us to use but Canada won't let the US run the pipe through their country there has been oil found here in Va where I live but well there's alot of ifs, ands, & buts and plus you have Enviromentalist that don't want trees cut down in the US so that is why we have to buy from foreign countries and cannot use our own.

Hey don't get me wrong I do what I can to keep what I think is junk out of the land fills. I don't litter, I don't throw things in creeks and rivers. I let Wal-Mart change my oil because they say they recycle it. I do my part. But we have oil here in the US that we can use.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Plenty of trees are cut down in the US, and at least where I am from, raw logs were/are shipped abroad. What does this mean....our national forest lands are clear cut and the only jobs produced are cutting jobs, there are no milling jobs, no pulping jobs, no shipping jobs, no carpentry jobs....all of these jobs are done in the foreign countries where the raw timber is shipped.

As for drilling off Cuba, the Cuban government invited US oil companies to bid on the leases; however, American companies are prevented from doing busines in Cuba as part of the ongoing embargo.

 

[rebbetzin]

Just yesterday, we were considering buying bicycles. My husband thinks he could bicycle to work each day, it is about 5 miles from home.

But... it is really

here in the summer in Tucson.

If I had a bicycle with a couple of baskets, I could go to the grocery store... for a few things. But.... I go to Costco a couple of times a month, and to the feedstore for dog food, that I couldn't do on a bicycle...

We also talked about maybe just having one vehicle, we'd keep our truck and sell the car.... The truck is more useful.

I don't know... I wonder how it will all work out as time goes by.