Now they say 7.00 gas

[mommiepoppins]

well if my dh stops driving then we get 0 $ so we are then broke. I try to plan around my driveing. I try not to go back and forth. My dd head hurt her and the school wanted me to bring her tylenol ( school is 11 miles away) I just picked her up rather than bring her tylenol and then later have to come back and pick her up. I would love to drive my kids to school however it would cost me so much, so therefore they can take the school bus. I would love to plan day trips with my day care kids thei summer ,but I can not afford the gas

 

[fla4fun]

The idea of a Hybrid is a good concept, however, I've read that you don't really see the benefits of the fuel efficiency for several years. Wish I could remember why that is. The other problem is that the price for a Hybrid is still fairly high for many people.

There are also many people out there who still feel they need to drive monster SUV's. I've actually heard some (women especially) who say that they drive the big SUV because they feel safer than if they were in a small car and basically one person's attitude was "too bad, I'm still going to drive it". To me, that is just selfish because everytime someone adopts the attitude that they have the money to drive the big SUV and fill the gas tank, they are contributing to the problem and making it that much harder for those of us who can't afford to fill our tanks anymore.

There was an interesting news article along these lines over the weekend, that said per gallon demand for gasoline is up, even though the miles driven in the country have gone down. Although they didn't seem to have an explanation for it, I think it's all the gas guzzling vehicles on the road.

I just bought a new car last year. I did a lot of research into the hybrids, but gas would have had to be at least $10 per gallon for the next ten years minimum for me to break even. So I didn't get one. I did get a car rated for 37mpg and with conservative driving, I'm squeezing 41mpg out of it. Living in Florida, I wish they would develop some kind of solar powered transportaton. I'd be all for that!

I've negotiated a 4 day workweek, with non peak driving times to minimize sitting in traffic. I can't really change my living situation right now, and there aren't any good paying jobs close the house. I don't go out on my days off either. I'm lucky that Disney is close by, and I like vacationing there. I can't even imagine what the cost of a road trip would be these days!

 

[minnie1928]

I did get a car rated for 37mpg and with conservative driving, I'm squeezing 41mpg out of it.

I'm doing the same thing, I have a car rated for 38 and I'm getting 42. I've become very aware of how much pressure I put on the gas pedal. Scaling back the slightest bit on the pedal can have a surprising impact. I've also been coasting as much as possible. I still go with the flow of traffic, but if it's just me on the road then I usually go a little slower. I also make sure that my car is as empty as possible, no trunks full of junk here!

 

[patsal]

My wages wouldn't cover the commuting costs, and where I live getting to work using public transport is not possible.

 

[jayally]

I have to drive for my job and as gas increases I find myself getting a little resentful. I am reimbursed .48 cents a mile which is the govenment rate and supossed to cover maximum insurance coverage, gas, wear and tear and maintenance costs. They raised it to .52 one time and then back down and gas was not as expensive then as it is now. I am in CA. Gas last night was $3.29 at a 76 station and $3.39 across the street at mobil. I don't understand why the prices flucuate so much from station to station. I have to drive 100 miles round trip today and my half tank will be almost empty again. I can't keep putting $57 every few days and they wait 2 weeks for my expense check to help cover the cost. I have heard some people exaggerating their miles to help cover the cost more.

I have not been driving as much as I used to for pleasure. I am 45 mins from DL and we have not gone as much this year because it takes a lot of gas.

 

[kelleigh1]

One thing we haven't really heard anyone talk about is car pooling. Does anyone do it anymore?

When I was a kid, my Dad owned a 12 passenger van and he picked up several co-workers every day for work.

Is car-pooling even possible in this day and age? I would think that there has to be a way that some of us could car-pool to save on gas.

I just really feel that we all need to be held accountable. We (and I'm included in this too) blame the government and the oil industry and everyone else, but we find ways to justify our own usage. We should be looking for ways that every single one of us could make even just one small change in our habits to held cut down on consumption.

I would love to find someone else that I could commute to the train station with, but so far, I haven't found anyone in my neighborhood who travels at the same time that I do.

And we are renting a car for our Disney trip at the end of the year. I've been wondering if I should make friends with other couples at our resort during our stay and offer to take them along with us to whatever park we're heading to that day. Maybe I should just drive by the bus stop and ask who is heading to the same park.

 

[MrsPete]

I don't think $7 is on the horizon in the near future. As powerful as the oil lobby in this country is, the other members of the ruling class (who supply goods and services to Americans either via wholesale or retail) won't allow that. They want their piece of the pie, and right now, $7/gal gas would cut into their chunk way too much. JMO.

I agree with this. Too many other businesses realize that if gas goes up, and we can't afford to drive/buy goods, THEY will hurt. Gas and politics are closely tied together.

However, I also agree with those that say we need to give up some of our driving; we've become primarily a nation of consumers, and we bypass many things that were taken for granted in the past. This is much to our detriment, and it's showing in our bodies, our divorce rate, our children's detachment from one another, etc.

The key is moderation -- not something that we American like. Instead, we want the biggest, the best, the fanciest, with all the bells and whistles; unless, of course, you're talking about cell phones or ipods -- in that case, we want the smallest with the most features. But we want THE MOST of everything. It's not realistic.

 

[hannah03]

I don't believe it'd need to get nearly to $7.00. Other prices (like food, heating oil, etc.) go up with gas prices, so other areas would be taking a pinch too.

I'd say $4.00, $5.00 - I can't imagine more than that!

I agree but anything's possible

 

[MrsPete]

I've negotiated a 4 day workweek

I think we'd all benefit from more creative ideas like this. I'd love to see kids go to school four days/week, though it'd be very difficult for the youngest ones because the school day'd have to be extended . . . and it'd be difficult for the older ones because they'd have to take home more homework to complete the same amount of material in a semester. But it'd cut the school's transportation costs by 20%, which sounds pretty good to me.

 

[gilby]

We are only showing our kids how to live on credit.
My DH and I ride together to work one has to wait an hour before or after work. We need to become a more simple society and things will change. We don't need to have all the electronics to live a happy life. In fact it creates more problems. We can only blame ourselves for all the increases in prices. My DH and I like to enjoy life, but we both work full and part time to enjoy the extras in life. We pay for every trip in cash, no charging up credit cards. We live in a home that is 30 plus years old, don't need the high house payments. We have a boat and truck also paid for. We teach our kids they pay for their car, car insurance, their own gas, and also class rings. They think twice about do I need this new shirt. They don't see their parents charging everything because their friend got a new outfit, I need one mom.

 

[TravelinGal]

I'm already almost completly homebound. If it hits $4 a gallon, we'll limit all travel to within 10 miles of our home and even those trips will be limited.


RE Hybrids - not sure why y'all are saying the cost more.
I'm looking at a Mercury Mariner Hybrid (est. 31mpg city) and it's coming in at $27K. That's on the LOW end of average for a SUV. The monthly payments are coming in abou $98 less than what we're paying now for my Durango.

No, I WON'T get rid of my SUV. I will have a SUV of some sort. I DO feel safer in it. Period. It's not about keeping up with the Joneses - It's about being safe from all the Joneses who drive THEIR tanks and don't care about anyone else. (See it a LOT in Denver area) It's not that I don't care. I also have a bad back and bending over to buckle DS in his carseat in a standard car KILLS my back. In the suv, he can climb in and I reach straight in to buckle him in safe and sound.

 

[mjbaby]

We are only showing our kids how to live on credit.
My DH and I ride together to work one has to wait an hour before or after work. We need to become a more simple society and things will change. We don't need to have all the electronics to live a happy life. In fact it creates more problems. We can only blame ourselves for all the increases in prices. My DH and I like to enjoy life, but we both work full and part time to enjoy the extras in life. We pay for every trip in cash, no charging up credit cards. We live in a home that is 30 plus years old, don't need the high house payments. We have a boat and truck also paid for. We teach our kids they pay for their car, car insurance, their own gas, and also class rings. They think twice about do I need this new shirt. They don't see their parents charging everything because their friend got a new outfit, I need one mom.

Gilby - it sounds like you're giving your kids a very sensible upbringing. Kudos to you and your husband!

 

[DawnM]

I carpooled for several years. There were 5 of us who lived near each other in Pasadena and we all worked at the same high school in LA.

I just got a job here in NC and I won't be able to carpool as I will be servicing 4 different schools. But they will reimburse for mileage and I will be taking the 40mpg car.

DH can't carpool or take the rapid city bus because of his hours. He works projects and often has to stay until the project is complete. I WISH they would have an office closer to us as a Satellite office!

Dawn

One thing we haven't really heard anyone talk about is car pooling. Does anyone do it anymore?

When I was a kid, my Dad owned a 12 passenger van and he picked up several co-workers every day for work.

Is car-pooling even possible in this day and age? I would think that there has to be a way that some of us could car-pool to save on gas.

I just really feel that we all need to be held accountable. We (and I'm included in this too) blame the government and the oil industry and everyone else, but we find ways to justify our own usage. We should be looking for ways that every single one of us could make even just one small change in our habits to held cut down on consumption.

I would love to find someone else that I could commute to the train station with, but so far, I haven't found anyone in my neighborhood who travels at the same time that I do.

And we are renting a car for our Disney trip at the end of the year. I've been wondering if I should make friends with other couples at our resort during our stay and offer to take them along with us to whatever park we're heading to that day. Maybe I should just drive by the bus stop and ask who is heading to the same park.

 

[dobball23]

One thing we haven't really heard anyone talk about is car pooling. Does anyone do it anymore?

When I was a kid, my Dad owned a 12 passenger van and he picked up several co-workers every day for work.

Is car-pooling even possible in this day and age? I would think that there has to be a way that some of us could car-pool to save on gas.

I just really feel that we all need to be held accountable. We (and I'm included in this too) blame the government and the oil industry and everyone else, but we find ways to justify our own usage. We should be looking for ways that every single one of us could make even just one small change in our habits to held cut down on consumption.

I would love to find someone else that I could commute to the train station with, but so far, I haven't found anyone in my neighborhood who travels at the same time that I do.

And we are renting a car for our Disney trip at the end of the year. I've been wondering if I should make friends with other couples at our resort during our stay and offer to take them along with us to whatever park we're heading to that day. Maybe I should just drive by the bus stop and ask who is heading to the same park.

My wife is a high school teacher and she carpools with a co-worker. They have been doing it for two years now and it seems to work out well for them. I ride my bike to work (about 3 miles) during the summer months when I am less busy and the weather is nice. It is great exercise and really only takes me 15-20 minutes at most. I think I have driven 12 miles total in the last week.

Todd

 

[DawnM]

I am not sure who you are preaching to here.

We do the same....not the carpool part because we don't work near each other, but DH and I don't live on credit at all. We do DR all the way. BUT, we still have to get to work. I am not sure how this fits in with the topic of gas prices.

Dawn

We are only showing our kids how to live on credit.
My DH and I ride together to work one has to wait an hour before or after work. We need to become a more simple society and things will change. We don't need to have all the electronics to live a happy life. In fact it creates more problems. We can only blame ourselves for all the increases in prices. My DH and I like to enjoy life, but we both work full and part time to enjoy the extras in life. We pay for every trip in cash, no charging up credit cards. We live in a home that is 30 plus years old, don't need the high house payments. We have a boat and truck also paid for. We teach our kids they pay for their car, car insurance, their own gas, and also class rings. They think twice about do I need this new shirt. They don't see their parents charging everything because their friend got a new outfit, I need one mom.

 

[mjbaby]

I am not sure who you are preaching to here.

We do the same....not the carpool part because we don't work near each other, but DH and I don't live on credit at all. We do DR all the way. BUT, we still have to get to work. I am not sure how this fits in with the topic of gas prices.

Dawn

Dawn, it fits in with gas prices because transportation is only a piece of the oil-using pie. Look around yourself right now - the chair you're sitting on required petroleum for its manufacturer, as did the computer you're using, the clothes you're wearing, the food you ate for lunch and so on. Now, no one is suggesting that you need to sit naked on the floor staring into space to lower gas prices, but incorporating that awareness into out thinking will go a long way toward guiding us to a solution.

Part of that is to reduce how much stuff we buy, toss, build and use. Gilby's point is relevant because we as a society have leveraged ourselves to to the hilt so that we could cycle through mountains of stuff (all of which used oil in production) - if people were more content with what they could buy without the "benefit" of credit we might have a more sustainable economy and social structure right now, including lower gas pricing.

 

[kelleigh1]

Robin:

It's not just the initial cost of the Hybrid. It's also the maintenance. When I bought my last car, I did a good deal of research and everything I read pointed out that the Hybrid's cost more overall between purchase price and maintenance.

I'll also address your SUV since your response seems to be geared toward my earlier post. First (and this is where I wish tone came through in email because this may sound harsh when it's not really), you mention the "feeling safe" issue of the SUV. If everyone who drives an SUV because they feel safer while competing against the other SUV's on the road started driving smaller vehicles, I suspect that the smaller cars would once again take over the roads. Second, I do applaud the fact that while you will continue to drive an SUV, you are making a conscious effort to find one that is not such a gas guzzler. And again, if all the big SUV drivers made this same change, we'd see an improvement.

My point in all of this is that if every single person made even just one small change, we could see a drastic improvement. But as a society, we've seemed to adopt the "me" concept where we only focus on what we want for ourselves and for our family and don't look at the big picture and how the things we do affect the whole world and then when the result ends up effecting us negatively, we turn the blame onto everyone else instead of realizing that we contributed to the problem too.

 

[bsmcneil]

slightly off topic but similarly minded - will gas go down monday or tuesday (after the holiday)? i need to fill my car up and i don't know if i should do it now or after memorial day. i don't need to drive anywhere this week or most of next - but next friday, i have a long trip from IL to NC.

 

[kelleigh1]

slightly off topic but similarly minded - will gas go down monday or tuesday (after the holiday)? i need to fill my car up and i don't know if i should do it now or after memorial day. i don't need to drive anywhere this week or most of next - but next friday, i have a long trip from IL to NC.

Last year, I thought waiting until after Memorial Day would mean a decrease in price. I was wrong and if I remember, it went up again before it went down. I'd buy now.

 

[Faerie]

I drive a Neon which has okay millage. The Civic was out of my price range when I was buying a car. I'm paying almost $40 a tank (12 gallon) here in South Florida to fill up. A tank lasts just over a week since once I'm home, I'm home. My BF does more of the driving than I do, although that should probably change since I get FAR better millage than he does