Gas - $4 a gallon.. Has it hit your area yet - and if not, how long before it does?

[froglady]

We're at $2.80 a gallon for the cheapest grade and over $3.10 for premium.

I'm gonna be mad when I hear about the record profits for the oil companies! (notice I said "WHEN!")

Just make sure you compute their profit margin to see the REAL increase before you start fuming. I'm not saying that it will remain unchanged, I'm just not sure it'll be as much as you think.

IMO, not understanding profit margin is one of the most common reasons for small (and sometimes large) business failure.

 

[DebbieB]

$2.75 today in Pittsburgh, regular unleaded. Luckily I had a 20 cents credit on my Giant Eagle Advantage Card, so I only paid $2.55. The first time I've been close to $40, it was $38.40 for 15 gallons.

 

[Captain Brain]

In Southeast MO, it is $2.91 at most stations.

 

[Charade]

I drive 1.5 hours each way and

And we wonder why gas is so high. Not picking on you but this is quite common for suburbanites.

Demand is higher, production is near max, so prices rise.

 

[petrymom]

And we wonder why gas is so high. Not picking on you but this is quite common for suburbanites.

Demand is higher, production is near max, so prices rise.

I think that might have been stated prematurely. I live in a rural area where many people drive into the city to find work. In case you haven't noticed our economy leaves a lot to be desired. In our region, many people work in manufacturing and LOTS of the jobs are going oversees. This leaves people with no choice but to drive an extended time to find other jobs.

What about the fact that oil companies made record profits last year. That doesn't have anything to do with why gas is so high???? Sorry, but I don't think blaming others is going to fix the problem. This is a touchy subject for me. I work in one city and have to drive to another to go to college to better myself. I see over $150 a month get sucked out of my families pockets for me to try to get a better paying job. (this doesn't include the gas my husband uses to go to work each day - which I guess I don't have to worry about since he hasn't worked in 5 months)

Please don't blame others.

 

[theprincess]

Here in Pittsburgh today I saw $2.75. We have a van and an SUV so we are paying alot of money each week on our vechicle for gas.

 

[GailT]

yesterday it was $2.69 today it was $2.79, whats up with that, I dont even want to go out anymore, this is crazy

 

[Laura]

And we wonder why gas is so high. Not picking on you but this is quite common for suburbanites.

Demand is higher, production is near max, so prices rise.

The thing is, people can't always afford to buy houses near their workplaces, and with housing prices skyrocketing lately it hasn't helped that much. I'm lucky because I live in a city where it's affordable to live within a 15-20 minute drive from work. But if I wanted a nice house on a lot with several acres, I'd pretty much have to go to the next county and drive 45 minutes each way.

DH and I started carpooling to work (well, actually he drives me) and it's been great so far. Now, if there were better public transportation around here and I could take a train to work, I'd give up my Beetle in an instant.

 

[C.Ann]

Well - living up here in the mountains until Nov. 1st (or longer) and having to drive a considerable distance to where the "real" grocery stores are (not the little "Give -Us- All -Your- Money- And -No -One -Gets- Hurt -Grocery") in the closest small town here, you can bet your life I'm going to turn into an even BIGGER "list maker" than I already am!! I'll travel to shop once a month or once every six weeks.. I can get milk and bread resasonably priced (while "kinda") over in town, but everything else will have to go "on the list"..

Worst part is I will have to make several trips back and forth to DD's house in the coming weeks to help with the move, but at least they're moving considerably closer to the lake and the move will take place before the 4th of July!

This is really going to hurt people who have to drive long distances to work.. Public transportation (or mass transportation) is really becoming a thing of the past unless you live in the city..

 

[kydisneyfans]

2.749 here in town-it has actually dropped since Tuesday from 2.859--I really don't expect 4.00/gallon unless hurricanes become a problem. Last summer prices actually dropped until katrina-I remember paying under 2.00 in mid July in Indianapolis and in Lexington, KY. Our high price surges tend to be in the spring and fall now, likely due to refinery shutdowns and "blends". I'm sure 400 million dollar retirement packages are figured into that number too.

 

[FINFAN]

Chicago west suburbs...$2.95...filled the van, total $49.99...as if that penny made my wallet feel better...


Pam

 

[OhMari]

I would love it if gas hit $4 a gallon in July over here as it is $6 a gallon right now

Don't you have Mass transit though, i.e. trains, busses. Here in the midwest you don't travel by anything except your vehicles.

 

[drakethib]

Oil companies are making obscene margins for the last couple of years and no one in congress is doing anything about it.

What is wrong with this picture?

I am all for Free Enterprise and the oil companies making money but I think the public is being taken advantage of.

Thoughts.

 

[trip]

$3.09 in Waikiki

 

[jekajekalynn]

*sighs* I can distinctly remember in 98 when 1.30 was outragiously high for a gallon of gas.........

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

$2.82 for the cheap stuff. I just got rid of my SUV and bought a compact. My $60 bill is down to $30 and I fill up less often.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

I paid $ 3.09 for Supreme about 3 days ago

 

[Viking]

Don't you have Mass transit though, i.e. trains, busses. Here in the midwest you don't travel by anything except your vehicles.

Yes, we have excellent public transport. Nevertheless I prefer to drive my convertible. DW takes the train. Her employer provides her with a subsidized ticket to use public transport, so she only pays about €20/$25 per month to use it.
I could use public transport as well, but as I live in the heart of Frankfurt, but work in a suburb the train connections are 'against' me. Meaning that they are optimized to get people quickly into Frankfurt in the morning and back to the suburbs in the afternoon. Due to this I would need about 50-55 minutes with public transport, but I need only 20-25min with my car.
Fortunately my convertible does about 28mpg. I usually coast along the Autobahn at 80-90mph since gas prices went up, before that I often drove at 120-140mph, but nowadays I only do that when I'm in a hurry.
My gas bill per month is about €165/$200.
Last week I made a test and drove at American speeds for some days and my mileage went up to 35-40mpg, but that wasn't fun

 

[froglady]

Oil companies are making obscene margins for the last couple of years and no one in congress is doing anything about it.

What is wrong with this picture?

I am all for Free Enterprise and the oil companies making money but I think the public is being taken advantage of.

Thoughts.

What do you consider an obscene profit margin? NOT profit, but profit margin. Last time I looked, it was about 12-15%. Pretty good, but many companies have much higher ones and no one is screaming.

I keep forgetting the mindset that says the more you need something, the less you should have to pay for it.

 

[Chris and Pooh]

I would love it if gas hit $4 a gallon in July over here as it is $6 a gallon right now

LIkewise were are now paying $6.60 a gallon, I think we paid $4 a gallon in about 1997