When gas hit $5, what will you do?

[Aimeedyan]

We'll carpool and park DH's truck. It gets better mileage then the SUVs but still not as good as my sedan.

Thankfully we don't have any road trips planned and we won't be making any!

 

[GeorgeG]

Well, being retired takes a lot of the "need" out of driving. We also live in a "golf cart community" where I can get to just about everything I need with my electric golf cart (I don't even play golf). I have about a 40 mile range on a full charge and all the shopping, dining, and entertainment we need is within 10-12 miles, most have that distance.

For the trips to Orlando to the airport and WDW we have a Toyota Camry that gets pretty good mileage. I can make about four of those trips on a tank of gas.

 

[Puffy2]

People who make minimum wage will quit their jobs because it won't be worth it (it's barely worth it now).

Car dealers will suffer because they are stuck with gas guzzlers. Meaning yet more layoffs.

Travel industry will suffer (some people just won't be able to travel and airfare will be too high).

Retail and Restaurants and Entertainment industries will suffer because most people will have to spend their "extra" (?) income on gas instead of eating out, buying stuff at the mall or having a good time.

Groceries, appliances, shipping, transportation, retail goods, - everything will increase in price because these industries will pass on to the consumers the higher prices they have to pay .

What will we do? The best we can.

 

[Lovedabigdogs]

Whip out Mr. Siphon and aquire some gas from the SUV, Hummer driving, gas guzzling, trying to keep up with "The Jones" people since they don't care about all the money they are throwing away.
Just kidding, but I do suggest getting locking gas caps, last year with hurricanes, I couldn't find one to save my life, but the guy at the Pep Boys said they were all out of gas siphons and gas cans as well.

Remember in the 70's gas rations? What if that happened again? All the people back then with their big gas guzzlers who I am sure also thought they would just buy gas at whatever cost to themselves and other people.
Remember the past because it will repeat itself if you don't learn the first time around.

 

[TDC Nala]

I will not do a thing differently. My commute is entirely by subway. I only drive my car on weekends.

 

[bigmerle1966]

I'll cry

You and me both.

Not much I can do but try and combine as many trips as possible. Luckily there is a grocery store and WalMart close by so I can go on my way home or walk if I really need to. I just paid my last car payment and will have extra money every month. I will definately be cutting down on eating out and anything I really don't need.

 

[Katie]

POSTED BY GOLFGAL ON A EARLIER THREAD:

We have a Blazer that gets about 20 mph highway(then she goes into saying she is getting a van because she needs room). She does say the van will get better MPG, but that doesn't really matter to her.


Okay, GolfGal, my Suburban gets about 17 MPG highway. We are a family of 5 but my older children usually do not go with us to my youngest son's game. We usually always have at least 1 or 2 "stray" children with us at all times. My husband coaches several sports and "always" takes kids with them whose parents can't be there.

Yes, we do have another car that my husband drives to work, gasp, 60 miles each way everyday!!!!!!!! It is GrandPrix GT, it gets better gas mileage but not great. It is smaller would be crowded, hard to haul equpiment and gasp again, doesn't have a DVD player( that my DS loves) which the Suburban does.

In my original post, I was supporting the carpool idea, not so much to help me financially, but others. I figure, if I spend that much money on the SUV, I better never complain about the cost of gas! I try not too, but sometimes it gets to me!

Sorry, my post "burned" you, I will just go vaccum my house with my DYSON vacuum cleaner!

 

[aes74]

OT majorly:

To "Am I There Yet":

I usually hate other people going on and on about their animals, but your dog is so stinkin' cute! Those pictures are amazing!!!

 

[mom2boys]

Try to cut down on my trips. We did go out for errands & lunch today. The "cheap" station was $2.83 before lunch but since it was on the opposite side of the dual lane, I figured we get it on the way back. I was surprised there was no line - turns out they ran out of regular & mid-grade while we ate pizza. The station across the street was $2.89 - they usually have a price war going. I could bear to pay that much but my idiot light was on. I drove three more blocks to another "cheap" station and paid $2.81. It cost me $49.00 to fill my mini van

We have rented an SUV for our vacation (see below). The driving portion of our trip is 2300 miles! WE might need to rethink our route or at least our vehicle.

 

[Charade]

People who make minimum wage will quit their jobs because it won't be worth it (it's barely worth it now).

Car dealers will suffer because they are stuck with gas guzzlers. Meaning yet more layoffs.

Travel industry will suffer (some people just won't be able to travel and airfare will be too high).

Retail and Restaurants and Entertainment industries will suffer because most people will have to spend their "extra" (?) income on gas instead of eating out, buying stuff at the mall or having a good time.

Groceries, appliances, shipping, transportation, retail goods, - everything will increase in price because these industries will pass on to the consumers the higher prices they have to pay .

What will we do? The best we can.

So are you saying the economy would collapse and the soup lines will start up again?

I thought the rules of supply and demand were the more demand, the higher the cost. If all you say will happen, demand will go down and prices should fall.

Short of nationalizing the oil companies (they were threatened with that before) or passing anti "obscene" profits laws, there's not much the consumer can do BUT reduce usage.

 

[mamacatnv]

We are pretty good about combining trips into town - 15 miles ea. way and using DH's Honda Civic whenever possible for the errands.

We will get a little stricter with DS about running home for breakfast during his 2 hour every other day morning break at school - 13 miles round trip, he drives a Honda Accord.

I hate to drive so I avoid it at all costs and I can get all my errands done in one preplanned precisely choreographed trip. I usually take my Honda Odyssey since my errands usually involve the household shopping and it won't all fit in the Civic. I drive 5 miles to work.

The overall ramifications of the high price of gas doesn't just get us at the pump. We are getting hit with "Fuel Surcharges" from every direction and the retailer is passing those excess costs onto us the consumers.

 

[kimmikayb]

everyone start thinking....ethonol

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

ughh our gas went up .10 just today i mean come on in one day?!?! From 2.67 to 2.87...thank goodness i'm a SAHM to babies, so we walk to the park, store and everything. my van stays hidden in the garage!!!!

Unfortunately DH drives 50miles EACH way to work, so i don't know if it hits 5$ what we would do???? suck it up i guess. he at least drives a Civic and it gets GREAt gas mileage!!

 

[Papa Deuce]

I guess we'll just have to suck it up as far as travel. We really don't drive many places other than work.

All, I know is that it cost me $57 to fill up my Murano.... that was about 9 days of gas.

It may slow down our eating out a lot, though.

 

[Charade]

Unfortunately DH drives 50miles EACH way to work, so i don't know if it hits 5$ what we would do???? suck it up i guess. he at least drives a Civic and it gets GREAt gas mileage!!

Let's assume gas reaches near the $5 mark. If your DH drives 100 miles a day back and forth to work in a civic that gets at least 30 miles per gallon. Your current gas per month (commute only) is about $220 (at $3 per gallon). If it jumps $2 per gallon, your gas cost goes up by $146.

Where would you get the extra $146?

 

[MzDiz]

Well, we won't be in the market for a new car for a couple of years, so I'll keep driving my small, fuel efficient car judiciously for now. But next car we will definitely be looking at the hybrids.

Honestly, I don't have a problem with gas being so expensive. I think it will be better for the environment and will finally prod the government and the automakers to take global warming a little more seriously.

Well, that's great for the people that can run right out and get a new car. Most of us will suffer though. I live in a place with zero public transportation and have no choice but to travel 15 miles to school. My husband drives about 80, round trip, every day. We don't just go out driving for the hell of it now, so when the prices rise, we'll have to cut back on other things in our lives to make up for it.
Until a good supply of affordable hybrids hit the used car market, people like me will be hit hard.

 

[Planogirl]

Let's assume gas reaches near the $5 mark. If your DH drives 100 miles a day back and forth to work in a civic that gets at least 30 miles per gallon. Your current gas per month (commute only) is about $220 (at $3 per gallon). If it jumps $2 per gallon, your gas cost goes up by $146.

Where would you get the extra $146?

Not to mention that the cost of food and other goods should logically go up drastically too. Those extra expenses would have to be factored in at some point too.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

It's not a matter of where we get the money, we have the money. we don't do much and we save a lot. The car gets 38MPG, we knew we would need a good car that would last us and it's a 2006. It's a pain paying that much for gas, but we get a lot of house for the money where we are at now, and even if we downsized and moved closer to DHs job, we wouldn't even come close to saving anything. So maybe if it hits above the 6$ THEN we might start to worry, now it's just an inconvenience...oh well.

 

[Charade]

Not to mention that the cost of food and other goods should logically go up drastically too. Those extra expenses would have to be factored in at some point too.

I don't think they would go up drastically because the fuel cost is a percentage of the product or service's cost. I wouldn't expect a product to go up 150% just because the fuel did.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't think they would go up drastically because the fuel cost is a percentage of the product or service's cost. I wouldn't expect a product to go up 150% just because the fuel did.

OK, maybe just 50% then? Transportation and energy costs are usually major components of a product's cost. Even a measly 25% across the board price hike for goods could really hit many people hard.