WWTBAM Bored

are up 38% (at least that is what the news said this morning).

How are you absorbing that into your budget?

How will people who drive 60+ miles a day to and from work each day absorb it?

Someone I know quit smoking. She said "I used to go to the gas station with $20 - $15 for gas and $5 for smokes."

She now puts $20 worth of gas in the car - and can drive no further on it.

I used to fill up my car once every three weeks, but since I started driving Maddie to Huntington Beach three times a week, I have to fill up once a week.

I just pay it. Maddie is having fun and loves Quiz Bowl, so I don't complain too much.

We probably eat out less to compensate.

peacock2121 wrote:are up 38% (at least that is what the news said this morning).

How are you absorbing that into your budget?

How will people who drive 60+ miles a day to and from work each day absorb it?

I don't have a bit of sympathy...

There is no rule that says one has to live 30 miles from their job....

Just like there is no rule that says one has to drive the least fuel efficient vehicles on the market....

lb13

I wasn't expressing sympathy.

I was wondering how people were managing.

Prices right now are not as high as they were last year around here. They haven't gotten above $3.00 for Regular Unleaded.

They got as high as $3.09 last year.

I have to fill up about once a week. I haven't really noticed that much of a difference.

peacock2121 wrote:are up 38% (at least that is what the news said this morning).

How are you absorbing that into your budget?

How will people who drive 60+ miles a day to and from work each day absorb it?

Someone I know quit smoking. She said "I used to go to the gas station with $20 - $15 for gas and $5 for smokes."

She now puts $20 worth of gas in the car - and can drive no further on it.

I'm so glad that I (a) use public transportation to get to work and (b) own a hybrid. When we got it we read reports that it would take many years to recoup the difference in cost between a regular car and a hybrid, but with prices being what they are now, that's changed. We didn't buy it just to save gas money, we bought it for the environmental friendliness.

Last year it cost me about $25 to fill up. Now it costs me about $35. Fortunately, I only fill up every 10 days or so. I feel sorry for those dependent on their cars that are having a tough time absorbing the higher prices into their budget. Personally, I don't like it but as one person, there is nothing I can do about it. Sadly, this is one commodity that we could not tell everybody to stop using for a day or two as a protest or boycott. It'll never happen. Many people are as dependent on their vehicles as they are for air and would never consider alternative choices. We, as a society, are definitely spoiled in this respect.

If there was public transportation that took me to the places I needed to go, I would use it.

When we go to NYC, we always use the subway. One of the reasons why Maddie wants to become a book editor is so that she can move to NYC and use the subway, rather than drive a car. (Though I suppose that she wants to also secretly audition for Broadway shows...)

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:If there was public transportation that took me to the places I needed to go, I would use it.

When we go to NYC, we always use the subway. One of the reasons why Maddie wants to become a book editor is so that she can move to NYC and use the subway, rather than drive a car. (Though I suppose that she wants to also secretly audition for Broadway shows...)

Last I remember, you wouldn't want to drive around NYC anyway. But, then again, I don't know if you are comfortable with 10,000 people pressing up against you at 8 o'clock in the morning and then again at 5 PM. Been there; done that. Wasn't there some sort of ordinance passed in NYC which restricted use of the city streets to only cabs? If not, it sure seems that way.

While I have no sympathy for those who are pouring half their paychecks down the gas tanks of massive SUV's that they can barely maneuver around while pouring the other half of their paychecks into payments on those same SUV's....

We all pay indirectly for higher fuel costs because those costs indirectly will show up in higher costs on a lot of the other things we buy, since it's going to cost more to get raw materials to manufacturers, finished goods to retailers, and in some cases, purchased goods to us.

Sir_Galahad wrote:Wasn't there some sort of ordinance passed in NYC which restricted use of the city streets to only cabs? If not, it sure seems that way.

No, the city is still open to private vehicles...for any who dare.

The mayor was considering a law to charge a toll for any vehicles entering the main business section of Manhattan; that'd be in addition to the bridge/tunnels tolls charged for entering the city. I'm not sure what the status of this proposal is.

peacock2121 wrote:are up 38% (at least that is what the news said this morning).

How are you absorbing that into your budget?

How will people who drive 60+ miles a day to and from work each day absorb it?

Budget? What budget?!

Really though...The Naughty Norwegian and I bought another more fuel-efficient car just for the 74 mile drive to the airport, and we definitely make more effort to work on the same days so that we can ride together. His primary car is a bit of a big-engine gas guzzler, but we only drive that around town here. Most of the time it is parked while we are working, anyway. We're selling my little car (anyone wanna buy a very efficient Ion in near mint condition?!?)..and will likely be trading in his A6 4.2 gas guzzler soon for a more family-friendly Audi Allroad with a smaller engine.

littlebeast13 wrote: I don't have a bit of sympathy...

There is no rule that says one has to live 30 miles from their job....

You're right...we don't have to live so far away from work. But we definitely don't have to live in downtown Newark either! I don't want to live anywhere that has these billboards around town!



We could live closer, but we don't want to pay stupid NJ taxes either. Living in PA is cheaper than filling the tank!

Hey MMFF, why are you against stopping the killings? I always had you pegged as the non-violent type.

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:If there was public transportation that took me to the places I needed to go, I would use it.

Yes, and the times. Bus service which would get me to within three miles of my house starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m. I could use it maybe one day a week.

The closest bus stop to me is 10 miles away. It stops there twice a day. It goes only up and down Rte 44 on that route. You can not live out here without a car.

or a bicycle

Pea, are you happy with the performance of your hybrid? I'm considering getting one in the next year or so.

moonie wrote:Pea, are you happy with the performance of your hybrid? I'm considering getting one in the next year or so.

Not presuming to speak for Pea, I can tell you that elwing and I are very pleased with our hybrid (Prius). One thing you should know, however, is that the gas mileage for hybrids (or at least for Prii) goes down in the winter because the gas engine runs more frequently (to keep the heater going).

moonie wrote:Pea, are you happy with the performance of your hybrid? I'm considering getting one in the next year or so.

Moonbeam!

So good to see you.

I do not have a hybrid. I am not sure who you have me confused with.

Sting says that because when I leave my driveway, I do not see a stop sign (or stop light) for 11 miles or so, a hybrid would not save us anything - we would be burning fuel because we do not do stop and go stuff. The majority of my driving is 'highway' driving.

marrymeflyfree wrote:You're right...we don't have to live so far away from work. But we definitely don't have to live in downtown Newark either! I don't want to live anywhere that has these billboards around town!

Geez, St. Louis annually flip flops with Detroit for the distinction of being The Most Dangerous City in the United States®, and we don't have any signs like that around....

I loved the scenery around Newark Airport though when I landed there almost 7 years ago. Reminded me of home....

lb13

They are hovering a bit over $3/gallon here but they are reeeeally gouging the people in Buffalo--much higher there. I guess 'cuz it's harder to get the gas TO Buffalo--but otherwise it makes no sense because ostensibly they do zone pricing and with the much higher median income near DC the prices should be higher here. Also I suspect they are taking advantage of a captive audience up there--not nearly the mass transit options we have here so they really are held hostage.

My sister says it is really hurting--she is a bank teller and doesn't have much. She is cutting way back on Christmas presents for now--but she may also try to find a job closer to home.

littlebeast13 wrote:I loved the scenery around Newark Airport though when I landed there almost 7 years ago. Reminded me of home....

The landscape is about the same but your population density is much lower.

Gas is about $3.37 a gallon here.

I paid $3.20 yesterday.

$3.09 for premium here.

Prices around here have gone down almost 10 cents/gallon in the past week.