$4 a Gallon Gas National Avg: The Noose Tightens
“The national average price of a gallon of regular gas rose 1.8 cents overnight to a record $4.023, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices first moved above $4 nationally on Sunday, though they’ve been higher than that in many parts of the country for weeks.” This excerpt was pulled from USATODAY. Luckily I live in a city that has Refineries across town to pull from, and currently our gas is sitting at $3.799/Gallon. Places like California have certain areas where the low grade gas is pushing $5/Gallon. The crappiest part of all about the high gas prices is that its raising prices of everything else, from electric bills, to food costs, to all other consumer products. Lets not forget that Diesel is pushing $5, or may even be well over $5 a gallon in certain areas, and the majority of all consumer products and food are delivered via Diesel powered trucks, thus driving up costs all across the board. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had to take steps to ensure I keep my fuel costs to a minimum.
So what am I doing to cut costs? Its sad, but these are things I’ve either already started to do, or am looking at just to be able to pay the mortgage and put food on the table for myself. I can only imagine what it must be like for low income families. I’m a single guy, so I can keep food costs to a minimum as well as driving, and I’m struggling. I can only imagine how hard it must be on them. Below is the list of ways I’m having to cut costs because the oil industry keeps tightening the noose around my neck:
- No unnecessary Driving. I got to work and go home. Even by doing just this, I drive 38 Miles per day. Luckily when I have to go grocery shopping, Wal-Mart is only a half mile out of the way.
- Driving at lower speeds. Hey, I’m sorry, go around, you won’t see me going a mile over 55 on the highway anymore.
- Keeping the windows up, and very low, or no AC. Seems like I get less mpg with the windows open causing drag on the vehicle.
- I keep the house thermostat to 78, and possibly considering 80. Normally I’d keep it between 72-74. Finally I’ve adjusted and it no longer feels so hot at that temp, so I think it may be time to jump it to 80.
- Cut water costs as much as possible. Taking short showers, and no more watering the lawn. (Not that I did that much anyway)
- Cut the Cable TV Package down from the full package to Basic or Expanded Basic. It sucks but it’ll save a pretty penny.
- Currently with my new diet, I’ve cut food costs to anywhere from $3 a day, to $7 a day.
- I don’t buy anything when I’m going from work to home or vice versa. No fast food, no drinks while at work, or getting gas. Nothing. Cut back on Smokes and try to stock up on B1G1Frees when available. Down to half a pack a day. Contemplating quitting for good very soon.
How hard have the gas prices hit you? Its breaking the bank for me, and pretty soon, I may have to pick up a second job, just so I can keep getting to the first job which costs roughly $9 a day just to get to work and back. Its just sickening, I’m totally disgusted at whats going on in this country right now.
I saw these prices coming earlier this spring, so I traded in the land yacht that was sucking down two tanks of gas a week for an 06 Hyundai Accent. It’s nothing to look at, your typical sub-compact car but it does it’s job…get me too and from work. My wife’s Explorer is all but parked in the garage these days…and very rarely does it leave the house (last fillup was $80).
Starting tomorrow I will take money saving step number two and start car pooling with my neighbor. We’ll take my car and rotate who fills up the car. Since I can go a full week between fillups it will work out. The thing that sucks for most of us in the States is it’s necessary to commute to work. Finding alternate modes of transportation or even working from home may be the way of the future.
I wish I could carpool. I live in a suburb outside of Tulsa, and work at 6am everyday, and finish at different times each day, so I don’t even get that option. Outside of big cities too, mass transit is garbage, our bus system here sucks, and its your only alternative, and again for me, completely not available.
I heard on the radio talking about $4.50 average by July and possibly $5 by the end of summer. If that happens, I may have to literally slip a noose over my neck and just never pay for gas ever again.
Here in the UK it’s up to $11 a gallon. That’s why I want to move to the USA! Count yourselves lucky!
I’m an ex-trucker, so I sometimes try to keep tabs on the trucking industry. Since January of 2008, over 900 small/independent trucking companies have gone under, given up, or bailed out because of fuel prices.
There are a lot of different versions of what may happen this summer. I did hear yesterday ( can’t remember who said it, but seemed like an oil industry watcher ), that prices are mostly up due to supply and demand and oil speculators, not because of the oil companies as most people think; although they aren’t totally innocent, they are not the main culprits in gas prices. They also said that there are absolutely no grounds right now for these prices, and even thought that oil might be back near $75/barrel by the end of summer.
The biggest help would be drilling our own, but even if that were to be allowed today, it would probably be years before it had any real effect.
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Its crazy. I guess it just depends on who you are listening to at the time, and seems like everyone has different opinions on what will happen, leaving us all guessing.
Its funny too, I heard someone on the radio who said that reserves were really high right now and the supply far exceeded the current demand. So who knows, everyone tells us something different.
One thing I do know its making things real hard for a lot of people.
I just heard on the radio too, that it costs the Saudi’s $2 to extract a barrel of oil. Awesome.
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I am probably going to have to get rid of my truck. AND let me tell you, that sucks. I use my truck all the time to haul my 4 wheeler and stuff for home. I do know one thing, I make sure if I have to go out I plan ahead now and make sure that I get everything I need in the one trip. I live 7 miles from town.
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Its sucks, a lot of people are trading in Trucks and SUV’s for more efficient vehicles. If I could afford to, I’d be doing the same.
I can’t carpool either, but did just buy a more gas efficient vehicle. Now I get to pay car payments again for 5 years which blows big time, but it was either that or pay $70 for a fill up where this little baby only costs $30. I figure I’m saving the money for the car payment in the gas bill as I drive some 100+ miles per day. Hubby gets to carpool, so he only actually drives once a month.
I work for a small company — he works for a big one, so there are more people going his way.
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This article sounds well, but how everything is related together?
I have to say, that I could not agree with you in 100%, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong.