Is $4.00+ gas really affecting you??

Yes,it is definitely effecting me,but in a good way.I have been riding my bicycle to work for about three years,32 miles one way,and I catch the bus back home after work,but gas prices have influenced co-workers to offer me rides for 5$ a day.Now I only have to ride 10 miles to meet my ride,and ten miles back after work.
I have saved so much money riding a bicycle that 5$ a day doesn't really hurt at all.I am still getting my excercise,but getting home earlier.
I realised that the cost of driving was way too high long ago.
Not driving saves me about 1000$ a month.

reply to post by porschedrifter


Mitsubishi Evolution VIII, 2003 Apex silver.
en.wikipedia.org...

Sweet car, turbo charged four cylinder AWD. 271 horse engine with 5 speed transmission. Four door so it is easy to get my son in the back seat and not fall over myself like I would in a two door. Trunk space to go get food if needed (but now with a van we use it instead).

Not really a rich man’s sports car but still pricey enough to me. Like I said I will be adding modifications to it to get more power and better MPG. But it is hard to get good MPG when it is so hard to stay out of boost (lead foot).

I assume that is a pic or your car or one similar in your avatar considering your choice of name?

Raist

Good choice, I love those cars

More so than the STI's

A good review of the Evo 8: www.youtube.com...

Wish you luck with her by the way check out Aimsoil's Severe Service Racing Oil, you'll never go back....

Actually I got that avatar from Porsche's website, I used to own a 1984 guards red 944 that I modified here and there, I used to drift it as well... That explains the SN..
Miss the handling a bunch as well as the growl of that motor... but the power was severely lacking at only 187hp topping out at 148mph..
It was a big 2.5 straight 4cyl, shared half of the 928's v8 motor.


[edit on 16-7-2008 by porschedrifter]

Fortunately for me, no its not affecting me at all. I am comparing $4 gas to $3 gas mind you. Its just a few more bucks a tank.

Personally, it hasn't affected me much. It is hard for my college age son who is spending $50 a week to drive to work this summer. A clerk in a store was telling me that she is close to retirement but might have to quit her job because she can't afford the gas to get to work. I've heard that Wal-Mart is losing business because people out in the country don't want to drive far distances to save a few cents on items. I know a woman who's husband owns a small trucking company and it has really affected his business. It is really hurting some people, depending on how far they drive to work and the type of business they are in.

reply to post by Pinktip


I never put gas or food or anything else on my credit card unless I absolutely have to. That is a bad habit and debt will build up quickly.

Originally posted by xander68
I am lucky enough that I have enough to cover the extra cost, and still drive a sports car that gets less than 20 miles per gallon (city)... Im also lucky enough that I drive only 5 miles to work.

That said, Im fine for the time being.. but a neighbor and I were just talking about this very thing the other day.. there are lots of people out there that were only making it week to week before the surge in price... I dont know how they are doing it...and along with that food and electric prices are going up too. Here in Rhode Island, National grid was just given the go ahead to increase electric rates over 20%... thats right TWENTY percent. And that increase starts next week.

Its a sad day for those with families to support, or those out of work.. or sick & disabled..

I hear ya, i'm in Rhode Island too, 21% this is gonna be tough

if u dont mind me asking what is the average weekly income you Americans get, at first i thought u had it easy getting 4$ a gal when here in australia its 1.75 a liter where i live, at 97 cent to US doller thats like 6 to 6.80 a gal here,
anyway i spend about 20% of my income on fuel

reply to post by Delerium


I work a swing shift so I am only driving 3-4 days a week. I average 15% of my weekly check on fuel. Of course that is also premium as mentioned in an earlier post and a half tank of fuel. I find it looks better on my pocket book to now fill up at a half tank. The car I had prior I was averaging about 10-12% on a full tank.

Raist

Originally posted by porschedrifter

Wish you luck with her

by the way check out Aimsoil's Severe Service Racing Oil, you'll never go back....

[edit on 16-7-2008 by porschedrifter]

All of Amsoil's stuff is gold. It gives a definite increase in mileage. I've been using it for a couple years now and love it. Coincidently, I know some people who are dealers so anyone can U2U if interested.

High gas prices are effecting me because I want more than anything to buy the new Challenger but I don't want it to be unaffordable to drive .

Besides that I just condense trips.

I will be getting my Amsoil through a fellow on another forum I frequent. Going to be using the total package of lubricants getting a pretty nice deal on it shipped to my door.

It is odd but it seems true synthetic oils are not as expensive compared to the old dino juice when you compare how well it works now that oil has gotten so high. That along with doing your own maintenance saves some money as well. At least driving rural roads I can still hit about 20 MPG.

I am looking at getting a beater car to drive more often just to keep the miles lower on this car. Seen one in a paper the other day for $350 but the engine runs hot. As old as the car is it could be something minor to fix or it could be the engine itself. I still need to call about it but I tend to procrastinate on things that are not immediately of need.

Raist

It's not the direct price that is affecting me so badly, but the indirect pricing increase from gas prices sure adds up at the end of the month.

I've noticed that the prices for a lot of the groceries in Walmart especially, have risen by an average of 15 - 20%, in the last 6 months.

I assumed this is due to the increased price of diesel, forcing the increase end price paid by the consumer.Maybe not.

Ummmmm YES!!!!!! I don't know what you do for a living, but I cook food in Southwest Florida. There have been atleast 15 restaurants and bars closed in the past 2 months. The business is sooooo slow Ican't work more than 30 hours a week when I'm used to working 60-80 hours a week ( really that's a lot, but it's true, gotta get paid). The poor servers and barenders don't get any tips anymore and are lucky to make $250 a week. Everywhere is altleast a few miles from everything else. Even after huricane Charley ripped thru here gas didn't cost this much and 3 out of 5 gas stations didn't have any gas. You must have some cash, go support the service industry, before you can't go out to dinner again. ( there won't be anyone who can afford to do the work ) Ya gas prices are making a huge difference. People who have lost there jobs and are unemployeed ( poor souls ) can't afford the gas to go find a job, and that's after 30 places say they aren't hiring. The soup kitchen in Naples and the homeless shelter there are mostly full of white families of middle, or lower income who have lost everything. It started with the realestate, then mortgage browkers, car dealers, and sifted right down to Joe Average American.

I had a regular bar customer ( who was in the insurance business ) warn me about this 3 1/2 years ago. I didn't take him to seriously, maybe I should have!!!! No we don't pay as much as Europe ( yet ) , but they technically make more money then we do. Even Canada's dollar is worth more than the us dollar.

Gas prices SUCK, and they are making a mojor impact, people sit at home and get depressed cuz they can't go anywhere. They can only afford enough gas for groceries, work, and school. Sometimes just work and school. Myself nd several people I know have to take turns monthly deciding what bills aren't getting paid just so we can eat. You got steal marbles man!!!!

reply to post by earthchild


Believe it or not my wife and I have managed to gather more food on our trips to the store and still spend around what we did over a year ago. It is really quite a miracle in times when everyone else seems to be spending much more. Really though using coupons and buying some bulk items does seem to help as well

We also seem to be spending less on average than others do on food. We get the most of our food once a month with some trips to the store once in a while. We spend as much in one month that others seem to be spending in one or two weeks, I think I eat pretty often too.

Guess it all really depends on what your taste in food is and what brands you buy.

Some of the cost increase is also due to the amount of corn being used for E85 fuels as well. Corn that could be going to feed chickens, cattle, and pigs.

Raist