$ gas prices = WOW!

[Miranda]

The current situation with gas prices has really got me thinking seriously about parking my suv and pedaling for transportation anywhere possible.

I have kicked the idea around before of commuting to my gyms where I teach...

Prior to the gas going up, it was simply for the fact of keeping down my slight resentment factor that I'm stuck inside using my energy, when I'd rather be riding soley outside. But, alas I'm getting paid, and luckily there are those people who prefer inside riding only so I thus have a job (yay be happy, right?! ).

I figure if I commuted to teach class, I could get my outside fix and tag it onto my indoor exertion. It's just my routes to get there suck...

If you have ever heard the saying "you can't get there from here", well, that's my route. The road is in the county, no berm to get off on, and very busy. I wanna ride, but I don't wanna be road kill either.

Just pushin a G note to fill up with gas = yikes.

[KnottedYet]

The amusing thing to me is that the US gets the vast majority of its imported gasoline from Canada.

Yet the difficulty in Libya has raised our gas prices to $4/gal in my neighborhood.

I call "B.S." on the oil companies. But like any addict, I have nowhere else to turn but my dealer... so he can raise prices all he wants for whatever reason he wants. I'll pay, man, just gimme my fix!!!!!

Biodiesel and bikes are my options if I want to get out of their profiteering clutches.

[Miranda]

The amusing thing to me is that the US gets the vast majority of its imported gasoline from Canada.

Yet the difficulty in Libya has raised our gas prices to $4/gal in my neighborhood.

I call "B.S." on the oil companies. But like any addict, I have nowhere else to turn but my dealer... so he can raise prices all he wants for whatever reason he wants. I'll pay, man, just gimme my fix!!!!!

Biodiesel and bikes are my options if I want to get out of their profiteering clutches.

Omg, IKR?! Ugh... what to do. The first sign of trouble, boom, next thing ya know that price on the gas station sign changes.

We bought our suv when gas was very low. It gave us more towing capacity for our camper. Also, we just paid the suv off. So nice to be a car payment free household atm.

I have changed my traveling habits since the prices have gone up. I limit, combine, or simply just don't go at all, where I used to. Too much money.

[hebe]

Sympathy from here. We're paying the British equivalent of over $10/gallon here - our gallons are slightly bigger than yours but you get the picture. My bikes have gone from being purely for recreation to doing a large share of nursery transport and errands as most of my journeys are less than 5miles long round trip. I thought that the routes were too busy to cycle initially but have found some better ones.

So I'm voting with my wallet and using less fuel. Perhaps if their revenue drops the more they increase prices then they'll get the message. Our government made a big song and dance about decreasing fuel prices by shifting more of the tax burden to the oil companies when oil prices are high, but all this has done is mightily annoy the oil companies. It's the oil companies who set the prices at the pump anyway, and they are simply refusing to pass on any reduction in duty set by the government. Bah.

[badger]

The amusing thing to me is that the US gets the vast majority of its imported gasoline from Canada.

Yet the difficulty in Libya has raised our gas prices to $4/gal in my neighborhood.

I call "B.S." on the oil companies. But like any addict, I have nowhere else to turn but my dealer... so he can raise prices all he wants for whatever reason he wants. I'll pay, man, just gimme my fix!!!!!

Biodiesel and bikes are my options if I want to get out of their profiteering clutches.

Well, I've often wondered why we have to pay so much (currently $1.37/L, which is approx. $5.48/gal) when we have our own oil. From what I hear, our oil isn't as refined as the ones in Libya, etc. But that could just be more ka-ka we're fed to believe something.

[jobob]

Well, I've often wondered why we have to pay so much (currently $1.37/L, which is approx. $5.48/gal) when we have our own oil. From what I hear, our oil isn't as refined as the ones in Libya, etc. But that could just be more ka-ka we're fed to believe something.

I didn't realize prices were that much higher in Canada than the US. But if you take into account the fact that US gas is heavily subsidized, then I suppose it does make sense. In the US, we pony up the difference on April 15.

[Tri Girl]

Muirenn- that's CRAZY! So silly to not let you come on base by foot or two wheels. If they're worried about security- I'm thinking someone on foot or on a bike is a whole lot more transparent than someone in a car with a trunk to hide things in. How dumb!

Two years ago I took a job (with a pretty good pay cut) that is 2 miles from my house (3 by bike). It was worth it to me to not have to be in my car for 1.5 hours a day and drive 60 miles just for work daily. I made the sacrifice because I was sick of being in my car that much. We cut back things like cable, excess spending, etc and made it work. We also spend less money on filling the car up- so the pay cut didn't hurt quite as bad.
Not everyone can do that, and that's OK. I'm glad that we could make it work. I'm MUCH less stressed and much happier being able to ride to work.

Now I do almost everything by bike. I fill the car up about every 3 weeks. My DH has his choice of two cars now (they are both paid off and are 11+ years old). I hope to eventually get rid of one of them, but he's not too keen on that idea. I'm working *really* hard to get him to see it would be OK to be a one-car couple, even though we have no public transportation. I mean- the furthest I'm going to get "stuck" from home would be a max of 10 miles- and I'm in good enough shape that if I had to walk that far- I could do so easily.

[soprano]

I was a senior in college in 2001. The price of gasoline in our area more than doubled that year, and my college-student budget had no room for expansion. These days, my husband and I have a nice household income, so the current gas price increases don't hurt nearly as much.

Coming into financial independence just as gas prices were starting to take off means that I have always made housing/work decisions with gasoline in mind. We bought a house that is well-served by public transit, and we share one car without hardship (and that car gets 45 MPG). Haven't really noticed any effect of the current gasoline prices on our budget. I feel sorry for those who are hurting financially because of the price of gas.

I hope to eventually get rid of one of them, but he's not too keen on that idea. I'm working *really* hard to get him to see it would be OK to be a one-car couple, even though we have no public transportation.

To demonstrate to my husband that we could ditch one car, I parked it for a month and got around by other means. I also pointed out to him that we live near a number of car rental counters (we also have carshare available) and that for the 13 days I had needed to drive so far that year, I had spent ~$2000 in car maintenance - WAY more than the cost to rent! Laying out some hard numbers really helped convince him.

[Becky]

I have kicked the idea around before of commuting to my gyms where I teach...

I figure if I commuted to teach class, I could get my outside fix and tag it onto my indoor exertion. It's just my routes to get there suck...

I hear ya! I just rode my gym route last Friday, but man, it's a backbreaker! It's got a couple of super-steep climbs out of the river valley, and no alternate way around. I'm not sure that I could actually do anything once I got there, and then there's the issue of a safe place to lock up....

[Crankin]

I just plan my trips more accordingly. My car is not a gas guzzler (it's average), but I *know* I drive a lot less than my friends. True, we mostly take DH's car on the weekends, but I often think of my friends who go driving all over, to say, Costco, to buy grocery type items at a cheaper price. Costco is about 12 miles away. Why don't they just save the gas $ and shop locally?
Truthfully, I think people in the US are spoiled when it comes to gas prices. The prices in Europe have always been high, hence the use of alternative transportation and lifestyles that support it. Or, people pay when they need to drive.
I am having a hard time justifying looking for jobs that will require a long commute. There are jobs out there, but, it's a sticking point for me. I want to use my education, but....

[spokewench]

I really don't mind the gas prices, I know that a lot of people pay a lot more. We have just been spoiled in the US.

In the summer, I save a lot of money cause I ride my 125 scooter to work and to tennis, etc. when I can. It gets around 85 miles per gallon I think. My car sits alot unless I'm off to the grocery store or on a longer trip.

I also occasionally get on the bike to commute so gas prices don't phase me too much. It's much more fun to ride my scooter anyway

[Karma007]

I take the train in to work when I can, but I've had a lot of late shifts recently, and DH doesn't want me walking home from the station very late. I'm hoping here in a couple weeks things will improve and I can stop driving in. I don't worry too much about running errands- I combine them all in to one big trip.

[7rider]

I really don't mind the gas prices, I know that a lot of people pay a lot more. We have just been spoiled in the US.

I wouldn't mind it so much if some of this increase were in taxes going into state and federal coffers. Instead, it's going into oil company pockets (and their speculating stock holders). If taxes were indexed to the cost of a gallon of gas, imagine all the infrastructure we could improve with increased revenue.

[Jolt]

I am having a hard time justifying looking for jobs that will require a long commute. There are jobs out there, but, it's a sticking point for me. I want to use my education, but....

I hear you on that--not only the gas, but having a long commute is the pits anyway. Who wants to spend a half hour each way stuck in the car and fighting traffic? I've been having to drive up to 45-50 minutes for work (filling in at various nursing homes, few of which are close by) and am really looking forward to the end of that ridiculousness when I start the new job in a month or so. In fact, I just got back from an apartment-hunting trip to the new town and the place I am going to try to get is just under a mile from the hospital so I would be able to walk to work (even better than bike commuting since I can also do it in the winter--biking on slippery roads narrowed by snowbanks just wouldn't work well). The town also has all the everyday stuff (grocery store, bank etc.) within easy biking distance, so I will be using a lot less gas there than I am now.

[Crankin]

That sounds wonderful, Jolt. I have one option for bike commuting; the clinic by Emerson Hospital. I have a contact there, but we've been playing phone tag for weeks. I just need to find out the name of the hiring person; another reason I want to work there is that it's a fee for service job, can do flexible hours, which is important at this stage in my life. Most new grads can't do this (no benefits), but I prefer it. A lot of the things I see would require a 45 minute drive or an hour on public transportation and are 40 hours a week, which = no time for riding. Right now, my internship in Lowell is between 25 and 40 minutes, no real traffic. That's OK. That's about my limit.