The Effect Gas Prices Are Having On You

[cj's dad]

With the price of gas rapidly approaching $4 and higher here in Md. and already hitting that figure and above elsewhere ($5 in Ca.), I am curious as to what extent this is having on your personal life and spending habits.

[wisconsin]

$4.17 around me. Hurts my selling of cars, because on top of the payments, there is the cost of gas, and it sure does matter in the equation.

I have also curtailed my driving lately, can just lolligag up the road to window shop anyplace anymore. Only drive for real business.

Planning on a drive to Virginia beach this June, and man, that's gonna be costly!

[lsbets]

I don't really have much choice about cutting back my driving, so all I can do is suck it up and pay more. It sucks. The money isn't coming out of savings, but I am cutting back on unnecessary spending because it doesn't feel good to spend extra cash when it costs me over 80 bucks to fill up the car.

[lamboguy]

the higher prices of gas has made me make a few good changes. i run every place that i can get to within 10 miles of my house. i bought a motor scooter for excursions of 10-30 miles.

my car needs less gas and repairs, and i have lost about 25 pounds this past year and feel a lot better. also i have noticed that there are less traffic jams on the streets near where i live with lots of others that are driving motor scooters and cycles.

in the long run the high cost of gasoline should be a big benefit to everyone here. it just might force people to eat less and exercise more, there fore cutting back the amount of times people have to go to their doctors and take drugs for high blood pressure and diabetes.

[lsbets]

the higher prices of gas has made me make a few good changes. i run every place that i can get to within 10 miles of my house. i bought a motor scooter for excursions of 10-30 miles.

my car needs less gas and repairs, and i have lost about 25 pounds this past year and feel a lot better. also i have noticed that there are less traffic jams on the streets near where i live with lots of others that are driving motor scooters and cycles.

in the long run the high cost of gasoline should be a big benefit to everyone here. it just might force people to eat less and exercise more, there fore cutting back the amount of times people have to go to their doctors and take drugs for high blood pressure and diabetes.

You must live in a city on one of the coasts.

In most of the rest of the country things are too far away to run there. I'd be doing 2 marathons every day, and since kids can't do a marathon I'd have to have them on my back. One would be manageable, 2 would be tough, but strapping a third on might kill me. The high cost of gas is not a benefit to anyone I know.

[dav4463]

I still drive everywhere. I just can't afford to do anything once I get there!

[redshift1]

Sold my Infiniti leased a Focus, cut my gas bill in half. Unfortunately the Focus is in for repair for the 3rd time with less than 1000 total miles must have been assembled by the Rastas.

[johnhannibalsmith]

...

In most of the rest of the country things are too far away to run there. ...

My best option is to saddle up one of the lazy pasture ornaments and ride to the one store within a few miles but it would probably get stolen in the parking lot.

One good thing, I guess, is that my one "discretionary excursion" once or twice a week was the 100 mile round trip to the track. I won't go to the OTBs which are nearly as far away and can't wager online in this silly state, so I'm contributing even less than ever to the purse fund.

[oexplayer68]

I just sit home playing the races all day, so no effect on me.

[A. Pineda]

Sold my Infiniti leased a Focus, cut my gas bill in half. Unfortunately the Focus is in for repair for the 3rd time with less than 1000 total miles must have been assembled by the Rastas.

It seems that today's consumers, whether knowingly or totally in the dark, are taking a risk when purchasing any first generation product. Such is the case with the current Focus model, especially those vehicles with the new automatic transmission. The good thing is, Ford has finally figured out how to repair the tranny, by either repairing or replacing the PCM and/or the TCM. However, they don't pay you for your time wasted in the waiting room, and a few dealers do not even offer loaner vehicles.
http://blogs.motortrend.com/consumer-reports-sez-chrysler-improves-ford-and-gm-are-missing-an-opportunity-18609.html

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=260219

Since the recent fuel price increases, my old Focus has spent more time parked in the garage than usual. We're getting cabin fever, though, and a trip to Laughlin is in the works.

[BlueShoe]

A much longer driving trip had been planned for next week, now shortened by two days and several hundred miles. While admittedly, gas prices were not the deciding factor, it did have an influence on the decision. Even so, according to calculations, will be spending more on fuel costs than on lodging, and drive a very economical car.

[redshift1]

It seems that today's consumers, whether knowingly or totally in the dark, are taking a risk when purchasing any first generation product. Such is the case with the current Focus model, especially those vehicles with the new automatic transmission. The good thing is, Ford has finally figured out how to repair the tranny, by either repairing or replacing the PCM and/or the TCM. However, they don't pay you for your time wasted in the waiting room, and a few dealers do not even offer loaner vehicles.
http://blogs.motortrend.com/consumer-reports-sez-chrysler-improves-ford-and-gm-are-missing-an-opportunity-18609.html

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=260219





Since the recent fuel price increases, my old Focus has spent more time parked in the garage than usual. We're getting cabin fever, though, and a trip to Laughlin is in the works.


2012 Focus, good concept poor execution.

.

[canleakid]

$3.59 a gal. here and still driving 'bout the same miles, planning a trip to the coast this weekend, will rent a economical car for the trip. It's just part of life!!!!!!!!!!

[acorn54]

i don't like to do alot of driving. haven't liked it since i approached middle age
i make it a point to keep everything local. on long island in new york it is so built up that you really don't have to make trips more than five miles for anything.
i ride my bike about 5 miles round trip for groceries in good weather.
i also work within five miles of my home. probably could gross more in income if i was willing to drive further away from home, but i would need a new car and that expense would just about negate any increase in income as my total expenses for my car including insurance is about 1500 dollars/yr as of now.

[Dave Schwartz]

The price going up certainly doesn't help anyone except oil company shareholders and executives.

Being a one-car, work-at-home family, we are not impacted much. We certainly don't like it but life goes on.


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

[bigmack]

The price going up certainly doesn't help anyone except oil company shareholders and executives.
The Mack-O-Meter says otherwise.

For example, ExxonMobil paid $108.1 billion in total worldwide taxes in 2011, up from $89.2 billion in 2010, according to its filings, confirmed by a company spokesman. Exxon’s total worldwide income tax portion of its 2011 bill was $30.5 billion. Exxon pays taxes to foreign governments where it operates.

Back here at home, Exxon paid $12.3 billion total in U.S. taxes, all in, for federal, state, sales, property, and excise taxes. That’s up from $9.8 billion the year prior. Overall, that makes Exxon the biggest payer of U.S. corporate taxes.

When you think about it, Exxon paid more than a billion dollars a month in U.S. taxes, all in, last year. But Exxon earned $9.6 billion in after-tax profits in 2011.

“So the U.S. government gets a bigger slice from us than our shareholders do,” says Alan Jeffers, spokesman for ExxonMobil. “How can you possibly say we’re not paying our fair share when our tax bill is bigger than our profits?”
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2012/03/16/taxes-and-gas-prices/

[Dave Schwartz]

LOL - Well, there you have it. An oil company exec said it so it must be true.

Pardon my skepticism.

[Marshall Bennett]

I think about what they're paying in Europe and it doesn't seem that bad. We're awfully lucky we're able to purchase imported oil with U.S. dollars where apparently there is an endless supply. Why drill your own when you have that luxury? :)

[bigmack]

LOL - Well, there you have it. An oil company exec said it so it must be true.

Pardon my skepticism.
I welcome you to tear apart those numbers. Do you doubt higher gas prices benefit government take-in considerably? Pacifically, higher than oil company profits?

[NJ Stinks]

I welcome you to tear apart those numbers. Do you doubt higher gas prices benefit government take-in considerably? Pacifically, higher than oil company profits?

The fuel taxes - particularly the state and federal tax per gallon on a gallon of gas and diesel fuel - is the biggest tax by far that ExxonMobil pays. This tax is passed down to the end user. In short, we pay the federal and state fuel taxes to ExxonMobil and ExxonMobil in turn remits our money to state and federal agencies via fuel tax returns.

Don't matter what the price is per gallon is - the tax per gallon doesn't change unless the state or federal government changes the tax charged per gallon.

ExxonMobil's spokeman is selling manure.

[Greyfox]

Are you better off today than you were 4 years ago? Today gas is over $4 a gallon in California.

Average U.S. Gasoline Prices

YearPrice Per Gallon
1980 $1.22
1985 $1.96
1990 $1.22
1995 $1.21
2000 $1.56
2001 $1.53
2002 $1.44
2003 $1.64
2004 $1.92
2005 $2.34
2006 $2.63
2007 $2.85
2008 $3.32
2009 $2.40











Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI). Average Price Data, Gasoline All Types. (http://www.bls.gov/CPI/)

[elysiantraveller]

I'm driving quite a bit less and just trying to pinch pennies here in there. Not affecting anything but its infuriating watching the meter climb at the pump so trying just cut back elsewhere.

We are heading up north this weekend to the cottage to relax, scout some grouse covers, and just recharge. Gas is easily going to be the most expensive part of the trip. :ThmbDown:

[bigmack]

Sold the Ram. Dug being a trucka, ridin' high, rolled pack of Marlboro's in a short sleeved plaid shirt, et al., but a real gas hawg. Did note that a certain demographic of birds groove on trucks.

Sold within 3 hours of posting the ad. Should have axed mo'. Left a pile of poysonal stuff in the console, including a couple of decent watches. Forgot completely about cleaning that out. Called the guy a couple days later, ASSuming he would have kept it, or at least called me to say I left it there. His response, "I put all that stuff in a bag and threw it away." I know. My fault.

Ragtop Saab still gets good MPH and also picked up an '11 Ford Fusion on a short lease. Don't laugh. Handles like a dream.

[lsbets]

Sold the Ram. Dug being a trucka, ridin' high, rolled pack of Marlboro's in a short sleeved plaid shirt, et al., but a real gas hawg. Did note that a certain demographic of birds groove on trucks.

Sold within 3 hours of posting the ad. Should have axed mo'. Left a pile of poysonal stuff in the console, including a couple of decent watches. Forgot completely about cleaning that out. Called the guy a couple days later, ASSuming he would have kept it, or at least called me to say I left it there. His response, "I put all that stuff in a bag and threw it away." I know. My fault.

Ragtop Saab still gets good MPH and also picked up an '11 Ford Fusion on a short lease. Don't laugh. Handles like a dream.

Unfortunately I don't have many car choices with 4 kids. Nothing that gets good gas mileage can move the family. The Escalade is a great ride, but is a major gas hog.

[Actor]

My Honda Metropolitan gets 95 mpg. It has a 1.3 gallon tank. I fill up twice a month. :)

[plainolebill]

I'm detrucked, went from F250 4x4 to Scout Traveler to Nissan Xterra to driving a Pontian Vibe that gets pretty good mileage and will pull a little utility trailer when I want to pick up a load of manure. :)

Fortunately my wife and I are both retired and don't need to drive far so gas prices don't have too much of an effect one way or another. It is shocking to fill up (infrequent) and have the price for a tank go up 5 bucks every time I go in.

My son lives out in the woods, has three children, drives about 40 miles a day to and from work in a big ford van. I feel sorry for him.

[Mike at A+]

Here are some simple tips you can use until Obama perfects the algae thing:

1.) Combine trips
2.) Get one of those supermarket cards that gives you 10 cents off a gallon of gas for every $100 you spend. They also have special deals where you can get as much as 40 cents off for buying specific products. Last week I got $1.30 off per gallon.

[GaryG]

I get out in the woods at every opportunity. Life is too short to worry about gas prices. The 4-Runner is not exactly a gas hawg, so business as usual. Nothing like the mountains in the spring. It is about a 100 mile round trip to the OTB, I like to go once or twice a week just to drink coffee and tell lies with the other old fools.

[Valuist]

Just filled up this morning: $4.50/gallon in suburban Chicago. Even when crude was at $147, I don't remember paying $4.50/gallon.