How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

[The Toecutter]

U.S. gas prices averaged $4.07/gallon for regular unleaded when I last checked gasbuddy.com on Thursday of this week.

Why are they so high?

1) Peak oil/ Supply and Demand
2) Ongoing US dollar collapse
3) Oil speculators

In order of severity from top to bottom. Speculators are only perhaps 10% of the price increase.

Where I am currently located, prices average $3.89/gallon for regular unleaded. My electric car project that I've been wanting to finish for so long will resume after I find a permanent adress and can ship it over(or give it to my dad, take the parts I need, and find another chassis to use). The gas guzzler currently in my posession will be having a grill block added to it probably today and I am going to design a set of underbody panels for it(will reduce drag and the rear diffuser will also add downforce and make it stable at high speeds).

Oil is approxamately $136/barrel on Nymex right now. OPEC predicts $200/barrel and $7/gallon in the U.S. by Fall of this year. Turkey is averaging over $11/gallon for gasoline. Bad, bad news here.

Geo Metros(~50 mpg) are sometimes selling for $7,000 on ebay in the US, more than 5 times their blue book value. The auto industry in the US is still averaging about 27 mpg for midsize cars.

Due to the increasing price of oil and the control of food production by monolithic companies like Monsanto, those in the 3rd world who were previously considered "well off" in these countries can now no longer afford food. There are worldwide food riots going on as we speak right now and we haven't even seen the worst of it. America's food prices are rising too. A loaf of cheap, processed, enriched bread(such as that Wonder crap) might be $5/loaf by the end of this year, and we are also witnessing the beginning stages of ecological collapse(bee/bat dieoff, mass extinction of bird species across the U.S., ect.).

There are also US aircraft carriers positioned outside of Iran at this time. George Bush may actually do the deed, possibly declare martial law to stop dissent in the US, and if this happens there will be no 2008 election(nevermind the still present possibility of election rigging. The no-paper-tail electronic voting machines are still present).

Gas prices aren't affecting me much because:

a) I have a large disposable income now
b) I don't use much of it thanks to car-pooling(I have filled my tank twice in the last month and a half, including the trip made to the Nixon residence)

That being said, my parents in St. Louis are having serious problems right now. I'm going to send them money if they tell me they need it. My step mom is stuck with a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado to commute to work in since the other vehicle(the Suzuki) is broken down and no mechanic can figure out why the electronic fuel pump in it keeps exploding shortly after each replacement. These gas prices have sapped the income she would have otherwise put in the bank or spent on frivalous things.

So, what are gas prices where you live and how are they effecting you? What are you going to do about it?


If you absolutely NEED a car, get one of the following used in good condition while you still can:

1) Honda CRX (The HF is the most fuel efficient)
2) Early 1990s 4-cylinder Nissan Sentra
3) Early 1990s Honda Civics (The Honda Civic VX has a high compression ratio lead burn engine and people have returned 55 mpg at 60 mph with no modification to them)
4) Geo Metros (The XFi can exceed 50 mpg)
5) Early 1990s Toyota Corollas


Building an electric bicycle is another possibility. They are inexpensive to build/operate and very practical. They are also easily stolen from you too.

If you want to build an electric car, do it quickly. Parts now often have 6 month long waiting lists(one example being Cafe Electric's Zilla controller).

[Armored]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

It sucks but I'm not broke.

[Big Rick Cook]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

Most I've spent is $3.77 and that was yesterday. It's now routinely costing me $75-$80 to fill the tank on my gas-guzzling truck

I could take a $4 paycut at nearly any fast-food restaurant and drive ten minutes instead of thirty every day and still have nearly the same amount of disposable income at the end of the pay period. THAT'S how bad it's getting for me on gas money.

Likewise, I could move closer to work, and instead of spending $320 on gas alone each month, I could be spending only about $100 on gas each month and putting the other $200 or so towards my own place. But whatever I do, I basically need to cut the gas usage from my day-to-day down extremely.

Edit: I think the worst part, the ABSOLUTE worst, is that the year I got my license, a mere 7 1/2 years ago, gas was often under $1/gallon. National average was probably like $1.30 or something. AH good ol' days.

[Ωbright]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

We were already on a very tight budget when gas was a dollar a gallon. Now we buy less food to make up for the 400% increase in gas, which has made almost EVERYTHING more expensive. Milk and gas cost about the same per gallon, eggs have almost doubled in price here, and it seems like everything else is at least slightly more expensive.

We already weren't eating like kings.

I feel like I'm being dared to do something about it. Well, it and everything else. If people riot, or form militias they're labeled as terrorists. Revolt seems like just the opportunity necessary to enforce martial law. People may scoff at this, but remember that the entire state of Florida is STILL technically under a state of martial law after 2001, thanks to Jeb Bush.

The electric car is certainly a viable option, I think, and there are others. The govt buys alternate energy patents ALL THE TIME, simply so that they can bury them. If they don't want us to know about them, then chances are the solution's right there.

I applaud you for your efforts with an electric car, Terr, and I wish you the best of luck.

[Bon]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

*laughs maniacally*

Gas prices are affecting me here in Virginia, Terr.

I saw in your post that Geo Metros are selling for quintuple their blue book value...well, I USED TO HAVE A GEO METRO, circa 1993. Know what happened? A goddamn car accident, an estimate of 2 grand to fix the damage, and a summons given to me because the other driver was a liar. So, while the car was still in my name, my dad was able to get some replacement hood (not even the same color as the car) from the junk yard to put on the Metro, and my eldest brother ended up taking it over. I eventually sold it last year to his girlfriend because the car was in such a bad shape that I couldn't do much else to save it and I would get more than selling it in the junkyard.

Nowadays, I drive a bigger vehicle, a 1995 Ford Escort LX Stationwagon. It generally cost me about 25 bucks to fill up when gas prices were between 2.50-3.00. Now, I estimate with the severe increase in gas prices, averaing 4.08 for mid-grade (my gas of choice), my car takes upwards of 30.00-33.00 just to fill up the tank. Thankfully, I don't need my vehicle for lenghty traveling (the exception being driving 40 minutes one way to a clothing store for clothes). Everywhere else is generally 5-10 away. Therefore, the gas doesn't go down so quickly. My sister is the biggest ****ing gas guzzler in the house. Every weekend, she drived 20 minutes to Hopewell to see her boyfriend (in my mom's car) and basically stays gone until the weekend concludes.

I, too, have noticed a price spike in food. For instance, at the Dunkin Donutes, a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Crossaint used to run 2.70 each, and now the price has increased to nearly 3.50 over the recent weeks. Bread? The cheapest bread I get (Whitewheat) is just over two dollars, but if I want really good bread (the honey wheat kind), I have to pay damn near 3 dollars a loaf. Ridiculous. I've known for a while that the dollar was collasping under its own weight when I posted a topic saying that the Canadian dollar had eclipsed us in value. Now, it's really biting me in the ass. Sorry for the rambling, but yes, this is how the gasoline prices are affecting Bonanza in Virginia, U.S. ****ing A!

[JLaCroix]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

I only live about 4.5 miles from work, so the gas prices aren't affecting me as bad as it is others.

Since you seem to know a bit about cars, I think it would be helpful if you posted tips to save gas, like simple alterations. I'm sure that will help some of us.

I have a '99 Dodge Stratus, and it gets TERRIBLE gas mileage. It's not supposed to, but a trip to and from work (which again is only 4.5 miles) can easily use over a gallon on my car. My car seems to get great gas mileage if I'm taking a long trip (like on the expressway) where there isn't as much "stop and go" but driving on regular roads with lots of stop lights seems to eat gas the most.

Edit: Gas prices here in Flint MI are usually between $4.07-$4.17, give or take.

[Nixon]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

I couldn't afford to keep fixing my car while also paying for gas, insurance, etc. So I ditched it and started taking the bus. It sucks, but damn it's cheap. $1.00 for a 24 hour pass, or like $15 for a monthly one. It might cost more, I don't remember because now I get mine for free from my employer... at least for the time being.

[Valkysas]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

Man, I wish it was 1.00 for a 24 hour pass here. here, its 1.50 for one trip.

yay bike.

[DarkwingChuck]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

I don't drive and seldom does anybody ever care to give me a ride anywhere so I ride the bus everywhere. They're about to raise the fare again from $1.25 - $1.50 which is no big deal. Especially since I don't go anywhere too often. And besides I can get a half-year bus pass from my school for $10. But I just got a job and unfotunately depending on which shift I work on a given day either coming or going won't fit the bus schedule so I'll either need to get somebody to give me rides (unlikely) or take a cab. I figure that'll get annoyingly expensive.

[Stormy]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

Here in northwest Wisconsin the price hovers around $4.08

My car gets great highway miles, or it did before my transmission broke. Because I can't go higher than second gear without the transmission failing and dropping into neutral my mileage sucks. But I don't live to far from work, and there are only a handfull of stoplights along the route I take. If it gets bad enough I'm more than willing to ditch my beloved car and get a motorcycle.

[Red Dragon]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

I ride the bus.

[Nixon]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

I'm eventually going to enlist terr's help and make my own electric bike. I don't need anything fancy.

[Goyle]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

I don't have a car, I don't have a job, and I don't have a life.

At least I'm saving money on gas. :3

[Jehuty]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

Hit a 1.30$ ish a litre in Southern Alberta. I know its affecting some buisnesses, but not me personally(I'm within walking distance to school and work)

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: How are gas prices affecting you? (Again)

i dont own a car and getting my license seems totally not worth it considering the gas price. the rise is killing me at the grocery store, about 25%-33% more per month spent on buying the same necessities. its gotten so bad that ive asked sez to chip in because its more then my share.

its only going to get worse. we should of kicked the greedy oil mongers to the curb already. great job bush, oil is now 4x more expensive then when you first got into power.