Gas prices.

[FordRodeoChic]

Jusy like last weekend, I was out and I looked up and Diesal was like 4.27 a gallon in michigan. I about dropped dead. Its crazy how are ppl supposed to do things they like to do like I travel around with my horses and stuff. and my brother uses his diesal to do his job. Most ppl (here) don't have good enough jobs or anyjob at all to pay for there gas its just to crazy. I know I'd boycott gas for a day, but there are so many obsatcles for that, like school busses, ppl who have to work ect... but its a good idea.

[75K30]

Originally Posted by Flopeyeman

I live on a fixed income and these gas prices are killing me and these oil company's are post record income something is not right with this picture!! and for the record I drive a twenty year old truck there is no way I can afford any thing newer!!

Fixed income folks are directly impacted by the ever changing cost of living. I do feel for these individuals. There are always exceptions to every rule, and it is unfortunate that our changing cost of living overlooks far too many fixed income citizens.

Now after we do just a little math, and consider the actual cost of normal day to day driving, you may see my point, and why I believe most people blow fuel prices out of proportion. (while oil companies are posting record incomes this is based upon volume, and short of discontinuing the use of fossil fuel burning equipement, these volume sales are here to stay. I have no problems with profit.) Here is a little something to think about.;
The average person drives 15K miles per year, and at a reasonable 20 mpg average, this would be 750 gallons of fuel. At a price of $3.00 per gallon, this would be $2,250 per year in fuel cost.
Increase the price of fuel to $ 4.00 per gallon, and we end up with $3,000 per year in fuel costs. The difference is $750.00 per year. Thats right, all of this displeasure equates to only $750.00 per year. That boils down to $62.50 per month, and broken down further boils down to $15.63 per week, and once again is less than $2.23 per day.
If we as a whole cant figure out how to budget an additional 15 bucks per week, we have a real problem with money management.
I guess our current problem with record foreclosures (nationwide) is an indication of this. Too many people living beyond our means, not looking at what the future might hold.
We are looking for the best, and most convenient excuse to blame for our spending. Gas prices are the easiest thing to try to blame, when we should really be looking at the overall picture, and how we spend our money.
I am not trying to conduct a lesson on economics, here, only suggesting that using fuel prices as an excuse for our poor spending is a waste of time, and we should take a little more responsibility for our own spending, and not blame thngs on something that is a simple cost of living.
We can get by without using as much fuel, by using a little discipline, but we as a whole are a little too lazy to consider an option to lower spending.
My figures above are a generalization, but does make a good point when the numbers are laid out. We are complaining about nickles and dimes.

[Jessie]

The gas prices wouldn't upset me so much if there had been a cap on oil producer profits. If it was shown that the giants were receiving the crunch also like the consumer then people could rationalize the cost however, the more the gas cost the higher the profits go. Which in turn shows that it is the oil producers who are inflating the cost. I'm sure their expenses have gone up but they use that as a reason to gouge the consumer. Such reasoning, and it does stop with gas and deisel producers, is the complete lose of ethics in the business world. These people will rob you at every turn and could care less the results. It's all going to collapse soon and we'll be speaking chinese or something else. Sometimes regression is a progression though. Maybe it's time we have a set back I don't know but things will change and they will be for the better or the worse you can bet on that.

[Jessie]

Let me add a footnote to my post. This week I listened to a radio talk show on ethanol. The guy on there was from Wisconsin talking about his company about to fold because of the cost of producing ethanol. I though that to be a little strange because, being form Georgia born and raised, I know about producing ethanol (moonshine, stump, white lightning, or whatever). He said that it required 450 lbs of corn to produce 1 gal of ethanol. I can tell right now why he's going out of business. But the sad fact is that he's not going out of business. He's priming everybody ahead of time to believe that the cost of ethanol will be as high as gas etc. Same old trick. Then he did the usual which is start whining about the cost of shipping and on and on to make his falsified case. 450 lbs of corn with the right mixture of other lost cost ingredients will produce about 700 gals of shine. If it didn't how would you think it could be sold as a medicinal for $10.00 a gal.

[stelmadl]

blame congress and government for putting a limit/ restrictions on oil refineries in the past. blame them too, for putting this ethanol idea into everyone's head. here's a newflash.....if farmers are switching to ethanol, food prices are going up. you see it obviously at the grocery store. this whole thing drives me insane. if you want cheap replacement fuel, don't look at current resources, you have to look at something we aren't using already.....like hydrogen...the most abundant element on this planet. i hate this subject....i can't put to words my frustation on this whole subject....oil, global climate, etc.

[gmctrucks]

Diesel in Pasadena, Texas yesterday was @ $3.95 almost makes me want to walk just kidding to hot here in TEXAS. Be cool!

[junior3382]

Ok, i am not going to pursue this or push the argument, but let me just respond to 75K30 here.

You mention an increase of ball parking 15 bucks a week. Now if our concerns were just gasonline, i could totally agree and see your point. I break down numbers all the time to give the allusion of affordablility to many of my customers. But the reality of it is not just the fuel. It is everything the fuel affects. When you consider adding 15 bucks for fuel, an extra 20-30 a week for increased grocery costs, Cost of natural heating gas and oil climbing, for me totaled an increase of 45 a month, lending also to increased axpenses for utility workers and forcing an increase close to 50 bucks for electricity and so on and so on.... It is more then 15 bucks a week! Breaking it down it totals to close to 100 bucks more a week, and as the cost of a barrel of oil climbs so do the rest! Adding four to five hundred more a month now we are talking about 5200 or more a year just in expenses! Yet, wages are not increasing. so for those who lived on a pay check to paycheck budget, losing 5 grand a year more, that is substantially more to talk about then 750 bucks just for fuel. The cost of our gasoline in this country affects our lives in so many ways. With the oil companies getting richer, and the majority of the shareholders getting richer, think about where the money has to come from. there is no increase of dollar bills, so where does it come from. Now the American dollar is dropping in value, the stock market is suffering, the housing market is collasping and people are getting peeved! we are not just talking about a 750 dollar a year increase... it is more then that.
I just want you to know, I understand what you are saying if we focus on just one little issue here, and no the increase is managable, however, when that one little thing affects everything, then we have to take a step back and look at the reality of it.
like I said before, it is not a result of people living outside of their means, and I am not talking about those who make 75 a year and live a 40 a year life, I am talking about those who make 25-30 a year struggling. Avg rent is 550, plus utilities, most of us have car payments and car insurance to consider, food and nescesities.... now we are talking a bare min of around 24-26 to survive, forget playing. Add 5 grand to that and you are over those wages, and there is nothing we can do about it! See where I am coming from here? I am sure I would have a different point of view if I was in the upper middle class range, or if I got close. I do make a decent living, monthly bonuses and such, but it itself is not stable. Car sales have really bad months balanced out by good months. I basically budget only for my salary, which is like 19 a year! Okay, so saying 750 is all, I am fine with that, but it is not completely accurate. The bigger picture leands to a much larger issue.

I am not all together sure I made any sense there, and I am not in this to "win" and argument, I just had to express where I was coming from. Fair enough?

[tow guy]

Hello all, got a few things to say bout these crazy gas prices...

First, the fact that diesel is higher than gas is crazy...it comes out in the refining process earlier than gas, so its cheaper to make.

Second, I flew out of state on business (Texas) and saw 27 tankers anchored off shore, waiting to unload.

Third, a strike by the truckers is a great idea, but everyone would have to cooperate, which will never happen.

I paid 3.98 for #2 ULS diesel yesterday, and it seems that is only because of the big oil companies greed! And I come from a family that has made its living on oil business...

I hope it gets better soon, I'd look pretty darn silly on a bike!

[gmctrucks]

Tow guy that's sounds like a plan truckers and all of us should boycott these gas prices and see what happens maybe we should not put gas/diesel as often or pick one good day and see what happens look what's happening to Citgo gas a lot of people have been boycotting them and they have lost ton's of money we don't need that Chavez guy anyway or should I say his fuel.

[junior3382]

Originally Posted by gmctrucks

Tow guy that's sounds like a plan truckers and all of us should boycott these gas prices and see what happens maybe we should not put gas/diesel as often or pick one good day and see what happens look what's happening to Citgo gas a lot of people have been boycotting them and they have lost ton's of money we don't need that Chavez guy anyway or should I say his fuel.

In theory this can work. However, here I agree with 75 in that it will not make any difference. There are two ways to do this. Either everyone simply does not go anywhere for 24 hours, and that puts jobs and income in jeapordy, which will hurt you, not them. OR you continue to live normally, and everyone simply deos not spend a dime on gas for 24 hours.... but the problem with this is the next day, they will sell twice as much as people catch up, and if they are smart, they will double the prices for that one day, which in turn hurts you, not them. The demand will not change and neither will the supply. So thinking this through, there are different ways to adjust to this.

Here is what I say, make the battle between the largest money making organizations in the country, and leave us out. Everyone who smokes does not buy ciggarettes for like three days! And claim it is to pay for fuel! That may cause phone calls between two very high executives, and they may reach an agreement! LOL. yea yea yea, I know that will never work either in all reality due to a severe increase in crime due to massive nationwide withdrawel symptoms! HAHAHA... but the theory is good I think, there has to be a line of reasoning that would make this work for everyones benifit! Even if they raise wages, inflation will continue, so perhaps we are looking at all of this the wrong way...... What do y'all think?