Gas Prices UP,UP,UP

[Old Goat]

Regular gas is $2.79.9 here in Shelby, NC, up 12 cents from last weekend...Enegry moguls here think the price will level off around $3.00 and maybe?? start falling again after Memorial Day.......

[SpeakEasy]

Last summer we took a 3000 mile trip, and the average price per gallon we paid was $2.35 (mosty premium grade). Our total gas cost was about $400.

For this summer we plan on about a 4000 mile trip (to Colorado). I'm figuring an average of $3.00 per gallon. If this figure holds true, then our total gas bill will be about $732, which is 37% higher than last year, on a per-mile basis. Or, to put it another way, last year's trip would cost us $549 at this year's (anticipated) prices.

For a couple of weeks I was seriously considering changing our plans and traveling more locally instead of going to Colorado. But than I did the math and began to think more philosophically. If I could afford $400 in gas last year, would I have been willing to take the same trip last year if gas had been $549? You bet I would! Since I am blessed to be able to afford the $732, and I can afford the time for travel, why not go to Colorado? There is nothing around here that even remotely approaches the beauty and magnificence of Colorado. So, we made our reservations. There may come a time when we can't do things like this, for one reason or another. That time is not yet.

See you in Colorado!

[AustinBoston]

I filled up earlier this week for $2.579.  Posted price was $2.599, but that SuperAmerica/Speedway reward card has it's uses.

Austin

[vjm1639]

I filled up Sunday for $2.599...Monday it was $2.650   This morning it is $2.779....

[jawilson]

I'm paying about $500 a month  :yikes:  for gas to keep my truck on the road! That's more then the truck payment!  :%

And what's worse is it's going to a bunch of greedy b@st@rd$ with big nameplates at oil companies, and a slew of jerks in a desert who were lucky enough to live in a land where all the oil just happened to be.

You wonder where the heck our government is during all this. I know there's an oil man in the White House, and he probably doesn't want to upset his meal ticket, but the revenue these companies are generating is way past obscene; they're booking record profits each quarter! Unless the Government steps in and stops this madness I'm afraid it's going to continue unabated.

In my opinion, this problem is so huge that you wonder if it's going to start destabilizing the entire economy...

[wavery]

I bought gas in Santa Barbara, CA last weekend..........$3.01. It's about $2.80 here in Los Angeles. :mad:

[chasd60]

$2.629 for regular 87 octane and 2.789 for super 93 octane. This particular station does not sell mid grade.
Diesel 2.799
My commuter uses super because it has a supercharger. I commute about 500 miles/wk plus whatever the weekend brings. Slowing down to 60mph has gotten me up to 30-31mpg with my 98 Buick park Avenue Ultra. I have at least 43 miles of uninterrupted highway travel each way.

[Kelly]

For a couple of weeks I was seriously considering changing our plans and traveling more locally instead of going to Colorado. But than I did the math and began to think more philosophically. If I could afford $400 in gas last year, would I have been willing to take the same trip last year if gas had been $549? You bet I would! Since I am blessed to be able to afford the $732, and I can afford the time for travel, why not go to Colorado? There is nothing around here that even remotely approaches the beauty and magnificence of Colorado. So, we made our reservations. There may come a time when we can't do things like this, for one reason or another. That time is not yet.

See you in Colorado!

I would love to see you in Colorado, but we're only going as far as South Dakota!  

I agree with you completely. I had already promised my kids no long road trip this year (last year's was about 2000 with a couple of really L O N G driving days)  ... so we're taking a leisurely two days out and back (about 600 miles each way) and relaxing with family while we are there.  Didn't even consider canceling.

Now I'm saving as much as I can for the road trip to the Smokies next summer.  

[raptor]

We've been spoiled in this country for a loong time with relatively very low prices for fuel.  Aside from cleaning up corruption where it exists, there is very little the gov't can be expected to do here.  It's supply and demand with a limited natural resource (I understand it's more complicated than that when OPEC and refining capacity, etc, are considered, but the basic issues remain basic).  

Also, while I agree that any corruption existing in the oil industry should be aggressively prosecuted, we should also realize that those oil companies work for their shareholders, who expect as much profit as possible - as with any company.  In fact, many people who rail against them are in fact shareholders themselves.  If you don't think you are, you would be wise to check the fund allocations in your IRA/401K/other investments.  Chances are you (this is not directed to anyone in particular) are not putting your money where your mouth is.

I personally think high prices are good, because the pain we feel when they are high is the *only* thing that will lull us, as a society, out of our complacency on this issue and actually figure out a solution and/or change the way we live.  It's not going away.  Hybrids are not the solution, they are a bandaid.  They still burn fuel, and we put more vehicles on the road every year, so hybrids change nothing in the long term.  And we are currently paying very low prices when compared to most in the developed world.

[wavery]

A retired friend of mine has a class-A motor-home. It gets about 6MPG. It would cost him $2,000 for fuel to make a 4,000 mile trip. That doesn't even include maintenance on that monster. He had a brake job done last year and it cost him $3,000. I don't even want to ask him what he pays for tires and insurance :eyecrazy: .

I think that you will see a lot of motor-homes on the market when gas prices get over $3. PUs may become very popular at that point. Then again, I have been saying that for about 35 years :p.............. ever since gas topped $1. Oh, how I remember saying, "OMG.........a dollar a gallon :eyecrazy: .........to heck with it....I'll sell my car and buy a bike if gas tops a dollar". :p I had a GMC Class-A motorhome at the time :p .

[wynot]

A retired friend of mine has a class-A motor-home. It gets about 6MPG. It would cost him $2,000 for fuel to make a 4,000 mile trip. That doesn't even include maintenance on that monster. He had a brake job done last year and it cost him $3,000. I don't even want to ask him what he pays for tires and insurance :eyecrazy: .
 
I think that you will see a lot of motor-homes on the market when gas prices get over $3. PUs may become very popular at that point. Then again, I have been saying that for about 35 years :p.............. ever since gas topped $1. Oh, how I remember saying, "OMG.........a dollar a gallon :eyecrazy: .........to heck with it....I'll sell my car and buy a bike if gas tops a dollar". :p I had a GMC Class-A motorhome at the time :p .

I saw a record number of the large motorhomes/coaches at the WalMart last night.  And they were going places, not with For Sale signs on them.
 
The unfortunate reality is that even with huge price increases in fuel costs, it is relatively minor in the cost of owning an self powered RV, most of which go under 5,000 miles per year.  Statistics say that the first year "retired" owner of a motorhome will probably put about 10-12,000 miles on it (taking that California trip).  The next year will probably be under 6,000 miles, and it drops significantly after that for most.  So, despite the shock of paying for either diesel or gasoline, it still is a relatively minor expense for a motorhome that costs over $65,000 for a Class C and $150,000 for a Class A.

[wynot]

Just a reminder, Discover card is offering a 5% cashback program through June 30 for up to a $1,000 worth of fuel if you go to their website and sign up your existing Discover card with them.
 
For those of us (like me) who commute over 500 miles per week, any cashback on fuel is a Good thing.

[brainpause]

Fuel is a small part of what I spend on camping and everyday budgets. I don't like that prices are going high, but frankly, I have lots of other things that weigh on my mind much heavier.

Larry

[PLJ]

I want us as a family to visit places like Washington, DC; Black hills; Grand Canyon etc. If I had to pay for flights for the 5 of us, rental car, hotel accomodations and restaurent priced food every day of the vacation then we couldn't do it. Even with gas prices the way they are right now I figure I'm still well ahead driving and towing my camper.

Then again being raised in the U.K for the first 30 years of my life got me used to high gas prices. I still think gas is cheap here  

[gager2002]

I live in Houston, drive 1000 miles a month just to work and back, we are paying $2.79 for regular.  And we live in the in a gasoline producing area.  They don't need to ship the gas very far.