| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Aug 12 2005 : 10:29:27 AM
With the record prices at the pumps how is this affecting you? Are you driving less? Are the prices making you consider a more fuel efficient vehicle purchase? What do you think the REAL cause is for the record price for crude? What are you doing to conserve? Should the feds go back to 1970's methods? What about lowering speed limits? How are the farmgirls coping? I am concerned...but not surprised. And doing what I can to adjust and conserve.
Being is what it is. Jean Paul Sartre |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| twigs |
Posted - May 18 2006 : 8:18:26 PM
Meadowlark,
this is a very good question. i believe its terrible that we are paying such high prices for gas. I remember when dh retired from the marine Corps and we moved back to the hills of ky we were paying .87 cents per gallon....and what the heck happened in a short span is beyond me.
We just bought a new SUV. living in the hills of ky, you have to have something wtih a good transmission. been through too many transmissions in our old van i cant count......we are a big family of 6, so we have to have something to accomidate us in one vehicle....we have had luck with the SUV but gosh they take alot of gas. we only get 16 miles per gallon. we had a 42 gallon tank.....with this gas spike it cost me 125.00 to fill up......OUCHERS.....
i dont understand why we cant buy oil from Iraq now that we have taken over their country....and we have helped out kuwait and they should give us a deal for saving their oil adn country......not to mention half of mexico is in our country living on our taxes.....we should get a deal on oil i think........but i dont see that happening.....
i will say, i tend to try to watch how many trips i take to town in the week, but heck if i want to go, i just go......
i think mary jane should really market her gas plan.....farmers everywhere in america could be making us gas..........
twigs
May you be surrounded by the things of olde that make you feel like a treasure! |
| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - May 17 2006 : 10:50:10 AM
oh miz cathy .. fresh oozing tomatoes dripping down my arms and chin .. i can hardly wait .. the ones i have been buying over the winter have been hard as rocks .. been putting them in a brown bag and leaving them out of the frige t'il they soften up .. but that summertime taste jus' isn't there!
p.s. i adore your c.s. lewis quote! oh so true! hugs! xo
True Friends, Frannie |
| cathy needle |
Posted - May 17 2006 : 08:15:56 AM
Frannie, fresh tomatoes! I am so ready for summer tomatoes that I can grow and get from my garden buddies!
When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house. C.S. Lewis |
| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - May 16 2006 : 9:23:20 PM
gurlz .. i'm sure not loving the price of gasoline .. but it sure hasn't stopped me from GOING whenever and wherever i want to go. travelling is just a very, very important part of our lives in this 'chapter' .. soooo .. we 'just do it'. don't like the high price of cereal either .. but i still eat it .. and that list goes on and on and on. i have defintely seen how it has curtailed spending on some 'wants' rather than 'needs' (such as antiques) (sales at our antiques mall have been down the last few months) .. and i know it has curtailed vacations to far-away places for many families .. but i'm hoping that the good part of this is that families will become more creative in visiting areas closer to home that they might get to see that sometimes the best things are right in our own back yards.
other than gasoline (and cereal!!!) what other things do you find 'hatefully high' these days? xo, frannie
True Friends, Frannie |
| KarenP |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 4:23:06 PM
Lynn
Me too, but the junk bike I'm looking for is to leave at work to go between the buildings that are about 2 blocks apart.
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
| greyghost |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 11:14:24 AM
I'm looking for a junk bike - everything I need is pretty much here in town, even my p/t job is only 2 miles away so it'll be good. I'm wanting one that I can put 2 baskets on the back, and I want it to be a "junk" bike so I don't worry about it getting stolen while I'm at the grocery store. My hubby's school job ends soon, so that will take $250 off our gas bill every month. My car's gas bill is $40/month, I only have to fill up once provided I don't go to the next town more than twice. :)
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| Judes |
Posted - May 06 2006 : 11:16:02 PM
My husband & I have purchased new bikes & are now riding to work as often as the weather permits. We were already sharing one car! We can afford to pay the gas prices, but we don't want to, so we're using it as a segway into the healthier simpler life we were already working on. Also, our trip out west had to be postponed. Airfare was too expensive (probably due to fuel prices) and of course, driving wouldn't be much better. We are going to Canada instead. In the grand scheme of things, I know we are lucky to even be able to go on a vacation & relax. It would be nice though, to be able to escape a little farther away. It has also affected how often we see friends & family. Instead of either party jumping in the car to visit one another, there is the hesiation now while tallying the gas costs.
http://schoolstreet.typepad.com
www.jac.etsy.com |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - May 06 2006 : 9:28:56 PM
My hubby is going to purchase a used economy car. It's a Mitsubishi and gets 40 miles per gallon. We're going to sell my van (boo hoo) and I'll be driving his Grand Am which gets better mileage. I hate to sell my van because I use it to haul stuff but saving money on gas is more important. Plus it has 182,000 miles on it so the mileage is not great!
http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/therusticcottage/
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| Libbie |
Posted - May 06 2006 : 1:45:13 PM
My husband has started to ride his bicycle to and from work each day - 9 miles each way. It's a haul for sure, but with gas prices as they are, AND the fact that he says he feels so much better with the exercise, I think it's a good thing.
I always worry about bicycle safety on larger roads, but I guess I'll just have to know that he wears his helmet, and that I can't worry about everything.
Gas is now $2.78 here - that is low compared to what I'm seeing from some of you, but for us, it's still pretty steep...
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
| goatgal |
Posted - May 06 2006 : 1:12:00 PM
Right now I am just wishing the end of school would get here. I drive my daughter to school each day so she can go to a better one and is costing me between 50 and 60 dollars a week. It is really putting a strain on us. |
| owwlady |
Posted - May 05 2006 : 08:34:36 AM
It's 3.33/gal here today at Speedway. I found 2.97 and filled up. I felt like crying! |
| Amie C. |
Posted - May 05 2006 : 08:02:30 AM
That $60 to $70 dollars is a great deal! We've been insured through Nationwide and State Farm, and we can't get a six month premium for less than $300. I talked to my insurance agent about the classic car insurance, and it won't work for us because State Farm's version of it restricts the use of the car strictly to shows or parades. There may be other companies out there offering other kinds of policies.
I wish there was an insurance policy that went by the household rather than by the individual car. For instance, if my household owned a total of 5 vehicles but used them only for specialized purpases, I could be paying for one as the primary vehicle and be allowed a rotating second vehicle. With the cost of gas rising, it doesn't make sense to drive a pickup truck every day when you might only need it for hauling things around once or twice a month. But just to keep a car legally registered in NYS, it needs to be continuously insured. Wouldn't it be great if you, the motorist, was insured and you could slap that tag on whatever car you needed to drive that day? I think our state government could make some changes to the motor vehicle regulations that would save us a lot of money (much more than any federal gas rebate). |
| sillyfoulks |
Posted - May 04 2006 : 3:53:27 PM
The $15 is not for the road, that is just our premium for during winter. It covers anything happening to the car while in storage, fire, theft, vandalism, or possible damage say from roof caving in. If for some reason we need to drive it in winter (emergency) I just need to make a quick call the insurance guy to get it covered. For the other 6 months I think it runs $60 or $70 dollars, but that is just the bare minimum. If we get in an accident that is our fault we are out of luck. I know it isn't the greatest way to go, considering the money that is in them. However, our insurance company can't give us full coverage on them due to their age, not that we could afford it.
Elizabeth
Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.
http://livingcountrystyle.blogspot.com/ |
| Amie C. |
Posted - May 04 2006 : 2:06:34 PM
Elizabeth, right now we have two Plymouth Satellite station wagons (1972 and 1974) and a 76 Duster. I think car insurance must be a lot more expensive in NY, I've never heard of an insurance premium of $15. Is that just to keep them registered while they're off the road? I'm not sure how much classic car insurance is, but I'll be finding out within the next week (my premium is coming due). My worry with the classic insurance is that you're only allowed a very small number of driving miles (I think it's 1500/year) - basically, the idea is that you're only driving the car to shows. It would be handy, though, for the times when the car is off the road being worked on and you need to take it out and drive it a few miles to see whether your repair is finished.
I'll let you know what I find out. I'd be interested to know if NY is a lot more expensive than IL. We're debating whether to move out of state. |
| sillyfoulks |
Posted - May 04 2006 : 1:30:03 PM
Amie, what kind of cars does your husband have. My husband is an old car nut himself. He always and forever working on one or another. Besides the 2 cars we drive most days, we have a 69 Camaro, 68 El Camino, 66 chevelle, 68 chevelle, 66 cov. nova, and 71 nova. The Camaro and El Camino are the only drivers, and the 71 nova will be soon. We get them out only in the warmer months (salt is corrosive), driving them a couple times a week in to town. It is only 6 mile round trip, so gas isn't much of an issue (atleast it hasn't in the past). And because they aren't driven in the summer the insurance is taken down to just the minimum, which run $15 for 6 months. My husband has talked about getting classic car insurance, do you have any idea what it runs?
Elizabeth
Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.
http://livingcountrystyle.blogspot.com/ |
| rabbithorns |
Posted - May 04 2006 : 11:50:57 AM
Gas is $3 here in Tucson. We are a one car family. So what are gas prices doing to us? They are helping us stay a one car family! I love being home and having an excuse not to run around all day. It's the only way I can get time to do what I love!
My daughter will be getting her license soon and probably buying her brother's old car. I'll split the gas with her because I'll use it sometimes, but at least she'll be paying insurance. Still nearly all my errands can be kept to 2 square miles. |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - May 04 2006 : 11:21:50 AM
Gas is $2.83 here today..highest it has been. UGH! I need to fill up the van too (minivan, but still!) It will probably be $40. I dread that, but I guess if I don't it could be more tomorrow.
i havn't been up to Provo or anywhere more than 15 or 20 miles away in 3 months. I plan to and then end up figuring it isnt' worth it. Any savings would cost more in the price of gas and lunch out or whatever.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Amie C. |
Posted - May 04 2006 : 11:13:33 AM
Sad to say, we're honestly thinking about giving up our classic cars altogether. My husband has put a lot of time, labor, and money into them over the past 5 years, and he's about had it. I'm not ready to see them go (maybe because I don't have to do as much work to keep them) so we're thinking about putting them onto classic car insurance and driving them only occasionally. Although that would defeat the purpase, to some extent: they are at their best on long highway trips. Still thinking about it. Fact is, if heating prices stay high this coming winter, we may not be able to afford to insure more than one car for the family. |
| KarenP |
Posted - May 04 2006 : 05:25:45 AM
Elizabeth,
You are right to be concerned about the ethanol plant.
My husband works in Stanley, Wisconsin about 30 miles away.
They have an ethanol plant, they use large amounts of water.
I know they had to add to the city's well field and another tower.
Some of the workers that come in to town straight from work really smell,
it can be worse smelling than the manure pits that the factory farms use.
The plus side is the local farmers have a market for their corn.
Another spin off of the ethanol plant is a pharmaceutical plant that used some of the waste form the ethanol plant for making some kind of drug.
So it brought a few more jobs to the area to.
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
| sillyfoulks |
Posted - May 03 2006 : 1:32:23 PM
Oh, I wanted to add something else. I heard on the news yesterday, that they are looking into building an Ethanol plant about 30 min. from us. It is still in the planning stages. There is some big concern about the amount of water that is needed and the smell.
This is good news! Finally something is happening, to bad it is still probably years away. Has anybody else heard of any other alternative fuel plants going in?
Elizabeth
Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.
http://livingcountrystyle.blogspot.com/ |
| sillyfoulks |
Posted - May 03 2006 : 1:29:18 PM
We have tried to cut back on our driving. We set up carpooling for some of our childrens activities, especially the older one. However, somethings just have to be done, like go to work. DH did change jobs this last winter, and now his commute has been cut in half. He is using about $60 a week now. We have also been using the ethanol blend that is available at one station in town. I still go to town about everyother day, but that is just 6 miles round trip. I have, however, cut back on trips into the bigger city. I was going about once a week, now I am going once every two to three weeks. We do refuse to cut back on Vacation driving. We struggled for years, never able to have the extra funds for even a weekend trip away. We will, however limit hotels stays, and buckle up tighter around the house, to help out.
Elizabeth
Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing.
http://livingcountrystyle.blogspot.com/ |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - May 03 2006 : 12:51:13 PM
Karen, that scooter is sweet.
If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - May 03 2006 : 10:38:54 AM
I LOVE that scooter! How adorable! My husband should get one. I would get one, but I don't think a pregnant woman with 3 children would work on a scooter for some reason! 
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - May 03 2006 : 10:07:09 AM
Our gas it $3 a gallon yesterday. Love the scooter! I should get one to make trips back and forth to town. That's the type of thing we're all going to have to think of doing.
http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/therusticcottage/
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| owwlady |
Posted - May 03 2006 : 08:09:20 AM
Karen, love the scooter, good for now. Saw that gas last night was 3.05/gal. I just don't drive anymore. Luckily my job is 5 min away. I have shopping and everything I need just down the road so I'm lucky that way, but I can't drive up north to see my guy 3 1/2hrs away. He comes down when he can use the motorcycle. That's fine for now, but doesn't help much in the winter. I feel bad for people who can't take their vacations this summer because of the traveling costs. |
