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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl

2206 Posts



USA
2206 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  10:29:27 AM  Show Profile
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

Edited by - MeadowLark on Aug 12 2005 10:55:28 AM

PJJ
True Blue Farmgirl

95 Posts

Paula
Bristow OK
USA
95 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  10:31:13 AM  Show Profile  Send PJJ an AOL message
I'm trying to stay closer to home -- thinking about those drives "into the city" and such. At present it's costing ~$40 every time I fill, which is a huge chunk out of my available $$!

Paula J.



Paula J., with Ty, Cara, Brody, Blue, and Fidget
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl

4439 Posts

Kay
Vancouver WA
USA
4439 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  11:44:09 AM  Show Profile
The gas prices just make me so mad!!!! It is $2.58 a gallon and went up 13 cents in one week. I just heard on the news last night that it will be $3.50 a gallon by the end of the year. But the news also said that people are still driving as much as before. I am definitely driving less. I will make one trip into town a week and will do all my errands then. My personal feeling is that we are the mercy of foreign oil. OPEC decides on a whim to cut production which drives our prices up and makes the billionaire oil barons even richer. Until we all decide drive less and stop paying the high prices then they will continue to go up. Or find an alternative fuel source to use here at home. If we could use ethanol or some other source from grain grown by our own farmers we would be cutting into the oil companies profits and be saving many family farms plus maybe add some. Okay , I'll get off my soapbox now!

"If you are lucky enough to have a garden, you are lucky enough!"
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little feather
True Blue Farmgirl

83 Posts

Tawnya
Walnut Creek California
USA
83 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  12:33:09 PM  Show Profile  Send little feather a Yahoo! Message
I actually quit my job, which was about a fifty or so mile round trip five days a week. Now, I'm within walking distance of home and all my boys schools. I make less money- but, what I save in gas makes up for it!
Speaking of my boys, my 16 year old just got his license on Monday. AHHHHH!!! I'm telling him that he HAS to get a job now, how else is he going to pay for his gas? I've also told him that he's not allowed to drive anywhere where he could just as easily walk- like school. This isn't going over very well, but, hey he's 16 what else can I expect.
Now- as far as why the gas prices are going up, up, up and out of site? Because, like Clare and Kay say, we (the majority) are paying the prices. It's a government scam, oh, don't get me started there- conspiracy theory! Why are we in Irag? Oh, yeah, the US Government really cares about these people? Sorry, I don't buy it for a minute- there's money being made, deals being made. I makes me sick!
-breath-
I am happy to report that these new little electic/gas cars are VERY VERY popular around here!!


Where ever you go, go with all your heart!
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theherblady
True Blue Farmgirl

510 Posts

Jan
Glasford Illinois
USA
510 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  1:27:10 PM  Show Profile
Hey~~What I dont understand is.... How can a gas station charge 10 cents less than one right across the street? I'm not complaining~~but if oil costs so much, etc...How can they be so different? The other morning it was $2.05 gal and by the time I got off work...it was $2.45...sooo-how can it go up that much in a matter of 8 hours?? I filled up last night and cost me $40...I am seriously considering a different vehicle..but I waited so long for a SUV...but now cant afford to drive it~~~~

Since I am the one on the forum about transporting goats(trying to get the goats to the vet)...I am thinking I need a S10 or some type of small truck with a topper..Anyone know about the gas milage one of those vehicles get? Better than a SUV?

Jan
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connio
True Blue Farmgirl

535 Posts

connie
springtown texas
USA
535 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  1:44:07 PM  Show Profile

Hey Farm Girls!

OH YES My life has been impacted in a big way since I my drive to work is 70 miles round trip. Gas here in Tx (the oil state --HA!) is $2.48 for regular. I too have read that people are still taking trips in record numbers, and I just don't see how they can afford it.

I try to stay at home on my 2 days off and if I do go out, it is just to run into town to do errands. Two years ago I used to go to Dallas (160 miles rt) about 3 times weekly to visit family and friends. Now I go no more than once a month. I am going to apply for a higher pay job at my library system so that I can afford to get to work and actually have a little money left to build my farm.

I feel that this is all a result of corporate and government greed. Let's not forget that both Bush and Cheney are "oil men". I firmly believe that they care nothing about the people of Iraq or the people of the US. It is all about GREED. How sad that so many have lost their lives due to this. The president of Afghanistan is also an "oil man." Go to Google and check out the Carlisle or Carlyle (sp??) Group. It will be an eye opener. The first Pres Bush and many of his cronies from around the world are involved in this international business.

Enough for now.

Connie


cozycottage
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connio
True Blue Farmgirl

535 Posts

connie
springtown texas
USA
535 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  2:02:56 PM  Show Profile

Hey Farm Girls!

It is me again on the topic of oil and greed--guess that you can tell that I feel very strongly about this.

Go to Google and read about Cindy Sheehan, the mother who lost her son Casey in Iraq, last year. She is camping on the road that is by the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas (near Waco, Tx) and has asked to speak to the Pres. Today he drove right by her in his motorcade so that he could attend a high dollar fund raiser with some of his big money buddies. Cindy was holding up a sign that said "Why will you meet with your donors, but not with me."

Has we say in Hebrew "Dayenu" It is enough.

Connie



cozycottage
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WisGal35
True Blue Farmgirl

99 Posts

Cathy
Kenosha County WI
USA
99 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  3:07:47 PM  Show Profile
Big business & politicians do it every time to gas prices. People are struggling to make ends meet, fill gas tanks & pay the gas/electric bills. The political connections and the gas/electric companies really fry my gourd-- they keep raising rates to 'cover costs,' yet at the same time are posting record profits. Gee, how convenient for them.

I used to commute 65 miles round trip for my job as an editor, so working from home as a freelance writer is a big $ saver (not to mention tolls, lunches out, the regular 'contributions' to office gifts, etc.)

We've been cutting back on trips to see family, friends & pooling trips to town as needed, etc. Our Ford F-150 is a gas guzzler, and the 'extra' car is so cruddy we hardly use it (it's had a full tank of gas for about 2 months now... I only use for emergencies if I need a car while hubby is at work).

Jan: Most SUVs get terrible gas milage. I'd think you'd be better off to get the smallest p/u you can find, with a 4 cylinder engine and a cap for goat transport purposes. BUT, if you eventually want to haul a trailer, make sure what you buy will work for that, too, unless you can upgrade later. (My husband is in the car business, some soaks in...let me know if you need more specifics)

The drought has come in handy for us when it comes to saving gas. I figure we've saved at least $150 this summer by NOT having to cut the 1.5 acres around the house with the rider-mower. We haven't cut since mid-June, no reason to! Of course, riding the mower is one of my 'zen' activities, so I've been making up for it by taking extra care of the garden.

Save those pennies, make sure your tires are filled properly, oil changed, etc. -- all that can help with gas milage.

Edited by - WisGal35 on Aug 12 2005 3:09:08 PM
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl

4439 Posts

Kay
Vancouver WA
USA
4439 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  3:18:02 PM  Show Profile
I absolutely agree that politics is behind this whole thing. Just like in the 70's when there was a "gas shortage". I am so tired of just struggling to make ends meet and everything just keeps going up and up. The fuel prices, healthcare costs, groceries, etc. The only way that we're going to get our voices heard is to quit buying so much high priced fuel. I will be so glad when this administration is out the door in 2008! And I even voted for Bush -- sorry to admit that!

"If you are lucky enough to have a garden, you are lucky enough!"
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl

2206 Posts



USA
2206 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  6:52:45 PM  Show Profile
I do believe that there is an untold "conspiracy" on oil...and it has been a bargaining chip for world financial leaders for decades. Without getting into heavy political rhetoric ( but I will say I am ready for the Bush dynasty to get outta Dodge if ya know what I mean) China maybe a player here. We are the largest consumer of oil and resources on the planet. We are a population of 280 million? China is at pop. 2.7 billion??? Correct me if I am wrong...they are now playing the oil markets, and their new economy is very thirsty for that crude. We had a wakeup call in the early 70's on our EXTREME dependence on foreign oil...we got lax folks...when will we wake up and smell the coffee??? Hydrogen, wind, Solar, Ethanol, Methane Energy sources have got to be funded. We must pressure our state and fed representatives! The lower and middle classes cannot take this anymore.

Being is what it is. Jean Paul Sartre
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl

1818 Posts

Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  7:18:06 PM  Show Profile
Fuel prices affect our business greatly -- we run a diesel truck and power equipment. We got a small car early summer so that we don't have to run around in the large pickup all the time, and even then, a tank of gas in the small car was almost $30 today! Regular gas is $1.55 here!! With winter heating bills around the corner, we're stocking up firewood for the Vermont Castings stove. We're fortunate to have a supply of free wood from a tree-removal service (and my husband is good at getting the good hardwoods -- oak, hickory, ash). So tomorrow is Wood Marathon Day -- splitting, stacking. I'm about ready to dust off the old bicycle for around-town errands, although in our suburban environment, that isn't the safest route. We all need to think about how we use fuel -- conservation is one way we can react to high fuel prices -- and VOTING!!! is another.
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl

291 Posts

helen

New Zealand
291 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  7:55:31 PM  Show Profile
Yes prices have risen here too. $1.44 a litre and rising. Double that figure and you have the ammount in american terms.
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl

712 Posts

Holly
Abilene KS
712 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  9:23:49 PM  Show Profile
Actually it's 4 times that...........4 liters is a little more than a gallon but 3 times is less. When we were in Germany it was E1.60 per liter.

Here it's $2.57/gallon on post, off post it's $2.65-2.80 and it's supposed to go back up this weekend.

Personally I think we should use the Alaska Pipeline but I'm not in charge and as far as the mother waiting in TX she needs to get on with her life and stop blaming Bush, Her son signed on the dotted line same as my hubby and the risk is part of the package. As hubby is on his second tour.......

Sigh.

Holly

¸...¸ __/ /\____ ____
,·´º o`·,/__/ _/\_ //____/\
```)¨(´´´ | | | | | | | || |l±±±± |
¸,.-·²°´ ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸ `°²·-. :º°

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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quiltedess
True Blue Farmgirl

296 Posts

Nancy
Priest River ID
USA
296 Posts

Posted - Aug 12 2005 :  10:49:33 PM  Show Profile
I am certainly more aware of how many trips I take in my SUV, but I haven't really been keeping track enough to decide if I'm driving less. I probably should. I can either get myself organized and cut back on driving or not drink so much Diet Coke (to save money for gas)

I agree with Holly. Compared to the rest of the world, we in the US have it pretty darn good as far as the price of gas goes. And while I do belive that a lot of it is political, I don't believe in any oil conspiracy, or that it has anything to do with Bush being an "oil man". I don't believe for a second that the war in Iraq is all about oil. It is about terrorists who couldn't care less about oil, they just want us all to die. I'm very grateful for the men and women who serve our country, they are doing a tremendous lot of good for us and for the people of Iraq. My son-in-law has just received his orders for his second tour and I'm very proud of him.

As for lowering speed limits . . . well, I really don't want to I guess. But I would if it was necessary. Keeping tires inflated, oil changed, engines tuned, no agressive driving . . . all good ideas and things that I regularly do.

I voted for Bush and I'm not sorry at all.

Nancy
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hapyhrt
True Blue Farmgirl

129 Posts



USA
129 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  03:17:23 AM  Show Profile
It's scary trying to make ends meet with constant increases in living expenses. The increase in gas prices is just one area, tack on higher heating costs, electricity, groceries (due to increased transportation fees),taxes, medical expenses and so on and it's ripple effect can be felt throughout the household budget.

I agree there is a whole lot of greed out there which doesn't help. Makes me sick that our school principals and administrators are being paid $100,000.00 incomes and then scream how they must raise taxes or cut programs for the kids. Why not cut their greed and leave sports, music and needed things such as new books in the schools? With gas prices higher the 6-8 buses that go past our house each school day (with very few near half full occupancy) is just such a waste.

As far as helping the Iraqi people while our own country is struggling, I have mixed views on that. We are first to come to the aid of those countries in need but I was taught "charity begins at home".

Having loved ones who are now and have been in the military, I was under the impression that when signing on the dotted line it was to protect and serve in keeping America's Freedoms and caring for it's people first and foremost not the protection and freedoms of people in foreign countries. I'm proud of all our military and give credit to their families as they endure once again the fighting taking place on foreign soils. Sure don't want to upset anyone and forgive me if I did as this is just my own humble opinion being expressed and no reflection on others opinions or thoughts.

God Bless Our Troops and bring Peace to this hurting world. Amen

"Think HAPPY Thoughts...any others aren't worth your time!" Ü
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl

666 Posts

Karen
Chippewa Falls Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  04:46:53 AM  Show Profile
It's really amazing, I took a trip about a hour and and a half from home yesterday in my '94 S-10 Blazer.
Being a Friday I know there's alot of weekend traffic, but what you see on the road is amazing.
Huge Pickups pulling huge boats, or Huge 5th wheel trailers.
I must be a soooo expensive to drive that stuff around, and there were probably a hundred or more I saw.
I think alot of it has to do with the $$$ people have invested in their toys, when you have this nice shiny new 3/4 ton truck and a nice shiny new bass boat that you are making payments on you darn well better be using them.
As for me, I think I'm going to park the Blazer this week so I can afford to drive that 1-1/2 hours up north again next Saturday for another weaving lesson. Easy trade off for me.
I can ride my bike to work and get some exercise (which I need anyway).
I just need to get up a little earlier and get my carcass out the door earlier.
The only thing I don't like about riding bike right now is the city has tarred and gravelled so many streets, biking is not fun on them.
I guess it's a cheaper fix for the streets and re-paving.
KarenP

"Purest Spring Water in the World"
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl

1818 Posts

Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  05:07:55 AM  Show Profile
oops . . . in my previous post, I said gas was $1.55 here -- must have been dreaming -- it's $2.55!! I keep thinking that we will have to change our consumption habits, our choices for vehicles, our 'quick trips' for one item . . . but in this suburban area, it doesn't seem like these choices are even being contemplated. Hummers are status symbols here.
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl

712 Posts

Holly
Abilene KS
712 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  07:42:06 AM  Show Profile
We are going to increase our bike riding too. We have a twelve passenger van and beleive it or not it's really not any more expensive than a minivan.(Friends have asked and compared) but it's just to high, although I do try to remind myself that it's less than Europe. ;)

¸...¸ __/ /\____ ____
,·´º o`·,/__/ _/\_ //____/\
```)¨(´´´ | | | | | | | || |l±±±± |
¸,.-·²°´ ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸ `°²·-. :º°

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl

2206 Posts



USA
2206 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  09:32:10 AM  Show Profile
I honor our troops serving in Iraq and Afganistan. I honor those who protect and keep us safe in the United States also. And I DO remember 9/11. They are the bravest of the brave! But when my BIL tells my husband he may have to get out of farming because the cost of fuel is too prohibitive it scares me. A safe food supply is pretty important to a country's security. The small independent farmer is being squeezed out. That scares me. When there are no more small family farms and the food supply is controlled by huge corporate entities the price of gas won't be too important.

Being is what it is. Jean Paul Sartre

Edited by - MeadowLark on Aug 13 2005 10:06:44 AM
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl

650 Posts

Lynn
Summerville Georgia
USA
650 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  10:34:12 AM  Show Profile  Click to see greyghost's MSN Messenger address
Of all the people these gas prices hurt, it hurts the poor people the worst. People on minumum wage jobs who were barely keeping their heads above water while gas was 90 cents a gallon have got to be taking on second jobs or sacrificing an awful lot now.

The problem with the higher gas prices is it affects so many things. Prices of groceries or household goods/lumber/etc. have to go up because the cost of hauling these items is double what it was a year or so ago. Housing costs are greater (for new homes) for this reason as well. Yet our wages have not increased. This, to me, is a major cause for concern.

I love my new smaller town where I can walk to the grocery store. It's a mile and a half down the road, but as my back gets better (so I can walk at all!) I intend to train Cookie (the big shepherd mix) to carry some of the groceries for me. I drive a LOT less, but I also work from home so I don't need to go many places. I used to drive to downtown to do my antique shopping and to get to the post office, but my other dog, Stuie, has started to accompany me on these walks as she's a little better at understanding traffic and waiting for the light to change. The dealers in town know her and are impressed at how well behaved she is, she is allowed into their shops :)

I believe over time this will have a bad effect on our economy. The American city is designed very differently from its European counterparts - we have sprawl that forces us to drive. There aren't central areas near neighborhoods with a butcher, little grocery store, coffeeshop, hardware supply, etc. We have it in our itty bitty town (no butcher tho - where have they all gone?) so I count us lucky. But in our last town we had no choice but to drive 30 miles to do anything basic like grocery shopping or mailing packages. That's the way most of Florida is designed, and most cities & towns as they grow. If new neighborhoods had a central grocery store, barbershop, restaurants, etc. all a half mile stroll down some neat little paved path in it, it'd be a wonderful thing for these folks.

My husband has a half-hour drive to work. We have a little Toyota Celica so the gas mileage is phenomenal, but even then we wonder if the entire 7K raise he got by moving to GA will just get sucked out by gas prices.

I'm not going to say much on the political side but I do think Bush stands to make a lot of profit off this war. He is an oil man, after all. I also think if he had his "rathers" the prices wouldn't be so high, I am sure he is aware these prices hurt him and that they will eventually have a hard hit on the economy.
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theherblady
True Blue Farmgirl

510 Posts

Jan
Glasford Illinois
USA
510 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  2:34:05 PM  Show Profile
Thanks Cathy~~ I dont know how many miles I am getting per gallon in the SUV~~but it isnt very many...I think a small truck would be the idea thing..Even with the suv-I have to call on others to haul furniture or some other treasure I find at the antique store...I was thinking about a trailer, but there is soooo much to know before you buy one..I got the owner manual out and tried to figure out-I probably need to get specs on the trailer and then try to figure it out~~A 4-cyclinder ...and what else do I need to check? Tow weight I suppose~~ Hitch weight...See-I know these things but dont know how to interpret the car owners manual..What type does your hubby sell?
Someone else had a great idea for a single horse trailer..but I havent seen one for sale...and I still wouldnt know if my suv could pull it...any other helpful hints you could share?
Jan
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WisGal35
True Blue Farmgirl

99 Posts

Cathy
Kenosha County WI
USA
99 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  3:14:17 PM  Show Profile
Jan-
No problem. The 4-cylinder would be for saving gas purposes/putting goats and other unwieldy cargo in the back only. You're not likely to be able to pull much of a trailer with a 4-banger, as my DH calls it. He sells Fords, and is very fond of telling people that just because you can put a hitch on a vehicle, doesn't mean its worthy to pull. Also, you likely want to get a frame hitch, not a bumper hitch.

The way to figure out your tow rating is to check owners manual -- for round numbers, it will say something like "10,000 lb. capacity." The tricky part is to remember that included in that 10,000 lbs. is the weight of the vehicle, passengers, gear, whatever you are hauling and whatever is in it. Make sense?

Depending on your SUV, you might be able to install a hitch and haul a 1-horse trailer, which would be great for your goats (I have two goats, 4 horses, and a 2-horse trailer). I know of a dealer that sells new 1-horse trailers, and also rents them by the day/weekend... but guessing you want a used one. When you get some extra gas funds, take a drive through the country and start peering at farms. Lots of times people just put them up for sale in the driveway/lawn. Also, check out the various equine web sites, I can send you some links if you like.

Cathy
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JoyIowa
True Blue Farmgirl

273 Posts

Joy

273 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  3:47:58 PM  Show Profile
Gas prices are definately a big concern here. Today they jumped to @2.49 and tomorrow will be $2.55. (My mom works at a "convience" store and got the heads up.) Between hubby and I we drive 100 miles each day to and from work. I'm considering carpooling (hence the topic on another thread)but there are big logistics to figure out there. We both teach and between increase in insurance and gas prices our actual take home pay will be nearly $100 less per month even after figuring in the first raise we have gotton in 7 years. We are considering moving closer, but really have to weigh the consequences and actual costs. This past year we bought a 20 year old car for $700 as our second car. It gets 21 mpg, but my 93 Escort wagon got 35, so it is still a big shock. Among other things we've done are used the gas prices as an excuse to get out of lots of running! We use our bikes first for anything less than 5 miles away. We have requested the powers that be make it attractive for shops to come back to our mainstreet within the next year. Ultimately, I would love to go back to visiting with neighbors and only seeing those farther away occasionally. I think we could still cut down on lots of other things to make up the difference, but we already live so modestly that friends try to bring us stuff because they think we can't afford stuff. (This makes us smile and smile.) I would love to get a hybred car, but it is probably several years down the road for us. Don't forget to request soydiesel and ethanol at your local station!!!!! That would help everyone!
Have a great day and have fun staying home with the family!
Joy

If it's not illegal, unsafe, or immoral, why not try anything once? Who knows? You may come back for a second helping!
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Celticheart
True Blue Farmgirl

811 Posts

Marcia
WA
USA
811 Posts

Posted - Aug 13 2005 :  6:27:06 PM  Show Profile
Gas and diesel prices are definitely effecting us. I commute 65 miles to work three days a week. My car gets decent gas mileage but at $2.60 per gallon it's costing alot to fill up. Thank God I only work three days a week.

Where it really hurts us is our trucking business. Diesel was $2.90 a gallon yesterday. Guess what it costs to fill up a truck with two 150 gallon tanks?? That really puts a dent in your profit! We've added a fuel surcharge to try to offset some of the cost but companies will only go so high. He checked into biodiesel when the price of diesel started to climb. He's requested it at the places here in town but they won't get it in. I don't remember why. The closest places to get biodiesel for us are 125 miles away and when he checked those places you can't get a semi truck and trailers in there. Now doesn't that make sense! He's still working on the biodiesel thing. He can be a real nag about some things and this is one of them.

We also live a very small, rural farming community and the price of gas an diesel is really hurting these farmers. Some of them may not be able to farm at all if this keeps up.

Write your senators and congressmen and women. Ask what the problem is and how it can be fixed.

Marcia in Pomeroy, WA(yes it's still burning)

"I suppose the pleasure of country life lies really in the eternally renewed evidence of the determination to live." Vita Sackville-West

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Susie Q
True Blue Farmgirl

122 Posts

Susan
So. California
USA
122 Posts

Posted - Aug 14 2005 :  4:32:18 PM  Show Profile
Gas here is about $2.70 regular unleaded. It's $2.97 for premium. It's higher in some areas of Los Angeles County, already over $3 regular in some pockets.

I don't think it is a conspiracy. We are competing with China for gas. No one wants a new refinery built in their back yard. Old refineries are running at capacity and are breaking down. And everyone thinks that their big vehicles aren't the problem. I don't think that it is supply as much as it is demand. I think that it's the "me and mine" attitude that has much to do with put us in this spot. It's not going to change until demand goes down.

I live in an urban area. Every other car in my neighborhood it seems is an SUV that is driven locally just to haul kids and groceries or to vie for biggest and baddest bragging rights. My next door neighbor has three SUV's. He works for a mortgage lender. Why does he need three gas guzzlers in the city? The largest thing he's ever used it for was for four bags of manure. He and his family don't camp, or do outdoor activities. My neighbor across the street has 8 vehicles,SUV's,trucks and 1 car. Two for himself, one each for his wife, son, daughter and mother plus two for his lawn mowing service. Only one, the grandmother's car, is an economy car.

It's going to get alot worse before it gets better.

As for my driving habits. I've put off going some places just because they are a bit out of the way. I make a list and try to do erands or buy as much as I can in one trip so I don't have to make lot's of little trips. I usually fill up three times a month. Now I fill my tank when it get's half down so I won't have the full shock of filling an empty tank if I'm in a neighborhood that has higher gas prices.


Edited by - Susie Q on Aug 14 2005 4:43:23 PM
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marlyn
Farmgirl in Training

36 Posts

marlyn
Norwood Ontario
Canada
36 Posts

Posted - Aug 15 2005 :  06:40:42 AM  Show Profile
Canadian friend here and we too are effected big time. This weekend the cost was $2.49 an american gallon ( we are liters up here which was 99.9/liter.) I filled up last Thursday at $2.26 american gallon (90.6/liter).
I have noticed that the gas prices are their lowest on Wednesday morning. By noon hour they are up to the week high which could be as much as $.12/liter.
My brother-in-law works for Honda. he says we have to think of the gas prices as this" we will pay $1.25 for 500ml of bottled water at the corner store, yet it is free out of the tap at home. Why wouldn't we pay $1.00/liter for gas?" ( brainwashed?)
Diesel fuel is needed for our farm machinery. We are paying almost the same as low octane gas for the machinery. I believe we will all have hugh gardens next summer because the cost of fruit and vegetables , and grain this winter will be high due to fuel costs.

Marlyn
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