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Nifty Thrifty:  What are you doing to combat high gas prices.  |
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treelady
True Blue Farmgirl
2319 Posts
Julie
Medina
ND
USA
2319 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 06:48:40 AM
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Gas prices keep climbing steadly and now with the spring and summer driving months here, what will you be doing to curb your driving habits. I am only going to town every 2 to 3 weeks, it takes me several hours to get to all the places I need to go by than, but it saves me money in two ways, I am not tempted to impulse shop as much when I go weekly and I find I only go to the stores I have to go to so I can get home.
Julie
A little rain can straighten a flower stem. A little love can change a life.
Max Lucado |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 07:03:40 AM
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Same here. Staying home more and organizing my shopping needs better. No more running to the grocery because I want to make something that I need just one more thing for. :)
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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catturner68
Farmgirl in Training
26 Posts
Casey
Carrollton
Tx
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 07:09:02 AM
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I started riding my bike to school every day back in August when school started. That has saved me a bundle. I also run errands all in the same day on the weekend, rather than running to the store every day for one or two things. I have to make sure I am organized & know exactly what I am getting and where I need to go. I get a weekly dairy delivery directly from a farm, so I drive less to get groceries. I am walking or biking for short, neighborhood errands when possible. I find that I am using about 1 tank of gas in my car each month by making these changes.
Casey
If you live your beliefs, you can change the world. |
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embchicken
True Blue Farmgirl
1487 Posts
Elaine
Ocean
NJ
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 08:57:58 AM
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Casey~ I have started organizing all my errands so I can do them on the same day. If I am going somewhere close, as the weather gets nicer, I am going to ride my bike.
~ Elaine
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
Farmgirl sister #2822
http://embchicken.blogspot.com
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Cherime
True Blue Farmgirl
1222 Posts
Cherime
Wasilla
Alaska
USA
1222 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 09:04:32 AM
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Trying to get all done in one trip to town. I live 7 miles out of town and it can be difficult to get all done. However one very bright spot is that there is a new sort of box like grocery all in one going in about a 1/4 mile from my house. I will be able to walk there in summer. They are not like Costco as they will sell smaller amounts of stuff. Great for us smaller miniscule families.
CMF |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 09:58:36 AM
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Planning trips to town very carefully! We no longer go for drives or go out on a whim. Our out of pocket medical expenses have to come first. So we are spending more time at home, watching flicks on DVD and eating in. Buying as much food and necessities in one trip as we can manage. And still we are going to have to sit down and make a much more frugal budget game plan.
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
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forgetmenot
True Blue Farmgirl
3602 Posts
Judith
Nora Springs
IA
USA
3602 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 10:30:38 AM
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Same as you ladies. Combine trips, stay home more (which I don't mind).
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
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HealingTouch
True Blue Farmgirl
3448 Posts
Darlene
Kunkletown
Pa
USA
3448 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 11:40:19 AM
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I have always combined my shopping trips but now it usually is once a week or two. If I had it my way I would only go out to go to church. I hate to shop anymore and all the crazies on the road make it less than enjoyable to drive. My husband and I were in a terrible accident in september that had an uninsured motorist run a light and total our car. Sent us by ambulance to the ER. Don't get me started on the health insurance fees etc! I'd rather stay home with my beagle!
Be Blessed,
Darlene
Sister 1922
God first, everything else after!
When Satan's knocking at your door, just say "Jesus will you get that for me?"
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2011 : 11:46:38 AM
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Unfortunately, not much. I work in the daytime, my husband at night, and the baby is twice a week at her grandmother's house north of the city (a 25 minute commute). We both work 15 miles or so from the house. I'm fine with taking the bus INTO work, but when I pick up the baby from her Grandmother's 2 evenings, I can't do that. So, we've been trying to combine trips together--like today, he drives us both in to Cincinnati, drops the baby off then comes back to get us in the evening. But honestly, we're not conserving very much because of the differences in our work schedules.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2011 : 5:02:44 PM
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Since I did not leave the farm for two months during Feb and March I saved a bunch but I have always made my trips at once. I only get off the farm when I have all the places I need to go lined up to make a complete circle so I do not waste time, spend more then I need and save as much as I can on gas... When it takes over $80.00 to fill my truck it has been a must... Also, since I do not like shopping, being out with the crazy phone talking nutters I keep myself on the farm as much as I can. I feel so sorry for those who have to drive to get to work or who's work is driving... I feel too much money is going in the wrong pockets and the government is giving lip service as with everything else. I wished there where more ways to get around the greedy gas corporations..
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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Lady Woodworker
True Blue Farmgirl
259 Posts
Karen
Chamberlain
Maine
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2011 : 6:15:16 PM
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I too am having a great deal of trouble conserving.
Grace, I'm jealous! You got to stay home for two months! How dreamy!
My work is 100 miles from home.
I keep an apartment in my work town but I make the long drive up each Sunday evening and back home Thursday evening.
It is a lovely drive--but I can't find any way to make it pay.
I tried placing ads to make deliveries along the way (only places like bread companies with horrible morning hours called, plus a few tiny businesses that wanted me to do it for almost nothing--one actually offered nothing) but that didn't fly.
In the fall, I am headed in a new direction in life and I will be commuting from my home (hooray!). Gas and mileage-wise it will be even worse (about 62 miles per day--round trip) but I may be able to take on a rider or two who can share expenses. I'm hoping that can work out for me.
Otherwise, maybe I'll just have to stand by the side of the road and offer a little leg to try and get a ride. har
Karen
Farmgirl Sister # 2419 |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2011 : 8:34:14 PM
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since we live 40 miles from town we also always have made it it in one trip to get everything. we go only once a month. our little grocery store here actually in our little town is going to get a lot more business because everyone is talking about not going much anymore... but otherwise we are home and I prefer it that way...I do not like the crazies in the roads either....
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett
Beverley with an extra E...
https://sites.google.com/site/bevsdoggies/
http://bevsdoggies.blogspot.com/ |
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karla
True Blue Farmgirl
1308 Posts
karla
Pella
Iowa
USA
1308 Posts |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3324 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3324 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 07:48:56 AM
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I suggested getting a horse but was not taken seriously---not sure about the cities ordinances regarding that, but it was a thought!
Bicycles---I am getting a new one this spring and so is my daughter. Husband will also bike 6 blocks to work. We have cut waaaaaay back on jaunts around town (DD!) It really hit home to me when I handed my daughter a 10-spot to get some gas realizing that it would amount to not much more than, 2 gallons of gas-
Melody
Farmgirl #525
www.bythebayhandcraftedsoap.blogspot.com
www.longtallsallys.etsy.com |
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Heather B
True Blue Farmgirl
562 Posts
Heather
Longmont
Colorado
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 08:30:09 AM
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Carpooling, Having fun at home instead of out and about, combining trips, clipping coupons and beefing up the garden. My DH is even considering building a solar electric car for close trips.
It's just unbelievable that in this day and age of technology that everything is increasing in price not going down or holding steady. I think it comes down to panic and greed. Sad but true.
H
http://homesteadincity.blogspot.com/
http://littlehouseonthebumper.blogspot.com/ (My "glamper" page)
"Only your real friends tell you when your face is dirty"
Farm Girl Sister #662 |
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Cherime
True Blue Farmgirl
1222 Posts
Cherime
Wasilla
Alaska
USA
1222 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 09:01:48 AM
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We have the Share-A-Ride program here in Wasilla to Anchorage and I take the van in daily. It is easier on my vehicle and easier on the pocket book. The program is in all states so far as I know and a good way to cut costs. They drop me at the door and pick me up at the same place. I am an alternate driver and drive one week out of three. Not everyone does drive, eight of us ride and three of us drive. Something to check on if you are commuting long distances. http://www.vpsi.org/mysitecaddy/site3/aboutpeoplesieloff.htm a place to check
CMF |
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Catherine L
True Blue Farmgirl
408 Posts
Cathy
Newton
Texas
USA
408 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2011 : 12:27:51 PM
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My husband and I both drive pickup trucks. We have an old Honda Civic we were going to sell. We decided to keep it and drive it instead of the truck. My husband also has a motorcycle and we ride that as much as possible when making trips.
~Catherine~
Farmgirl 2428 |
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debtea2
True Blue Farmgirl
1853 Posts
deborah
nutley
nj
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2011 : 6:37:13 PM
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whats unfair is they charge more for credit than cash
i don't always have that kind of cash on me so
its not right but we do have the lowest gas prices
so i should not be too upset..but its still outrageous!
last year it was 2.49..
inch by inch we find our way
jersey farmgirl
#1330
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Catherine L
True Blue Farmgirl
408 Posts
Cathy
Newton
Texas
USA
408 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2011 : 1:30:55 PM
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Since I have to drive fifteen miles to get to anything other than our small local stores, I have decided to drive 60 instead of 70 whenever I can.
~Catherine~
Farmgirl 2428 |
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Candy C.
True Blue Farmgirl
823 Posts
Candy
Mescal
AZ
USA
823 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2011 : 3:15:08 PM
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Good idea about driving slower Cathy! Remember when the speed limit was lowered to 55 to conserve fuel!?! Why don't we do that now! Here is some info I found from March 10th at Edmunds Inside Line.
YONKERS, New York — With gas prices on the rise, some in the U.S. are asking whether we should take a cue from other countries and lower the national speed limit in order to save fuel. In a controversial move, Spain on Monday implemented a lower national speed limit in the wake of unrest in the Middle East.
"Should the United States, too?" asked Consumer Reports in a post on its cars blog on Wednesday. The consumer watchdog hinted that it was in favor of such a move, noting that "in our own tests, we found that slowing down on the highway was an effective way drivers could save gas in their own cars. Slowing down from 65 mph to 55 mph raised the fuel economy in our 2005 Toyota Camry from 35 mpg to 40 mpg."
According to Fuel Economy.gov, "gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas."
Sounds like a good reason to slow down on the Interstate to me! We have to drive almost 20 miles on the Interstate to get to the nearest small town. I think I will switch from 75 to 60 and hope I don't get run over! LOL!!
Candy C.
Farmgirl Sister #977
www.calicocandy.etsy.com
http://stores.countrycents.com/StoreFront.bok?affiliate_no=6
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2011 : 05:35:21 AM
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This weekend, is the first weekend our gas prices jumped. Last weekend the prices were about $3.77-3.89/gallon. This weekend they are $4.15/gallon.
We are staying home as much as possible. We live in the country, so bicycles are not an option, unless we are going to the gym (it's at an old school).
To be more self-sufficient we hope to have our own dairy milk vs. driving to the store. We are already putting our garden in and will eat from that as much as possible. The library is about a 14 mile round trip, so bicycling is difficult when we are bringing books there and back. We will be cutting our daughter's horse riding lessons down, and our volunteer efforts (also a long road trip) to the horse rescues.
Farmgirl #800
http://momzonetakingtimeformom.blogspot.com/
http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
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smiley
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
lea
pea ridge
arkansas
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2011 : 07:14:13 AM
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| Does anyone think the price will go down or are the high prices here to stay? |
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Arctic Flower
True Blue Farmgirl
85 Posts
Marjorie
Nenana
Alaska
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 01:20:45 AM
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Since my husband's job is a 50 mile one-way drive, I have him do all the shopping and gathering. I still have to go to the post office which is 9 miles one-way in the opposite direction once a week but I just had to refill my gas tank after driving on it since January. I stopped making any other trips. Our gas is $4.00 gallon here. I never was much of a shopper anyway and much prefer internet shopping. So it has worked out for us just great.
Farmgirl #2416
Believe in the power of Love! |
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2quilter
True Blue Farmgirl
127 Posts
Patricia
Greenwood
IN
USA
127 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 5:45:45 PM
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Rediculous!!! ~ANY~ excuse to raise prices.....
Don't move to Indiana......from www.indychannel.com
Indianapolis Gas Prices Spike To $4.29
Big Increase Comes As Oil Prices Jump Again
POSTED: 1:16 pm EDT May 2, 2011
UPDATED: 1:35 pm EDT May 2, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS -- Gas prices at many central Indiana stations shot up to $4.29 a gallon on Monday, the day after U.S. forces killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Speedway stations again appeared to lead the charge on the increase, which put prices about 10 to 15 cents higher than they were on Sunday.
Track: Gas Prices Near You
If the increase holds, it will mark the highest gas prices ever recorded in Indiana.
The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.95 a gallon as of a couple of days ago, according to AAA. Indiana's average of $4.14 a gallon was the eighth-highest in the country.
Indiana was just three cents shy of an all-time record, which was $4.17 a gallon in September 2008. A year ago, Indiana's average gas price was $2.85 a gallon.
The increase came as oil prices jumped to $114 a barrel in early trading, up $3 in the wake of bin Laden's death.
Analysts said traders are concerned that bin Laden's death may lead to retaliation from his followers that could affect oil supplies.
"There will be a fear, I think, in the short-term in the markets that something might happen in the next week or two," said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. "I do think in the longer term, it suggests likely more stability in the Middle East."
Oil also got a boost as the dollar retreated from an early rally following news of bin Laden's death. Oil is priced in dollars. A weaker dollar makes crude more attractive to buyers with foreign currency, and the price tends to rise.
Nearly all central Indiana gas stations now have prices above $4 a gallon.
When life hands you scraps, make quilts! |
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smiley
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
lea
pea ridge
arkansas
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2011 : 7:58:43 PM
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| I like that quote. When life hands you scraps make quilts |
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coloquilter
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Susan
Co
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2011 : 8:27:57 PM
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I have been trying very hard for the last few years to cut back on gas usage.
First thing I did was to buy a scooter that I love to ride in the summers. It gets 80 mpg and I can carry 3 bags of groceries on it. It's perfect for commute and small shopping trips.
Second thing I do is to just drive less. I plan my trips so I get multiple tasks done. If i have several errands within a few blocks of each other, I park in a central location and walk between them.
Last I have at least 1 day a week where I do not even start a motor vehicle. I just plan what day and i dont go anywhere that I cant walk to.
If I lived in town I would do more, I would love to get one of those 3 wheeled bikes but they arent very practical where i live
Susan |
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Nifty Thrifty: What are you doing to combat high gas prices. |
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What are you doing to combat high gas prices.
