Here in the USA, we have suffered through historical fuel increases during the aftermath of Katrina and the prices just haven't gone down..today, gas was $2.55 a gallon....

How can todays economy be compared to years previous when the cost of fuel has risen so much ?

I don't want a polictical debate, but just some comments on whether the cost of fuel has made you think differently about how you spend your money ....

I rented a large pick up truck for 7 days while my Honda Passport was being fixed.
The extra cost of gas, just to drive around town was over $80.00 a week ... eeks


Many people on this forum may have steady gigs, how much of a increase did you seek to compensate for fuel increase ??


See Ya... Dan O'

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Ketron, Yamaha, Casio,Korg http://www.baltimoremusiccenter.com
1-866-348-8876

[This message has been edited by DanO1 (edited 03-31-2006).]

In 1965 I was making $50. a week. Gas was around .26 a gallon.
Gas has increased x10, not as much as income, but of course everything else has gone up also. Bread was .20 a loaf, so the 10x figure is close there. A 12-ounce Pepsi Cola was a nickel. It has gone up 10x as well.
We've been getting a very good deal on gasoline for decades. However, I can't see any reason for the high prices except that the oil companies know that we have to pay whatever they ask. Of course taxes on fuel now are more than the total cost 30 years ago.
I had a 57 Chevrolet in high school. It got 9 mpg. Now my Chevy Venture van gets 26 mpg, so at least cars are more efficient. Even my Yukon gets more than twice what the muscle cars did.
Another factor is that as a rule we drive a lot more now. Cities are larger, everything seems to be 30 minutes away.
To answer your question, I have recently increased my asking price for private parties by $50. When I go very far out of town, I ask for expenses, and it usually isn't a problem, because everybody understands that fuel is higher now.
I think it will soon get to the point where we will finally be allowed to develop and use alternate energy sources.
Just rambling.
Good subject.
DonM


[This message has been edited by DonM (edited 03-31-2006).]

Simple math could make you feel a little better about mileage. For instance in DonM's case, he gets 26 miles per gallon. Price per gallon locally, today, is $2.55. That works out to just less than 10cents per mile.

In urban areas where there is heavy waiting in traffic and a lot of traffic lights and other delays, the actual cost per mile will increase from burning gas while stopped.

Like Don, I have increased the fee for out of town private parties...but I do it by adding 50cents per mile both ways...and, so far, no complaints.

Eddie

This recent gas stuff wasn't just a gradual rise with inflation..... it was caused by a natural disaster, compounded by corruption and greed.

Americans can be happy that we haven't had to pay more money in the past, but the fact is, the gas factor has to play a roll with how I judge or forecast my business plan for the rest of the year.

I don't think many american workers have seen an increase of $1.30 an hour to compensate for gas prices ?

I was just by the chevron gas station down the street and the prices posted were 2.80, 2.90, and 3.00 per gallon of gas.
My new motorhome gets 7.5 Miles per gallon of fuel compared to the old on that got about 5. This motorhome weights 26,000 pounds and the old one weighed 12,000 pounds. We used to climb hills in low gears but now the Allison does all the shifting if any and we climb the hills at hiway speeds.
However we are not doing much motorhome traveling this year. We are mostly going to a local park that is 39 miles each way when we used to go to one that was 200 miles each way. I guess our fuel costs then are about the same for motorhome trips.
Think on this:
I became privvey to a 1905 Sears and Roebuck Catalog a few years back and I looked at the prices of everything even including a complete Kraft home either prefabbed or built on your lot.
I then talked to some really old dudes and found out what they were earning at that time.
Then I sit down with my calculator and this is what I discovered. It took the same amount of hours worked in the early days as it did recently to buy the same things. The only thing that changed was the value of the dollar also called inflation. You had to work the same amount of hours in those good old days to buy a car that you have to work in these good new days.
How about that?
Bebop
PS: I just went out to dinner with wife and passed two Chevron Stations and the Ethyl gas was 3.11 per gallon. How about that?

[This message has been edited by BEBOP (edited 03-31-2006).]

Something has got to give...I play 3 nights a week down the Jersey shore[200+ miles a night]...If I ask for mileage fees, they would say they have a hundred people that would want my job....they may find out soon!!!

I'm in Chicagoland. today, common price was 2.65 (87octane).

What I can't understand is the traffic thats on the streets,hiways,tollways, everywhere.

I have different starting times and different company offices that I travel to and from so i'm seeing this at all hours of the day, not just the typical 6-8 am and 4-7 pm. This is not the norm. This has been going on for several weeks with no road/construction work to speak of. And except for a day or 2 in the last week, the weather has been cold, in the 30s to 40s.

The gas prices don't seem to be changing anyone's style around here.

It doesn't affect my SPENDING as much as it affects my FEES. Being in a service buisness, I need to pass on the increased price of gas to my customers.

Something needs to be done ...



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Larry
SynthZone Frapper

It's our demand for fuel that keeps the price escalating. I sold my car that had a V12 in it once I researched it (and got tired of feeding my tank) It's $3.05 to $3.15 for premium here in Laguna Beach, California. I said I would sell it before it hit 3 bucks a gallon and I barely did.
The less we use, the less it will cost. Locally, regionally, and nationally.
That's my opinion.
Hydrogen has the greatest potential for fuel. there is hydrogen in just about everything and it is not in any limited source by any means. We simply must convert as soon as we can. Vehicles that run on hydrogen are not slow moving either. In fact, as a fuel, hydrogen has much greater efficiency per dollar potential, and power potential.

[This message has been edited by MORPH! (edited 04-02-2006).]

Wow $3.05 a gallon ..

I agree with the fuel technology...definately important..