Gasoline was $3.61 at the gas station across from my gym this morning. Good heavens, I know I'm dating myself, but I remember when we paid $.61 per gallon. $5 bucks would last the week, now it won't get me roundtrip to work and I get pretty good MPG. I heard estimates of the cost increasing to $10 per gallon on the news last weekend.
Has the high price of gasoline made you make any significant changes in your driving habits yet? If so what were they? If not, how high will it have before you do change some habits?
So far, we are more conscious of the cost of gasoline. I am much less likely to miss my carpool now, whereas two months ago, if I needed to take my own car, it wasn't that big a deal. Now, I don't take my car unless it's my week to drive! We talk about making fewer trips running errands, but we really aren't making a lot of changes there. It still seems like we are letting convenience override cost there. I live about 25 miles to work, DH lives about 10 miles (in the opposite direction). So far, we aren't talking about looking for closer jobs. Public transportation is unheard of here by the way. If it goes past $5 we will have to seriously look at changing our habits for running errands. How high till we look for closer jobs? I'm not sure - I'd need to do some calculating - maybe 7 - 8 per gallon?
What about you? I'd love to hear other's opinions and thoughts.
Actually, I too thought the "breaking point" would be $5, but I think it's $4.
I commute about 30 miles to work everyday and I take the commuter bus. Once gas started hitting +$3.50, I noticed the buses getting packed and my commutes shortening because there wasn't as much traffic. I think people are starting to get the idea, but I wouldn't say we're "there" quite yet.
I have to drive for work, so I don't have the option of taking alternate transportation.
However, I do often go home for lunch ( I live about 3 miles from work) and may stop doing that since it would cut about 30 miles out of my weekly driving. I only shop once a week usually as it is, and keep any other errands down to a minimum.
I suspect I'll be spending a lot of time at home rather than at the beach this summer; between toll increases and gas increases, it's getting expensive.
It's still $3.59 here. My husband and I both drive pickups, but mine is paid off. Closer to the end of the year (if we make it that long) we're probably trading mine in to get something more fuel efficient, and keeping one truck since we need it for hauling stuff. But the smaller vehicle will be for longer trips and out of town stuff.
Even though my classes don't start until two hours later, I ride with my husband into work on days I have to dress up, when it's raining, or when it starts getting in the upper 90s.
Every other time I'll walk or bike, since my department is only about 2 miles from my current apartment. We're moving over the summer so next academic year, I'll probably just bike as it's around 6 miles.
My town is a great town for biking. There are roads with bike lanes, there are bike paths across town, and they're always including cyclist on the city planning committee.
I'm definitely making changes. Gas is at about $3.52 right now. My husband works 30 miles from home and we live about 20 miles from anywhere. I go to school twice a week, and I do any errands on those days. I try to combine all errands. This summer I'm taking more online classes, in order to do less driving. My husband is trying to ride his motorcycle more, but he's in school too, and has class twice a week. When he gets out of class it's dark, and I won't let him ride when it's dark, so he can only ride 3x weekly at most. He's going to try to take online classes next semester as well.
Good thing I like being at home, cause I think I'll be spending a lot of time here this summer!
Height: Tall enough for my feet to reach the ground
I am lucky enough to live 3 blocks from work, 6 to day care, 5 to the grocery store. But to do anything fun or real shopping it is 75 miles away. So I have shortened those trips to once a month. I drive every other friday 120 mile round trip to pick up a foster child...and I am about to ask about getting help with gas for that. But we love the kid and dont want to hinder his visits with his mom by asking for help. When the weather is good I plan on walking my DD to daycare then walking to work.
I'm paying around $5 a gallon here, takes over $85 to fill my tank and it lasts about 6 days. Hubby is on the road every day so that doesn't help. I remember when I got my first car, gas was selling for 40 cents a litre (don't know what that is in gallons, $1.25 or so??), those were the days...
Great thread--after all there is more to life than food
Well, I have always been frugal with my use of gas consumption. I have been a real nag about it for at least 10 years. I will "date" myself. When I was in high school back in the early 70s, gasoline was .24 9/10 per gallon for regular unleaded!!! We could drive "forever" on a couple of bucks!
Okay, back to the "new millineum". I work from home and I have for three years so my commute is from my bedroom to my desk to the bathroom to the kitchen to my treadmill. Not necessarily in that order though. I had been transitioning to being a full time remote worker since late 2000 at a different job that I held before this one.
I have been telling and attempting to train my DH to do all of our errands on one linear line for several years. For example, when we go grocery shopping we choose the store that is closest to us if that is all we have to do. If we have other things to do like go to Lowe's or the gas station then we choose the grocery store that is closest to those. It does mean that I spend a lot more time at home than probably some people could or would tolerate. I have a beautiful view outside of my window to look at when I work. I also find enough to stimulate me (besides working) so I really don't mind it too much. I do look forward to getting away from my apartment on the weekend.
I also have advanced arthritis so I just can't walk the big Malls anymore. I haven't been to a Mall in four years. However, TG, for the Internet. I do almost all of my shopping online now. I have some people tell me, what about the shipping costs but actually once you become a regular customer, all the companies offer free shipping or reduced shipping often.
The most recent adaptation made is that I have asked my DH to begin taking public transportation more often. He does use our car for his job but he doesn't need it every day. So, I have asked him (he balked at first) if he would consider trying public transportation on the days that the car "just sits" in their parking lot. He has agreed to do that. Now, it is getting to be more routine for him although he still doesn't like it when he has to wait very long. I took public transportation for 14 years in a four season climate at the time too. I remind him of that too.
I am glad to hear that others are making these considerations as well. I realize that if you live in a small town or an area that does not support public transporation you have no choice. However, I have lived in a smaller town and I used to walk everywhere. I also walked everywhere when I lived in a bigger city too. I had no cellulite on my thighs back then and you could bounce a quarter off the back of them! Something I can't boast about now.
Again, I am reminded of my European pen pals I wrote to regularly back in the 1970s when we were having our "energy crisis" back then. They were paying what we are paying now for gas. That really put things in perspective for me then and now. Now, we are paying what the rest of the world has been paying for a couple of decades. The "free (or near free) ride" is probably now over. We have joined the rest of the world in paying for some of the "priviledges" we have enjoyed for almost 75 years! Something else to consider to.
I drive 15,000 miles a year and get approx. 25 miles to the gallon. That's 600 gallons of gas a year. So if it goes up a $1 a gallon, that's $50 a month more on gas.
I'm just not willing to make any major changes because of $50 a month.
When I moved here, I told DH (my then BF) that I'd need to live close to work. We ended up moving into a place 1 mile from my work and 4 miles from his. When we bought a place, we moved a little out but still only about 8 miles away from our work. I only fill my tank once a month and usually I don't fill it to the top. I use very little gas DH uses a bit more just because we use his car for trips and weekend errands but still not a lot. I do think we need to conserve resources which is something that would probably lead me to change habits rather than price.
I never drive that much to begin with, so it's not too bad. It takes about $80 to fill up my truck's tank, I get about 20MPG (which isn't good, but I got the truck for free so I can't complain). One tank will last me the better part of a month if I don't go on any trips. I don't drive to work, I either bus, bike, or walk. It's just under 2 miles from home to work. The only places I drive are to the grocery store, to Target, and to my WW meeting, and if I'm really on top of things, I can do that all in one round trip
I have NO idea what we'll do if we have to move out of Charlottesville. We were thinking about moving to the DC area but gas would become a MAJOR expense at that point, whereas now it's barely a concern. If we woke up one day and couldn't pay for gas, we'd still be able to get everywhere we need to go either by bus, bike, or foot.
While my car gets 14-15 miles per gallon I don't drive much, at all, never have. I've had the car about 16 months and haven't put 6000 miles on it yet. We've talked about getting a scooter for local errands- so that is one way it might effect us.
I've always tried to do things as locally as possible. When choosing an office to rent I got one 3 blocks from home, most days I work at home rather than go to the office, we live in a small city downtown- plenty of close places to buy groceries, necessities, ect. When my job takes me outside of the office I'm seldom more than 1 mile from it, unless it's a longer weekend job; and then I charge travel fees.
I've always done this, when younger I'd rent apartments close enough to walk to work, or leave the car in the lot and use the bus. BUT- I hate driving, unless you're talking about Speed Racer on an open highway.
When I'm running late, which happens, and I don't have time to walk to the office I'm totally guilty of hopping in the car for a 3 block ride. I feel like crap about it... because of the cost, the waste and the environment. This has been on my mind a lot lately, mainly due to the cost of gas and that will alter my mornings, getting up earlier!
Because I'm not too dependent on my own driving I'm more worried about gas prices effecting my business revenue... when my clients feel the pinch I definitely will too. Eventually I'm sure I'll have to do more location work closer to them as the cost gets more prohibitive.
My husband has always tried to carpool but lately he's consistently using them. He and the guys he works feel the pinch harder with commutes ranging from 25-200 miles (job locations vary). Definite major change.
High price of gas - Any changes?
Great thread--after all there is more to life than food
DH uses a bit more just because we use his car for trips and weekend errands but still not a lot. I do think we need to conserve resources which is something that would probably lead me to change habits rather than price.
