are the high gas prices effecting the way you live?

[AL-53]

This is just the beginning effect on people....wait till winter comes and the people up north have to pay 4.50 a gallon for heating oil plus pay 4.50 a gallon for gas....then pay the higher costs for food...grocery prices are increasing like gas at the pumps now...so a family of 4 will really feel the crunch in months to come...keeping the house warm for the kids and feeding them and going to work....

It may come to the straw that broke the camels back soon...its going to get uglier before it gets better....

Independent truckers are loosing trucks left and right now....housing foreclosures are tops now....unemployment is all time high....dollar is at a low now....small businesses are hurting since people are now shopping at the best price stores....

news article said thrift stores and dollar stores are booming now....

the trickle down effect is yet to come in a big way...

When the Katrina storm hit and gas prices went up ..that was a test to see what the public could take...we took it ..so now they put it into reality ......

according to reports we have a ton of oil right here....but environmentalists fight tooth and nail to prevent drilling....but yet China will be 100 miles away drilling off the coast of Cuba soon...

How much more will the people take before they collapse...How desperate will the American family get when they need to feed and heat for the family...we shall see.....

AL

[weekendwarrior]

To AL-53's point, let's hope there isn't another hurricane in the Gulf, or we are screwed.

To answer the original poster's question, we try to eat at home more. We don't do a lot of extra driving, so other than trying basic things like accelerating more slowly, and coasting to stop lights, there isn't much I can cut out there.

On a side note, I was at the garage I go to last week for an oil change and state inspection. This shop is typically packed. Well, it was pretty slow when I was there, and I didn't even have to wait. I asked the manager how business was (he is a friend). He told me that they had slowed way down. This shop isn't one to push un needed services, and he told me that when he is working on a car, and finds a list of 5 things it needs, owners are pushing back, and only wanting to repair the bare minimum to get the car running. He also said several customers that owned extra vehicles that were pleasure cars (convertibles, sports cars, etc...) had sold them, or just weren't driving them, so he wasn't seeing them for service. He also told me that besides oil changes, a lot of owners had pretty much cut out having a lot of preventative maintenance done.

[Way2SSlow]

I definitely dont drive my Impala very much anymore.

[Mark77]

Originally Posted by 99blackSE

They haven't really bothered me too much, as I made a switch to a smaller car. Our gas price here works out to 5.14 CAN a US gallon, it's high, but tolerable for me. I feel sorry for the trades people, as they need trucks but perhaps they will have to charge more for their services.

I don't think we can complain overall though. Compared to Europe, I think most of us are still well off with regards to housing (how many of us live in houses compared to apartments), mechanical transportation/toys (multiple vehicles per family, toys like sleds, quads, dirt bikes, etc), and of course, fuel price. It could be worse I guess is what I am getting at.

You seriously think we in Europe have a lower standard of living than you ? I (and many others) live in an apartment because I want to not because I have to. I could get a pretty nice house a bit outside the city for the same money as my apartment cost me, but this is more comfortable. A vacation house is very common at least here in northern Europe.

[bigfish528]

Originally Posted by tdekany

PS: We went to the movies the other night and tickets were $11.00 each.

Popcorn - $6.75

That is why we have a nice home theater system at home and NETFLIX.

Amen to that

[99blackSE]

Originally Posted by Mark77

You seriously think we in Europe have a lower standard of living than you ? I (and many others) live in an apartment because I want to not because I have to. I could get a pretty nice house a bit outside the city for the same money as my apartment cost me, but this is more comfortable. A vacation house is very common at least here in northern Europe.

I guess I could have worded that better. No I don't think you guys have a lower standard of living. I have been to Europe, you guys weren't living in huts last time I was there.

I based my comment mostly on my experience from Prague, where I was told by our friends that having a house in the city was not a common thing there (they too as well have a vacation cottage a few hours south of Prague though). It also to me seemed easier to acquire a motor vehicle(s) here, be it sled/bike/car/whatever. (Actually now that I mention sleds, curious how your riding conditions are up there and if they are popular?)

I don't think a lot of people here would be willing to give up their house/yard/toy freedom easily and in my opinion it hasn't been forced upon them hard until now.

It is comparing apples to oranges I guess, European and American ways of living are much different. Perhaps I should have not mentioned anything at all. Sorry for offending.

[Macruz19]

Losing my job is something i worry about.. I need to stop spending time on here and do my work, but I'm a usual exceeds performer monthly at my job. As long as I make my numbers, there's always time to surf on here

I don't know what would happened if I lost my job. I'd had to look for a new one which will be hard to find, considering all the lay offs every where. I'd had to start touching my savings acct for gas/food/bills etc.

Why is living in my generation screwed up?

[bumoftheday]

The prices haven't affected me much at all, except having a little less go in savings each months which means a little longer before I have the money for a new car. My income went up significantly right about the same time prices started going up. I still drive my car the way I like to drive it and don't worry so much about gas mileage as I still get 26+mpg.

[Mark77]

Originally Posted by 99blackSE

I guess I could have worded that better. No I don't think you guys have a lower standard of living. I have been to Europe, you guys weren't living in huts last time I was there.

I based my comment mostly on my experience from Prague, where I was told by our friends that having a house in the city was not a common thing there (they too as well have a vacation cottage a few hours south of Prague though). It also to me seemed easier to acquire a motor vehicle(s) here, be it sled/bike/car/whatever. (Actually now that I mention sleds, curious how your riding conditions are up there and if they are popular?)

I don't think a lot of people here would be willing to give up their house/yard/toy freedom easily and in my opinion it hasn't been forced upon them hard until now.

It is comparing apples to oranges I guess, European and American ways of living are much different. Perhaps I should have not mentioned anything at all. Sorry for offending.

No offense taken, it's all cool I see your point now. I have never been to Prague, so I can't speak for them. I know what you mean about enjoying the house /yard/toy/freedom thing. A 40min drive away we have a house by the sea where you can live year around if you want, boats, yard, toys and the freedom of not seeing one neighbor for miles Many here in Finland live in their own house year round(and many other countries). I just enjoy not having to sit in traffic every morning and evening, I walk to work in 10min. But generally I think living in the city works better here than in most parts there.
And for sleds, not many have them here in southern Finland, our winters are too short and snow less for those to be useful, last winter we had probably less than 10 days they could have been used here, but they sure are fun to drive, drove one in Lapland where they are quite common

[EisenHulk]

I want to go to Finland, damn it. Mark, can I stay in your apartment? Hahaha.

[Mark77]

You would be welcome any time but your signature about slitting throats doesn't make me feel very comfortable

[EisenHulk]

No worries, Mark. I'm completely harmless. Just ask Eliot Ness.

Originally Posted by Mark77

You would be welcome any time but your signature about slitting throats doesn't make me feel very comfortable