Brilliant Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We spent $762 on gas for our two cars in March. We are on track to spend the same in April. And we don't even drive an SUV. I have seriously started making cutbacks in where I'm willing to drive. We've started asking dd to add gas to the car from her personal money when she goes to social events (the gas money I mentioned above doesn't even include what she's put in). I called two doctors this week to switch around appointments and combine them with another trip. I haven't been to yoga lately because I don't want to spend the $8 in gas for each class. Dh tries to work from home one day a week to save the commuting costs, but he's not always in control of that. Other than living like hermits...I'm not sure what else we can do. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 (edited) No, you are not. We are a dual SUV (Yukon and Tahoe) family and we budget $225 bi-weekly for gas. That will work if I stay home a lot, and if we don't have to go anywhere else. This week, I had to drive to Atlanta for a doctor appointment, and that took another $50. I try to only go "out" once a week, for my sanity and to save fuel. It takes nearly $75 to fill up one tank, and gas here has stayed in the $3.60/gallon range. My son in Florida is paying almost $4/gallon. Edited April 16, 2011 by PentecostalMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lainey Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 It takes 1/2 hr to get anywhere, so we are feeling it, too. Dh works 45 min from home and I don't go out unless I have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 And it's predicted to only get worse. I saw a headline of $5/gal by Memorial Day (6 weeks!!!) Not only does that affect driving, but EVERYTHING is shipped plus has plastic (or other petrol products) in it. Tell me again why we're helping the Brazillians drill & refine, but we're not allowed to do it domestically???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We are at about $800 per month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 You aren't alone. It costs over $100 each time to fill my van :eek: I have definitely cut back on going out and condense as many errands as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 One of our friends is currently visiting Kauai (they live on Oahu) and posted on facebook a picture of the gas prices-$4.73. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 In this area I'm glad I don't leave the house much. Dh started taking the car to work. Since he only drives 6 miles round trip a tank of gas lasts a long time. I've the truck now (yea!) and only drive to the market, 4 miles round trip, a time or two a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 You are not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 ...gas here has stayed in the $3.60/gallon range. My son in Florida is payment almost $4/gallon. In southern California, we are paying about $4.27. When I am nearby, I stop at Costco which can be 15-20 cents less than other stations. BUT since it will only save me about $2.25 on a fill-up, I don't drive out of my way to fill up at Costco, nor am I willing to wait in a long line - last time I decided to give up on Costco, I'd have been lined up outside the gas area, waiting to get in and be the 7th car in any of the lines! Lines have gotten crazy there since the first of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinF Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We filled our van up yesterday for $80. We are used to spending $50 a week for gas, so I am definitely freaking out over the prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 UGH! I'm glad we live where I don't need to drive a lot. 5 minutes to the grocery, walk to the library. Dh, OTOH, has been working out of town. My trips out of this small town will be drastically cut down this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We spent between $275 and $400/month on gas depending on how much work DH has (onsite IT consultant) and how much traveling we do. DSS18 pays for his own gas because he drives by choice, not by necessity (He could catch the bus to school rather than drive the 18 mile round trip each day) and his job reimburses mileage. It's the price of food and household goods that are killing us, and that is driven up by gas prices as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobynN Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We spend anywhere from $1200 -$1500 a month on our 2 vehicles. We travel with my husbands job so we are on the road alot. I guess we are just use to the prices, I hadn't noticed much difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Tell me again why we're helping the Brazillians drill & refine, but we're not allowed to do it domestically???? I would also love to know the answer to this question. I truly cannot understand the decisions that are being made in Washington. Maybe I'm just an ignorant, backwoods bumpkin "clinging to my g*ns and my religion", but I did take economics, history and Constitutional Law. Decisions like the one above are baffling. We are not only endangering our economic future with these decisions, but our safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Hoo, I've totally changed where I go and where I shop because of the same thing. 76 dollars for my last filly up (granted, it's a 15 passenger van but my family is *huge*). No weekly costco runs (and it's only 20 minutes away). Shopping totally local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I am freaking out. I really do not know how people do it. Really!!! We are a one car family. My hubby has a work vehicle. Those that drive two cars....I just do not know how people are doing it. We have an SUV and it is a gas guzzler. We only drive it on the weekends. My mom is letting me drive her van during the week. (They have 3 vehicles which I do not know how they are doing it either) I pay for the gas in the van for my mom and myself. We only put what we need in the suv. We do not fill it up unless gas really drops in price drastically. I really wish we can drill on our own soil esp. the coastal area in Florida. WE are NOT allowed to do it but other countries can come in and drill on those coastal shores in Florida!! GGGGGRRRRR!!!! sigh!! I need to take a :chillpill: I really do not know how people are doing it here in the United States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Hoo, I've totally changed where I go and where I shop because of the same thing. 76 dollars for my last filly up (granted, it's a 15 passenger van but my family is *huge*). No weekly costco runs (and it's only 20 minutes away). Shopping totally local. We have too. My husband has been doing most of the shopping, as it is on his way home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Thankfully we don't drive far. We fill up twice a month, so it's costing us an extra $20-$25 a month more than we're used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I would also love to know the answer to this question. I truly cannot understand the decisions that are being made in Washington. Maybe I'm just an ignorant, backwoods bumpkin "clinging to my g*ns and my religion", but I did take economics, history and Constitutional Law. Decisions like the one above are baffling. We are not only endangering our economic future with these decisions, but our safety. No kidding!!! It is really amazing how people really do not get economics. It is so easy to understand. I am one of those backwoods bumpkin clinging to my guns and religion.....Economics was my favorite subject in school. I still study economics on my own. I am baffled at what people on the news are saying about the economy. If they would just get their heads out of their butt and start learning econ again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I'll give a different answer just to add balance. Yes I sometimes freak out over filing the gas tank. But that is because it's a new van. I don't like driving and don't drive much. I usually only have to fill up the tank once or twice a year. My dh does it the rest of the time. I have yet to put gas in our new van, and I don't' want to. I find gas stations stressful. So many cars going in different directions. Sometimes having to wait in line to fill up - but have to do so without blocking anyone else. ... But I suppose that isn't what you meant. :p I don't like to drive, and either does my dh. When he was looking for a new job a year ago we turned down any place that wouldn't let us live close to work and in a good driving free area. Whenever he saw a job posting that he liked I would first google map the area and make sure we could afford housing, and that housing would be within 3K of his work, a library, and a recreation center. Happily we were able to do this. :) (Yes, I know not everyone can). We currently live 2.5K from his office. 1/2 K from a recreation center and 1K from a library. If it wasn't for visiting my Mom (2 hours away) or my FIL (6 hours away) a tank of gas would last us over a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flobee76 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We're paying a little over $4/gal. It's ridiculous. I have a Sienna which gets good gas mileage and I the kids and I barely leave the house during the wk. But, I filled the tank up last wk when we were at 1/4 of a tank. I paid WAY too much. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 really freaking out here. It takes $80 to fill up now. I already economize trips as much as possible because we're 30 mi from town. Dh didn't get the job he was hoping he'd get, and his hours have been cut down to practically nothing. So right now he's not even making enough to put gas in the truck to be able to go to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We had to move because of gas prices, literally. DH worked one hour and 20 minutes from where we lived, a place that we really loved (not the house itself, but the area). Gas for just him was $600-700 a month, that is essentially all of our "extra" income, plus more. We asked to get out of our lease early, landlord agreed (wanted to sell house anyway). We moved last week and now live 8 minutes from DH's work. So now our gas expense will mostly be "luxury" versus necessity, ie places we choose to go, instead of have to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I definitely bike more and am more careful to find opportunities to carpool. When we bought our house, our primary criterion was that it had to be within biking distance from DH's and my work. DH bikes daily; I used to drive more because I was doing all the errands. I try to bike a few times a week. We do not drive an SUV, van or truck. We have two smaller cars that get good mileage. So, no freaking out here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We, too, are in CA and paying well over $4 a gallon. We've limited our driving as much as we can. I'm staying at home a lot more. We've gone back to walking also. The library, post office, park, and grocery are only 1.5 miles away. I wish hubby's scooter wasn't in the shop. It gets 70mpg. Right now he is having to take the car and that really stinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Whoa, $700 - $800 must mean you live out away from things and have to drive. Ouch!! We are one car short. Ds drives to school 15 miles away in opposite direction dh drives to work 17 miles. So I am without a car unless I take ds to school. Both call when they leave and pick up things for me on the way home. Wal Mart is across from ds school and Sam's club is near dh work. I also order a lot online so it comes to the door. Drugstore.com is great for toiletries etc. The health food store is over 30 miles away, so I order online at iHerb.com. Then we do errand day and go in order in one direction, and catch the rest on the way back. I also refill at 3/4 empty so its not as much $$. I think dh fills twice a month, and I refill 3-4 times a month. So I guess we are $300 - $400 a month right now, thanks for reminding me!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We only have one car, and it gets mediocre gas mileage. Luckily, my husband walks to school. But for us, even an extra $20 expense can really hurt. I've had to stop leaving the house except for once a week and even have had to turn down social invitations because we simply can't afford to go. For those on really, really small incomes like my family, this really hurts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wilhelm Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We are currently a one vehicle family...we have an old Jeep Comanche Pick-up in the garage but it needs work and at this rate it isn't going to get it. Hubby drives the van and uses $300 per month in gas to get to and from work. We don't do much else.... groceries and that's about it. When the weather breaks here the kids and I are going to get out (we have serious cabin fever) and start walking. I could stand to lose a ton of weight and this is my exercise plan. :D Everything in town is within a 1 mile walk one way.... so doing this walk for one or two times a week should help me get in shape......... or kill me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abreakfromlife Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Yup, and we're taking a road trip vacation to DC/Virginia in 2 weeks :blink: So....that's not going to be fun for the budget. We might cut it a couple of days short and cancel a campground stay to give us a little more gas money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 DH and I both drive Honda Civics, but he drives 100 miles per day to and from work. We were budgeting $220/month for gas for both cars, but now that's just his portion for the work week; the budget is now around $300/month. We would move closer, but we'd end up in another state (with double the property taxes and way higher priced everything) and an hour away from family. Between the gas prices and the ridiculous toddler behavior, he runs all the errands he can on the way home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 And it's predicted to only get worse. I saw a headline of $5/gal by Memorial Day (6 weeks!!!) Not only does that affect driving, but EVERYTHING is shipped plus has plastic (or other petrol products) in it. Tell me again why we're helping the Brazillians drill & refine, but we're not allowed to do it domestically???? GRRRrrrrrrrr....... nothing makes sense these days.... We are feeling it, I am starting to limit trips and definitely making planned runs instead of here, there, then back the other way... This is a good lesson for ds. We make him calculate the fuel necessary to get back and forth to his CC classes, calculate the fuel cost and fund him accordingly. Gas to go to work and play comes from his own earnings. Once in a blue moon I have him drive me up to the Quik Trip for a coke and a mercy fill, but overall it has been a terrific exercise in hard work and budgeting for him. I feel really bad for those of you who live way out from things, to the point that you are having to restrict regular activities.:grouphug: I feel bad for all of us, though, because I feel pretty sure that grocery budgets across the boards are taking big hits. We sure are eating a lot more pasta and tuna these days, and even (never thought I'd see this) cutting back on coffee (that's not even SB's, but brewed-at-home). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 The added cost has definitely made me think twice about going anywhere extra. I am attempting to combine as many errands, classes, & appointments as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Not freaking out, but feeling very, very p*ssed off. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 dh has quit driving his awesome manly truck to work and now drives my banged up old (but fairly fuel efficient) Ford Taurus. This turn of events happened the day he filled the truck with diesel for over $100. An equal number of miles in the Taurus costs $45-50. I'm still stuck with the mini-van (which is even less cool than the Taurus) but I only leave the house twice a week. (gas has run between 3.50-3.75 typically here in the past month) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 *raises hand here* And I just read this morning in the news how inflation was under control and it was "only food and gas" that go up. Yeah...because those things aren't necessities! :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 honestly I am not freaking out too much just yet. Gas is down 10 cents at our local speedway and we have a saver card and get an extra 3 cents off per gallon. We will get gas at Kroger with our saver card we get between 50-80 cents off per gallon (that means we spent 500-800$ of food though) We are a one car family we do all our errands on Fridays (library, post office etc.) We have a local convenience store we can walk to to get milk and such. Dh does work out of town 5 days a week and drives about 60miles round trip but its all high way and we get about 28 miles per gallon so it hasn't been to terrible. I don't like driving (especially because we are new to the state and my gps signal is weak here for some reason) so its easy to limit trips. We also have a nice park at the end of our street an my kids are content with going their a few days a week and don't want to go all kinds of places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We have an old 1988 Dodge Omni that we are hoping to retire this year. DH bikes to work most of the year. I have a bike........town is three miles away. We have a bike trailer to haul the kids in, and dd7 is ready to get real bike of her own so that means that I can haul two kids in the trailer and have her follow me. Ugh. I am not exactly enthusiastic about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 In southern California, we are paying about $4.27. When I am nearby, I stop at Costco which can be 15-20 cents less than other stations. BUT since it will only save me about $2.25 on a fill-up, I don't drive out of my way to fill up at Costco, nor am I willing to wait in a long line - last time I decided to give up on Costco, I'd have been lined up outside the gas area, waiting to get in and be the 7th car in any of the lines! Lines have gotten crazy there since the first of the year. Yup! I've noticed the same thing at Costco. I do fill up there most of the time because I shop there often and there is one near our home, but the waiting time has definitely gone up in line with prices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayson Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 this thread makes me feel better. There are no kids in our neighborhood for ours to play with. so it's a 25 mile drive for playdates. plus music lessons, gym days, co-op, etc etc. basically 20 miles each way every time we leave the house. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldskool Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Yes, I worry about the gas prices a lot. We have drastically cut back on our driving and don't go to nearly as many activities. No more traveling either. Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I'll give a different answer just to add balance. Yes I sometimes freak out over filing the gas tank. But that is because it's a new van. I don't like driving and don't drive much. I usually only have to fill up the tank once or twice a year. My dh does it the rest of the time. I have yet to put gas in our new van, and I don't' want to. I find gas stations stressful. So many cars going in different directions. Sometimes having to wait in line to fill up - but have to do so without blocking anyone else. ... But I suppose that isn't what you meant. :p I don't like to drive, and either does my dh. When he was looking for a new job a year ago we turned down any place that wouldn't let us live close to work and in a good driving free area. Whenever he saw a job posting that he liked I would first google map the area and make sure we could afford housing, and that housing would be within 3K of his work, a library, and a recreation center. Happily we were able to do this. :) (Yes, I know not everyone can). We currently live 2.5K from his office. 1/2 K from a recreation center and 1K from a library. If it wasn't for visiting my Mom (2 hours away) or my FIL (6 hours away) a tank of gas would last us over a month. It is obviously wise to think of location relative to your needs but even if you have given location a high priority it will be hard not to be feeling the price increase these days. We are close to pretty much anything we need on a weekly basis -the longest weekly trip is less than 10 miles away, a couple of places are around 5 miles away but most are within 2 miles of home-, we drive two small cars, and still we are feeling the pinch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Yes, it is getting much more difficult with the gas prices being so high...We only have one car and I REALLY wanted to get a car for myself this year, but now we can't afford it...We are spending $400 a month at a minimum on gas, and I can't go anywhere because my husband takes the car to work...He works 45mins away from home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 The current administration isn't against domestic drilling. Some GOP members have been telling untruths in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I'd be freaking out if I had to spend the amount some people here have to spend. Holy cow! :iagree: We gave up space to live close to my husband's work, plus he drives a (2000) Honda Insight which gets something like 50 mpg. He uses virtually no gas. I think we spend about $120 a month now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 $3.91 a gallon yesterday at Costco, 42 gallon tank, 12 mpg older Suburban...we stay home a lot these days. With prices so high (on everything these days), and jobs so scarce (my husband is working 3 days/week), it is hard to save money to buy a less gas guzzling car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Not happy here either. It's hitting us very, very hard. We definitely have curtailed our driving, and if the high prices continue, we may have to drop the few outside activities we do, simply because the gas costs to get to them are not affordable. It's going to be heartbreaking if I have to tell my kids that they're going to be at home all day every single day, or else we won't be able to afford for DH to get to work. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Filled up at $4.08 a gallon today :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I should of added too I guess the price to fill up isn't shocking me so much because we had a 92 conversion van and now we have a more fuel efficient minivan so we are spending less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks in Ontario Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Actually, I sneak over to the States to buy gas. I think it's quite a bargain at about $3.50/gallon. Here in Ontario we're paying about $4.83. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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