$4-a-gallon gas forecast in some areas

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That just flat out blows. Diesel around here is already $4.19.

It doesn't matter if I change my driving habits or not. Where it hits my wallet is when I go to the store. Milk, diapers, etc have all gone up exponentially. It's just f-in ridiculous.

Sorry. There's my rant for the day.
 
Originally Posted By: SevenBizzos
People will stop buying everything else before they cut down on fuel consumption.


Buying everything else -IS- fuel consumption.

That's the point cosynthetics was making.

Energy, transportation, petroleum feedstocks, etc are a big share of prices.
 
$4.103 here right now, in US units. Diesel is 5% more.

Energy cost is the cost of everything. Without external energy, the economy in western nations will shrink to 1/100th of what it is now. Try running a factory on manual labor. Get a bunch of guys on exercise bikes, with lots of grid-tie inverters. :)
 
The interesting thing to me is that a lot of people think oil prices right now are being affected mainly by speculation, and that supply is adequate. In other words, that we are in an oil bubble. There are those who say that type of speculation could drive it up another 50% or so. Some say it could crash and we could see $30/barrel again in the near future.

We are lucky here right now to have almost the cheapest gas in the US. 2.95 or so. Often we are above average.

But it will probably go up before it goes down.
 
I bought a car w/good mileage. I take it easy, hypermile when I can, but still keep a decent pace. I avoid excess trips. Where we live, you have to do everything in a circut anyway. There is no running home inbetween trips. Go out, make a loop and come home...stay home. STill, I pay a mint for gas. My lifestyle demands I be in different places at different times. Ultimately, I'd like to not run a round so much, but now I just pay the price and not get "upset". We are trying to trim down stupid expenses like cell, TV and insurance payment. It's not that bad. America is a big country and people need to travel far. Mind you,. I see the SUVs lined up at the school bus stop to shuttle the kids home --- forbid they have to walk. There is a lot of excess, as long as I am not near the top of consumption, I don't feel guilty.
I rember last year lining up on the hwy ramp...I was behind a GIANT motorhome, motorcycles strapped to the rear, towing a decent sized SUV. YES, THAT is what is wrong with America! Some people are not happy w/o some motorized device roaring away. How do me any my wife manage to do all our yard work w/o tons of powered equipment???? It boggles the mind.
 
Talking heads on the news were interviewing men-on-the-street.

Lots of people seriously thinking about getting a 4 cyl.

For now, still seems to be in the phase of "other people need to take the bus". :D

With untaxed heating oil eclipsing regular unleaded in price, something has to give shortly. I'm waiting for inventory reports to come out reflecting how much less heating oil was used this winter, as it was expensive all season. I bet it's substantial.
 
Originally Posted By: mikered30
Anyone think that $4 a gallon will get people to change the way they drive?

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-03-11-oil-tuesday_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip


7 years ago it was forcasted that $2 a gallon would affect the way we drive. 4-5 years ago is was forcasted that $3 a gallon would affect they way we drive.
Consumption is up, apparently it did affect the way we drive, the wrong way. Until we run out it will not really have an affect like it did during the 70's. I still see more SUVs then compact cars.
 
2 years ago when gas was close to $3.00 a gallon in the mid atlantic region.I could tell gas prices affected family vactions.Every time no matter what day during the week coming home from Va. beach in the summer.I usually run into stop and go traffic on I 64 west .The year the gas prices spiked in 06 it was smooth sailing all the way to Richmond Va.Most likely it will occur this year.
 
I agree audi junkie there is a lot of waste in our counrty.I try to do my part to conserve.when I bought my camry I bought the I4 instead of the v6.I cut down on alot of short trips.I live close to a high school,there are about 5 or 6 kids driving old 80's and 90's 4X4 full size pick ups .When leave they school they have the hammer down.I bet mommy and daddy will be putting JR. on the bus soon when the gas hits $4.00 a gallon.If the kids are putting there own gas in,I bet it takes a big chunk out of their burger flipping pay checks for an $80.00 fill up.
 
$4 a gallon will take awhile except for California. everything is more expensive there. I just paid $3.12 for BP regular gas with a big fat sticker on the pump that says "fuel contains ethanol" So that's another gas station that has ethanol in it, BP, walmart gas, and Mapco gas
 
Gas prices around here have always been higher than other places. Right now average is about $3.70 for regular, premium and diesel getting very close to the $4.00 mark. When I started driving gas was about $1.50 or so for regular. At that time I still had in mind to conserve. Even if gas was $0.99/gallon (I know its not going to be) I would still conserve it. I take the bus to school and drive on the weekends when I want to go somewhere. Over here its easy to get around by public transit. If I'm going around the neighborhood like the post office I ride my bike there. If you are going to Costco then you need to take the car of course.
 
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I fill up every other week. This time it was $30.00 last time it was $27.00. We've got to reduce our demand. I've been driving four bangers since the '70s, keeping track of every MPG.
Full size trucks and SUV's to drive back and forth to work in is going to have to change.
 
The secret technology that will give us small cars for the masses with an efficient engine of some kind or another is called five dollar a gallon gasoline. People will suddenly be conscious of the environment and become citizens of the new world willing to drive a Civic instead of an Accord V6 and will find ways to get their family into a Fit instead of an Odyssey. SUV fans will suddenly discover that an Escape is a far better vehicle than an Explorer. Others will discover that the battery in a Prius won't explode and will find that this bug of a 4-door hatch does have a lot of room in it and their math to find the pay-off day will suddenly improve.
 
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