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Posted: 3/17/2005 2:42:54 PM EDT
count me as one of those people that think it would probably take gas at 5.00+ a gallon for an extended period berfore americans made any serious changes to their driving habits. sure, thell be lots of complaining and analyzing and blaming of everyone, but your average dodge ram driver is not suddenly going to downsize to a ford focus. and i sus pect the ricer crowd will still be in full force too. after all, its even more of a show when youve got money to burn.

so..gasprices rise. you just sucj it up since there isnt too much you can do. and to make ends meet, what do you stop buying or spnding for?

reducing eating out/alcohol/entertainment would probably be adequate for me. but then again i only drive 200-300 miles a month. i can only wonder what those of you that drive significantly more would do. is there a lot of fat or meaningless crap youd cut out to keep driving?
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:46:00 PM EDT
[#1]
its killing me and really cutting in my beer money.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:46:06 PM EDT
[#2]
Pass the cost along to my customers is #1.

I look at it like this: They get us used to paying X amount for gas for a while, then the drop the price and we all feel like gas is cheap again. Then they raise it some more, then do the same thing.

I do not believe anything that comes out of any Arabs mouth, the news or our own gov. about why gas goes up or why they are slowing production.

It is all BS.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:46:55 PM EDT
[#3]
I wouldn't change anything. I would just drive the car more.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:47:24 PM EDT
[#4]
My Suburban with it's 454 is going to become much less of a tourist!  

I'm already reconsidering plans for a 2,500 mile spring trip... not good at all...  
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:48:55 PM EDT
[#5]
MrGH and I already discussed this, he will park the Tahoe and ride the Harley.
I never go anywhere anyway, so I can't cut down.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:50:04 PM EDT
[#6]
I don't think it would affect me much.  I ride a bike and a motorcycle as much as possible for errands close by, and I don't commute very far.  I hate commuting.  I don't like the idea of spending 2-3 hours every single day on the road.  My time's worth more to me than that.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:50:57 PM EDT
[#7]
Ha, I would prolly buy a forgien car with huge gas millage and put a USMC sticker on it and a UAW sticker on it as well.

Link Posted: 3/17/2005 2:55:59 PM EDT
[#8]
I'm pumping up the air in my bike tires while posting at this moment.

Only time will tell whether Americans are slaves to their cars and can't cut back.  I suspect it will ruin some but it's a market force and whatever we choose not to buy China and some others will because they need it for their types of industries maybe worse than we do.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:06:49 PM EDT
[#9]

how will your spending patterns change if gas prices skyrocket?


Ill be paying more for gas at the pump...and thats about the only thing that will change.
Besides what would be better than driving down the road while 50% of people are not driving
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:07:58 PM EDT
[#10]
The debate over fuel prices really shows how dumb many Americans are...

For some reason, people tend to get rattled when it hits a 'record high'.  Since deflation is VERY bad, a little inflation is the best thing for the economy.  Thus, everything climbs slowly higher, and sets a new record every so often.  Very little retreats back.  The view that fuel prices should be at $X +/- .YY cents, is little more than a wish for price controls of commodities.

Nobody bashes Ford for selling a stinking pickup truck for $45,000 retail using a 7 year loan as a vehicle, but if Exxon raises their wholesale price by 10 cents a gallon, we're ready to kick capitalisim to the curb in lieu of European style oversight of private business.

It sucks, but EVERYTHING gets more expensive, sometimes becuase of strict inflation, sometimes because of the corporations desire to increase profits.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:10:51 PM EDT
[#11]
I was going to say before I clicked on this thread I might cut back at 5 bucks a gallon.

I drive because I MUST.  I have little non-essential driving.  To and from work, that is it.

I like going out for a coffee on weekdays when I am home, and warm sunny days were meant for the range.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:21:48 PM EDT
[#12]
It is cutting into my beer money already.

If it hits that high I will just have to start cutting back on food, but I am already skinny as it is...
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:29:30 PM EDT
[#13]
Paid $39 to fill my tank last night.

I'll get about 240 miles from it.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:32:39 PM EDT
[#14]
spending more money on ammo.

As gas prices get higher, you're gonna start to see an increase of gas thefts. both drive offs and tank syphoning.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:35:37 PM EDT
[#15]
We already bought a Subaru.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:41:06 PM EDT
[#16]
I am a cheapskate so I will decrease my discretionary driving and we will be driving my wife's Honda more than my pickup.

I can afford the gas but I feel like I am being taken advantage of. BTW, I have made tons of money of oil stocks last year so I am well ahead.
[
And thanks to all you guys who keep on insisting on driving your big trucks!
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 3:45:09 PM EDT
[#17]
Not much.

Could make me put my tail between my legs and get some little fuel efficient car.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:42:12 PM EDT
[#18]
I guess I will have to pay the price. What 'cha gonna do?

AB
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:44:07 PM EDT
[#19]
I'm already driving less.  Wife and I will be taking fewer trips out as well.

Thank goodness I only drive 4 miles a day back and forth to work.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:45:08 PM EDT
[#20]
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:47:59 PM EDT
[#21]
I would have to probably keep it under 100 most of the time if gas got that expenseive.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:48:34 PM EDT
[#22]
You guys (and ladies) all understand that the price hikes are horseshit, right? Late last summer, the analysts were all saying that the gas companies were going to try to get us "used" to $3-a-gallon gas this summer. It's pure profiteering, just like it's always been. Boy, payback on these guys is going to be sweet when it happens--
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:52:29 PM EDT
[#23]

Quoted:
Ha, I would prolly buy a forgien car with huge gas millage and put a USMC sticker on it and a UAW sticker on it as well.




Don't you need a Kerry sticker to go with the UAW one?
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:52:53 PM EDT
[#24]
Won't affect me much - I have a company vehicle!!  My personal car gets less than 4k miles a year put on it.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 4:58:59 PM EDT
[#25]
No effect. The rise in my XOM share prices has more than offset the increase in gas prices for me over the past three months and for the foreseeable future.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 5:00:45 PM EDT
[#26]

Quoted:

how will your spending patterns change if gas prices skyrocket?


Ill be paying more for gas at the pump...and thats about the only thing that will change.
Besides what would be better than driving down the road while 50% of people are not driving





No, I have a Dennis Kucinich for president sticker.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 5:07:01 PM EDT
[#27]
I already quit one job and took another closer to my house, I was spending $300+ a month just for the commute to work, damn I'm thinking of buying a motorcycle to still save some money on gas, it goes any higher and I'll have to stop shooting, drinking and eating in restraunts.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 5:36:56 PM EDT
[#28]
iam one of those dodge ram drivers..with the hemi   only go back and forth to work  here's want the united states people should do...  everyone picks 1 day a week  we all stay home from work  nothin moves at all....lets see then how fast the price of gas would drop
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 6:07:43 PM EDT
[#29]
Raise charges for pick-up and deliveries again to cover the additional overhead and at that point I believe we could switch the box truck (300 cui strait six) over to propane economically and we already have the holding tank.  

OPEC won't let prices get that high anyway as they have a vested intrest in keeping prices resonable for the USA.  Europe pays so much per liter because of very high taxes.  Do not get me wrong, OPEC countries are certainly not our friends for the most part but the last thing they want is their biggest consumer switching to an alternative fuel like natural gas or whale oil.  

p.s.  We must drill ourselves and build more refineries, it's real expensive to ship gas as compared to crude.    
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 6:21:23 PM EDT
[#30]
I already saw the writing on the wall last year, I sold my F-250 7.5l last August. I was getting like 8-mpg and driving 40-50mi.  to and from work. Sold it for a Nissan Sentra now I get like 32MPG. Although if I need to buy something large I have to rent a truck.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 6:38:11 PM EDT
[#31]
Since I live in a relativly small town, and my work commute is only 6 miles, gas cost changes for my daily work commute are almost meaningless.

OK - I will admit I do leave my F-150 in the garage and drive my motorcycle more often but I enjoy that anyway here in AZ.

For me, it does make a difference when I fly my airplane.  
AV gas here is now at $3.40/gal, my little plane typically burns eight gallons an hour at 170/MPH.
I WILL be cutting back on how much sport flying I do!
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 6:40:55 PM EDT
[#32]
I'm looking into a bike tomorrow after work.  I'm also tempted to start carrying a length of garden hose around to feed my old '67 F250.  
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 7:01:05 PM EDT
[#33]


Not worried about it. Just another speedbump in life.
Link Posted: 3/17/2005 8:22:28 PM EDT
[#34]
I’ll try to find another diesel.
I had one before.  Excluding the fact they were hard to start during winter time, they made great mileage.
I kept track: I averaged in the low to mid 40’s miles per gallon.
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