Possible gas price increase

**darkchocolate** · 07-20-2008, 03:50 PM

On the news this morning they are discussing a possible gas and diesel price increase because they might increase the gas tax.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,386643,00.html

I am just getting over being depressed on seeing what we spent last month. We charge all our gas and pay the bill the following month. I could keep a running total, but I don't. We used to keep receipts but one of us would always lose one or sometimes the machine has been out of paper. I have been keeping track almost the past 18-24 months of what gas cost us a month. I sure was hoping that gas prices would start dropping with the cost per barrel dropping this past week.

I have a question for you villagers. I know most of us budget our money. Do you charge like I do, then get surprised when the bill comes or prefer something like the envelope system so you know basically what you are spending a month? I have always paid whatever I charged the previous month, so I don't feel like I abuse a credit card or basically use it too freely. I do feel like I might be much more careful or say no to going certain places if I was using cash when I buy gas.

I look forward to hearing from you. We spent about $575 for June and is scares me to think of the months ahead. We stay home a lot more than we used to. The cost increase is just really catching up. I am paying basically $1.50 more per gallon than I was last summer and that really eats at our budget.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 07-20-2008, 06:59 PM

We live in an area of Canada where the oil is manufactured and refined (the Oilsands are in northern Alberta and there are refineries in northern and central Alberta) and we've been paying alot more than people in the US have been for a long time now. It's not really a shock to people when it goes up here. I know people are paying upwards over 5 dollars a gallon for gas and it's been that way for a couple years now. The last time DH got gas, he put about 90 dollars in the tank and that was from 1/4 full. That lasted us about 700km of driving. DH says he puts in about 200 a month for gas and drives to work, plus picks me up from the store when I go grocery shopping every week. I started going every two weeks now to cut on gas and to help with our budget.

I budget in about 100 every two weeks in our budget for gas and it seems to work out fine that way. I also budget in anything else that DH spends his cash on at the gas station, which would be smokes. He spends about 20 dollars every two days or so on smokes.

People have turned to city transit here to help with the gas crunch, as little of a crunch as it has been. They're also pretty environmentally friendly here, so if the train will take them to work for less than they'd be spending on gas, they'll do that.

**EmilyD** · 07-20-2008, 08:04 PM

We have 2 cars. I allow $40.00 every two weeks for each car. Cash, no charge. dh drives to work and back, only. My car is for everything else. When the gas is gone, the car is parked.

I have added $20.00 per car per month after YEARS of driving on $20.00 ... if it raises anymore, the cars will have to be parked.

We have no city transit here, a few cabs but they are expensive .. no buses etc.

**frugalfriend** · 07-20-2008, 08:11 PM

We use a debit card for our gas and lately I have been tracking it more carefully, due to price increases and recently starting a budget again (finally!) Dun and Bradstreet did a study that found that when credit cards are used, people spend 12% more than when they pay with cash.

**suebeehoney** · 07-20-2008, 08:14 PM

I don't fill my van up anymore, simply because it costs too much. I put in what I need when I need it, but never get to the point of running out of gas. I only live 9 miles from work, but 20 miles from the nearest city with more than one grocery store or gas station, or any sort of major chain store. (Kind of tells you that I live in the sticks!) The county public transit visits our small town twice a day - once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and the number of stops they make coming and going make what should be a 20 minute trip last more than an hour to two hours at times. Not a great option for us.

Our prices just dropped from $4.25 to $4.15 and then to $4.05 the next day.

**darkchocolate** · 07-21-2008, 07:57 AM

We have no public transportation so that isn't an option for us. My husband drives 84 miles in one day and I have to drive 24 miles (both round trip) to work. I had thought about buying a new to me vehicle this fall, but decided not to with the economony the way it is. I get about 20 miles to the gallon with my van. My husband gets about 32 miles to the gallon with the car.

The pediatrician is about 45 miles away as are most things. That wasn't so bad when gas was $1.50 a gallon. I thought $2.68 was high but I would love to see that again. We haven't been seeing any decrease in gas prices yet, as some of you have.

**DonnainME** · 07-21-2008, 10:33 AM

Gas around here (Western Maine) is about $4.12 per gallon or so. It's really hurting us. I would LOVE to see gas under $4 again.

4 times a year I have to travel about 400 miles (round trip) to the airport to either pick up or drop off kids to go or come from their dads. It is getting really expensive. We have to do this again on August 5th when my oldest daughter is coming back home from her dads (spends a month there - younger 2 were here for a month earlier). I only get $200 a month child support and we have to be very careful with spending any $.

I did hear on the news that they are looking for oil off the coast of FL - it had been previously voted down to do that but with gas so high, they reconsidered.

**JanieD** · 07-21-2008, 03:53 PM

We use cash here. I'm getting by on less than 30 gallons a month for work, plus a few errands when I'm already out. Spending almost $100 a month just for my car. To "find" more money for gas, I'm cutting back on the extra things I like (haircuts, small fun purchases, day trips & such). DH spent $60 to fill up our truck over the weekend. This should last 3 weeks since we drive it very little. Guessing he fills up his car maybe every 2 weeks at $30-35 a fill up. Looks like we spend $250 or so a month if we're careful (plus we work close to home, which really helps).