Gas Prices - Making me be frugal in other ways

**Mojjo** · 04-23-2006, 09:51 AM

Wow...I was glad to see I wasn't the only one struggling with the gas prices. Not that I want others to struggle but sometimes I feel like I'm doing something wrong when mybudget doesn't work.

Anywho...DH and I were talking and we have decided two things: (1) we are REALLY going to stock up on loss leaders and (2) we'll be meal planning around the pantry more. This should allow us to cut our grocery budget and not get too gauged by increasing grocery prices. And last time gas went up the groceries skyrocketed in our neighborhood.

We'll also be staying home more on the weekends, going to the park (which we can walk to) more and I'm probably going to up Netflix to 2 movies a month.

Any other suggestions?

**nodmicks** · 04-23-2006, 09:56 AM

Sounds like a good plan! We were 2.95 yesterday for gas .We both have a 30 mile drive 2 get to work. I'm seriously thinking about giving up my 1 day volunteering because of the 30 mile 1 way drive to keep driving just to my work days.

**rebecca** · 04-23-2006, 10:10 AM

Luckily I have only 3 1/2 miles to go to work. Also, before I come home I stop on the way home to buy anything I need. If I forget it oh well. Once, I'm home I usually stay home. Have done a little more walking than taking the car.

**slowtypinwoman** · 04-23-2006, 11:14 AM

We all ride to school together. If Mike or Alex have some activity after school we wait. We have 7 & 1/2 miles to drive so every little bit counts. We make one trip to the "city" (town of 16,000 and has a Wal Mart) a week or less if we can get away with it. I will probly not be doing much garage saling this year.

**momof42003** · 04-23-2006, 02:45 PM

If I need something small and it is only one item, I usually just send my dd to the corner market on her bike. The other day I needed one item from the grocery store, and found out the neighbor was already going, so I asked if she could get the item, and she did without hesitation. I would do the same for anyone else.

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 04-23-2006, 03:03 PM

our current gas price is $2.99 & its killing us. i have a ford expedition & its costing us about $90.00 a week to fill up. my dh has a small toyota corolla & he can put $20 in his tank & it will last 2 weeks. these gas prices are making us fall behind on our bills..........and it sucks!!!!! we just bought this truck a few mths ago, so we are stuck with the the payments & the expensive gas prices.........what ever happended to the $1.00 gallon gas???? lol!!!

**littlemotherhaywood** · 04-23-2006, 03:09 PM

The gas prices are really hurting right now since we're down to one vehicle. We decided not to do dd's girl scout camping trip this week because it would have been 180 miles total in driving and we barely get 300 to a tank that's costing us $40 to fill. I do have a grocery store (that I despise) that I could walk to. I think it's time to start considering stuff like that. Rumors are going around that it will be $5 a gallon by summer. That'll plant my butt at home for sure. Even a part-time job wouldn't be worth the drive by then.

**PrairieRose** · 04-23-2006, 03:28 PM

I'm making fewer and fewer trips into the city and even our next town over. We have a small, high priced gro. store in our town and I think now it would save us money to buy our groceries there for the most part. We can't get good produce there though

Anyway, I'm trying to be very careful about every mile I drive in my car. I combine all my errands, buy gas when I see it cheaper, even if I'm not empty, keep my tires properly inflated, my oil changed on time to improve my gas mileage. It's just awful and I feel terrible for farmers and truckers.

**frugalnana** · 04-23-2006, 04:12 PM

I know that I am making less trips out. If I need something small like milk or bread I ask dh or son to pick it up since they are out during the week for work or school. Firday I got lucky, I had a doctors appointment but had to go to a town 30 miles away since we have no specialist here under our plan. My parents took me since they know the area and when done we went to the grocery store and I got all kinds of loss leaders. So my shopping was done for awhile. If I go out I ask my parents if they need something, but I plan my trip, store, bank, post office etc.
I have a Durango( its a 518 engine) but still $50 to fill it up is to exspensive for me. We are thinking about getting rid of it. More intertainment at home also.

**chatterweb** · 04-23-2006, 07:16 PM

I am trying to convince DH to take public tranist at least 3 times per week...
We both ride free, and the whole commute time is 40 minutes each way!

**frugalchick** · 04-23-2006, 09:18 PM

I too have been staying at home as much as I can........and found out yesterday that I have an interview for a ft job at a retail store on Tuesday....I drive a Tahoe, that's paid for, and it's fairly good on gas. If I get the job, I will have to factor in the cost of gas and travel. Gas DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS EXPENSIVE....someone explain to me why it is? * butting head against the wall here... *

**staceyy** · 08-26-2006, 11:26 AM

Dh is a long distance truck driver and is only home for a few days a month. Our grocery store (Giant Eagle) gives us ten cents off for every $50 we spend at their store, so whenever we do buy gas the bill isn't that high. I don't drive. Still, the higher gas prices can be felt in other areas such as food and utilities and we are taking steps to lower those bills. I'm about to learn gardening and have plans to plant all of my vegetables and fruits (berries and fruit trees). Of course its going to take a bit of time to grow, but this should help me in the future. I have a friend who is a master gardener and has agreed to help me. He is single and grows two very large vegetable gardens plus fruit trees for the love of it. He admits he has large surpluses that he gives away to friends and the food bank. He's willing to share with me until my garden starts to produce. I'll provide him with baked goods in exchange.

**frugalnana** · 08-26-2006, 04:41 PM

I saw this thread up again and I don't know about everyone elses gas prices but ours here has dropped to $2.44 a gallon. The gas stations are full all over town. Everyone expects it to go back up for labor day. Filled all the cars and the gas containers.

**carolyns** · 08-26-2006, 06:04 PM

the grocery prices are rising because of the neccesity of "trucking" the groceries in on trucks, it is costing more to fuel those trucks as well. Those darn gas prices really affect everything else as well.

**Shellshome** · 08-26-2006, 06:31 PM

I got gas yesterday for $2.51 were I went to shop for groceries at.

We are staying home more (we hardly go out anymore), we eat at home every night but maybe 1 or 2 a month. I combine all errands into one day if I can.

Dh and I used to live about 1 hour away for him to drive (That is one way) so we moved closer now he is a little over 5 minutes away. So a tank of gas in his truck last about 2-3 weeks and in my explorer as long as I don't go anywhere it last about 1-2 weeks.

We don't do our grocery shopping in this town because the store just doesn't have what other stores do. And they don't double coupons and with there prices they should. So we plan accordingly and go from there.

I think the price of gas hurts a lot of people but I also notice a lot of people still driving a lot. But to me I just can't stand spending $40 or more to fill up my tank to just do things that I don't need to do.

So I am staying home and enjoying things around here and reading, playing on the computer and watching some of my fav shows on tv.