[sinopa27]

what will you be doing now to prepare for the increase of gasoline prices?
When gasoline went up to $5 a gallon in my area, I wasn't prepared. Gasoline kept going and going until it was out of control. So, I understand that crude oil is going up. I want to be prepared this time and budget accordingly. I live in a rural area. No public transportation available. I know I won't be making extra trips and making sure the car is maintaned. I could use more advice though.
Any suggestions?

 

[ml2620]

Stock up on non perishables to cut down on trips to town.

Get to know your neighbors and consider carpooling to town to do errands, or start an agreement to let each other know when you are running errands so you can pick up items for each other.

If it isn't too cold, make sure your bike is tuned and ready to go.

 

[Jamielane]

My husband and I were just talking about this yesterday. I know the that they are predicting 4.00 a gallon by Memorial Day and 5.00 by 2012. We are buying a new (to us) car in a few months and we are taking gas mileage into huge consideration and my errands will indeed be cut to a minimum and combined together. I do this as much as possible now but it will be even more hardcore now. I am also thinking of all the things that are made with petroleum that we use everyday and I will ramp up the stockpile on these items and try to think of alternatives to them as well. The one I can't really get around though is garbage bags. They already cost a small fortune and the cost will go up along with gasoline is my guess . I wish there was a safe way to stockpile gasoline but there isnt a realistic safe way in the middle of the suburbs or anywhere else that I can see, My dh will keep the gas cans full though for the mower, snowblower and emergency situations with the cars. I am anxious to see if anyone can add some good ideas to this thread as well. We already carpool with the school trips and dh has no one even close to us to carpool to work with so that isnt an option. School and work are waaaaaaay to far away to ride a bike to and my oldest has a serious heart condition that would not allow that anyways so bikes are out. = ( Looking forward to hearing everyone's ideas.

 

[khaski]

One suggestion I have is to purchase your home heating oil ahead of time, 'pre buy'. Here in NH many companies offer it, we've done it every year for a while now. Generally it works like this: 500 gallon minimum, you can pay extra for 'downside protection' if it goes down (.20 + per gallon, we always skip it, seems like a waste). With this extra fee if the price of oil at the time of your fill is lower than what you pre-bought at they match it....we never bought this 'downside protection' seems like a waste to us, for the extra per gallon you have to pay for this service. 'Pre-buy' generally happens in June/July, though one company did it last Feb here! In the 6 or so years we've 'pre-bought', or pre-paid and locked in our price, only one year have prices been lower in the winter than what we paid....in general, it works out well, but it IS a gamble- you are betting on prices going up or at least staying the same. It can be a lot of cash to come up with all at once- we pay for it out of our tax return every year. We are very pleased with it- each winter, while many of our friends are bemoaning they just got the oil tank filled, where are they going to come up with the $600 to pay for it?, we sit back knowing our whole season is paid, and almost always at a lower price than the going market rate.

Not for everyone, but if you heat your home with oil, consider 'pre-buying' to lock in lower rates (you hope) if you can afford it.

The one year we botched it and prices dropped considerably is the year gas prices were sooo high that summer....we figured we HAD to lock in, we couldn't afford home heating oil getting even MORE expensive...but it dropped, a LOT by that winter. Put it in with the other 5 or so years we SAVED $, I think in general, we've still ended up saving $ in the long run, and certainly have enjoyed the peace of mind knowing oil for the winter is all set.

 

[happymomof4]

Make sure your vehicles are working properly. Vehicles that need turn ups and such use more gas.

 

[brennasmom]

Have noticed them climbing here already.... just stocking up and multiplying trips as much as we can.

 

[Ali Lee]

Gas here 3.13 to 3.19. Went out this morning & noticed a popular gas station has closed... I just try to have a list of all the places I need to go, & my list ready & checking it twice before I leave the store. I can't believe how many x's I left a store & not getting an item on my list! Good Luck to all of us...

 

[brenda67]

I'm already scared of the gas prices now..I can't even imagine paying $5.00 a gallon..All I see is major crime beyond our imagination happeing all around us..Our vehicles are paid for however they both are gas hogs.. We can't afford to buy used or better fuel efficent cars anytime soon....I know one thing and not many will agree with my answer here..but if we endup spending over $500.00 a month on gas just to get back & forth to work alone I WILL file bankrucy sp?..my husband doesn't want to even hear that word..however when it comes down to paying our cc dept verses food & shelter because of so much money going towards gas I will do what I have to do!

 

[Russ]

You can go here, enter your zip code and find the cheapest place in your area.

GasBuddy.com - Find Low Gas Prices in the USA and Canada

Or here http://www.gaspricewatch.com/new/default_V3.asp

 

[Luv2BeFrugal]

Gas hasn't gone below $3/gal here for years...it's about $3.40/gal now and has been for a few months. Public transportation here is a joke...but then, who wants to stand outside waiting for a bus when it's -20*, anyway? Not to mention the sidewalks aren't usually plowed so you end up walking in the streets (yes, very dangerous). We'll just have to increase our gas budget and reduce other things when the time comes. We already consolidate our trips.

 

[mimijolene]

Thank you for the heads up! I have noticed gas creeping up here, but not nearly that high. I will have to start decerning more before running around.

 

[JanieD]

I had a friend tell me gas prices would be $4 a gallon by Spring. This was before Christmas & I was surprised as I hadn't heard anything about gas prices. Since then there's talk of $5 by 2012. Gas is up around .25 per gallon here over the last month.

My plan is to "stockpile" more grocery & household items as they go on sale. I should be doing this anyway. I'll be avoiding the stores & an extra trips to save gas. Can't imagine I'll buy much of anything if gas hits $4 except necessities.

 

[mauimagic]

Our gas prices are $3.97/gal and will be over $4 by the end of the week. We are very concious of any and all driving that we do. While we used to drive to the other side (60 min each way) almost weekly - we now go once a month, making sure to schedule dr. appointments, etc together to save money.

 

[brennasmom]

Have noticed them climbing here already.... just stocking up and multiplying trips as much as we can.

I meant combining trips. It's Monday...

We are at $3.21 today for regular. I really hope it doesn't climb any higher.

 

[imagine]

I just looked through our gas log book where we keep track of gallons filled, what the odometer reads, and how much gas is.

When we fist got our vehicle is 2001 it was 96 cents a gallon ( lowest in our book)

The highest was in 2008 $3.89. Not 2010 or any of the years in a between. 2010 was getting close to the 2008 price but not there yet.

It will be interesting to see what 2011 does

 

[kimmy4433]

Oh man my mom was justtelling me this a few days ago. We are a family with 1 car, and it's a gas guzzeler!! Jeep Liberty with a 19 gal fuel tank. I average 250 miles to a tank, but with taking DD to school & it being so cold I have been running the car in the am so its more like 200 mile to a tank. At $5.00 a gallon it will cost us $100.00 a week.

Looks like if/when that happens I will be cutting our cable/internet/phone just to be able to take my dd back and forth to school. (school is 5 miles away so we can't walk or ride our bikes)

I personally think it will hurt many people/families and in return hurt the economy even more. People won't have the option to purchase say DVDs, or extras at all. UGH it has to get better sometime right?!

 

[krbshappy71]

Holding steady under $3 here, for now, but creeping up.

These boots were made for walkin'....they'll be walking as much as they can. Work is too far unless I got up 2 hours earlier. (yes, I google mapped it) and I'm already getting up at 5:30 a.m. so that wont be happening, particularly with winter weather and having to drop my daughter off at her school.

There's just noooo way I'm making her walk to school 1.5 hours away. (that is walking time)

This is senior year for her, if we can get to the end of the school year I'm home free as far as worried about her getting to school at least.

I'm on a budget payment for natural gas so that helps, even if they jack up that budget amount I'll know what it is year round.

I guess if I was really proactive I'd start budgeting now for $5/gal/gas. *rolling my eyes, that's a joke 'cause I'm the opposite of proactive*

 

[NikoSan999]

Good point Jamielane brought up...besides trash bags what other items can you think of that might go up because of petroleum...as another said..it's Monday..
I'm thinking plastic shampoo etc bottles, milk jugs, etc..anyone else think of anything to stock

Here in Central Fl it's running about 3.10. Watched Fox News early this morning and they said by spring it would be 3.75 and by year's end 5.00. Guess that would also depend on where you're at.

Trash bags were mentioned...I use 1 kitchen bag a week...otherwise I use what Publix and Walmart give me to take my groceries home. Another plus to that is it dosen't stay in the house long enough to stink. Bought a roll the beginning of 2009 and still have half a roll.

I will definitely try to get everything before I go home and on weekends go no further than necessary if anywhere...I mean, there's nothing else you can do if you work

 

[Preston]

This is why we need to learn to be less dependant on cars. There is an upside to high gas prices -- people start driving less. But with the energy consumption rates in China and all it's not going to go down.

 

[ladytoysdream]

I track gas use for each truck in a log book.
If the price continues to climb, less trips to town for me.
That is what we had to do the last time it went high.
Thank goodness his job is 3 miles from our house.

I told the hubby today, it's now going to be once a month to Walmart, and to stop sneaking the dog food out to the chickens as treats. Else the dogs will be out of food. Maybe I will have to start hiding it, but he knows I bought 4 boxes today. I get so tired of keeping the budget in line, and he seems to unravel it right behind me at times.

So keeping a list going, and staying home more often.

It's going up steady here. Last fill up was $ 3.28 a gallon, the gas station closest to us.