Driving to work

Canada
April 28, 2008 1:09am CST
If you would have told me you couldn't afford to go to work not so awful long ago I would have naturally thought you didn't want to work very bad. Well folks here it is. My husband has a drive of a 3/4 of an hour away job that pays 14.00 per hour. He drives a pick up truck, just an ordinary two wheel drive 1/2 ton. He puts in 50.00 for gas lets say Monday morning and he gets to and from work Monday, Tuesday and only one way Wednesday then he needs to dump in another 50.00 gas so he gets home. At the price of almost 7.00 per gallon for gas he can not afford to go in to work. How sad is that? What a great government we have. So tomorrow morning he has to put in his notice because he can't afford to drive that far. We live in a town of about 800 people and very little industry but he will need to change jobs. My question is do we all realize how serious this is becoming not just for my family but face it with the high cost of fuel, naturally our food will be on the rise too because it has to be trucked in somehow. Where will it end and what the heck is happening.
11 people like this
29 responses
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
28 Apr 08
that is very sad that he has to lose his job, could not do car pooling? And I assume there is no public transportation that will take him to work?
3 people like this
• Philippines
28 Apr 08
Yap this is my question also. Maybe he could take a bus so he could save for the gas. Its not easy to loose a job and look for another. Anyway good luck to both of you!
2 people like this
• Canada
29 Apr 08
We are not lucky enough to know anyone going that far to work for the same reason no one can afford to. Living in a one horse town doesn't leave any options other than change jobs foe higher pay and when you're 60 years old as hubby is you're old news.
3 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
3 May 08
that certainly is a sad state of affairs hon, hope things don't get too bad for you, I am just one step away of being a baglady myself.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
28 Apr 08
The problem with alot of our people in the government is that they have never felt a pinch for money or know what it's like to go hungry. Maybe if we rounded them up.....gave them just a little money and asked them to survive for a month on what most people do they would be finding solutions quicker then they do.
3 people like this
@weemam (13372)
28 Apr 08
It is terrible pal , we are now paying more than £7 a gallon , I need my car too so I can drive my disabled family about , I usually go for drives but I think now it will just be when I have to xx
3 people like this
@kareng (53440)
• United States
28 Apr 08
Where do you live that gas is $7.00 per gallon? It hasn't hit $4.00 a gallon here yet and the national average is only like $3.79 a gallon. This is high and I agree too high! Our state is considering a bill to do away with state tax on gasoline for a few months to give consumers a break. This should be done throughout the US with both Federal and State taxes. However, I really don't see much relief. As long as people pay the price it will remain. It's all part of supply and demand.
@kareng (53440)
• United States
29 Apr 08
Egads! I know it will be going up more here too. I dread it!
1 person likes this
• Canada
29 Apr 08
I live in Saskatchewan Canada, and the gas went up another 9 cents today and we're told it's going higher before mid summer.
3 people like this
28 Apr 08
It is disgusting, it appears in the UK that it is in peoples best interests to not work. People like myself who work for a living end up with a smaller disposable income than someone who chooses to stay at home on the dole and let the council pay their rent. Also I have to drive as public transport is MORE expensive than the petrol to work, and takes almost three hours to get me there!
2 people like this
• Canada
28 Apr 08
Where do you live that gas is $7 a gallon? But, answer to your question, I have often wondered the same thing, how much money does one need? For the past several years the oil companies have been having record earnings, I just keep wondering when will they decide they have enough money or do they just want all of our money? I also keep wondering if I should start investing in horses because before long I think that horses and bicycles will be the mode of transportation that our country will be forced to used, what do you think?
• United States
29 Apr 08
She's from Canada according to the profile. I'm very thankful that I live on a college campus where everything is close. It's driving home from school on a weekend. I end up now putting around 70 in my car to get me home and back to school. Roughly a 160 mile drive one way. When I'm home during the summer, my job is very close to my house, so it's around a 5 minute drive. Saves me on gas, because I'm not using a lot. I have noticed that my sales online are even dropping, and I think a lot of it has to do with the way gas keeps rising. People just don't have the extra cash to put into things they want. It's very sad, but what can be done about it? *sigh*
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36449)
• United States
29 Apr 08
Wow!! Where do you live that Gas is $7 a gallon? This has to be for Diesel. Personally I think the gas situation is getting way out of hand, and it is time someone puts a little bit of a Stop to it. When it starts major effecting the amount of money people are able to bring home against the distance they have to drive to get back and forth to work, that is getting insain. What can be done to change this? Only time will tell. But aren't you really thinking enough is becoming enough?
1 person likes this
• Canada
29 Apr 08
I live in Saskatchewan Canada. Gas went up another 9 cents today. CRAZY
2 people like this
• Canada
29 Apr 08
Oh and by the way No not diesel, we burn regular gas.
2 people like this
• United States
29 Apr 08
I think it's time everyone start making a lot of adjustments to their lives. For one, taking jobs closer to home and stopping relying on gas so much. And, eating more locally grown foods, even growing a lot of the foods you eat, especially since summer is almost here will help things a lot. Decreasing our dependance on fuel may help cut the cost in the long run.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
29 Apr 08
We can all blame Al Gore and his blaming humanity for global warming and for this and those congressmen who did want to open oil fields in Alaska and other places because they cared more about the birds and animals than people. There are ways to get out the gas and oil without disturbing the wild life. Your gas prices are now almost as high as ours in Canada. (now you know why we do not have large houses unless we are in the upper class, we cannot afford bigger ones.0 You should write your congressmen. Not everyone can work out of their home and for many people it is just a little above mim. and not everyone is rich.
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
29 Apr 08
I'm also curious about where you live that it's 7 dollars a gallon...but regardless, even four dollars is pretty high, I could just imagine if it was seven dollars on average all around the country -- and if it gets up to $200 a barrel like OPEC says it could...and gosh I wouldn't doubt them...then I'm sure that's not too implausible of a future. I'm not sure when it'll end...what's happening is the result of our government's poor judgement, and law-maker's greed. It's come back to bite us all in the a$$...because overall the people did not keep after the officials who pass the laws for us. Part of it's environmental, tis' true..but overall its stupidity and corruption which has brought this home to roost. The dollar being in the shape that it is doesn't help either. I just hope we can survive until scientists can find a way to give us an alternative to oil. Goodness knows they're working at it like the mad hatter at a tea party, but everyone's in a panic. Even people in our own government are. There's no easy solutions to this, and we'll be hurting in more ways than just our jobs soon enough, since gas prices drive up food prices as well. It's one thing not to be able to afford to work, it's another when you can't even afford to feed yourself. The world is definitely not doing so hot, America's not the only ones feeling the affects of all this.
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Apr 08
Oh, I see! I have a hard time finding news from Canada, so I hope you forgive my ignorance of how it's affecting your country. My former best friend (who I still care about and worry for) lives in Canada, so I try to keep up on the events there, even though I don't have an excellent time of it heh. That's definitely amazing though, Canadian money is worth alot more than our American dollar, so that prices are even worse for you than they are for us, then that's definitely not a good sign for the world over. *worried expression* The bio-fuel I'm rooting for, which is being worked on in Canada is algae-fuel, which I consider one of the most promising ones, since algae ADORES the pollution which is hurting our world, they feed the algae the pollution..which cleans up our world, and it can be turned into a clean fuel which doesn't hurt anything. It's pretty awesome, though not the most talked about because they're struggling with funding to work out a more efficient plan to be able to present it as a solution.
1 person likes this
• Canada
29 Apr 08
I live in Saskatchewan Canada, and the gas went up another 9 cents today and we're told it's going higher before mid summer.
2 people like this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
23 May 08
paranoia my son also talks up the algae fuel.... and it would not harm our economy should it be useed since it is not a food source. corn is so not a good idea because it is depended upon for other things. in the areas that grow sugar cane - ethanol works great for them because it is made from the waste of the sugaring process - not what we otherwise consume. Algae should be just as good! but, alas, I do not really think the powers that be desire to make it easier.
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
28 Apr 08
I dont know but I feel that the current administration is completely out of touch with what is going on. First Bush tells us we should use fuel made from corn but then he has no idea that this would be aproblem because of how it is made. Our government has made a mess of things and it will take a very long time to get out of it. This is on top to the companies that con the public into things they should not do. Now the government is trying to bail out people who got into bad mortages. Did these people not understand what they were doing? I dont know how long haul truckers make any money. Our own wonderful government is so far in debt that if all the countries who have lent us money decided they wanted the money paid back right away we would be in serious trouble. People are havig to live of credit cards to make ends meet now the credit card companies are uping there fees. I dont even have a credit card. We are the ones who are going to have to figure out what to do cause our government cant.
2 people like this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
29 Apr 08
It is scary, realizing that because of the increasing price of gas, everything else is going up as well. My husband's job is 25 miles away, and his old van doesn't get great gas mileage. I'm putting a garden in this year to try and save on food expenses, but that will only help out a little. If there was someone my husband could share a ride with, that would be great, but then he often has to work double shifts due to emergencies, so even if there was someone, it would be hard to do.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
28 Apr 08
We live 25 miles from work one direction (south) and 30 miles from work in another direction (west). Gas here is almost 4 bucks a gallon. My husband makes about as much per hour as yours. My car is fuel efficient, but my husband's truck isn't. We used to work close to the same hours and could car pool. Now he works Mon-Thurs and I work Fri-Sun. So we now have double the amount to pay and we don't split the gas any more. Yes, my brother who worked downstate had to quit first. He hasn't gotten a decent job since. He's doing odd jobs for people and barely making ends meet, but he was shelling out more in gas than he was making when he quit. I saw a muffin - regular-sized for a dollar. A large blueberry muffin was 2.00 for one muffin. I am so-o-o lucky. We stock up on lots of stuff before winter. We're getting to the end of the stuff, but we still have food right now. I still have one of my 3 boxes of muffin mix for a dollar left. I may save it for a special occasion. Yes, I realize how bad it is. Every day that I go to work, I meet someone who has lost his or her home, couldn't pay the mortgage that they could pay just a year ago. And they say that our area wasn't as badly hit as the rest of the country with forclosures. 57% deliguent on loans last I heard about. More than half! Normally I garden for enjoyment or pleasure, but we may need to gear up to do this for survival at the rate we're going! I think I'll go have a cup of tea from the leaves I dried last year.
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
29 Apr 08
We feel for you. Although gas here is cheaper than it is by you, its having the same effects. I paid $3.93 a gallon yesterday. My husband has a long commute and has to fill up twice a week. Yuck. Between the two of us, we are going through $550 of gas a month (easy), which is more than half our mortgage payment. It is also more than our minivan payment and car insurance combined. It is also more than we spend on food per month. We have given up eating out, buying clothes, toys and other non essential activities. If gas gets anymore expensive our internet service is next to go. We are running out of expenses to cut. Unfortuately, we can't move closer to his work. the housing market is so screwed up that we can not sell our house because we are upside down on it. Grrr! I wish I knew what was happening!
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
28 Apr 08
Here in the states our gas is outrageous too. I thought ours was real bad until I read this post, after finding out what you are paying, it makes our gas almost look cheap, even with the currency exchange. Everyone all over is hurting because of the price of fuel. Well I shouldn't say everyone, the big wigs with the oil companies are getting richer and richer and we are getting poorer and poorer. Something has to give, diesal fuel is even higher, everything is going up and up and people just can't afford it. Its hurting all of us all over the world. Good luck to you and your hubby on finding a job closer to home.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
29 Apr 08
That is really not a good pay. He gets tired for just earning that..geez..He should really look for a better job than that one. I do hope your husband get to find something nicer. Good luck.
1 person likes this
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
28 Apr 08
Oh I know grandmao,we stay at home a lot these days,gas is so high....Its pretty bad when gas gets so high that it is hard to go to work....It takes everything your husband makes at his job just pay for the gas...I don't know whats going on here,but i still do not think their is a shortage of oil....I supposs we are in a recession....My Mom used to talk about the depression and i would listen about how high things were and how they had shortages....Do you believe that last week we had some gas stations here in our town that did not have any gas?I am afraid we are going to go through a depression like our parents did,if things don't change....I hope your hubby can find work close to home...
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
28 Apr 08
I figured it up a while back that if gas got to $4 a gal. I would be working at least a day and half out of 10 just to pay for the gas to get to work. I drive 48 miles round trip 5 sometimes 6 days a week, if we work on Saturday. At the moment, I happen to be stuck at home on medical leave, do to an injury that occured on the job, however, thankfully it does not bother me to stay at home, I don't have to get out of the house other than to enjoy the outdoors in the backyard or go for a walk. So, while I am not enjoying the fact that I can't work, it is helping me save gas lol I did make the comment to some of the guys I work with, that if gas kept going up, the workforce would change, in that a lot of people would be looking for jobs closer to home. I myself have made that decision, that if worse comes to worse I will look for a job closer to home or try for a transfer to another station that is closer to home, I work for the forestry, wildland firefighter, which with the cost of gas going up, it is hitting our district's budget hard this year.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
29 Apr 08
Grandmaof 2 you raise some very pertinent questions there. Gas here is not quite that high but its getting there. i have already seen how prices are rising on groceries here in the states as trucks will use more gas and thus the cost will be pased on to us the consumers.I have no idea how this is all going to end.
• United States
28 Apr 08
Its a complete mess!! I mean i am 22 years old and its hitting home with me like seriously. Gas prices and the way that the economy is now, is just too much!! Its really a mess. Oh my goodness i feel for your husband!! 5O dollars for gas that dosent even last him two days. Oh my i would nearly be crying my eyes out at that point. I am sorry that he is going to have to leave his job, especially with such good pay and settle for something else. But i know that God is watching over all of us, and he is never going to put more on us than we can bear. In situations like these, i just pray about it basically and hope and have faith that everything works out for the better.
1 person likes this