Gas prices. How are they affecting your everyday life?

@mentalward (14691)
United States
May 30, 2008 6:51am CST
Are you driving to work, a truck driver, a farmer, stay-at-home mom, delivery person? How is this affecting your life? Have you had to raise your prices? take alternative transportation? work less? work more? I'm curious to see exactly how everyone is affected. I want to send this information to our government officials. I want to send this information to the large oil companies. I especially want to hear from people who have really been hurt by gas prices like not being able to get to a doctor's appointment because of not being able to afford the gas, or people who've had to quit their jobs because they're too far away, or had to move to be closer to their jobs. It may seem inconsequential, foolish even, but I do believe that if we, as a nation, raise our voices loudly enough and long enough, the head honchos will have to listen. Please, share your story.
1 person likes this
6 responses
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
1 Jul 08
I am a homemaker and stay home most of the time except when I need groceries. Then I do all my errands, like to the bank, shopping or whatever needs to be done. I live 25 mins from my elderly mother and have had to cut back going there. My husband spends over $100 a week for gas going to and from work. He has his own tri-axle dump truck and company,but the lease drivers can't afford the gas to run anymore since they don't get anything to help them pay for theirs. So our truck sits idle in our back yard and he got another job. We have quit eating out almost completely. We are both on SS but he had to get a job just to make ends met since the gas and groceries have gotten so high. A gallon of milk that used to be $1 is now right at $5, and a dozen eggs around $2. I noticed meat has gotten so high hardly anyone can afford it! We eat lots of vegetables, but not many fruits since they are so high, too. We own our home in the country and we can't get closer to our job. Even if we wanted to sell our home and our property, most people couldn't afford it. Houses just aren't selling out here like they did before things got so expensive. Can't sell our truck because lease drivers just can't make it anymore.
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
1 Jul 08
Yes, I know. Everything you say is so real and so typical of anyone these days. Foreclosure rates are at an all-time high, along with food and energy prices. People are losing their jobs because they can't afford to get to work. We are headed toward a depression. The horrible truth of the matter is that the major oil companies are making all-time record high profits!!! They've got us by the gonads and they know it... and laugh about it! People are literally dying so that the oil moguls can buy the newest model Lamborghini or Leer jet, along with the "precious" little yacht the wifey wants for her birthday! I guess they simply don't see that if we fall, they will follow. I just don't know where it will end and I'm so frustrated because I don't know what to do about it!
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
1 Jul 08
I don't blame all this on the oil companies. My husband worked for the largest one for 30 years. He knows how they work. The problem is the Congress will not pass a bill to drill in our own land or let more refining plants to be built. A bill was passed in Congress under the Republicans during Clinton's term and HE refused to sign it.That would have kept us from having to depend so much on overseas. Now, the Democrats are in charge of Congress and they refuse to help our situation. I believe President Bush would sign the bill if it was passed. But they don't want to help him in his administration one iota! So here WE, the PUBLIC,sit and pay higher gas bills, groceries,etc,and everyone is blaming it on the gas companies.Just not true. In fact, awhile back when the oil CEO's met in front of Congress, Congress tried to place the blame squarely on them.One of the CEO's told them just like it was - let US our business the way it should be done and things would be better. Congress thinks THEY know the oil industry better than them. Congress is letting this country go to pot!
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
3 Jul 08
I've been without a car for a couple months now because I'm waiting for my disability claim to be approved so money is tight and my car needed more work than it was worth in order to pass inspection and I wasn't allowed to keep it in our town with an expired registration or with no insurance on it. The ironic thing is if ever there could have been a "good" time for me to be without wheels it would be now. I've rediscovered my feet! Annie
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
3 Jul 08
If it works for you, that's fantastic! I'm sorry to hear about your disability and having to wait for the claim to be approved! I applied for Social Security Disability in 2002. After many rejections and new hearings, I was rejected for the last time in 2006. I am totally disabled, according to my doctors. I have fibromyalgia, lupus, arthritis, bursitis, CFS and IBS, but the legal idiots at SS (not one of them is a medical doctor) claim that I can work a full-time job to support myself! I am so disgusted by our government I can't see straight! I hope the elections bring about some kind of relief, as well as some caring about the citizens of this country! Good luck to you!
@chennai_b02 (1735)
• India
31 May 08
Yes, the increase in the petroleum products pricing will affect the everyone's day to day life. The price increase will took place two or three times in the past one year. Its due to the Crude oil price increase in theinternational market. The crude oil price was around $30.00 to $40.00 in the couple of years back, but now it has raised to $130.00 and more.. The increase in price will not be avoidable, this is the statement of our government. The Governemnt has cut lots of duties and taxes for the petroleum products so far, and over and above even now, all the Oil marketing companies has get more than 500 crores loss in a day.. this has been componsated by Government by issuing the Oil bonds. Due to this reason The govenment has increase the price of all teh petroleum products like petrol, diesel and the Gas prices
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
1 Jul 08
Here in the U.S., the oil companies are making record profits! We can't blame the entire price hike in oil to the rising cost of a barrel of oil! Not even half! It's called price gouging, and our country is certainly guilty of it! It starts at the top (oil companies) and works it's way down to the gas pumps. The major oil companies in this country give the government officials millions of dollars so they will not put a cap on oil prices. In exchange, they are allowed to raise prices whenever and however much they want to. This madness has to stop, but how???
• United States
17 Jul 08
yes, in a favorable way. I am now more determined to use my bike to go to church or jog the video rental place, and I have more time with my family and pets because try to come home right after work so as not to be tempted to do other things that are unnecessary, basically to save gas.
• India
1 Jul 08
As international fuel prices are increased our central government also increased the fuel rates like wise gas cost also increased but our state government did not increased the gas cost that is not effecting me
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
1 Jul 08
We are affected here so much! In the U.S., everyone is trying to make a bigger and bigger profit, but our salaries are not going up to meet these higher prices. The bottom line is that people are not spending as much as they used to. But it goes much deeper than that. People are not able to pay their bills. Some people cannot get to work because high fuel prices. Some go without the medications they need just so they can eat. People are losing their homes because they can't afford the mortgages or rent. Too many people here in the U.S. are so greedy that they will squeeze every penny out of everyone they can. They do not care about the consequences. There have been rumors spreading around that some gas station owners are "fixing" their gas pumps so that we, as consumers, do not get as much gasoline as we think we are getting. It has gotten way out of hand. We are heading into a depression, at least here in the United States. It is very scary.
• United States
3 Jul 08
I'm lucky that for the most part, any direct effects have been relatively few. I walk to work and my kids walked to school when it was still in session. If I need to travel for my job, I have access to public transportation (which my company pays for) or can use a company car (and be reimbursed for gas). I have made lifestyle changes, but those have been fairly small when compared to the major shifts that many people have had to make - going without an item forgotten off the grocery list because I'm not making an extra trip to the store, more carefully planning any day trips with the kids (mostly to visit family to cut out any extra entertainment costs like admission or food), and basically treating my Pathfinder as a luxury rather than a mobile extension of my home (the car is definitely cleaner since we started using it less!!!). Thankfully we just moved last year from a house to an apartment so there are more kids in the complex to play with - otherwise they'd be after me to "drive them to x's house" or "can we go somewhere? I'm bored!" But my eldest had to give up a party with her friends from her old school because I couldn't work a 40 minute trip (20 there, 20 back) into the gas budget. Indirectly, there is the rise in the cost of food and our change in eating habits - milk is so expensive the kids don't dare chug it by the gallon anymore and the other day one actually measured the amount she poured into her cereal. I won't scrimp on fresh veggies or fruit, but those are much more expensive then they generally are this time of year and the kids have stopped asking to get snacks in the junk food aisle because they know I can't do both. The kids drink from a pitcher of tap water in the fridge and know that it's "one juice box, one glass of water". I've told them that not only is food more expensive, but if we run out we're not getting any more till the next time we go shopping. Another indirect cost reflection is the rise in the A/C subsidy my landlord takes out. No more leaving them permanently in the windows - I'm charged from the moment they go in to the moment they come out. Thank GOD it was a cool spring but we had a short heat spike (up over 100) which added another month on. I hope we don't have a warm October - I want these things back in the closet on 10/1! So far we've been able to keep our overall quality of life about the same but this isn't the case for the majority. I'm blessed and I know it!