How does gas at $4 and higher impact you?

stever · September 2012

5% on some "bonus" items (groceries or hotels, etc.), have to "sign up" quarterly. 1% on everything else. No fee. Sounds a lot like your Discover. Rarely use my other Capital One card; got it because they charge no exchange fees when we shortcut through Canada.

Mostly I use grocery coupons here for gas and usually get 10 to 15 cents off a gallon.

dieselone · September 2012

It does sound like discover.

gagrice · September 2012

Costco issues a couple different American Express Cards that pay 3-4% on gas purchases at most gas stations. 2% on restaurants, 1% on all other purchases. I use it most since Shell quit their 5% discount.

stever · October 2012

"Toyota and Honda also are benefiting from a shift in American car buying tastes toward smaller, lighter more fuel efficient cars. Autodata reports that small cars captured 20% of total car and light truck sales in September, up from a 15% share a year earlier.

The move to smaller cars is happening without the sort of loud panic over gas prices that drove consumers to small cars and hybrids in 2008 (and the late 1970s.) Instead, consumers appear to be quietly factoring gasoline prices of close to $4 a gallon into their buying calculations, and reassessing just how much car they need to crawl to work on congested freeways."

Detroits Joy Ride Is Over (WSJ)

fintail · October 2012

Ah WSJ, article whining about Detroit and showing what is apparently a CPO MB lot somewhere in Europe (SL280? really?)

Although the idea is correct, I don't see many really caring about fuel yet. Maybe when pressures are finally made for the overpaid unfireable in-for-25-out-with-85 "traffic engineers" to optimize traffic flow, which must waste more gas then suburban posers in SUVs.

gagrice · October 2012

Costco is now up to $4.19. Gas Buddy has San Diego average at $4.52 for RUG. I can actually buy premium and diesel cheaper than RUG in some places. Not sure what is happening. I think we have a shortage. Maybe the oil companies said screw CA politicians and are pulling out. They just signed more legislation that will increase the flow of jobs out of CA.

robr2 · October 2012

I think we have a shortage.

I presume you don't watch the local news. Here is what I've heard and read:

Exxon's refinery in Torrance shut down when it lost power Oct 1 - they are in the process of starting up again

Phillips is scheduled to perform work at its two California refineries this month

Chevron shut down it's pipeline to Northern CA due to high chloride in the oil.

gagrice · October 2012

I don't watch TV at all. So I guess I will just drive whichever vehicle has gas until they get their act together. Shell was up another dime this morning to $4.49.

lemko · October 2012

gagrice · October 2012

Yeah, what a shabby dresser.... :sick:

hpmctorque · October 2012

No money left for clothes after buying gas.

gagrice · October 2012

Help yourself and the down and out. Shop at the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. That is where I have found my best made in Hawaii Shirts. And for about 10% of original price. Be sure and launder with strong detergent as soon as you get them home. Same as with store bought cloths made in Chindia.

You could also tell your boss you need a raise to cover the price of gas driving to work. :sick:

andre1969 · October 2012

At least they're showing a pic of a modestly-dressed woman filling up a Yaris, which shows how high prices impact everybody, rather than a pic of some expensively-dressed exec filling up a Hummer...

I was in PA yesterday and stopped off to fill up on the way home. Usually gas is cheaper up there, but not this time. Where I stopped off, it was something like $3.939/4.139/4.339 for 87/89/93. I ran out to do some errand this morning and topped off at my local Crown in Maryland, and it was more like $3.59/3.799/3.99.

Oh, and on that round-trip, I estimate my new Ram got about 19.1 mpg, which would be mostly highway, but some short-trip/local mixed in. That figure would probably make most people cringe, but I was pleasantly surprised that it did that well!

stever · October 2012

I have to go to a wedding next month. Scored a gray suit for $2 at the thrift. It's nice being an "average" size - don't even need to hem the pants.

Of course the thrift shop I went to was an hour away, so I spent more on gas than the suit. But I was combining errands anyway.

explorerx4 · October 2012

This is first I've read about you having a new Ram pickup. When did you get it?

andre1969 · October 2012

Got it two weeks ago. Lessee if I can find the first post on it...

I think this should be it.

Ironically, as big, bulky, and heavy as this thing is, compared to most of my cars it actually represents a step UP in fuel economy! When I took it up to PA and back, I averaged about 19.1 mpg round trip, plus a bit of local driving so it wasn't pure highway.

explorerx4 · October 2012

Nice truck! One thing about a Hemi, it will always sound good.
Pretty good mileage for a big beast. Does it have cylinder deactivation?

dieselone · October 2012

Oh, and on that round-trip, I estimate my new Ram got about 19.1 mpg

That's not bad at all considering the power and size of the truck.

andre1969 · October 2012

Thanks! And yeah, it has cylinder deactivation. Under light-power situations, it'll go from 8 to 6-cyl. It's pretty seamless too...at least I can't feel it.

stever · October 2012

I want this (although I understand some implementations, like BMWs, don't work too smoothly).

"Stop-start systems can cut combined city-highway fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 3-10 percent, and even more when they're combined with hybrid drive systems. The systems deliver their fuel economy improvements in city situations that involve lots of stop-and-go driving. And they can do it at relatively little cost to the consumer."

Engine Stop-Start Systems Save Fuel at Low Cost

gagrice · October 2012

I hope Ford did a better job of stop start technology than GM. My 2005 GMC engine would stop when I went around a corner. Then the pause before restarting would cause wheel spin if you had the accelerator partially depressed. I hated it. Would have disabled if possible on that POC GMC Hybrid. They could save a lot more gas by getting rid of Ethanol in our fuel.

berri · October 2012

I agree. I'm leery of all these techie ideas, be it stop/start or cylinder deactivation. Seems to me that a slight computer blip and presto - a big dollar repair. As for ethanol, E-85; who asked for it, maybe ADM? Now we've got EPA wanting to cram it down our throat. Congress has already screwed up our light bulbs, now they want to control other aspects of our lives and decisions...and it seems to be both parties to boot.

stever · October 2012

Interesting blurb in the WSJ today about the isolated California gas market.

"California is a closed system," adds John Demopoulos, an energy analyst at Argus Media. "The whole thing functions perfectly well when everything's going to plan. But when something unexpected happens, there's no external buffer."

Investigation into previous gasoline price spikes in California didn't find an errant hand.

Instead, it found the proverbial invisible handthe ordering principle of supply and demand. And given the quirks of the California market, that law appears to be working just as you would expect it to."

California's Gas Price: Is There a Villain?

stever · October 2012

"Gasoline prices were falling before Sandy struck, and nationally, at least, theyve continued to drop in the storms aftermath.

That a storm of Sandys size and destruction would have such a muted impact might come as a surprise, especially given the big price spikes associated with past storms, including the 45-cent-a-gallon increase that followed Hurricane Isaac earlier this year. But several factors are working in drivers favor this time around.

First and most significantly, the East Coast simply isnt that important as a gasoline supplier. The refineries in Sandys path make up about 8% of U.S. refining capacity. Isaac, by contrast, idled nearly half of U.S. capacity when it hit the refinery-rich Gulf Coast.

Damage also appears to have been minor."

Sandy Wont Cause Pain at the Pump (WSJ)

gagrice · October 2012

So we should direct all future Hurricanes to the East Coast and protect the refineries and offshore oil platforms in the Gulf. :shades:

stever · October 2012

Exactly; meanwhile letting the mangrove swamps retake the Louisiana/Texas coastlines again would help dissipate a lot of the storm energy before it hits places like Port Arthur. Chevron has been working to restore a bunch of wetlands there.

xwesx · October 2012

Well, that's a relief! Considering that the refinery in my back yard raises prices for any excuse conceivable, despite the fact that exactly zero of them have any impact on prices here (Alaska does not export refined petroleum products), I'm glad to hear that the news media will not support an increase in fuel prices... maybe, just maybe, that means the local prices won't go up again. :sick:

gagrice · October 2012

That is pretty crazy. You got all the oil and a refinery, with very little gas tax and Alaska still has high priced gas. Whatsupwithat???

xwesx · November 2012

Monopoly in a closed market. They can charge whatever price they want up to the point where it would be profitable for another company to import refined fuel from outside, and the only backlash is people jacking their jaws.

lemko · November 2012

Tensions Boil at Gas Stations as Pumps Run Dry in Wake of Sandy

stever · November 2012

Seems like every time I've pulled off on the NJ Turnpike for a rest stop I've seen a cop car or three sitting there.

Funny pic for Fox to choose to accompany the story - kids in line, people yakking and smiling. Where are the storm troopers?

And how many days warning did these people have of Sandy anyway? They had plenty of time to top up their cars and their gas cans before the storm hit.

gagrice · November 2012

That is exactly what I was thinking. Like we told people that waited till the last minute to get a phone installed. Poor planning on your part, Does not constitute an emergency on ours. Wait your turn.

imidazol97 · November 2012

I thought all the problems in NJ and NY had been solved by the flyover of the Obama with Christie yesterday? While people in NY and Jersey suffer with shortages, our gas prices are dropping rapidly from the $3.45 to which they had jumped in antipation of the storm's effects on refineries--now at $3.27-$3.22. They had been at $3.02 in part of the area.

Some stations had jumped to $3.79 instead of $3.45 last week. The local gas/fast market manager told me the prices were dropping because the supply disruption from the Eastern refineries didn't occur. The oversupply and slow economy in Midwest has the prices dropping here according to her company's pricing guru.

michaellno · November 2012

RUG has dropped to $3.389/gallon at my local station here in Colorado. Down over a dime in the past 10-14 days.

xwesx · November 2012

I sure wish that was reflected here! We're still at ~$4.10... as though it weren't expensive enough living in the subarctic. :mad:

fezo · November 2012

With the exception of two stations across the street from each other none of the gas prices here 20 miles from where Sandy made landfall has budged an inch. No lines, either!

gagrice · November 2012

My son and family moved from Wasilla to Southwest Indiana. They are having sticker shock on everything. Bought a 3 bedroom house for $40k. Filled their Yukon for $3.25 per gallon. Eggs for 19 cents a dozen and a gallon of milk for 99 cents. 3 big bags of fresh veggies at the farm stand for 8 bucks. One mile to cross the river into Kentucky and it is even cheaper.

stever · November 2012

The problem for recent ex-pats from Alaska is that they see a head of lettuce for 39 cents. So they buy three of them.

Milk here is higher than gas now, although you can find it for $2.99 at one place. If you buy gas, lol.

michaellno · November 2012

RUG has dropped to $3.389/gallon at my local station here in Colorado. Down over a dime in the past 10-14 days.

I filled up yesterday afternoon at $3.389 (plus I saved $.20/gallon with grocery discounts, so I paid $3.189).

Last night I noticed the same station had dropped their price of RUG to $3.359.

fintail · November 2012

19 cents for eggs, milk 99 cents - did they also get a time machine and go back to 1975? Seriously...

I am in a place where fuel is over $7/gallon - things seem to be ok. No poser trucks, oversized fake SUVs, cardboard 'n plywood mcmansions etc though, and the public transit ranges from workable to amazing.

gagrice · November 2012

I have been getting Organic Valley 2% milk for my wife lately. $4.29 for 1/2 gallon. Cheap generic brand milk here is from $2.79 -$2.99 1/2 gallon. CA has protection laws for dairy farmers. Too bad they don't protect the consumers on gas or milk.

We are within a 100 miles of the nations salad bowl. And rarely get a head of lettuce under a buck. It is fresh year round. Still cheap enough to not grow our own.

I filled at Costco yesterday. Down to $3.79.

stever · November 2012

That 2% is about as expensive as the flax milk my wife tried. She liked but it didn't agree with her any better than cow's milk. So back to the rice milk at $3.40 a half gallon at Walmart or over $6 if she runs out and buys it locally. (Can't handle soy either). The non-rBST stuff I get out of Marquette usually runs $3.99 a gallon.

Doing a rice milk run is okay since gas at WallyWorld is usually twenty or more cents lower than around here, so it's easy to justify a drive. Plus you just have to get out of Dodge now and then. :shades:

gagrice · November 2012

I switched to Organic Valley Milk, because it comes from contented cows fed on natural pasture grass here in CA. That and my wife really likes the taste better than generic brand milk like Alta Dena or Swiss Maid.

I have to drive 13 miles to a yuppie grocery to get it. And gas is not cheap anywhere in So CA.

I don't drink milk of any kind. Butter and Cheese are my two dairy weaknesses. Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Real Butter.

stever · November 2012

Better keep tabs on your vitamin D levels then. We get good "local" sharp stuff nearby; lots of good cheeseheads next door.

xwesx · November 2012

Hahahahaha! Leave it to you ex-Alaskans to put things in perspective!

Actually, my wife and I are in the process (hopefully) of buying a little old place in Venango, Pennsylvania. Not to move there (at least that's not my intent), but it will provide a welcome respite for my wife for a couple months a year. She has many family & friends nearby, so it is something she has wanted to do for a long while.

As for milk, we tend to buy almond milk quite a bit. It is approximately double the cost of your basic store brand dairy milk (~$3 for 64oz vs. 128oz), but is darn tasty (and healthy) too, so I don't mind. The end result is that it is used far more conservatively, with the replacement fluid being water. Can't beat that!

gagrice · November 2012

I'll have to try almond milk. What will they think of next? I did buy some egg nog the other day that has agave in it. Seems like a waste of agave to me.

Steve,
I live in So CA where the vitamin D is Free... :shades:

stever · November 2012

Almond milk is good but a bit sweet. Good point about SoCal. My buddy in Seward got rain 26 days in September (he measured 32" in his bucket all month, lol). Not only does he not drink milk, he doesn't like salmon, another good D source. He just had blood work done and the D was ~15, when 30 was the minimum healthy range. :-)

Ran out of 2% so grabbed a half gallon for $4.19 at the gas station where regular is holding at $3.51 a gallon.

Wonder how much of that $4.19 is made up of diesel fuel?

stever · November 2012

The Pontiac Aztek.

When the gas light comes on you can go another 62 miles. That's good 16 miles further than you'd get in an Accord.

How far can you go after the gas light in your car comes on? (tankonempty.com)

hpmctorque · November 2012

This is the first positive comment I've heard about the Aztek (GM's Pacer, or Edsel?) since that car was introduced. Why had we not heard about this great feature before? It makes me want to run out and buy an Aztek - while supplies last - as insurance for the next natural disaster. As with insurance, you buy it hoping that you'll never need it.

robr2 · November 2012

I switched to Organic Valley Milk, because it comes from contented cows fed on natural pasture grass here in CA. That and my wife really likes the taste better than generic brand milk like Alta Dena or Swiss Maid.

I have to drive 13 miles to a yuppie grocery to get it.

Here's a little tip to perhaps save a few pennies on milk. Right around the expiration date on the jug is a code. That's the dairy the milk came from. Around here, Hood and Garelick Farms are the two big brand names. But they supply all the milk for the store brands. Compare the codes between brand name and store brand. Same milk, cheaper price.

How does gas at $4 and higher impact you?

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