Just paid $2.19 a gallon here.... I used to be able to fill up the car with $20, now it takes $40...
This really hits us hard. We don't go on trips to begin with because we can't afford them. We don't make unnecessary trips into town (we live in the country) if we don't have to. We do drive 40 minutes away to do our shopping because the amount of gas used doesn't bite into the amount of $$$ we save by going to a larger city to make our purchases. We can buy a gallon of milk 80 cents cheaper in the city than in our small town. We save around $20 - $30 weekly doing our grocery shopping this way. To some, that may not matter, but to us on a VERY limited budget anything helps. This, I am afraid, isn't going to be true for very long. Not only is gasoline going up, but the products that are delivered by vehicles are also going up to compensate for the cost of delivery.
.........and our wages aren't keeping up either..
Part of me resents those who complain about not being able to take their 2nd vacation of the year because gas prices are too high. I also cringe when someone who owns a $40,000 vehicle or a really nice boat complains about not being able to go fishing or boating because of high gas prices. I become angry when I hear people who own vehicles that get 5 miles to a gallon complain about how much money it takes to fill up their tank and in the same breath make plans to go to a really expensive dinner - and that the cost of that one meal would feed my family for a week.
To each their own, but don't bitch to me about that kind of stuff - I just worry about putting food on the table for my kids, getting them to school, doctor appts, sporting events and friends houses. I worry about how I am going to put a meal on the table vs. having enough gas in the car to get me to work to earn the money I need to keep my family going for the next 2 weeks until I get paid again. I worry about if I am going to be able to afford the LP to heat my home in the winter or if we are going to have to wear layers of clothing just to keep warm.
Our neighbor has horses - I keep looking at them and then at wagons..... hmmmmmmmm?