Comments on: Is the spike in gas prices as bad as we think? Your thoughts…

By: Helen

Helen — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:14:55 +0000

Here’s where I see the problem. In 2008, when prices spiked at the pumps, grocery prices went up – because of the increased fuel expenses. Then, gas prices dropped, but the grocery prices never dropped. Now that gas is going up again, grocery prices are going up again… Anyone else notice this bit of insanity??
I live in a rural area and my husband and I carpool – we have been for years. We consolidate trips as well – have been for years. Yet we still spend $60/wk on gas (or more) and I’m projecting that to go to $75/wk within a couple of months at this rate.
The economy will never recover if we can’t get a grip on fuel, grocery, and housing expenses. And I don’t live beyond my means at all. Out of those 3 things I just listed, though, the only one with any room for “wiggle” is groceries. The others just are what they are.

By: Melinda

Melinda — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:29:56 +0000

I live in a rural area where there is no public transportation to speak of on the eastern shore of virginia and there definitely isn’t a taxi in sight. I live 20 miles from the nearest store and 45 minutes from work. I take my husband to work in the morning and then take myself to work and wait at the end of my day for 2 hours for my husband to get off so I don’t have to make 2 round trips a day and cut down on the amount of gas we use. Those who only make minimum wage, I don’t see how they can afford the cost of going back and forth to work. They have to work 38 minutes just to pay for 1 gallon of gas.
On average in our rural area you have to put at least 60 gallons of gas a week to go back and forth to work that is 3.879 a gallon tilmes 60 or 234.72 a week