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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 8:40pm | IP Logged
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Gas Prices?
My husband heard on the radio today that gas should climb to $4.00/gallon by Memorial Day holiday.
He immediately called his brother and bailed out of the deer lease in Texas that they share.
I hated him to do that (I learned a long time ago, it's a *man* thing), but I couldn't stop him.
I can tell he's frustrated, annoyed, angry, depressed, and bitter about the gas prices.
I am too. 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
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stefoodie
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 8:51pm | IP Logged
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not just dh. me too. i had some field trips i wanted to take them on the next few weeks, and i'm now rethinking.
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stef
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mellyrose
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 8:53pm | IP Logged
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Gas prices are hurting us quite a bit! DH works as an outside salesperson, and his territory is the entire state.
At past companies, he's had a company car and gas paid for, but it's all our responsibility at this company. Our gasoline bills for his work have tripled (between increase in gas prices and farther distances for calls), and sales have dropped significantly. The worst is when he drives 50 miles one way and the person refuses to even answer the door (he's not door to door, people call in and make appointments! he sells home improvement products like windows, doors, heating and cooling) It happens at least 2 or 3 times a week when he shows up at a call and they either cancel the call when they answer the door, or pretend not to be home.
I've curtailed personal driving quite a bit -- I have a dear friend who is a 70 mile round trip to visit and we haven't seen her in over 3 months! Even the zoo (30 mile trip) hasn't seen us as often.
In college (early 90's), I could fill up my tank with a $10 bill and have money left over. I was earning $8-10/hour and that tank would last me a week or so. I wonder what it will look like when my kids begin to drive?
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Maddie
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Dh depressed?! I'm depressed, we cancelled our trip to see the Holy Father this month over gas prices.  We had a free place to stay, but it would have cost around $600 just in gas to get there and back!
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 9:06pm | IP Logged
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I don't think depressed is quite the right word for it. 
We just bought a house in Fairbanks and are looking to replace the monitor heater with perhaps a pellet stove. No way with the long, cold winters there can we afford to heat with kerosene at these prices.
Also, we just ran out of heating oil here in NC and are not going to get any more, hoping it doesn't get cold again this year.
It is truly ridiculous.Especially with big oil companies making record profits. Something just isn't right about that.
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stefoodie
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 9:17pm | IP Logged
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i hope you don't mind my trying to inject a positive note here. perhaps this is good -- maybe more people will wake up that we need to make changes. ideas like Bicycle City are popping up.
i don't know how it's going to work for everyone, but i can't help thinking that if changes mean less emissions, less dependence on foreign oil, etc. eventually it could also mean healthier air for our children, healthier bodies for us if it meant we would walk more instead of driving all over, etc.
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stef
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RamFam
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 9:22pm | IP Logged
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And it is my understanding that we are choosing not to drill off shore for oil that we know is there and not build new refineries because of the global warming myth? I believe in a free market, as does most of America I think, so why don't we provide for more supply to keep up with the demand? Maybe I just don't understand how the economy really works or I have my facts wrong. But I hope we will soon find other viable energy sources.
And another thing... why doesn't the government reduce taxes on gas during this time of 'recession'? According to wikipedia the average tax on fuel (it varies by state, CA being the highest) is 47 cents per gallon. Maybe instead of a stimulus refund check, they could stop the fuel tax for a year and people could save thousands, while spending thousands going on vacations or to stores and that would stimulate the economy. Less is more!
(Sorry for the ranting. )
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Leah
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LisaR
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Yeah, we are ready to "hunker down" over here. I really felt like I was Chicken Little in months past, and our friends/family thought I was a bit too "dramatic" about what I sensed was impending doom, but it is all playing out like I fretted about- food prices are outrageous, gas is crazy, etc.
From what I have read it is not over yet. I've got the busmobile lady parking in front of my house for the summer- yeah!! and the vacation to MI is cancelled. we'll jsut take a trip to NC which is work related and so our gas will be paid for by dh's work. other than that, it is going to be a very close to home summer... and maybe longer??
ahhh I'll have plenty of time to garden, right?? 
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Lisa
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LisaR
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 9:26pm | IP Logged
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stefoodie wrote:
i hope you don't mind my trying to inject a positive note here. perhaps this is good -- maybe more people will wake up that we need to make changes. ideas like Bicycle City are popping up.
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that's right! we have used public transport on and off for years- dh rode the bus to work/biked the first 10 years of our marriage-(we only owned one car) we saved SO MUCH!!!
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
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Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
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missionfamily
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 10:17pm | IP Logged
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Oh yeah...we're supposed to drive to Mexico this summer to spend some time serving at a mission base but don't know if we'll be able to with the high gas prices.
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Colleen
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CAgirl4God
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 10:35pm | IP Logged
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we have been lucky.. gas here is $.80 a liter.. roughly $3 a gallon. that is down from our santa barbara prices of $360 +!!!
and we don't have that far to drive on a regular basis. lol
we do occasionally take trips around the island for sightseeing and fun, but mostly stay close.
I agree with cutting the gas tax though!! that would work much better to stimulate things! lol
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KC in TX
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| Posted: April 08 2008 at 10:41pm | IP Logged
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I'm depressed over them. We're taking a long road trip this May and it's going be awful with the gas prices. It's cheaper than if we flew, but still. And, it's not just the gas. Everything is getting more and more expensive.
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KackyK
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Oh it's very depressing. Dh is stressing that I need to weigh some of the activities we do based on how much gas it takes to get to them. Stinks to tell dc, can't do it guys, gasoline is too much money...feels really weird. And it's more annoying to think of all the stinkin ethanol in the gas and what that is doing to food prices on top of it!!!! Someone is getting way too rich!
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Bridget
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| Posted: April 09 2008 at 4:45am | IP Logged
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Yep. And he calls me at each fill-up to rant and tell me how much it was per gallon, what his mileage was with the last tank and how many miles are on his car. It makes me crazy.  
I try not to be upset. It's so out of our control.
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SusanJ
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WE don't use our car much day-to-day but we just decided to drive to Minnesota which is really far from where we live. It's a visit to dh's family and the kids' godparents and we skipped it last summer so we're definitely going but I am sort of wondering how?
Susan
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Molly Smith
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I use my trip-tick on my van to keep track (just mentally) of the miles it is to the places we regularly go. My big van only gets about 12 miles to the gallon. I do make fewer trips to our nearest bigger town just because it costs $7 round trip in gas to go there! If I have fewer children with me, I just take my dh's littler car that gets better than double the gas mileage. It's been a good math/economics lesson for the kids.
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MarieC
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| Posted: April 09 2008 at 6:38am | IP Logged
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Molly Smith wrote:
| I use my trip-tick on my van to keep track (just mentally) of the miles it is to the places we regularly go. My big van only gets about 12 miles to the gallon. |
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I do this too...if I see that number creeping up I know I'd better re-think some of my plans.
Molly Smith wrote:
| If I have fewer children with me, I just take my dh's littler car that gets better than double the gas mileage. |
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This is what we're planning to do...but first I have to learn to drive a stick-shift! DH's hospital stay happened b/f I learned so I was stuck making that long drive (80+ miles round trip) in the van...often alone or with one child
Did you know you can claim mileage expenses through a health care flexible spending account? We have money set aside in one, but also have good insr. so don't have a lot of out of pocket expenses. Our doctors, however, are all that 80+ miles away so I've gotten a lot of money reimbursed that way. It's still us paying it, but at least it's pre-tax money.
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msclavel
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| Posted: April 09 2008 at 7:45am | IP Logged
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Its depressing me too. Actually dh has a pretty short commute. If he has to visit other sites in the area he gets compensated for gas.
We're going to the beach in June...6 hours away. So that won't be fun to pay for. But we haven't been on a family vacation in 3 years. I told the kids that is the only place we're going this summer. Thank God we live across the street from the neighborhood pool.
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Dawnie
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| Posted: April 09 2008 at 8:09am | IP Logged
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It's frustrating, but like Brigit said, it's out of our control.
We're trying to focus on the things that are within our control.
We're trying to spend less on gas here. Dh is thinking of getting a moped or biking to work.
I am trying to cook more meatless dishes to save on groceries.
We're putting in a vegetable garden this spring, which will also help to save on groceries.
I think these are all changes that will benefit our health--more so than only paying $1/gallon for gas would!
Dawn
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Taffy
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| Posted: April 09 2008 at 8:11am | IP Logged
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Well, I certainly am depressed by it! And a little confused. Gas here is now $1.24/L. Since there are 4L to a gallon, that would make it $4.96/gal!
So, since the Canadian and American dollar are almost at par, we are paying significantly more here, even though we are an oil exporter with the US as our biggest buyer!
Now I'm really feeling bummed!
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Susan
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Topic: Is Your Husband Depressed Over...
