Do the high gas prices actually hurt you that much?

Question

Here's something I've been thinking about lately... I have a 2007 Ford F-150, 6 cylinder. When I got the truck almost a year ago, it was costing about $50 to fill up. Now, with gas being around $3.99 a gallon here in Tennessee, it's taking $60, maybe $62 to top off. I'm also driving about 30 miles a day.

I don't bring home all THAT much money, in fact I'm as close to middle class as it gets. But these gas prices just never seem to bother me. They are unfair and I wish they'd come back down, but I haven't had any problem having to pay $10 extra once a week or so. Does anybody else feel that way, or are you struggling to get by because of it?

Answer 1

yea and 5 years ago we were paying .99 a gallon,  in 5 years gone from 10 to 60 a tank

Answer 2

I commute 45 mile round trip a day. My wife has to take 3 kids to and from school to baseball practice and tumbling etc. Trips to the groceries all that is really taking a toll on me. You must be single living with momma

Answer 3

I feel the same way.  I have to spend more on gas, but the difference isn't enough to make me change my lifestyle to accommodate the higher prices.

If you were cutting your budget close before gas prices increased then I can see how it would be a problem, but honestly, I think many people have enough luxuries built into their daily expenses like dining out, expensive coffee drinks, designer clothes, etc. that they should have more than enough things to cut out if they really need to.

Answer 4

no because i dont have a car!!!

Answer 5

Gas prices here in San Diego is a few cents away from being $5.00 a gallon.  It hurts for students like me.  I commute about 20 miles twice a week for school and only 5 miles for work on the other days.  It takes $80 to fill up my truck.  That lasts about a week and a half.  I don't work that much because it's part time.  So I'm struggling.  I remember when gas here was about $3.99.  That seems so long ago.

Answer 6

Well, I can still afford to put gas in my SUV, but I'll tell you where it bites....groceries. The increase in gas prices really shows on the shelf.  With some families it is a real decision to either fill up or do we cut back on how much food we buy this week.  I have decreased the number of trips I make and if I lived near public transportation, I would use it once in a while.

Answer 7

IM SO TIRED OF HEARING PEOPLE ***** ABOUT THE GAS. THE WAY I DO IT IS ONE TIME I FILL MY F150 UP ALL THE WAY AND WHEN IT GETS TO 3/4 OF A TANK PUT 30  DOLLARS BACK IN IT WHICH IS ABOUT 120 MILES AND GO FROM THERE 30 DOLLARS FOR A 120 MILES AND 3 DAYS IN NOT THAT BAD. PEOPLE RUN THERE CAR TO EMPTY THEN CRY WHEN THEY HAVE TO FILL IT BACK UP.

Answer 8

yeah, I live close to my job and I dont hang out much and no kids to take different places...so its not that bad....BUT  when it get to 7 dollars a gallon I might start walking to work...lol and just driving on the weekends.

Answer 9

My truck needs gas to run, I need food to run.

Answer 10

I don't worry about it that much because I am not locked in to using my car. Gas here is over $4 but we only live 4.5 miles from our work so much husband and I ride our bikes in.  We got saddlebags and panniers to carry our things in with us.  It really isn't hard at all for us.  We know people who have kids who do the same thing and all leave for school and work together.  I don't think the price of gas is particularly unfair, either, when you consider how much it is in Europe and how wastefully our cities are planned around the car culture.  I view this whole thing as an opportunity for the country to do some really positive things for ourselves in terms of energy and quality of life, unless we blow it and focus on drilling.

Answer 11

Here in So, Cal the price of gas is pushing $5 a gal. On that I got rid of my car.

Answer 12

our vehicle takes 70 to fill up now, a year ago it was like 55. Since march i figured we pay an extra $120 in gas than what we used to. My hubby drives a minimum of 70 miles everyday in a minivan. SO yeah that hurts!!!

Answer 13

A little bit. I drive 600 miles per week, mostly commuting. However, I have a 2004 Prius (hybrid) and I am getting around 50 MPG lately, so that helps a whole lot. So I spend $50/week on gas.

The price of food has gone up noticeably, so I have had to budget more money towards groceries, and a bit less for fun things.

Answer 14

When you drive 50 miles one way....that hurts...

Answer 15

OK for some reason you are not getting the whole picture.

Increase in fuel price isn't just about the cost of driving.  The cost of EVERYTHING is going up because of the transportation cost (like trucking food to the stores).  So another extra $10 or $20 per fill up isn't so bad.  That another 25% increase in everything adds up.

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I live in NYC and the last time I went to gas station was in June 8 (about 20 days ago) and just for $20 - and I still have about 1/2 of that gas left.  Not bad!  We use the public transit mostly (bus and trains).  So you would think we don't care at all.  But everything we go food shopping, everything has gone up.  So even people like us are affected.

Good Luck...

Answer 16

Do like me,buy a old I.D.I. diesel,and run free vegetable oils.Been doing it over a year now.I drive 320 miles a week.

Answer 17

Yes, not only has gas prices gone up, but food, clothing, and just about everything else along with it. It does hurt us, my husband has to drive about a 30 minute drive one way to get to his job and some is in the city, which uses more. He hasn't been able to fill up in a long time it takes too much at one time. He put $40.00 in the other day and still didn't fill it up.