How are you managing with rising gas prices?

Question

I have to drive to school five days a week. I spend over $325 a month on gas. I'm thinking of moving closer to campus because I can't afford to drive to school. I'm trying to make extra money when I can, but I find that I am being forced to make a major shift with my lifestyle. Are you finding you have to make changes too?

Answer 1

I don't use my car anymore, except on weekends to do laundry at my mother's house and grocery shopping. So I only have to fill up my tank once a month. The rest of the time I take public transportation to/from work. I live next to NYC so its very easy to commute without a vehicle (easier and cheaper too).

Answer 2

I'm a balla son/daughta so I don't haveta worry bout dat crud.lol

Answer 3

Not well. I have a '98 Blazer, which is not great on gas mileage. I drive my son to school/daycare, 10 miles to work,  then back to the school and home. In August, I'll also be driving myself to class 4 days a week (some days I'll come home then go back for a night class). Even though I live right in town, I set one day per week for shopping so no more running to the store to grab one or two things. I cut back to working three days a week but longer hours for the summer, so that helps a bit. I also had to cut back on Starbucks :(

I was spending around 270/mo and now it's up to 300. During the school year it will go up even more.

Answer 4

bike ride and carpool =)

Answer 5

Maybe you can carpool with someone. Gas is crazy now! (over $5 in some areas near where I live). Perhaps if you make slight changes (cut out a few extras)  in your lifestyle than you won't feel the pinch.

Answer 6

yes i am actually working on converting an experimental car to electric. that would be a lot cheaper but seriously how do the gas companies expect people who dont have careers and also go to school to afford gas.

Answer 7

i have a preus the car that people are fighting over i got one before this whole gas chaos so you should get one there very good on milage almost 60 to the gallon

Answer 8

I moved closer to work and I hypermile.

Answer 9

I don't drive yet, so I don't have to manage. :]

Answer 10

Lots of people are moving to a residence closer to their work/school.  Also, people are switching cars, and not necessarily to hybrids, but to the smaller older cars like a Festiva...they may be small, but they get great gas mileage.  Or, you can sell your car, and get a moped...these are great on gas, especially if you live close to where you need to go to..it sucks if you want to take anyone with you, but it will definitely keep costs low...or keep your car, move closer to campus, and ride a bike...

There is also a website that will allow you to pre-pay for gas at the current price, so you pay now, but even if you don't use it, you'll never pay more for it (ie-currently in my area its $3.92 a gal. for the cheap stuff...so if I buy 100 gals now, even if it goes up over $4.00, I still get my original price because I already bought those 100 gallons.)

Answer 11

It's not like anyone can pinpoint the blame down on you because everyone contributes to the problem but this is what happens when people continually take resources from the Earth and give nothing back... the demand for fuel increases, so the fuel prices rise and everybody protests about it expecting some sort of magic potion to work overnight and bring the prices back down... this will have a snowball effect and problem will only get worse

There's a certain naivety about exactly what is happening and the fact that fuel is getting in shorter and shorter supply... this is just the tip of the iceberg

Thumbs me down if you want, but i only speak the truth

Answer 12

Oh my goodness, yes..I have made changes. I only drive back and forth to work. I no longer go on Sunday drives. I no longer travel to Dallas to see my sister..I fly now since its cheaper.

A lot of people at my office have purchased scooters to get around. It's horrible.

Answer 13

I go out less and try to consolidate my trips =D

That's really all that I can do, since I have a small car and live close to work.  If public transportation is more convenient in the area I live I would probably consider using it instead of driving...

Answer 14

1. Only drive to work & home.  One "errand run" per month to do the grocery shopping, laundromat, etc.  Don't use car on weekends.

2. Find the cheapest gas station in the area.

3. Never let the gas tank get to 1/4 or below; try to refill at the 1/2 mark.  Gas is volatile, so the less in the tank, the more it turns to vapor and reduces mpg.

4. Be very grateful that I bought one of the highest mpg (other than a costly hybrid) vehicles on the market 3 yrs ago.