gas prices
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doublete
- Allowance Winner
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- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:34 pm
- Location: Sandy Spring, MD
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gas prices
$5??? Oh my... And I thought I was going to cry when Tuesday I went to get grain and it was $2.53 and I didn't fill up only to find that yesterday the cheapest around was $2.89, with most around $3, and the highest I saw was $3.28.
Racing and retraining.
I have to buy a new car in the next couple of months- just need it for running around in, have the truck for big stuff. Seriously looking into a hybrid car...my oil company is crying today- it is the first day they don't get their monthly cash infusion from my bank account- we contracted for our geothermal this morning. Poor oil company, 1st we put in solar heating instead of propane for the pool and now no more oil...still I'm thinking the prices can only get worse. 
You know, I have seen those "pellet" wood stoves and they look great. Very efficient, and a 100lb bag of the wood pellets is what, 1 to 2 dollars (according to the guy who showed me his. Stove I mean. Ahem. Anyway). If I had my own place, I'd do that, I have heated with wood stoves and like it, and this pellet stove looks cheap, efficient and hot. Something. ANYTHING but oil or gas, eh? Susanh has the right idea.
Only thing about the hybrids, though, (cars, here) they really arent' much more efficient.
Only thing about the hybrids, though, (cars, here) they really arent' much more efficient.
Some people are like slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.
If you are looking to buy a new car, don't forget to factor in the cost of the car. If you keep it for 5 years and it costs you an extra $10,000 over what you would otherwise buy, then 10000/5 = $2,000 extra cost per year (not including interest). With gas at $3 per gallon, that 2k will buy you 666 gallons of gas per year.
Here's my worry on all this- what will gas prices be in 5 years? Look at the past year. Honestly we are fooling ourselves if we don't remember that oil/gas/etc is a finite resource. Prices are never really going to get better because everyday there is just a bit less left. Our demand goes up and our supply goes down. Economics dictates ever increasing prices.
Haven't made up my mind to get a hybrid car, just looking. For me, the biggest downside so far is that I have to get an automatic transmission- going to be a far cry from my little red manual sports car.... !
Haven't made up my mind to get a hybrid car, just looking. For me, the biggest downside so far is that I have to get an automatic transmission- going to be a far cry from my little red manual sports car....
!Adam Smith will even things out over the long haul,
Besides when I graduated from hign school I bought a brand new 1962 black Ford convertable with a 350 cu in engine and redleather [?] upholdtry. I paid $2,800 for this car and my father thought I had lost my mind. gas was 35cents to 40 cents a gallon.
This year that kind of car would cost me $25k to$30k, or approximately 10 times wnat i paid for the 19992 car. In the mean time gas has only gone up approximately 8 fold. How is it we [i] never complained about the 10 fold increase but believe the sky is falling with a 8 fold increase in gas.
Europeans have been paying this and more for gas for decades.
Besides when I graduated from hign school I bought a brand new 1962 black Ford convertable with a 350 cu in engine and redleather [?] upholdtry. I paid $2,800 for this car and my father thought I had lost my mind. gas was 35cents to 40 cents a gallon.
This year that kind of car would cost me $25k to$30k, or approximately 10 times wnat i paid for the 19992 car. In the mean time gas has only gone up approximately 8 fold. How is it we [i] never complained about the 10 fold increase but believe the sky is falling with a 8 fold increase in gas.
Europeans have been paying this and more for gas for decades.
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]
<<Europeans have been paying this and more for gas for decades.>>
But Europe has a much, much better developed public transportation system.
My grandma is not doing well and I am looking at having to go home in 3-4 weeks. It's a 400 mile drive (about a tank of gas each way). I looked into other forms of transportation. Flights are out since they kill you on the short flights (I could fly to New York - 1000 miles- twice before it reaches the cost of flying home). Trains are out since the closest I could get to home would be 200 miles. Of course, there is Greyhound - but it turns a 6 hour drive into a 12 hour bus ride, not going to work with a job to come back to. Gonna just have to shell out the $150 for gas.
We are a nation whose people and economy is completely dependent on our cars. It's moot to think what we SHOULD have done differently - someone needs to think about what we CAN do now, especially to provide relief to those who need it most.
Think about the people who already live paycheck to paycheck :/ Hybrid cars aren't really gonna help them much.
~Adrienne
But Europe has a much, much better developed public transportation system.
My grandma is not doing well and I am looking at having to go home in 3-4 weeks. It's a 400 mile drive (about a tank of gas each way). I looked into other forms of transportation. Flights are out since they kill you on the short flights (I could fly to New York - 1000 miles- twice before it reaches the cost of flying home). Trains are out since the closest I could get to home would be 200 miles. Of course, there is Greyhound - but it turns a 6 hour drive into a 12 hour bus ride, not going to work with a job to come back to. Gonna just have to shell out the $150 for gas.
We are a nation whose people and economy is completely dependent on our cars. It's moot to think what we SHOULD have done differently - someone needs to think about what we CAN do now, especially to provide relief to those who need it most.
Think about the people who already live paycheck to paycheck :/ Hybrid cars aren't really gonna help them much.
~Adrienne
I saw a news show a couple of days ago about a guy that had modified his car diesel so it could use used cooking oil he was paid to haul away from fast food restrants. He said the only draw back was the exhaust smelled like french frys or maybe it was freedom frys cooking.
If a single innovative individual could come up with this modification seems like the governemnt and industry research could relatively quickly come up with a kit to accomplish this modification on existing diesel engines and a new engine that could use vegetable oil as a fuel source. This country already produces much corn, cotton seed, soybean and other vegitable oils which may not smell like french frys.
I suppose a distibution system for this alternative engine would present the biggest challenge.
griff
If a single innovative individual could come up with this modification seems like the governemnt and industry research could relatively quickly come up with a kit to accomplish this modification on existing diesel engines and a new engine that could use vegetable oil as a fuel source. This country already produces much corn, cotton seed, soybean and other vegitable oils which may not smell like french frys.
I suppose a distibution system for this alternative engine would present the biggest challenge.
griff
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]
Well the truckers are about ready to strike I hear they said diesel is just to high and they said it is not avaliable in three states today. I know I have stressed a lot less since I shut down most of my work I usually went thru atleast 300 gals of diesel a day plus about 100 gals of unleaded which is about 1400.00 a day less coming out of my pocket. whewww.....
onalimb
. Too bad I get paid tomorrow.......... 
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vineyridge
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