http://www.omninerd.com/2006/09/15/articles/59

Helps to put things in perspective.

 

I've never understood why people stress over pennies at the pump.

Certainly, I'd prefer to pay the prices I paid back in the '90s, but things have changed.

I've never found prices station to station locally to differ enough to make me start comparison shopping for gas.

The local news likes to talk about which stations around town have the lowest prices (usually by no more than a nickel/gallon). I don't believe it's worth my time to got on a small road trip just to fill my tank and save a buck.

There is little I can do about gas prices. For my own benefit I can drive only when needed and then assess the fuel costs for situations that are not a necessity (such as road trips or fuel efficiency differences when choosing my next car). Past that, I'm not going to waste time by stressing over what gas prices are doing day-to-day.

Certainly and interesting study.

 

I was lost after I read this "Fearless in the face of Sablotron."

 

See my post in the thread about the movement to stick it to the "man" next week and not buy gas for one day. People are just stupid.

 

If this guy's operating on the premise that people worry over saving a few cents at the pump but not over drugs, that's speculative. Another big thing that seems to be missing is utility and how that factors into where you shop, and I'm thinking particularly about time. Even if I can drive to the store and buy a 2 liter Coke for $1.20, I may go to the soda machine down the hall and buy a 20 oz. for a buck because it saves me time an effort.

Overall though, yes, you should always be aware of where your money is going and the alternatives available to you.

 

I can't remember the last time I heard people bitching about grocery prices, but they're always bitching about gas prices. Even people driving $50,000 SUV's freak out when gas goes up ten cents a gallon, even though that only makes their fill up a few dollars more expensive.

 

I filled up with some V-Power today because I never have before. $3.41/gal for that luxury. If you can't afford gas then you can't afford to drive. Time to sell the car and get a bike. It's a part of maintenance.

 

I heard on NPR that Texas is proposing to eliminate, for 90 days, the $0.20/gallon state tax on gas.

 

I have never (I swear) looked at the gas price. I just go to my usual pumps and fill up. Don't get me wrong, I can see why people with budgets and people that drive a lot would have a concern. It's just why worry about something out of your control, especially when you know there's nothing you can do about it. Spend your mental resources on making more money or saving somewhere else.

 

There are many people who are on fixed incomes that already get raped by medical insurance and such. The cost of gas has jumped tremendously the last couple years. People complain about the extra penny or nickel because it's not just an extra dollar or two... and the price keeps going up.

Reality check: My monthly gas card bill in 2005 averaged just 'under' $100.00 per month. Generally it was between $93 and $97.

My monthly gas card bill is now $300.00+ with less driving than I was doing during 2005.

That's an extra $200.00 per month directly out of pocket for auto fuel. That does not take into account the extra I pay for other products or services who's prices have increased due to the price of fuel.

Have I got anything extra from this new more expensive fuel? Better service at the station? Anything to justify the cost increase? At the same time oil companies are CONSISTENTLY reporting record profits.