I am retired and on a fixed pension. At 3.50 per gallon, I will have to make 2 less trips to town each month, and I break even with gas. Unless you have to drive a considerable distance to work, then this is not the big deal everyone is making it out to be.
Adjusting to the HIGH cost of energy
- Thread starter hitekcountry
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Jagmandave
Veteran Member
I'm sorry, but I do think it's a big deal, but it'll be slow in showing up at first. There will be a ripple effect tho, it'll start with people driving less, then move to people buying fewer large SUV's and trucks. Prices on used versions of those cars will drop hugely (they already are, actually), people will lose money and tighten up on spending, and the spiral will continue. Other industries will begin to be affected and so on and so on. I'm not predicting any sort of imminent failure of our economy, it will adjust and change, but there will be those along the way who will be hurt badly by this. Everything in this country is affected by higher oil costs, you can't name anything that isn't in some way, if for no other reason than shipping cost - either of raw materials in or finished products out to market. Not to mention higher energy costs in maufacturing that get passed along to consumers. Everything is going to get more expensive -everything! The times they are a changin'.......................
slowrev
Elite Member
Yes one of the high costs of energy is going to be increasing inflation. Almost everything we buy uses energy to produce, market, and transport. The high gas prices are just the beginning.
Ben
Ben
JimR
Elite Member
Everything is going up but the little guys paycheck. Here is where you get a division in the people. The Have's and the Have not's. The Have's don't care about what things cost as they have plenty of money to buy whatever they need. The Havenot's have to scrounge to make ends meet. Maybe someday the sytem will fail again and the Have's money won't be worth a nickle just like during the Great Depression. The Havenot's will survive because they know how to. I fall into between those lines and try to keep an eye on what's going on in the world and what we spend our hard earned money on. We won't buy a new car as it is one of the worst investments that you can make. I'm still using the tractor as little as possible and riding the motorcycle to conserve on fuel costs. The oil companies can make their money elsewhere. I think a weekend stoppage of any kind of travel and buying would put a big dent in the countries economy and show these companies that we are not going to take it anymore. There would be a sudden glut of gas on hand for sure just from one weekend of no driving. I am all for a "National Shutdown The Country Weekend" So how do we go about doing it?
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I think a weekend stoppage of any kind of travel and buying would put a big dent in the countries economy and show these companies that we are not going to take it anymore. There would be a sudden glut of gas on hand for sure just from one weekend of no driving. I am all for a "National Shutdown The Country Weekend" So how do we go about doing it? )</font>
go to www.gasolineboycottday.org
Bad part is that it doesn't do anything. It's been tried almost every year since 1999. Check out snopes.com or urbanlegends.com or do a google search for "gasoline boycott" for what happened (or actually didn't) each time this was tried.
Brian
go to www.gasolineboycottday.org
Bad part is that it doesn't do anything. It's been tried almost every year since 1999. Check out snopes.com or urbanlegends.com or do a google search for "gasoline boycott" for what happened (or actually didn't) each time this was tried.
Brian
JimR
Elite Member
NEWS Update, Harvey's Gas station in Quincy Ma. has taken the bull by the horns and threw it at the oil companies. Today he closed down his gas pumps. He's sick and tired of the unreasonable high prices and his customers constant complaining. He has closed down his pumps until the prices go down. He said he will concentrate on renting his rental trucks and running his convenience store. More power to you Harvey.
He probably figured he'd be money ahead to save the gas he has in the ground at current prices for himself as prices climb. He can probably be further ahead financially than continuing to pay the increases for his personal use. During the last great gas crunch in the 70's, a wealthy friend of ours partnered up with a couple of other folks who had spare cash and bought a gas station near West Palm Beach with full underground tanks. They shut the station down and used it as their own private supply. He would fill 55 gallon barrels and haul them to the Keys in his pickup; he was the only one down there with fuel for his boat.
Of course, the crunch that time was more a shortage of fuel than higher prices. We all suspected at the time that the oil companies had manufactured the crisis but while they made more money, they didn't sell as much. This time, they did a better job setting up the crisis. There is no shortgage, but the price keeps going up and they keep making more money. Are we that much more stupid than we were back then? At that time, they had to manufacture a shortage to justify the increased prices; now they just shove the prices down our throats.
I suppose we are that much more stupid; at that time, we went to smaller, more fuel-efficent vehicles. This time, we (collectively) just keep on driving the monster trucks.
Sigh. It is very difficult for me to keep politics out of this post.
Of course, the crunch that time was more a shortage of fuel than higher prices. We all suspected at the time that the oil companies had manufactured the crisis but while they made more money, they didn't sell as much. This time, they did a better job setting up the crisis. There is no shortgage, but the price keeps going up and they keep making more money. Are we that much more stupid than we were back then? At that time, they had to manufacture a shortage to justify the increased prices; now they just shove the prices down our throats.
I suppose we are that much more stupid; at that time, we went to smaller, more fuel-efficent vehicles. This time, we (collectively) just keep on driving the monster trucks.
Sigh. It is very difficult for me to keep politics out of this post.
slowrev
Elite Member
The current high energy costs will filter on down thru the manufacturing and distribution/retailing chain and we WILL have increased inflation. It is inevitable. We are beginning to see prices increases in virtually everything based on the price of energy used to make the product going up. This inflationary trend will accelerate thru the remainder of this year and well into next year.
If we all do as we should the demand for vehicle fuel should go down. I have cut my fuel usage by 50% over the last 2 months. I have not really suffered any as a result of my cutback, just more efficient usage and less waste on useless or nearly useless trips.
Ben
If we all do as we should the demand for vehicle fuel should go down. I have cut my fuel usage by 50% over the last 2 months. I have not really suffered any as a result of my cutback, just more efficient usage and less waste on useless or nearly useless trips.
Ben
Highbeam
Super Member
Keep doing that slowrev. That leaves more fuel for me. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I look at it as price fixing. What if the toilet paper manufacturers all got together and decided to charge 10$ per roll? We have to pay it right? Record profits for the TP guys. If there is no shortage of supply to feed the demand and the price keeps climbing then it can't be explained any other way.
Isn't there some rule against price fixing? Is that what we are seeing? There will be a point where people call uncle and stop using TP or fuel and my hope is that they all cry uncle before I do.
I look at it as price fixing. What if the toilet paper manufacturers all got together and decided to charge 10$ per roll? We have to pay it right? Record profits for the TP guys. If there is no shortage of supply to feed the demand and the price keeps climbing then it can't be explained any other way.
Isn't there some rule against price fixing? Is that what we are seeing? There will be a point where people call uncle and stop using TP or fuel and my hope is that they all cry uncle before I do.
JimR
Elite Member
Now is a good time for the ---------- to step up to the plate and stop this nonsense. The school systems are crying bloody murder. School will be opening up in a few weeks. They are complaining about the cost to run the buses and heat the buildings. My suggestion is to pass the increase on to the people responsible for it. I sure as all **** don't want my taxes going up because of artificial inflation caused by the increase of prices by greedy corporations. Maybe the buses won't roll and the parents will have to drive their kids back and forth to school instead. It will only be a matter of time before all **** breaks out with the bus companies. They have set contracts for the school systems. They can't operate at a loss for long. With the high price of gas they are going to be in trouble.
