Gas Prices...ways to save

[nccanes]

Not that I haven't noticed previously, lol, but today the N/O had an article (in a series) about rising gas prices.

I know most of the ways to make your car more efficient, but figured it's always good to re-read them.

Main article:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/growth/traffic/gas/story/1011143.html

Tips on being more fuel efficient
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/growth/traffic/gas/story/1011052.html

Database of prices:
http://www.newsobserver.com/1181/story/180224.html

I admit that I don't normally "shop" for gas prices, mostly just because I'm too lazy to think about it.

I have started thinking about prices a lot more lately. I hope I can work from home more often to save about $5/day.

Anyone else cutting back? Figuring out other ways to save?

[caneshockeychick]

Luckily, I live close to both my jobs so, that's a good thing for me. I can go from 2 weeks to 3 between fillups based upon how much I work at the HT. Also, I usually do my grocery shopping after work. I don't go home then go back out. It's on my way from the full time job and if I'm at HT, well..

And I just gave in and shop for everything there (food, hair care, detergents, etc). I figure by the time I get to a Walmart, I'll have spent in gas what I would have saved so what's the point. I hate hitting so many different stores when one place will suffice for most. I don't eat out anymore. I bring my lunch to the FT job and dinner/snack to HT so I don't have to leave. Saves more than just gas money :D

[nccanes]

chc, I've read where grocery prices have gone up due to the gas. I know my grocery bill is always more than I expect (has been that way for YEARS, lol), but wondered if you knew that to be true. I'm not much of a price watcher, so I wouldn't necessarily notice.

[caneshockeychick]

I'm not much of a price watcher either but I'm guessing some things have gone up. I do tend to try and buy things not only when they are on sale but when I have a coupon for said item (HT doubles coupons every day and triples them on some weekends).

As someone who's also involved in Crop insurance, I can say that the price of fruits and veggies and anything made w/corn, wheat, soybeans, etc has definitely gone up due to the many natural disasters this past year (droughts in the East, floods in the West) and the fact that so much corn is going into the ethanol arena. Because of this, your livestock farmers are having to pay more $$$ for feed and I'm sure the price of any livestock will go up to cover that expense.

BTW the price of beer has gone (or will go)up this year. I noticed we did not insure a lot of barley this year and from what I heard from our agents, not a lot of farmers were planting it this year. :(

[PennsylvaniaCanesFan]

Unfortunately for me, driving less is not an option. I had to cut other areas of the budget up to compensate for fuel costs. I drive 1500-2000 miles a month. My fuel costs per month are over $200. My car is a bit of a gas hog to boot (3.4L 6 cyl.) But I still have to pay it off and it's not worth a lot for a trade in at this point. So for the time being, I'm stuck.

I do a lot more errands at once now. It's a far cry from my last place I lived in. I could take a 1 min drive to the grocery store. It was nice getting fresh meat and veggies everyday for dinner. Now I have to stock up for a week or two. I buy a lot in bulk now as well. I don't take a trip to the convenience store anymore for Red Bull. I buy a case from Sam's Club now.

I think I was rambling a bit there...

[SC06]

Unfortunately I commute about 100 miles a day and that won't change anytime soon, but I drive a Prius and that helps me financially as the price of gas stays high. I do all the little things I can to get my mileage up as high as I can, like coasting to stops and avoiding fast takeoffs.

I probably piss off a lot of people because at just 5 miles over the speed limit I am passed like I am on 4 cylinders at the Daytona 500. Why is everyone in such a hurry and where do they get all that extra money for gas and speeding tickets?

[crumudgeonly_caniac]

As someone who's also involved in Crop insurance, I can say that the price of fruits and veggies and anything made w/corn, wheat, soybeans, etc has definitely gone up due to the many natural disasters this past year (droughts in the East, floods in the West) and the fact that so much corn is going into the ethanol arena. Because of this, your livestock farmers are having to pay more $$$ for feed and I'm sure the price of any livestock will go up to cover that expense.

:(

The ethanol and alternative fuels boom/boondoggle is fueling the commodity markets, with Corn double the price of 2yrs ago, and wheat and Soybeans nearly triple their historical averages. Beef and pork prices are holding relatively steady but the prices in the stores will continue to rise due to shipping cost that occur after leaving the farm gate. I won't bore the group with any further details, but suffice it to say that with the weakened dollar and inputs skyrocketing, grocery prices will follow.

[Mona2006]

Well I totally understand the need for these outrageous prices. If not, the oil companies can't get their billions of dollars in profit and their big wigs might go broke. :mad::fire:

I live near I-40 in Johnston County so the gas is usually about 10 cents more a gallon than in downtown Raleigh.

[MeanGene]

I have found these things helpful. Whenever I start going from a stopped position, I go slowly. I get honked at, but whatever. It is also safer as someone could be running a red light.

If I am not in a hurry, I drive the speed limit on the interstate. I will not go under the speed limit as that is a death wish.

I drive my car in automatic mode. I have the option of driving it as a manual, but that takes more gas according to the owners book.

I did all of these things along with having the correct tire pressure in my car and I got about 75 more miles out of my tank.

[caneshockeychick]

chc, I've read where grocery prices have gone up due to the gas. I know my grocery bill is always more than I expect (has been that way for YEARS, lol), but wondered if you knew that to be true. I'm not much of a price watcher, so I wouldn't necessarily notice.

Funny that yesterday we talked about this, and today, I read this

Food Prices Soaring Worldwide Thanks to Freak Weather, Global Economy Changes

- From subsistence farmers eating rice in Ecuador to gourmets feasting on escargot in France, consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions.

Freak weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in China and India.

The rest of the article is here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,341112,00.html

It's pretty interesting stuff.

[nccanes]

Wow! Will definitley read the article. Someone I know (who obviously pays closer attention to what she buys) said a recent grocery bill was about 20% higher. I don't know if that was accurate (hell 1 or 2 "expensive" items can throw a bill out of whack).

So, isn't it Kat that say how much you can save shopping at a Super Wal*Mart? When my kids were little, we used to go very early on Sat mornings to Wal*Mart and get formula and diapers (and anything else we needed). I've really started to consider doing that again. Of course, my kids sleep until noon now, but the dog still gets me up early :lol:. Is Wal*Mart not crazy at 8am on a Saturday? Because I can't stand it when it's busy!

[hyena]

This is a helpful website

http://www.raleighgasprices.com/

[VandyCane]

The only time Super Wal-Mart isn't busy is during thunderstorms! :laugh: I save at least a dollar for each lean cuisine I buy. We usually buy 8/week (that's what Mr. VC and I eat for lunch). As much as I love HT and the Lowe's behind Carmax, knowing that the same food would cost me 20-25% less at Wal-Mart makes me put up with the madness.

Back on the subject of gas prices. I think it's crazy that the BJ's a Triangle Town charges $3.11 for gas, but the one at Brier Creek charges $3.17. It comes from the same supplier, why the huge markup? Of course the closest gas station to my house is at $3.29--obviously they are making a decent profit as well.

[SoCalcaniac]

We do the same thing Vandy- I am not a Wal-Mart gal per se, but we have started shopping at the newly opened one in Holly Springs- it hasn't quite 'caught on' or something because we've been in there in mid afternoon on Saturday and Sunday and it has been painless to shop and you don't run into people - we're normally HT shoppers, and I've always been a triple coupon person, and even though it is only two of us, it really didn't seem like we spent 'alot' on groceries but it did seem to start to creep up; so we decided to try walmart just to check the place out; I am kinda finicky about certain brands and things that I buy, but have been able to find things like Nutella which at HT is $3 49 (not on sale) and at Walmart, it's $2.19 every day. It's stuff like that where you just can't say oh well I'm sticking with my routine. Their organic stuff is also a great buy- especially the spinach. So I'm sucked into Walmart shopping.....

We were up in Pittsburgh and were mortified when we passed a shell station at $3.45 per gallon and my sisters report in Socal there are spots that are $4.00 and up. Unreal.

Luckily, I now work at home 4 1/2 days a week; the gas thing is insane.

[caneshockeychick]

Is gas really that much more insane than buying a $5+ dollar of coffee everyday? I see people here at work who ***** and moan about the price of gas but stop at DD, Starbucks or caribou every single day and bring their large coffees in. That's $30+ a week!!!!:eek2: If I want flavored coffee well, there are cheaper ways to go about getting it. ;)

The only time I'll go to a Starbucks, et al. is if I'm out shopping, craving a coffee and have the money to treat myself (word to the wise, I rarely shop :lol:). I haven't had a Starbucks coffee in over 6 months.

[nccanes]

I'll definitely have to start hitting he Wal*mart! Of course, I'm going out of town this weekend, so it'll have to wait until I return for my maiden voyage.

[nccanes]

*timeout* :D

I have no idea what's going on in the Political forum these days (never did ask for access), but I'm sure this conversation belongs there. :kiss:

Thanks for all the feedback on the walmart stuff. I'm sure I'l kick myself for choosing convenience over cost for so long. Funny how your pennies start to look so valuable when you are paying >$50 to fill up your tank and your kids are just a few years away from college! :eek2:

[Mona2006]

Speaking of groceries and prices, I found this at wraltv.com. Thought you all might find it interesting.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/flash/2603702/

[caneshockeychick]

^while HT appears to be higher than Wal-Mart, they seem to be lower than the others on some items. Kroger looks to be the most expensive.

It amazes me how cheap bananas are. I'm allergic so it sucks that I can't eat them or I'd eat one every day. BTW, they are never on sale!!! :lol:

Reality is, I shop for one so, I'm definitely not buying the same things others are buying when they shop for more than that. IMO, buying things when they are half price, on sale, with double coupons, I come out better shopping at HT than I would by driving to the Wally world out in Brier Creek (plus I don't get sucked into buying a CD or DVD while at Wally world:D). Most times, after my shopping. I've spent $50-$70 but I've saved anywhere from $25 to $50 by using coupons and buying sale items that I need.

[puck_it]

*timeout* :D

I have no idea what's going on in the Political forum these days (never did ask for access), but I'm sure this conversation belongs there. :kiss:
:eek2:

good call. discussion of rich people/oil companies/etc are now in political forum. PM a mod for access

[Canesluver]

It amazes me how cheap bananas are. I'm allergic so it sucks that I can't eat them or I'd eat one every day.

OMG! SO AM I!! You are the first person I've ever known who's allergic to bananas, like me. Don't you get so sick of people acting like you're some kind of freak because you can't eat a banana? :lol:

[nccanes]

I can eat bananas, but I choose not to. Too bad since they are so cheap! :lol:

[caneshockeychick]

OMG! SO AM I!! You are the first person I've ever known who's allergic to bananas, like me. Don't you get so sick of people acting like you're some kind of freak because you can't eat a banana? :lol:

Yep. I do.

I love them though but I just break out so bad, I refuse to have anything to do with them. Can't even eat my mom's homemade (and I mean she makes everything from ingredients, no boxed stuff except for the 'Nilla Wafers) banana pudding :(

Did you know, that's the biggest seller at any grocery store. I bet 8 out of 10 people that go thru my lines have at least 3 bananas in their cart or basket. Heck, on Fri/Sat nights people come in and the biggest sellers are beer, bananas and bread and most people are buying all three :lol:

[Canesluver]

That big a seller? Wow! Had no idea. What's ironic is that I do most of the grocery shopping, and my husband with his current medical condition is advised to eat a banana every day to replace the potassium he's losing as a side-effect of one of the meds. I pick them-out-- just can't eat 'em!

The allergy affects me differently than you, it sounds like. I don't get hives-- the inside of my mouth/throat/eustachion tubes will itch and swell to the point that my airway could be blocked and I'd go into respiratory arrest. I guess that's anaphalactic shock? (have no idea how to spell that).

[Mona2006]

Wow CL didn't realize you could have such an allergy to bananas. :( I am glad that it isn't as bad as shell fish so that even if you touch them you have a reaction.

[StormShaman]

That big a seller? Wow! Had no idea. What's ironic is that I do most of the grocery shopping, and my husband with his current medical condition is advised to eat a banana every day to replace the potassium he's losing as a side-effect of one of the meds. I pick them-out-- just can't eat 'em!

What's he taking, Lasix or HCTZ?

(BTW, raisins are also a good source of potassium, as are sweet potatoes, beet greens, butterbeans, soybeans (mmmm....edamame!), winter squash, spinach, and reg'lar old potatoes)

[caneshockeychick]

Triple coupon weekend at the HT this weekend (or at least the one I shop at according to my E-VIC newsletter ;) )!!!

[toastmasterbone]

I want an electric car. I don't have $40K - $60K, so I need to sell a few more pencils out of my little mug when I'm in my hot spot under the bridge.

The ZAP Obvio (100% electric) sounds good for a 3-seater:

http://www.zapworld.com/files/obvio-012/012.jpg

VehiclePerformance
Range: 200 - 240 miles
Acceleration: 0 to 60 < 4.5 secs with 200HP's
Top Speed: 120 mph
Charge Rate: 30 minutes for 20 - 50 miles
Full Charge: 2 hrs (fast), 5 hrs (normal)


They're working on the ZAP-X sedan, but that's $60K.

Tesla (http://www.teslamotors.com/)has a 2-seater in the mix (the Roadster), but I have no idea how much those are going for. All I know is that I want one (see the object of my lust for yourself):

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w1C44JQU7Pc&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w1C44JQU7Pc&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[MeanGene]

That big a seller? Wow! Had no idea. What's ironic is that I do most of the grocery shopping, and my husband with his current medical condition is advised to eat a banana every day to replace the potassium he's losing as a side-effect of one of the meds. I pick them-out-- just can't eat 'em!

The allergy affects me differently than you, it sounds like. I don't get hives-- the inside of my mouth/throat/eustachion tubes will itch and swell to the point that my airway could be blocked and I'd go into respiratory arrest. I guess that's anaphalactic shock? (have no idea how to spell that).


I have the same thing happen to me when I eat some fruits. It used to be bananas, but I can eat them now. Cherries are the worst! All melons do it too. Avacado also affects me, but I eat it anyway. One time my tongue swoll up so big it looked like I got stung by a swarm of bees on my tongue.

[Kat]

Wow! Will definitley read the article. Someone I know (who obviously pays closer attention to what she buys) said a recent grocery bill was about 20% higher. I don't know if that was accurate (hell 1 or 2 "expensive" items can throw a bill out of whack).

So, isn't it Kat that say how much you can save shopping at a Super Wal*Mart? When my kids were little, we used to go very early on Sat mornings to Wal*Mart and get formula and diapers (and anything else we needed). I've really started to consider doing that again. Of course, my kids sleep until noon now, but the dog still gets me up early :lol:. Is Wal*Mart not crazy at 8am on a Saturday? Because I can't stand it when it's busy!

Yes, that is me. The one at Brier Creek is not busy after 10PM on weeknights, usually... but you can't get sandwich meats then. I have found that between 8 and 10 is okay most of the time, though. Sat/Sun is nuts.

The only time Super Wal-Mart isn't busy is during thunderstorms! :laugh: I save at least a dollar for each lean cuisine I buy. We usually buy 8/week (that's what Mr. VC and I eat for lunch). As much as I love HT and the Lowe's behind Carmax, knowing that the same food would cost me 20-25% less at Wal-Mart makes me put up with the madness.

Back on the subject of gas prices. I think it's crazy that the BJ's a Triangle Town charges $3.11 for gas, but the one at Brier Creek charges $3.17. It comes from the same supplier, why the huge markup? Of course the closest gas station to my house is at $3.29--obviously they are making a decent profit as well.

Yup, I put up with the madness for that reason too. Esp in the produce and meat sections, and if you can go great value on the other stuff you save even more.

Is gas really that much more insane than buying a $5+ dollar of coffee everyday? I see people here at work who ***** and moan about the price of gas but stop at DD, Starbucks or caribou every single day and bring their large coffees in. That's $30+ a week!!!!:eek2: If I want flavored coffee well, there are cheaper ways to go about getting it. ;)

The only time I'll go to a Starbucks, et al. is if I'm out shopping, craving a coffee and have the money to treat myself (word to the wise, I rarely shop :lol:). I haven't had a Starbucks coffee in over 6 months.

I buy a $7 5 lb can of great value dark french roast, and it does me just fine for about a month of making super strong 4 cup pots of coffee. I honestly can't see that much difference, but maybe my palate isn't refined or something.

I wish I could save more in gas but my commute is pretty bad and my car is not that fuel-efficient. I deliberately gave up my 5 min commute for this job, but at a $10K + benefits pay raise, so I think I am still out ahead. I probably spend $2400 a year in gas at current rates, filling up once a week at an avg. of $45 a fillup.

I almost never eat out at lunch but I do drive the 5 min to the gym and back. Then again, I may make that up in mooching off the gym shower. :)

[nccanes]

I paid 2.75 today. :(

[Guyute]

I'd KILL to pay $2.75

[Mona2006]

Driving in to work this morning they were talking about gas prices on the radio and mentioned that Bush is meeting with some Saudi big wig. They said that Arabians are mad at the US for not contributing more to the distribution of OUR oil. Do we still have plentiful oil here? I know the oil rigs are still in the ocean.. what about in Texas..Alaska??

[nccanes]

I'd KILL to pay $2.75

:lol: Oops. $3.75.

[puck_it]

only place that i know of that isn't tapped, is ANWAR in Alaska. But that is a dead lock between oil companies and environmental lobbies. Its supposed to be a pretty significant cache.

At any rate, any discussion about whether or not to drill should be in the political forum.

[Mona2006]

:lol: Oops. $3.75.

Girl you were about to start a stampede at your gas station. :lol:

[PennsylvaniaCanesFan]

Up to $3.90 here in York, PA.

[e2ipiand1]

We've got large untapped oil reserves in ANWR, the Dakotas (oil sands), and off the coasts of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and California.

Also, a big oil deposit was recently found off the coast of Brazil. However, according to what we know about oil formation, it shouldn't be there. That's going to result in a whole 'nother round of oil exploration off the US coasts.

[Shell]

"off the coasts of" just gives me the shivers.. you see as a small girl, I moved from Florida to Texas. The first time I went into that Texas water with my new pretty pastel bathing suit, and literally when I got out, it was black, I knew we should have never moved! lol

[Canesluver]

The whole discussion reinforces the urgency of continued human energy/talent spent on developing other forms of fuel.

[puck_it]

The whole discussion reinforces the urgency of continued human energy/talent spent on developing other forms of fuel.

go fuel cells :)

(its what my company does the most business in, fuel cell research/testing equipment)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

$3.77 today. :sick:

[kermelbar]

On the subject of Wal-Mart, I go to the one off Falls in North Raleigh and I find the best time to go is during what I like to call the heathen shopping hours -- Sunday morning, while a lot of folks are in Sunday school. (And I guess some others are in bed, nursing hangovers ... ;.) If I can get out of there by 10 a.m., I've had a fairly pleasant shopping experience.

[Guyute]

Caught the tail end of a report on "hypermilers" this morning before heading to work. It was a gal in a Prius, that was getting about 48mpg when doing her normal driving, then had this guy with her telling her to never drive over the speed limit, accelerate evenly and not too fast, etc.. she went up to 78mpg. Her drive only took 4 minutes longer and saved considerable gas.

Me driving the speedlimit would be one of the hardest personality changes I'd ever have to make. :lol: But damn, at $55 fillups every 4-5 days.... something is going to have to give.

[nccanes]

I rarely drive over the speed limit when I'm commuting so I don't have that kind of savings available. I guess I could work on my accelaration though.

As mentioned in the "car" thread, we really have to add and/or replace vehicles. We've waffled back and forth a million times on what we get and who drives what based on the commutes. I've realized that we should really get another sedan and go for the gas savings. I know mini-vans aren't the cat's pajamas, but I've gotten used to being "up" a little on the road. But I just don't think I can justify getting something (like an SUV, my van days are behind me - though I'll still contend that having that versatility of a van comes in handy) that's not getting very good gas mileage.

[kermelbar]

ncc, I seem to recall we talked about my Mazda3 when I met you for tickets? I get about 23mpg running-around-Raleigh. (I'm on the beltline between Six Forks and Glenwood and I'm a last-minute braker. I definitely don't drive for gas mileage. =.) When I go home to West Virginia -- which is all interstate, but also working its way uphill -- I get about 38mpg.

[nccanes]

Awesome. I'm definitely still considering that!!! I'm glad to hear that mpg news (I'm not sure we talked about that when we discussed it previously -- or I've forgotten). My van probably doesn't even get 20 (though I like to think it does) in town and that's with a stretch on 540 each day.

Thanks for the scoop!

[Guyute]

With a 2nd kid on the way our need to go the mini-van route is fast approaching. I LOVE our Highlander. But yeah, a V6 SUV isn't getting very good gas mileage. Shell's Mom got a new Odyssey (Honda mini-van) which is also a V6, heavy vehicle... but as with a lot of newer vehicles, it's an "on-demand" engine, so in highway cruising, it drops it's active cylinders, and gas mileage gets Much better.
We carpooled to SC a few weeks ago, and we were burning through gas a good bit faster than they were. Doing 80 really kills gas mileage. Unless half your engine shuts down while you're doing it. lol

[puck_it]

hmm.. i didnt know displacement on demand was available yet. sweet.

[KaniacFever]

About 1.5 years ago, the department in my company was going bye bye. I luckily was able to find another job beforehand, but I had to take a paycut. I continued driving around with my SUV which I absoultly loved, but putting in $50-60 per week just wasn't cutting it anymore. Even though I live like 10 minutes from work that thing guzzled gas. Anyway Sep 2007, I did the hardest thing and traded in my SUV for a Yaris. I miss my SUV, but when I only have to visit the gas station every 2-2.5 weeks depending on where I drive and I have yet to put more than $32 in my tank to fill it, I am happy with missing the SUV.

[nccanes]

Wow 59. $32 would rock!

I worked with a guy that said he'd NEVER make a decision on driving a vehicle because of the MPG. Now, I suppose if you are totally insulated from the cost of inflation because you made SO much money, that's one thing. But this guy had a long commute (about 40 miles on I40) and was the sole income for his family. Since I worked there too, I knew he wasn't getting double digit raises every year.

Anyway, his "theory" was that he compared the difference in the cost of fueling a high MPG car with his SUV and decided it was worth the difference. That's all well an good until prices start to rise.

[caneshockeychick]

There are days that I miss my Blazer :(but not on gas filling days ;) . I traded it in when I was living in FL and gas prices right after Katrina were high. I was putting $60 back in 2005/2006. Ugh!! And boy did it drink that stuff up. Once a week for a fillup.

I love my little car now, and while its not a hybrid, nor a honda or toyota or anything else like that, I can go usually 2.5 weeks before putting the $$$ in. I like that :D

[Canesluver]

Maybe I should start riding a horse to work....

High Gas Prices Drive Farmer to Switch to Mules

MCMINNVILLE, Tenn. — High gas prices have driven a Warren County farmer and his sons to hitch a tractor rake to a pair of mules to gather hay from their fields. T.R. Raymond bought Dolly and Molly at the Dixon mule sale last year. Son Danny Raymond trained them and also modified the tractor rake so the mules could pull it.
T.R. Raymond says the mules are slower than a petroleum-powered tractor, but there are benefits.
"This fuel's so high, you can't afford it," he said. "We can feed these mules cheaper than we can buy fuel. That's the truth."
And Danny Raymond says he just likes using the mules around the farm.
"We've been using them quite a bit," he said.
Brother Robert Raymond added, "It's the way of the future."

[Shell]

we rode a mule through downtown over the weekend, and I can tell ya that it won't make you friends with most drivers on the road LOL.. it is also just awkward if you rear end someone!

[crumudgeonly_caniac]

we rode a mule through downtown over the weekend, and I can tell ya that it won't make you friends with most drivers on the road LOL.. it is also just awkward if you rear end someone!


:lol: Not sure how you meant rear ended by a mule, but ahhhhhh the images that come to mind.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

we rode a mule through downtown over the weekend, and I can tell ya that it won't make you friends with most drivers on the road LOL.. it is also just awkward if you rear end someone!

WTF have you been smoking? :crazy:

[Guyute]

Should've seen me with a boombox on my shoulder so we could still have the tunez whilst we puttered along on that nag. rofl

[puck_it]

only guyute and shell...

[Mona2006]

I just saw on the 11:00 news that prices went up again today .. some stations they were showing were $3.99 for regular. They also said that some reports are saying that gas could be $7.00 a gallon before the end of next year.

This worries me.

[Guyute]

Our Sheetz was $3.72 two days ago. Yesterday I think it was around $3.75.
Tonight, as we came home... $3.87. This weekend is a big travelling weekend, I'm expecting to see pretty close to $4 by Saturday.

[nccanes]

Gosh I guess we need to fill up today in hopes we save a few pennies! Crazy!

[puck_it]

$7 a gallon? yikes.

However, if i remember right, that's about the point in which hydrogen powered cars become cheaper than gasoline powered. So, maybe it will finally get the country off it's ass and innovate, instead of saying "yeah, we'd like to have it... but gas is still cheaper so we wont really fund to research it like it needs to be". At this pace it might be like 2030 before we see cars running on hydrogen.

[Guyute]

It wasn't that long ago that we were shopping for a new ride. The same version of the Highlander that we bought in a Hybrid form was a good bit more expensive, and it would've taken like 8 years to "break even" and make the initial financial burden worth it, in gas savings.
That length is getting drastically shorter. Had I known that before we reached '09 we'd be over $4/gal (hell, maybe $5), it would've been a MUCH bigger consideration.

[G-Vegas Caniac]

Our Sheetz was $3.72 two days ago. Yesterday I think it was around $3.75.
Tonight, as we came home... $3.87. This weekend is a big travelling weekend, I'm expecting to see pretty close to $4 by Saturday.

Yeah it's $3.95-3.98 here in Greenville...Geez, this is getting crazy.:crazy:

[toastmasterbone]

I'm equidistant to (northern) Chapel Hill, Durham, Burlington, and Danville, Va (30 minutes each). Forgetting milk or bread is a bad thing because we routinely consolidate our shopping so that we don't waste fuel going hither and yon ("Damn... forgot eggs... see ya' in 90 minutes, honey!"). With fuel prices going berserk, we may have to start shopping in Danville just to save the 0.15/gallon on gas. (The problem, of course, is that I don't know what to consolidate our food shopping with... Autozone? Pizza Hut?)

I don't know if any of y'all read FastCompany, but I think it's about the best "hip" business magazine out there. It's set up for the entrepreneur, but everyone who visits our house seems to really like it.

Although this isn't about how to save on gas prices, they had a great article about a guy who reconfigures muscle cars to run on biodeisel, but reconfigures them using nearly all the manufacturer's original parts. He wanted to get his Hummer up to 60 MPG, ad did so while doubling the HP from 300 to 600.
"Conservatively," Goodwin muses, scratching his chin, "it'll get 60 miles to the gallon. With 2,000 foot-pounds of torque. You'll be able to smoke the tires. And it's going to be superefficient."

He laughs. "Think about it: a 5,000-pound vehicle that gets 60 miles to the gallon and does zero to 60 in five seconds!"

It's a very interesting read: FastCompany Issue 120 | November 2007 (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah.html).

[Guyute]

He laughs. "Think about it: a 5,000-pound vehicle that gets 60 miles to the gallon and does zero to 60 in five seconds!"
Man. I need to hang out with that dude.

[Mona2006]

The cheapest gas we saw in Virginia was $3.64 a gallon. That was on the scenic road into Williamsburg.

[Guyute]

Our Sheetz has been $3.83 since Friday. I'm surprised, because everyone else around (even the main competition for them 2 blocks away) was at $3.89.
I saw a $3.99 on my travels (which were only around Raleigh) too.

[hyena]

I think I'm going to start riding the TTA bus to work. Well, half the way anyway. Free for State students and it will shave 18 miles per day off my commute.

[Canesluver]

Finally! Somebody has a good idea!

I keep pulling up this thread, which is title "Gas Prices.. ways to save," and nobody's been offering any "ways to save,"--- just b!tching about prices.

I want suggestions, people!!! I want Ways To Save, dammit!!! Even, if it's just to keep my tires properply inflated!!! G&*%^$#@*&^%$

[StormShaman]

I think I'm going to start riding the TTA bus to work. Well, half the way anyway. Free for State students and it will shave 18 miles per day off my commute.

TTA = win! I take it every day to/from work, and I love it. The only thing that bites is that there is no midday service to/from North Raleigh, so if I have to leave work early I need to take my chances with the CAT bus. :crazy:

[Guyute]

Finally! Somebody has a good idea!

I keep pulling up this thread, which is title "Gas Prices.. ways to save," and nobody's been offering any "ways to save,"--- just b!tching about prices.

I want suggestions, people!!! I want Ways To Save, dammit!!! Even, if it's just to keep my tires properply inflated!!! G&*%^$#@*&^%$

Buy a cycle. Now quitcherb!tchin! ;)

[Canesluver]

Hmmm..... my gut reaction is to kick you in the shins, and run.... but..... I'll refrain, since you did, in fact, offer a a valid "way to save"

:p

[Guyute]

oh, don't carry any unnecessary weight around in your vehicle, drive the speed limit, and keep your tires properly inflated. ;)

[crumudgeonly_caniac]

You forgot, "turn off the A/C and roll down the windows"

[Guyute]

negligible depending on speed. wind resistance can kill your mpg too. ;)

[caneshockeychick]

Yep. If you are on a highway, then yes, turn your ac on, no windows. Stop and go traffic? Lotsa lights? Roll your windows down and feel the breeze from outside.

[puck_it]

all those studies are always with A/C on max. which, i dont use it that high, but for maybe 5 minutes.

[Canesluver]

You forgot, "turn off the A/C and roll down the windows"

Actual Curmudgeon.... that has been proven to be false. The open car windows create extra drag, which forces your car to use more fuel that if you used the A/C at a moderate temp w/the windows up. If I remember correctly, that was proven on that show, Myth Busters.

[svandijk1]

Actually they had contradicting results on the show (and also did some stuff that didn;t really make the test "even"). In one test, the car with the windows down actually drove further then the one running the AC.

http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2004/11/mythbusters_boom_lift_catapult.html

[kermelbar]

I regret to notify y'all that, according to one recent story I read, is that those "flags supporting your favorite sports team" create drag and lower your mpg, too.

So, um, hooray for not making the playoffs, I guess? :(

When I'm driving where no one is behind me and I can get away with it without annoying anyone else (because I'm one of those easily annoyed drivers and understand), I've been trying to remember to coast instead of giving the gas. This may not save much, but every little bit helps, I hope.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923454/

Of course, there's no chance in hell that I'll ever drive a few miles below the speed limit ...

[SouthernHockeyChick]

There's no chance in hell I'll be turning my AC off during the summer in Raleigh. It's worth the extra money.

I'm thinking of just not going to work to save gas, myself. Can I call in poor?

[puck_it]

Actually they had contradicting results on the show (and also did some stuff that didn;t really make the test "even"). In one test, the car with the windows down actually drove further then the one running the AC.

http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2004/11/mythbusters_boom_lift_catapult.html

Drag force is velocity dependent. Its a square dependence, so every doubling of speed, force due to drag is increased four fold. But despite all this, there's a speed in which one is more efficient than the other. That speed depends primarily on the vehicle design.

Either way, going down the highway... it's AC by a huge margin.

That and mythbusters isnt proof of anything. That show has so many freaking problems with their experiments... Its fun to watch, but there's a fair amount of their conclusions that i wouldnt put any credence into (which to their credit they acknowledge this stuff and rarely confirm, typically they stop at plausible)

[RIO]

Ma's been using Kroger because they give you .15 cents off every gallon of gas for customer loyalty or using their credit card. Something like that. It's really helped, especially around my house where every nickel and dime counts.

[Guyute]

There's no chance in hell I'll be turning my AC off during the summer in Raleigh. It's worth the extra money.

I'm thinking of just not going to work to save gas, myself. Can I call in poor?
Agreed on both counts. When it's over 90 (hell, some times even Close to 90), the AC goes on. I LOVE driving with the windows down. But not A) when it's just a thick hot breeze slapping you in the face or B) when you're parked on 40/440/540 with no air movement at all.

We get paid on Friday. We get paid once a month. Pretty much we're used to that. But paying $60 fillups has really hurt. I'm going to have to fillup tonight or tomorrow, after not having been paid in almost a month. If I could afford the PTO to callout poor, I sure would, and wait until payday for the fillup. It's unreal.

[caneshockeychick]

Here's how some people are saving...Keep an eye out, it could hurt you. Makes me hate people even more:mad:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2961481/


Fill it up, then lock it up; gas theft rising along with prices

Posted: May. 29 11:12 p.m.
Updated: May. 29 11:50 p.m.

Retail gas prices rose Thursday to a new record above $3.95 a gallon. As prices soar, vehicle fuel tanks are becoming a target for thieves – fueling a boom in sales of locking gas caps.

“I knew how much gas I had,” Apex Town Manager Bruce Radford said.
Radford said he rented a car and left his truck at the rental car company overnight in what he thought was a safe place.

“It (truck) was well protected, very visible,” he added. “I came back the next morning, cranked the car, looked down at the gas needle and it was completely empty."

Thieves used Radford's truck as a gas pump – siphoning $50 worth of gas out of it.

“It doesn't take long to siphon out 10 (to) 15 gallons of gas and be on your way,” Apex Police Chief Jack Lewis said.

Stealing gas is a crime of opportunity that drivers can help prevent, Lewis said.

Drivers who don't release control their gas caps from inside their cars should look into purchasing a gas-cap lock that can cost $15 to $20.

“Opportunist criminals are looking for the easiest in and out, the fastest, the quickest way and they're gone and that's what happens,” Lewis said.
Radford said he considered a locked gas cap, but is holding off, for now.

“If this continues to happen, then I'll make that decision. But for the time being, we'll see how tough times get,” he added.

To help keep thieves away from your gas tank:

Try to park in a well-lit area with plenty of foot traffic.
Park with your gas cap facing a curb or park between two vehicles. That makes it difficult for someone to pull up next to you and siphon your gas.

[Mona2006]

People make me sick. A lot of us can barely afford to pay for gas to get to work and then these scumbags steal gas for joyriding. You know they don't have a job..and don't want one. :mad:

I saw this story on WRAL this morning and then they were showing a gas station on New Bern Avenue that was charging $4.00 a gallon. This sucks. :mad:

[StormShaman]

Radford said he considered a locked gas cap, but is holding off, for now.

“If this continues to happen, then I'll make that decision. But for the time being, we'll see how tough times get,” he added.

Dude, you just had ~$50 stolen from you--and you're NOT going to do something to protect yourself from future predations?! I've got little to no sympathy for you, mang. Seriously.

A locking gas cap is like $10 (if that) at Advance Auto Parts. Mr. Radford needs to buy one, because every freelance socialist in the Triangle will definitely be making his dumb ass a target now that he's said he won't do anything to protect himself from them.

[Guyute]

Seriously. How many times you want that to happen before it becomes "necessary"? Not only are you out $50+ each time, but you're also left with a vehicle that has no gas to get you to a gas station for more. No thanks.

[SoCalcaniac]

WTH? This happened in Apex- where I LIVE. To the freaking Town Manager of all people; I don't think gets paid all that well to just blow it off as nothing to worry about. :crazy:

It was all the talk among the cops and the staff inside Panera this morning when I stopped in. I'm not interested in getting $50 worth of gas stolen. and the cop that was filling up his coffee cup next to me even said it to a couple of us standing there- a gas cap lock isn't a bad idea, and at least you're protected. People are so crazy now, I don't see it as a panic reaction at all, I personally think people work too hard to just have stuff that they work for stolen right from under them. I'm presuming you can buy these gas cap locks at the AutoZone or Pep Boys?

[StormShaman]

Any auto parts place will have them. I think the most expensive one is like $25 or so, but to me it is money that's more than well-spent.

[nccanes]

Obviously I don't know Radford at all, but it might be possible that he is presuming that whomever took it needed it more than he did. When I read his quote, he reminded me of a bro-in-law I have that just presumes things like that until proven otherwise.

Either that or it was just a pc-like thing to say since it happened in the burb of Apex and he wanted to make it sounds like an isolated incident.

Or he's lazy. Or he thinks lightning won't strike twice. Or something. :lol:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

The car rental company probably took it.

[puck_it]

Ma's been using Kroger because they give you .15 cents off every gallon of gas for customer loyalty or using their credit card. Something like that. It's really helped, especially around my house where every nickel and dime counts.

Hows the kroger gas been treating your car? when i was in high school, there was a kroger gas station nearby. I, a few friends, and their families had been using it, and it crudded up the engines. We progressively started switching back to the mainline gas companies and noticed better gas milages and less gunk on stuff. But, when we stopped doing it, it was saving maybe 3 cents a gallon, and gas was only like $1.20-1.30... so it wasnt that big of a deal to go to the BP

[Guyute]

Everyone enjoy Worse gas mileage for the forseeable future. Temps around 99 for the next week, AC will be kickin. We'll probably drop below 20mpg. :(
No choice though. I'd rather spend money than sweat like a stuck pig for the hours a day I'm sitting in traffic.

[ontheboards]

I had my car in the shop yesterday for routine maintenence and complained to the service rep that my car was feeling very sluggish. He asked where I was buying my gas and I told him "BJs." I was advised that while the gas might be chaeper, it might not be as clean. The fuel might meet the octane rating, but might have more "junk" in it. He said this was true of Sam's, BJs and Costco-- I would guess Wal-Mart gets Sam's gas? Anyway, cleaned out the fuel system and got gas from a regular service station and whoa! Car is back to her old self.

Has anyone heard this before? Thoughts? Comments?

[puck_it]

look two posts above yours, kroger gas.

[Guyute]

yeah, I would never buy "no-name" gas personally. We have a couple of places around us that are named some random thing, nothing you've ever heard of. I don't care if they had gas at $2/gal, I'd skip it.

[StormShaman]

If you go to any Han-Dee Hugo (regardless of brand)--they all get their gas from a BP terminal, FWIW. Any additives that are brand-specific (BP, Exxon, etc) get added at the time the gas is pumped into the trucks--but it all start out as the same quality gas.

[puck_it]

thats like saying it all starts from the ground, so it's the same. it's hinging on engine performance. If additives get the trick done, then... the argument still remains the same.

[Guyute]

or if Gas A and Gas B are identical, but one gets put in a rusty holding tank vs one that's not....

[StormShaman]

Then the store with the rusty tank will get fined out the ass by the EPA. Just sayin'. :p

[Guyute]

Maybe not before ruining the engine on my 2007 ride though. :p

[StormShaman]

Maybe not before ruining the engine on my 2007 ride though. :p

OK, so they'll get fined out the ass by the EPA and you'll have grounds to sue. :beatup:

[caneshockeychick]

Earlier in this discussion we were talking about shopping. Well, I hopped in the car to hit the Super Wally last night. Left my house around 8:30 I would guess. Not too crowded (although they only had 3 checkout lanes open when it was time for me to check out). I did take my time to actually look at prices to see if there was any difference and on most of the items that I needed to buy (I took a list and only shopped off the list :D ) Walmart was cheaper. I think I used 5 or 6 coupons too. I came out spending less than $100. The best deals I could find were on the Smart Ones and on the Frozen Steamed Veggies. Over $1 cheaper at Wally World. I stocked up !!

I'm still going to hit HT for the fresh produce though because everything that I had on my list looked absolutely horrible at WM last night.

[nccanes]

Thanks for the report chc! I haven't started shopping at W-M yet, but that's mostly because when I realize I've GOT to get to the grocery store, it's just a time of day/week that I know it will be a mad house. I need to plan better!

[caneshockeychick]

Well, I knew there were a few things I absolutely needed last night (before today) so I went through the freezer, fridge and all cabinets in the kitchen and the bathroom and just made a list of things I was out of or running low on. Once I had that in hand, I made the choice to go to Walmart. I knew dog food was at least $2-$4 cheaper there (and I definitely needed dog food). I really made out much cheaper there although, I did know most of the prices from HT on stuff I buy all the time and could make that decision wisely.

Like for instance, Del Monte and Green Giant canned veggies. They are cheaper at WM but Margaret Holmes canned (southern ;) ) veggies, more expensive at WM by 25 cents and less selection. Plus like I mentioned above, frozen veggies and meals were much cheaper at WM.

[SoCalcaniac]

CHC- you're absolutely dead on about WM. Great report.

I think I mentioned earlier in the discussion, we were/are diehard Harris Teeter/Lowes shoppers- when the new Super Walmart opened up on 55 bypass on the Apex/Holly Springs border- we decided it's just the other direction of 55 so let's see what's up. I'm not a Walmart gal per se, always have done SuperTarget but not really to shop for food- so we have for the last 2-3 months probably since hockey season ended, we started going each week.

Now, I'm the spender in the family of 2- I know how to bargain shop for a great pair of shoes or handbag, but the food thing, not so much- hub is a numbers guy by profession so it's his natural inclination,lol, I'm more of a pick and choose what bargains I want to hunt down- but one would be foolish in this economy not to be mindful of costs- So my thing is I'm picky about organic vegetables, and what they cost, and vegetables in general, and there are certain things I buy (Nutella) and brands that you can only find at HT or Lowes, or so at least I thought, til I started the whole WM thing- they have Nutella for at least a $1.00 cheaper than the $3.49 HT price, the selection of vegetables is good most days we shop, but they can look a little like they were on the truck for awhile- sometimes- but overall, we're saving a ton. The selection is sometimes not broad and wide, however, we get most of the things on our list each week. They even sell Fiji water, and the liter price for the 6 pack is about 2 bucks cheaper than at Lowes or HT. I'm trying to avoid buying Lean Cuisine meals in favor of fresh chicken, fish or other protein & brown rice, but in a pinch I do buy them, and wow, you really see the difference.

It's really amazing how much you will save at Walmart- I've also noticed the big difference in the progresso soup cost and Barilla pastas stuff like that- and that is what adds up because you 'think' it's cheap at the grocery store, but WM is able to sell it even cheaper.

[Guyute]

I keep trying to find money to buy a Harley, for better gas mileage. I don't have it. But I keep telling Shell we can't afford NOT to buy one.

hasn't worked yet. :(

[caneshockeychick]

:lol: at guyute!!!

Another thing that wasn't so great about WM: Their Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Dazs selection was horrible!!! I really wanted some ice cream last night (not that I needed it so maybe that was a good thing :lol:)

[Kat]

I am a major WM shopper. However, if you really want something speciality (like your fancy ice cream CHC, or a decent beer selection) you are better off elsewhere.

Beverage prices (adult and otherwise) can also tend to be higher at WM. And produce is a crapshoot... sometimes they don't have what you want, or what you want looks skeevy.

Lunchmeat is another major saver there too... their deli is WAY cheaper than other grocery stores and sometimes even for the same brands.

[kermelbar]

I hit the Wally World on North Raleigh Monday night between 8:30 and 9:30 and it suhuhuhuhuhcked getting out of there. I think they had maybe one "real" lane open and the rest were self checkout. Now, I love me some self checkout, but when they're all three people deep, you need to open up some real checkouts. It didn't seem too crowded while I was shopping -- not as bad as a Saturday afternoon, but worse than what I think Monday night should be. (And still too many of those d*mn kids who have figured out the grocery side has an awesome echo and they scream just to hear the volume. Folks, it's 9 p.m. Those kids should be in bed and not here annoying me.)

Anyway. If I'm going to WalMart, I prefer the heathen/hangover shopping hours of Sunday morning.

The produce is hit and miss, but sometimes a pretty good hit. Though I was shocked Monday night to find NOT ONE SINGLE BANANA in the whole place.

My parents shop at the one near them in West Virginia and they find the meat prices (and usually the selection) to be better than most grocery stores, though there's not the grocery store competition there like we have here.

[Mona2006]

I keep trying to find money to buy a Harley, for better gas mileage. I don't have it. But I keep telling Shell we can't afford NOT to buy one.

hasn't worked yet. :(

If you talk Shell into it, my niece is working at Curly's Harley Dealership in Winston-Salem. She just started bike sales about two weeks ago and had sold 3 the last time I talked to her...and works on commission.. Just in case.. :D ;)

[Guyute]

That'd give me a nice ride home :)

[Mona2006]

That'd give me a nice ride home :)

It would.. but if Shell would let you in the house when you returned on your hog is a different story. :lol:

[Shell]

well, Mama's not approving, but if I did it would have to be 2 cycles.. he would be in huge trouble if he came home with just 1 LOL

[Guyute]

Hard to drive 2 home. We can get a second one once the 1st one is paid off. ;)

[Shell]

OK, but when we go out together on it, you're riding b$tch! :lol:

[Mona2006]

Ok so MAMA can hang on a hog too huh? Sounds like she is in the driver's seat. :lol:

Missy has one and looks good on it. I have never even attempted to drive it myself.. maybe I can ride it 1 mph and let my feet drag on the pavement? :D

[Guyute]

OK, but when we go out together on it, you're riding b$tch! :lol:

Uh, fat chance. lol

[4DFan]

Interesting discussion on energy conservation today:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91742292&ft=1&f=1025
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200806202

Plus specific tips for driving -
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/driving.html
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

And a really interesting discussion about the MPG vs GPM (gallons per mile) way of looking at fuel economy
http://mpgillusion.blogspot.com/

[puck_it]

to further that line of thought, on energy as a whole...

McCain called for construction of something like 45 nuclear reactors by 2030. Wer havent broken ground on a new reactor in 30 years. The designs out todat CANT melt down, but people are too scared. As well as the whole Yucca mountain hold up. Which, needs to be built. People are worried about the casks, but they really will last a million years. Wont get into the science of it, but trust me they will. We need to get the ball rolling on nuclear power and on carbon-capture coal plants.

we're sitting on the cusp of extrordinary advancements in energy, but funding isnt flowing. Well, it is begining to, now that gas isnt $1 a gallon and never will be.

[kermelbar]

This might be something some of you are doing already, but I've found it to be a very effective way to save money on groceries -- a weekly menu. I first did one a couple of years ago, when I started meeting with a nutritionist to lose weight while keeping my energy up for half-marathon training. She had a sample of a food diary that I did some tweaking to and came up with something that worked for me.

I'll admit that I fell off the wagon on doing my menu for a lonnnng time, due to working two jobs, personal life distractions, etc., but I'm back doing it because I'm focusing my efforts on losing weight again, but that's not the only reason that I find a weekly menu works for me.

First, although I spend about an hour (more or less) each week doing the menu, what it saves me in stress -- "What the hell am I going to eat tonight? What do I want for lunch today?" -- more than makes up for it. I can plan for days when I work both jobs, days when I plan to go to the gym, days when I have plans with friends, etc.

Second, I spend less on food because it's planned down to the cup and I waste less food because I plan to use things up. If I look at my menu and see I'm having apples for snacks four times this week, then I know I only need to buy four or five apples. If I plan to open a can of green beans for dinner on Monday, then I know to include the rest of the can for lunch or dinner in the next few days.

I do mine in Excel and save it to a jump drive, so that I can open it up at work and home, which is especially helpful when I'm brain dead in the morning and can't remember what I'm supposed to pack for the day. :) I sometimes print it out and stick it on the fridge, but I find I refer to it on the jump drive more often, for whatever reason.

Because I'm doing mine to lose weight, it's a little more, uh, uber-geeky than some of y'all might need. (The first worksheet is the weekly menu. The second is a list of pretty much every food/beverage I consume with calories, fat grams, cholesterol, carbs, protein and dietary fiber counts. Then there's a sheet for each day of the week where I copy the food over from sheet 2 and each day adds up what I've had and subtracts it from my goals/limits that my nutritionist set for me.)

I've attached an example of my weekly menu, should anyone be interested. (And if anyone would like to see the complete uber-geeky version, just send me a PM with your e-mail address.)

[puck_it]

is this supposed to be for the diet thread? :beatup:

[Shell]

yes, I hope your menu included baked beans,chili, and broccoli to stay on topic ;)

[Canesluver]

And what, exactly, do baked beans, chili and broccoli have to do with ways to save gas? :lol:

[kermelbar]

yes, I hope your menu included baked beans,chili, and broccoli to stay on topic <?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shape id=_x0000_i1026 style="WIDTH: 12pt; HEIGHT: 12pt" type="#_x0000_t75" alt=""><v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\KERRIB~1.000\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01 \clip_image002.gif" o:href="http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape>
<O:p
It's already been discussed -- in this thread -- how the cost of food is going up and how people are changing their grocery stores to get better deals. I just thought I'd offer another suggestion that not only saves me money, but time.

Besides, the purpose is to save gas, not make more of it. ;.)

is this supposed to be for the diet thread?

No. If it were meant for the diet thread, I would have put it there. I use it to lose weight, but I have friends who do a weekly menu to better plan their grocery shopping and so that everyone in the house knows what they're having for dinner every night of the week, which usually means less money spent on eating out.

[LostTexan]

I've found that the Shell station on Peace St. near Glenwood is usually about $0.10/gallon cheaper then most of the other places I pass. $3.89 today vs $3.99 at the BP by Five Points. It's not a lot but every little bit helps.

[nccanes]

I paid $3.82 in SC yesterday and actually saw it later for $3.75.

[caneshockeychick]

Yeah, I paid $3.75 in SC the weekend I went there for the family reunion. Sucks to see it here anywhere from $3.98 to $4.04 (the highest I've seen it while out)

[puck_it]

$3.95 here


<o>No. If it were meant for the diet thread, I would have put it there. people oops and forget which thread they're in... just askin if i should move it. i see what you're getting at, now, a general way to save money, not specifically gas.


so that everyone in the house knows what they're having for dinner every night of the week, which usually means less money spent on eating out.I could forsee a scenario where the opposite happens... "Meatloaf?! f*** that! I'm goin to bojangles!"

</o>

[Guyute]

lol puck_it. You can tell you're not married. You can't say that. :lol: ;)

Both of our gas stations by us are $3.89 and $3.90 as of this morning.

[Mona2006]

We know "somebody" can do something about this.. it is just a matter of somebody having the big brass ones to step up.


Gas could fall to $2 if Congress acts, analysts say

Limiting speculation would push prices to fundamental level, lawmakers told
By Rex Nutting & Michael Kitchen, MarketWatch

Last update: 4:24 p.m. EDT June 23, 2008 (MarketWatch) -- The price of retail gasoline could fall by half, to around $2 a gallon, within 30 days of passage of a law to limit speculation in energy-futures markets, four energy analysts told Congress on Monday.

Testifying to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Michael Masters of Masters Capital Management said that the price of oil would quickly drop closer to its marginal cost of around $65 to $75 a barrel, about half the current $135.

Fadel Gheit of Oppenheimer & Co., Edward Krapels of Energy Security Analysis and Roger Diwan of PFC Energy Consultants agreed with Masters' assessment at a hearing on proposed legislation to limit speculation in futures markets.

Krapels said that it wouldn't even take 30 days to drive prices lower, as fund managers quickly liquidated their positions in futures markets.
"Record oil prices are inflated by speculation and not justified by market fundamentals," according to Gheit. "Based on supply and demand fundamentals, crude-oil prices should not be above $60 per barrel."
Futures trading in London has not been a major factor in rising oil prices, testified Sir Bob Reid, chairman of the Chairman of London-based ICE Futures Europe. Rising prices are largely a function of fundamental supply and demand, not manipulation or speculation, he said.

"Energy speculation has become a growth industry and it is time for the government to intervene," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the full committee. "We need to consider a full range of options to counter this rapacious speculation." It was Dingell's strongest statement yet on the role of speculators.

There has been much discussion recently about how big a role speculators have been playing in the sharp rise in energy prices, though no consensus has emerged on this point.

Dingell introduced a bill on June 11 that would ask the Energy Department to gather the facts on energy prices, including the role played by speculators.

There are two kinds of speculators in the futures markets, Masters said. Traditional speculators are those who need to hedge because they actually take physical possession of the commodities. Index speculators, on the other hand, are merely allocating a portion of their portfolio to commodity futures.
Index speculation damages price-discovery mechanisms provided by futures markets, Masters added

The committee will likely consider legislation that would rein in index speculation by imposing higher-margin requirements; setting position limits for speculators; requiring more disclosure of positions; and preventing pension funds and investment banks from owning commodities.

Both major presidential candidates have supported closing loopholes that encourage speculation in the energy markets. Read more on Election Blog.
However, other witnesses said that pure speculators have had little impact on energy prices, which have doubled in the past year to about $135 per barrel. Both Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman have dismissed the impact of speculators on prices paid by consumers.

Speculators now account for about 70% of all benchmark crude trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up from 37% in 2000, said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of the investigations subcommittee. Stupak introduced a bill on Friday that would limit index speculation.

There has been much discussion recently about how big a role speculators have been playing in the sharp rise in energy prices, though no consensus has emerged on this point.

Congress, however, has grown increasingly concerned over speculative investors' role in the energy market in comparison with those buying futures contracts to hedge against risk from price changes. Lawmakers are expected to consider legislation to set strict limits -- or in some cases, an outright ban -- on speculative trading in energy futures in some markets.

Dingell is looking into any legal loopholes that may have contributed to speculation in energy markets. In 1991, according to documents provided by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to the committee's investigators, the agency authorized the first exemption from position limits for swap dealers with no physical commodity exposure. This began what Dingell said was "a process that has enabled investment banks to accumulate enormous positions in commodity markets."

Is Congress barking up the wrong tree?

Neal Ryan, manager at Ryan Oil & Gas Partners, said that if Congress develops regulations to cut back speculative trading, speculation will just find a new home.

"Speculation is the root of capitalism," he said. "If the speculation is forced out of the U.S. exchanges, it'll simply show up on other exchanges that are OTC like the ICE, or new exchanges will pop up to allow for the spec trades to continue functioning."

Ryan said he does see a reason for Congress to look at eliminating aspects such as allowing West Texas intermediate crude oil futures to trade on foreign markets and the "Enron loophole," but "these exchanges are currently functioning as they are supposed to in a free marketplace."

The creation of a comprehensive U.S. energy policy that tackles issues of increasing domestic supply and reining in consumer demand via conservation should be Congress' focus, Ryan said. "Instead we're on bended knee begging the Saudis to put more oil on the market and talking about shutting down spec trades."

Rex Nutting is Washington bureau chief of MarketWatch.
Michael Kitchen is a copy editor for MarketWatch and is based in New York. Nate Becker contributed to this report from San Francisco.

[puck_it]

interesting... not sure how I feel about this.

One one hand, cheap gas.

One the other, I dislike regulation in trade. I very much lean toward pure capitalism. Also, higher fuel prices drive research in alternative energy methods, that are generally better for the environment, and brings in more work for my company...

[SoCalcaniac]

Both of our gas stations by us are $3.89 and $3.90 as of this morning.

Wow, that's 'cheap' The gas station ( I think it's a Shell) adjacent to the Bunkey's Car Wash on High House in Cary is $4.06 unleaded. It's been that way since Friday- and I don't believe I've seen a car filling up the multiple times I've passed it. The bulk of the stations in our area are holding at $3.99 or .98, I saw one that was $3.96.

I don't know what to believe about all this gas stuff. It's a new 'story' every day, and it's very annoying.

[caneshockeychick]

Yep, the stations in my area off Glenwood and Duraleigh have been holding at $3.98-$3.99, no lower, no higher.

[kermelbar]

I think it was $3.86 at Costco this morning. I have to go a little out of my way, but not too much, to get gas there. Before I had a Costco membership, I would try to time trips downtown for work (or lunch) for a stop at the Hess off Capitol. (There are only two gas stations that I drive directly by in my daily commute and one of them is consistently the highest in Raleigh (http://www.raleighgasprices.com/index.aspx?&area=Raleigh%20-%20East&area=Raleigh%20-%20Inside%20Beltline&area=Raleigh%20-%20NE&area=Raleigh%20-%20North&area=Raleigh%20-%20NW&area=Raleigh%20-%20SE&area=Raleigh%20-%20South&area=Raleigh%20-%20West). I've only stopped there once or twice, when I was on fumes, to put a gallon or two in to get me to another station the next day. I have no idea WTF anyone fills up there.)

My dad works in the oil and gas industry and the one thing that ticks him off is how your local gas station jacks up the price. Let's say one day oil is $100/barrel and your gas station is charging $3.50. (Lord, those were the days!) The next day, the price is $120/barrel and your gas station raises the price to $3.70. Here's the thing, the gas that's sitting in their tank wasn't bought at the $120 rates, it was bought at the $100 (or probably lower) rate. Admitted, at some point, they're probably going to have to buy gas at the $120 rates, but with the rates going up, they're going to charge you even more for that gas. The only time the consumer comes out is when the cost goes down, but I suspect the stations are a little slower to reflect that in the price.

This is one of the things I was trying to get at with the food thing: Today -- Wasted Food in America (http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&vid=8078d7d9-912a-4e82-ac37-2cb055883842). By planning ahead, I find that I spend A LOT less on eating out, a little less on gas* (I can generally get everything I need for the week on one trip with perhaps one later-in-the-week stop for meat or a fresh produce restock), a fair amount less on groceries (by shopping ads and/or simply buying only what I need and limiting impulse buys) and I waste A LOT less food. Because the cost of food is going up -- due to fuel increase and now they're saying we can expect the midwest flooding to raise prices, too -- on top of gas being so much, every penny is really counting for a lot of people.

* I made a tank of gas last 5 days longer (from 9 to 14) than usual by eating in the office and not going out as much. Although, to be fair, my daily commute is 10-15 miles and my car gets about 23-24 mpg around Raleigh, so a little bit goes a long way for me. People who have longer commutes might not notice very much of a difference.

[nccanes]

Kermel - I'm amazed at your planning and execution. But no doubt all the attributes of that planning 'pay off' in all the ways you describe. I'm so impressed with you young and single people that shop and cook!

After the recent discussion about the 'cheaper' gas and most stations being lower than $4, I noticed on Tuesday night that an Exxon station in N Ral was still at $4.09.

[kermelbar]

I figure, though, that generally I probably eat out as much as, if not more than, most married couples/family. The thought process is something like, "I'm hungry, I'm tired, I don't have much time, it's just me so why make the effort only to have more dishes to wash later? I'll just stop at [insert fast food or restaurant here]." But because it's just me, if I take the time to cook something on Sunday or Monday, it can often last the rest of the week or I can eat half and freeze half to eat later. Before I was working two jobs, I'd sometimes take a Sunday to cook a couple of things (lasagna, chili, etc.) to freeze in individual portions.

The Exxon at the corner of Millbrook and Six Forks -- one of the two I pass daily -- is the one that's always the highest in Raleigh. I really don't get why people fill up there.

[TheMadCap]

Lots of posts, I don't know if anyone has listed these ideas (probably) but here they are again anyways:

1. SLOW DOWN PEOPLE - the difference between 60 mph and 70 mph can decrease your fuel economy by 15%.

2. Avoid quick starts and stops, don't floor it on the green lights, or race to a red light. Drive more consistently and you'll save gas.

3. Plan your trips out in advance. When we go out, we try to make sure we go to all the places we need for the next few days to save gas.

4. Don't eat out as much. Saves money two ways.

5. Make sure your vehicle has a clean air-filter, plugs and proper air pressure in your tires.

6. Drive your most fuel efficient car as much as possible. We have a paid for Honda Civic and (unfortunately due to our new family and two dogs) a non-paid for Honda Pilot. We drive the Civic when we go places, until the baby is born that is.

Gas prices are not going to come down folks. They may stabilize, but we are going to have relatively high prices forever...

[SoCalcaniac]

The Exxon at the corner of Millbrook and Six Forks -- one of the two I pass daily -- is the one that's always the highest in Raleigh. I really don't get why people fill up there.

It was the highest in Raleigh when gas was "cheap" (under 2 bucks) I worked in the building across the street from there for 5 years- and for the life of me couldn't figure out why people went there when the gas was cheap, and can't imagine any even stops with gas at $4+ bucks. When E posted "The Exxon in N. Ral" I knew which one she was talking about without her even IDing it. :lol: That's a bad reputation right there.

Kerm, I applaud you too on your well thought out $$ saving ideas. While my husband is soooo much better and alot like you in thinking out and planning when it comes to money- partly cause it's his profession, but also because he's a saver and very thrifty, I'm always amazed at how people really focus on the dollars and cents of day to day living. I always say to my friends with and without kids - if/when we have kids, that will change. (maybe? lol)

I'm far too flaky and take it for granted that the hub has every cent accounted for, and I know my $$ limits - god forbid I had hold of the finances in the socal household, we'd be well dressed - with season tickets for the Canes, but livin' on the streets of Raleigh or something due to lack of attention to the basics. :laugh:

Meanwhile, the Exxon on 64 near Apex H.S. has gone to the dark side and is selling reg unleaded for 4.01 per gallon- the BP directly across the street hasn't done it, but my guess is when I head over to the Honda dealer later on and pass it, I'll see that they've changed their price too. This sucks.

[puck_it]

Gas prices are not going to come down folks. They may stabilize, but we are going to have relatively high prices forever...

then they're not relatively high.

[TheMadCap]

then they're not relatively high.

Not sure what you mean. You mean they're not relatively high, they're HIGH, or not high relative to the rest of the world.

My statement refered to prices from a year or so ago. If you actually look at it, the price of gas is still "relatively" low compared to Europe, Australia and Japan.

Fact is, our society is based not solely on oil, but on "cheap-oil". Oil ain't coming cheap anymore, so unfortunately, people in the US will have to get used to doing things differently, myself included.

NOTE: Says the guy that plans to drive to Raleigh from VA to go to Canes games.

[puck_it]

if $4 is a 'permanent' average price and is here to stay, $4 is not relatively high, it's just high. If $3 is the rough average, then $4 is relatively high. 'Relatively' implies it could be had for cheaper.

it all hinges upon your reference frame

[nccanes]

The traffic/roads reporter for the N/O wrote about driving 55 for a week (http://www.newsobserver.com/news/q/story/1163345.html) to see how much gas he saved. He got 75 more miles out of his tank. But he didn't seem to thrilled about driving 55 on I40 or any of the other ways he commuted. :lol: Said he was back above 60 the next week.

[andyt]

I paid $3.61 at a BP station on US 70/401 just outside the Beltline on Saturday. That stretch, down through White Oak Crossing in Garner has always had about the cheapest gas in Raleigh. Once I got into Clayton on US 70, the prices jumped 12-15 cents. The stations near my house in North Raleigh are all in the $3.85-3.90 range.

[Canesluver]

There's several places in Garner at $3.56 this morning. The Kanagaroo on 401 South right by the I-40 overpass, and surrounding stations there. I always buy gas in Garner. Always the cheapest and I pass thru there going to work! :D

[Mona2006]

I paid $3.62 at Shell on Peace this morning.. and Hess on Capital is like $3.56...but to get in the parking lot you risk your life. :crazy: My family went to Maggie Valley this weekend and the gas was cheap on the road.. until we got to Maggie Valley and it was almost $4 a gallon... (by the way, I was with Nita and we rode rides at Ghost Town..she is doing fantastic) :D

After reading about the record profits of Exxon/Mobil and thinking about how hard it is on all of us, I had steam coming out of my ears. :mad:

[nccanes]

After reading about the record profits of Exxon/Mobil and thinking about how hard it is on all of us, I had steam coming out of my ears. :mad:

I actually thought of you when I saw that headline! :lol:

(glad to hear the good news about Nita!)

[Mona2006]

I actually thought of you when I saw that headline! :lol:

(glad to hear the good news about Nita!)

Did you know I would be saying that *&(&^*^ Exxon.. I hate those &*&^%% and I hope they rot in &^*^&*&! :lol:

Thanks E.. she is doing great.. we are so thankful! :)

[puck_it]

yes, capitalism is bad

[caneshockeychick]

Luckily, my pension plan and 401K look good though ;):smoke:

[nccanes]

yes, capitalism is bad

wow - that's a leap huh?

Someone is just venting frustration at paying RECORD gas prices (which basically amount to a utility for many of us) and then reading about record profits and that's the takeaway? Maybe I'll use that the next time someone posts about the ticket, parking, or concession price hikes, lol.

I find it more like "adding insult to injury"....in a very literal sense.

Glad to hear it's going down though andy and cl. I don't ever got to those areas, so I guess I should look at those gas prices websites to see where it's cheapest in NoRal.

[puck_it]

yeah, but exxon et al., didnt cancel gas for a year for the sake of keeping prices low.

[Mona2006]

yes, capitalism is bad

So the rich get richer and the rest of us can just suck it and like it? I think it sucks. :mad:

[nccanes]

yeah, but exxon et al., didnt cancel gas for a year for the sake of keeping prices low.

And you know that had nothing to do with with the lockout. in either case it's capitalism.

[puck_it]

my point was, that's the bull**** excuse they used.

[nccanes]

right, but we're not talking about the lockout, I thought we were talking about capitalism.

Anyway - as a consumer and one that has seen inflation outpace my own revenue growth (lol) it is a little bit of a downer to see those kinds of headlines.

The other one I like is how water utility prices have gone up because they told people to cut back (or you'd be fined) and when they did, revenues went down, so prices go up. Talk about a catch-22.

[caneshockeychick]

It's really hard for me to conserve any more than I already do. I guess that's why I can make the stretch. My FT job is 1.7 miles from my apt (and yes, I have to drive because of Glenwood and just getting there by walking would be a *****. I also cannot wake up any earlier than 6 what with getting to bed between 12am/1am on HT work nights). The PT job is probably 3 or 4 miles away. I'm not in my car long driving to either job and I hit a lot of stoplights, I don't use the AC. I also just don't go anywhere unless I have to. I rarely get above 45 mph unless I'm coasting down the hill on Duraleigh either way from Edwards Mill and Glenwood.

I have to say, when I decided to move out of my friend's house in Rolesville, I looked at location big time and man, I'm glad I did. I'm pretty good for going at least 3 weeks on a tank of gas ($45 to fill up yesterday at 3.85) in my Chevy Cobalt. And yes, I get regular tuneups and have my tires inflated properly.

^^As far as the *****ing going on, I just can't. Years down the road (hopefully) when there are more alternatives out there, we'll be *****ing about something else that gets expensive. Someone creates something, provides a service for which we all have to pay for. I haven't done either of those things, therefore, I'm not making money off of anything. Years ago, people were *****ing and moaning about the price of meds. IMO, drugs are still expensive and yet so many people need them.

Today, we get upset because information is much more available to the public and as a public, we've become much more aware. Years ago, I'm sure the same people were making the same amount of money and no one was complaining. I get more ticked off at the entertainment industry and the way actors/actresses/singers/bands/sports have driven up the cost of my enjoyment. And then turn around and try to tell me how I should live my life. BULL S H I T! How bout instead of $20 mill a picture, you just take $1 mill. Then, I can go back to seeing a movie for less than $10.

[perfectstorm]

A gallon of Visine costs $1,021.

[nccanes]

Today, we get upset because information is much more available to the public and as a public, we've become much more aware. Years ago, I'm sure the same people were making the same amount of money and no one was complaining. I get more ticked off at the entertainment industry and the way actors/actresses/singers/bands/sports have driven up the cost of my enjoyment.

Public companies have always had to disclose earnings, profits, dividends, etc.

At least entertainment is something that's an option. That's why I compared gas to a utility. You can only cut back so much, but unless you are going to make RADICAL lifestyle changes (for me, I could try to use the bus, but then my children would have to curtail any activities that required me to pick them up directly from work, etc) you can only cut back to a certain level.

I like nothing more than to dine out, but I've cut that back. When we had to add a car (with another driver in the house), I bought one that's getting 30MPH or more (hopefully, so far so good). Buying a car ain't cheap, but I know I've reduced my fuel consumption both in the miles I do drive.

Between car insurance with a teen driver and a new car note, I'm not sure why I'm worried about the price of gas. LOL.

[caneshockeychick]

Public companies have always had to disclose earnings, profits, dividends, etc.

Yes, they have, I'm not saying they haven't, but as a society that now spends more time in front of the TV listening to the talking heads talk about it or in front of the internet where its posted for all the world to see, the public actually listens to it, reads it and knows about it. I can't recall that's its always been that way. At least, that's not how I grew up.

At least entertainment is something that's an option. That's why I compared gas to a utility. You can only cut back so much, but unless you are going to make RADICAL lifestyle changes (for me, I could try to use the bus, but then my children would have to curtail any activities that required me to pick them up directly from work, etc) you can only cut back to a certain level.

I like nothing more than to dine out, but I've cut that back. When we had to add a car (with another driver in the house), I bought one that's getting 30MPH or more (hopefully, so far so good). Buying a car ain't cheap, but I know I've reduced my fuel consumption both in the miles I do drive.

Between car insurance with a teen driver and a new car note, I'm not sure why I'm worried about the price of gas. LOL.

I've had to make radical lifestyle changes. I don't eat out. I eat every fricken leftover in my fridge even if I'm sick of it :lol:. Pretty much my only entertainment in the coming year will be the few hockey games I get to where I don't have to pay full gate price. I will say I don't scrimp on beer and wine cuz those things are important to me :D

I really have to think these days about what is necessary to live and what is it I just want to have. That's the only reason I stay afloat.

[Shell]

While I am all about businesses making money (I sure hope the company I work for continues to do so even though we are non profit!!), this is a whole different level to me. The price of gas has cost people their livelihood. I almost think anyone who thinks it is OK, didn't see the level of profit made. For example, Exxon Mobil made 11.7 BILLION dollars in earnings in 3 months - the largest quarterly profit ever for an American company. That is $90,000 a MINUTE.

There is good business, there is profit, and then there is pure selfishness and greed at the expense of the general public.

[apolinar]

Gas was 3.65 at select gas stations in New Jersey and Virginia in my travels along the North east. Pissed me off to still see 3.99 here.

[andyt]

New Jersey and Virginia both have lower state taxes than NC. Distribution costs are lower in New Jersey too with the refineries all along the Turnpike and at the Delaware Bridge. Also the prices on the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are set by state contract. The stations have to bid to get in.

[puck_it]

While I am all about businesses making money (I sure hope the company I work for continues to do so even though we are non profit!!), this is a whole different level to me. The price of gas has cost people their livelihood. I almost think anyone who thinks it is OK, didn't see the level of profit made. For example, Exxon Mobil made 11.7 BILLION dollars in earnings in 3 months - the largest quarterly profit ever for an American company. That is $90,000 a MINUTE.

There is good business, there is profit, and then there is pure selfishness and greed at the expense of the general public.

They've also got share holders to listen to... The numbers are staggering, but unfortunately, they're not in the business of public service.

[nccanes]

I'm really trying to understand why a consumer making note of this and being bummed is creating this discussion.

We had pages and pages about how it sucked that ticket prices were going up and how GFH had raised prices for the reliable customers to create the revenue growth to get the full amount of profit sharing. We have pages and pages complaining about TWC and how their product sucks and how expensive it is these days, or how VS or the NHLN is on a certain tier of offerings, etc. All of which is capitalism, all of which earns money for someone.

I'm just not getting why a little frustration about gas prices elicits this (imo) kind of condescending discussion about profits and shareholders and capitalism.

Didn't you say you considering no going to games because they wouldn't let you park in the free parking? I mean, that's totally your choice, but it's also the choice of GFH to try to maximize revenue.

[Mona2006]

E I agree about folks being upset with ticket prices and not being as upset about gas. Hockey is a choice.. gas is not. Unless you can ride a bike everywhere..and I don't personally know anyone that can do that. How can anyone not be upset when those huge companies post record profits and their CEOs make millions and some small business owners are losing everything because of the price of gas and diesel?? (I will say I know getting mad about it doesn't solve a thing but I can't help it) I saw a story on WRAL last week about a business owner that had a family trucking company for 40 years and they were selling off the pieces of that business because of gas/diesel prices. That hurts me to see something like that.

This whole thing gives me a headache so I need to stay out of here... :sick:

[puck_it]

Didn't you say you considering no going to games because they wouldn't let you park in the free parking? I mean, that's totally your choice, but it's also the choice of GFH to try to maximize revenue.

no.

but i'm done here.

[nccanes]

Okay cool. *Somebody* said that the parking issue might be the straw. Anyway - just pointing out that people complain about rising prices. It's not anything new. I can only imagine the backlash if prices went up and GFH released earnings numbers that were record. That's all I was saying.


edit:
This was the post that lead me to believe you were pretty steamed about the lack of free parking
http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/showpost.php?p=451556&postcount=30
not that you were very clear about your feelings :kiss:

[puck_it]

btw, gas prices map:

http://www.northcarolinagasprices.com/map_gas_prices.aspx?z=11&lat=35.811079&long=-81.431565&sid=351802&ft=A

[e2ipiand1]

On Mythbusters last night, they showed that you use less gas when you're calm and more gas when you're stressed out.

Maybe that's why I get such good mileage...

[SC06]

Well, it's official. My employer is going to 4-10 hour days starting Monday. If I lived in the same town where I work I would be all for this...not only do you save gas (which for me isn't much because I drive a Prius), but you get a 3-day weekend every week. Awesome! Unfortunately for me, I commute an hour each way, so my 10 hour day is going to last from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. I am already trying to find enough work to make through 8 hours everyday, now I have to find another 2.

I am just hoping this ends before the season starts or I am going to have to take vacation just to go to the weekday games. In the meantime I have loaded my ipod up with episodes of South Park and Sex & the City to fill that extra 2 hours every day.

[livinthedream]

Ouch, here we go again. Glad I have a relatively full tank.

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1216129.html

Gov. Mike Easley today activated the state's law against price gouging as anxious drivers packed gas stations, worried about rising gas prices related to Hurricane Ike.

Already, some stations were charging as much as $3.99 for a gallon of regular unleaded, likely pushing up what has been an average price of $3.69 in the Triangle. Just outside downtown Raleigh this morning, a S. Saunders Street Shell station that is typically among the least expensive outlets in the area was charging $3.70 for a gallon of regular unleaded.

As people rushed to gas stations, Easley declared a state of "abnormal market disruption," allowing the Attorney General's Office to enforce the law against price gouging. to trigger a law against price gouging, or charging unreasonably high prices in times of crisis.

"We know that there will be some supply disruption, but we do not yet know the extent," Easley said in a statement. "Past events of this kind have lasted only a short time. I urge motorists to reasonably conserve gasoline until the situation is clearer."

As a result of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, oil refineries in Texas and Louisiana temporarily interrupted some gas supplies to pipelines, meaning there cold be temporary limits on supplies, Easley said. However, he said, wholesale prices are up less than 20 cents a gallon over the past few days, so prices should not rise substantially higher.

Attorney General Roy Cooper urged gas stations to avoid "panic price increases" and consumers to avoid "panic fill-ups.”

Consumers with complaints about price gouging can call the attorney general's Consumer Protection Division toll free at 1-877-566-7226 or download a price gouging complaint form from www.ncdoj.gov (http://www.ncdoj.gov/) and mail it to the Attorney General's Office.

On Thursday, The Pantry posted signs at its 1,600-plus gas stations in 11 Southeastern states asking customers to pump only 10 gallons of gas each.

Charlotte resident Darrell LeGrand stopped off today at a Kangaroo gas station in Raleigh to fill up. LeGrand, a salesman for a beauty products company, said he got phone calls and text messages from friends this morning telling him to fill up.

"It's amazing to me how they can change the price for the gas that's already in the ground," he said.

Still, LeGrand said, he hopes that gas prices will go back down once the storm passes.
"I'm an eternal optimist," he said. "It's an election year. It's not going to stay up for too long."

[VandyCane]

I noticed that this morning. The Duraleigh gas stations were charging $3.69 yesterday at 5pm. This morning they were both $3.99. I'm glad I filled up at $3.61 yesterday.

[Shell]

eek, we just filled up yesterday too. It was still $3.55 by our house this morning but sure that has risen by now. Too bad we have a party over an hour away tomorrow.. hate to use the gas!

[puck_it]

went up 10 cents this morning, here. And i had an empty tank... great.

[Caniac]

I gotta fill up tonight. I'll probably have to take out a loan.

[caneshockeychick]

I hear its $5 up the road from where I work (I'm right off of Glenwood Ave about 1/2 mile before the light at Glenwood and Creedmoor). Ugh. Glad I still have 3/4 in the tank after last weeks fillup.

[puck_it]

went up 10 cents this morning, here. And i had an empty tank... great.
and up 10 cents on the way home. glad i stopped this morning.

[SC06]

There is a station on 70 in Clayton that was $4.62 this afternoon. WTF!! Some places were still a little lower and the traffic getting into them was so bad that it spilled out onto the roads and just made everything worse.
The BJs in Garner was completely sold out of gas. Costo was still $3.51 at lunch and the lines were insane. There was also a TV news van set up there trying to get the show I guess. We are just going to try and stay home this weekend and wait to see what happens.

[nccanes]

The Shell on Miami in Durham/RTP was still 3.75 this evening around 6pm but there were 2 lines of cars waiting for the pumps, 1 line out onto Miami. The BP in N Raleigh (L'ville @ 540) was 3.99. There might have been cars at the pumps, but no lines that I could see.

[shill22]

lines were out onto 70 here in Clayton at the BP in front of Foold Lion. was able to sqeak my way in at another BP here in town. 3.99 for cheapie. on the way home from supper, filled up with diesel for 4.19/gallon-glad diesel hasnt gone up as much as gas. some places have gone up to 4.99 for cheapie gas. crap.

[caneshockeychick]

The highest I saw on Glenwood was 4.29 so whomever told us at the office that it was $5...was lying!!!

Anyway, the Shell and Gate on Duraleigh were still holding steady at $3.99...not that I need any gas right now.

[SoCalcaniac]

They showed a gas station down in Fayetteville that changed the price to $5.49 midday, and the reporter was warning people who hadn't noticed the big sign when they drove in, that before they pump, it's $5.49 and on by one, they all said hell no and drove off.

My husband has a co-worker who was off today and lives in Oxford; called the other Oxford coworkers that a BP in town was charging $4.39 per gal at around 11am.

Thank god I filled up yesterday, at 3.59 in Apex. Same station was $3.79 when hub got home.

This is madness. Utter madness.

[Caniac]

I need a car that runs on tears and broken dreams.

[Canesluver]

I have an 1/8 of a tank of gas. About 10PM, I headed home from my evening job. From downtown Raleigh, all the way to my home, Southeast of Raleigh--about 22 miles-- EVERY gas station I drove past was SOLD-OUT of gas. :(

Husband's pick-up is full, so we're making do with one car tomorrow--his. Don't know what's going to happen after that.....

[G-Vegas Caniac]

Yeah, a lot of gas stations in Greenville are sold out as well. It was insane when I got gas today around 10am with the lines of cars..The news crew was filming the chaos on the side of the road..This whole thing is a joke and unfortunately the joke is on us..:mad:

[DSCanesfan]

Yeah, a lot of gas stations in Greenville are sold out as well. It was insane when I got gas today around 10am with the lines of cars..The news crew was filming the chaos on the side of the road..This whole thing is a joke and unfortunately the joke is on us..:mad:

It sure is!!! Yesterday at lunch I stopped to fill up my Jeep, I was at less than a quater tank, and the guy in front of me had at least 10 5 gallon gas cans he was filling up. Then he filled up his truck. I had to say something to him about hoarding. And we wonder why the stations ran out yesterday.
I work across the street from the Costco in Raleigh and the lines there had to be an hour long all day. I usually get my gas there but there was no way I was waiting there yesterday.

Doug

[kermelbar]

I have a little over half of a tank and my Mazda3 gets pretty good mileage. Plus, I'm lucky to have a whopping 10-mile round-trip commute, so that half tank will easily last me until next Saturday, longer if I don't go out for lunch much this week. And, if it comes down to it, then I'll just walk to work. (Lord knows my waistline could use the exercise.) So, for now, I'm not too worried about the current spike (but I still think it's complete bullsh*t), which will hopefully go back down by the time I need gas. I'm awful at letting it get way too close to E, though, so I'm very glad this didn't catch me on the wrong weekend. :D

I was just out a little bit ago, running a couple of quick errands and it's unreal how empty the roads were in the middle of North Raleigh -- and I'm talking Falls of Neuse between Old Wake Forest and Newton, a pretty high-traffic area. I didn't notice the status (open/closed, prices) of the gas stations I passed, though I don't recall seeing any lines. So I'm guessing people were hunkering down at home or those stations may have been sold out.

[Shell]

consider yourself lucky! we ride together and by the time I get Cole to school, Jeff to work, and me to work we have driven 40 miles. Add in shopping, errands, and everything else and it adds up quick. I guess we put $55 in every few days. The other problem is we're in East Raleigh, about to Knightdale and a lot of our friends are in Snow Camp, Mebane, Efland, etc. Guyute was out earlier and said a lot ofbstations were sold out and the ones that did seem to have gas had no prices listed. I hope this doesn't last long.. what happened to our dependence on the middle east anyway - why is Texas this bad of an effect ;)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Man....I may be up sh*t creek. I've had a personal issue going on that has plunged my life into hell the last two weeks (resolved for the most part yesterday, thank god) so, I really haven't paid the least bit of attention to all this. I think my car is sitting on empty.:eek2: Monday is the first day I'll have been able to go to work in over a week....hope I can get there.

[nccanes]

We saw everything from 3.89 to 4.69 today. I don't know if they were sold out though. No lines. We've got 3 vehicles and 1 will need gas by Mon or Tues, so we'll probably go look tomorrow.

[livinthedream]

Just saw this over on TSB, Roy Cooper's gonna go after 'em.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3540576/

- - snip - -

Cooper told WRAL News on Saturday that more than 1,000 complaints have been phoned in to his office’s Consumer Protection Division since Friday.

Because of the large volume of calls, officials are urging consumers to print out the complaint form from the division’s Web site (http://www.ncdoj.com/consumerprotection/cp_complaints.jsp) and mail it to the office.

The average price of gas rose nearly 20 cents in North Carolina overnight.

The statewide average cost of a gallon of regular, unleaded gas was $3.86 as of 3 a.m. Saturday, according to the Oil Price Information Service, Wright Express and AAA.

At the same time Friday, North Carolinians paid an average of $3.68 for a gallon.

By Saturday, Raleigh drivers were paying an average of $3.882; Fayetteville, $3.82; and the Triad, $3.86.

Nationally, the average cost of gasoline rose less than 7 cents overnight, up to $3.733.

The price increase came despite a significant drop for crude oil prices (http://www.wral.com/business/story/3537732/) on the futures market Friday – prices briefly sank below the psychologically important $100-a-barrel mark for the first time since April 2 before settling at $101.18.

The western part of North Carolina has been hit the hardest. Customers complained of gas selling for $5.99 a gallon on Friday.

In Asheville, motorists plopped down an average of $4.01 a gallon Saturday, up from $3.73 a day earlier. Prices in Charlotte also pushed over $3.915.

Prices were lowest along the coast, averaging $3.786 in Wilmington.

[Shell]

I stopped at a couple of places that said 3.89/3.99 E and it was a farce.. all they had left was ultra premium for much more. we have about 1/4 of a tank so we'll need some tomorrow as well. I wonder how long until the situation resolves itself?? Most place immediately around us are completely out.

I don't understand why NC is being hit so much harder than the rest of the nation. I think we're being gouged and they may be talking about no gouging but there is no action. There are only 9 states that are more expensive right now, and has here is more than in San Franciso right now. There are only 18 cities listed that are higher than Raleigh/Durham
http://www.gasbuddy.com/GB_Price_List.aspx

It is ridiculous.

[nccanes]

This morning the BP nearest our house was out completely, the Exxon and another station (can't remember what kind) had bags on some handles (reg surely). On the way home from the Friesen 5k another station had a big sign saying "Out of Gas".

I don't understand the deal with NC either...but it would certainly be nice to get an explanation.

[puck_it]

cause our state is full of panicking pansies?

[nccanes]

LOL. Puck_it, I never did post that in the pre-Hanna days that I DID need milk, but never did end up getting any before the storm. :lol:

My fear is that me acting like I normally would (in regard to getting gas when I actually need it) might make it a little more expensive and inconvenient this time though.

Mr ncc is off to a soccer game and will try to get gas for the car that needs it. The other 2 can wait another day or so...hopefully it won't be worse then.

[puck_it]

I've got to be in durham on wednesday (hour and a half drive) and then have a game wednesday night.... i think i might crash some friends place over the afternoon to save gas

[Shell]

we just got gas while we were out to lunch and I feel much better - we were pretty low and more and more gas stations are running out.. even though I still have 22 days before my due date, the prospect of not being able to get any gas was too scary! :lol:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't understand the deal with NC either.

I've always thought Raleigh had about 30% less gas stations than the population could support. Or, at least my end of Raleigh certainly seems to. Maybe that has a bit to do with it.

I think the panicking pansies idea is probably right on as well, though.

[LostTexan]

I was driving home from NY today and filled up on the New Jersey turnpike for $3.41/gal this morning. Delaware and Maryland were both around $3.55/gal. Driving into North Carolina on Route 1/Capital and all of the stations were $3.99-$4.19. I ended up filling up at the Costco on Wake Forest for $3.79/gal this evening. And for comparison it was $3.42/gal at the same Costco Friday morning.

This is crazy!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

We paid $3.99 this afternoon but, didn't have any problem finding a place that had gas at all.

[VandyCane]

I spoke to my best friend in Tyler, TX today. Despite the fact that the hurricane went right over them, gas is $3.59 a gallon over there. She couldn't believe there was price gouging over here. Definitely no stations running out of gas either, despite the fact that many families like hers stockpiled in case they needed to run the generator for a while. Luckily for my friend, she didn't even lose power. Her generator is on loan to some friends who lost their power and the gas is being used to operate the chainsaws. She felt very blessed to have escaped with no damage. She lived in NC during Fran and was without power for 8 days; they were definitely prepared for this one. :)

[andyt]

The first subpoenas for price gouging investigations go out today (http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3543834/).

The gas station near my office went up $0.60 a gallon between 8:30 and noon on Friday, to $4.19. This morning they were back down to $3.99. A Hess station near my house was still $3.59 on Friday and had lines out to the street. Last night, they were at $3.99 for regular but had premium only.

I had a similar experience to LostTexan. I was in New Jersey/Philly this weekend. Paid $3.38 in New Jersey, which includes someone pumping for me. Self service is illegal in New Jersey. On the way up Friday night, I stopped at Maryland House on I-95 and they were out of regular at $3.69. The Pilot on I-95 south of Richmond is usually 5-6 cents cheaper than anyone else in that area. Their billboard was advertising regular at $4.99 when I went by yesterday.

[puck_it]

same station that went from 3.59->3.69 Fri AM -> 3.79 Fri PM is now 3.99

this infuriates me. It's one thing to argue against gouging because of supply and demand, as it allocates the resources to those that need it most... but, there has been NO evidence of supply shortages. It's all artificial bull ****

[perfectstorm]

same station that went from 3.59->3.69 Fri AM -> 3.79 Fri PM is now 3.99

this infuriates me. It's one thing to argue against gouging because of supply and demand, as it allocates the resources to those that need it most... but, there has been NO evidence of supply shortages. It's all artificial bull ****


The Colonial Pipeline has shut the main gasoline line between Houston and New York due to a lack of supply from Gulf Coast refineries, which have shut or slowed ahead of Hurricane Ike, according to a company statement on Friday.

The Colonial's distillate pipeline is also shut, the company said.

The Colonial pipeline is the nation's largest and can flow 2.3 millon barrels of refined products per day. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1250205820080912

[DSCanesfan]

I was driving home from NY today and filled up on the New Jersey turnpike for $3.41/gal this morning. Delaware and Maryland were both around $3.55/gal. Driving into North Carolina on Route 1/Capital and all of the stations were $3.99-$4.19. I ended up filling up at the Costco on Wake Forest for $3.79/gal this evening. And for comparison it was $3.42/gal at the same Costco Friday morning.

This is crazy!

Actually the Costco on Wake Forest was at $3.51 starting last Thursday. It stayed at $3.51 all day Friday and the lines were 40 minutes to an hour long. Sunday at 1pm they were at $3.68. But then they got a tanker load in and I guess their prices went up. The reason I know this is I work right across the street from Costco so I am constantly driving past their pumps. I only wish I'd of stopped there Thurs morning to top off because by Thurs night lines were already getting crazy there.

Doug

[alison]

Actually the Costco on Wake Forest was at $3.51 starting last Thursday. It stayed at $3.51 all day Friday and the lines were 40 minutes to an hour long. Sunday at 1pm they were at $3.68. But then they got a tanker load in and I guess their prices went up. The reason I know this is I work right across the street from Costco so I am constantly driving past their pumps. I only wish I'd of stopped there Thurs morning to top off because by Thurs night lines were already getting crazy there.

Doug

When I went to the Costco at 8:30 Friday night, the price had already increased to $3.68. I believe I waited about 15 minutes to fill up my tank, but that was nothing compared to earlier in the day when the line was backed up to the far entrance.

[RangersCanesFan]

What's the deal in NC?

Anyone think for a minute that our hair-trigger sensationalist media had anything to do with this?

If anyone should be prosecuted over this, it should be some television station "news" managers and "anchors" who created, then exacerbated the panic.

While I don't have much sympathy for gas station owners jacking prices up, I also realize that they were acting in accordance with "supply and demand". When every news outlet in the state is in panic mode and lines are backed up forever, what should a gas station owner do?

And then the media wonders why stations don't have gas?

Shameless @ssholes.

[puck_it]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1250205820080912

However, those pipelines are open, and there has yet to be a shortfall of supply. Furthermore, what gas is virginia getting, that protects it from negative supply shocks, that we arent?

[caneshockeychick]

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[SoCalcaniac]

AWESOME CHC. Thanks for the heads up!

[Canesluver]

Thanks... but... what does that have to do with ways to save on gas????? :kiss:

[nccanes]

I think we were once discussing the escalating cost of food (in part because of fuel costs for everything) and we were talking about H-T + coupons, vs Wal*Mart, etc. :beatup:

[caneshockeychick]

^why yes, we were. That discussion can be found on page 1 of this thread ;)

[Canesluver]

I vote we start a new thread!.... Coupon Clippers.... or something......

[caneshockeychick]

I got sick while down in SC this weekend...Gas at $2.78...WTF? :mad:

[alison]

Luckily, it looks like the price is going down locally, as well (just not as quickly as some other surrounding areas). There's one station in Cary that has gas for $2.98/gal per http://raleighgasprices.com/.

[Kat]

I'm just happy I reduced my commute from 25 to 7 miles. :)

I saw gas in Goldsboro yesterday for $3.29. Still around $3.60 in RTP...

[nccanes]

We went to Greenville this weekend and hit the Sheets on New Bern on the way and the way back. It was $2.03 on Saturday morning and $1.99 on Sunday morning!

:D

[SC06]

Last night we filled up at Costo for $1.97. How long has it been since it was that cheap around here? I was actually excited about buying gas...sad, I know.

[Guyute]

Yep, we were on dead empty last night, I put in 16.38 gallons....
And left the pumps with all my appendages. It was only $33. wow. lol
(stations around us are $1.94-$1.99)

[Caniac]

Filled up for $1.98 a gallon this morning in Gastonia. Nice to fill up the wife's car for less than 30 dollarbucks. As an aside, I never thought I'd see gas for less than $2 a gallon again. It won't last, but it's nice while it does.

[caneshockeychick]

last night it was still $2.35 over my way (off Glenwood). I hope when I'm driving home today I see it less than that if its dropped in other areas around here.

I know my sis has been paying less than $2 for at least 2 weeks now. In SC.

[SC06]

Filled up for $1.98 a gallon this morning in Gastonia. Nice to fill up the wife's car for less than 30 dollarbucks. As an aside, I never thought I'd see gas for less than $2 a gallon again. It won't last, but it's nice while it does.

My short term goal is that it makes it through the weekend. Butters and I are heading to PA this weekend and it would definitely help to have gas as cheap as possible.

[Canesluver]

Yeah... I'm wondering if it'll hold thru Thanksgiving. I'd love to keep it near $2 to drive to my Mom's place.

[caneshockeychick]

I wish it would go to December...I have to drive to FL...

[caneshockeychick]

oooooo....it dropped a whole 6 cents on Glenwood...$2.29:mad:

[Guyute]

Probably worth it to you to hop on the beltline down to 64 (business) and get gas. Not sure if the one right at the beltline is under $2, chances are it is. Worst case, drive 2 miles down and take your pick of places.

I generally don't go out of my way to go buy cheaper gas... but $.30/gal is pretty substantial.

[caniac369]

Lowest we've seen out here is around $2.19/gallon, but it's always been a bit worse here in OR (or left coast in general).

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Probably worth it to you to hop on the beltline down to 64 (business) and get gas. Not sure if the one right at the beltline is under $2, chances are it is.
$2.04 when I left work today.