Yesterday I stopped at the gas station to fill my tank half full. I do this

[Skidmore]

once a month since I only use my car to run errands once a week in the nearest town. We put the bulk of our budgeted gas allowance into my husbands 4 cylinder truck so that he can go to work. I watched the meter. At $5 it registered just under 1.25 gallons. As the meter scrolled up, I started to feel anxious and I wondered how long we can sustain our current standard of living.

We are pretty frugal people. We conserve everything and try to shop judiciously. My only nonessential item in the grocery cart was my weekly indulgence of something chocolate (although chocolate is essential in my world). I had a similar response to my grocery bill. I've been able to shop on less than $100/wk for the past month simply because I stocked up on cleaning materials and toiletry items last month and won't need them for probably most of summer. Last week I bought green peppers at $1.44/ea. and this week they were down to $.98/ea. That bit of savings was gobbled up because apples went from $1.27/lb to $1.57/lb.

The toilet paper index has continued to be a good indicator of "market forces" for me. Rolls are not only not as large but are narrower in size too. I had begun to by Scott paper because it was always in larger sizes and had become more affordable, but I noted that Kimberly-Clark makes it (means it ends up supporting Sensenbrenner wealth vs. Koch Bro. wealth).

Right now I try to buy as much as I can with social welfare and sustainable living in mind. It is hard though. Brands are not stable and some of the ones I used to trust have been sold to corporations rather than maintained (e.g. Ben & Jerry's ice creams). I'm trying to buy locally produced goods and produce but we live in an area with a limited growing season so fresh produce in the winter time must come from somewhere else.

I guess my point is that if we are going to look at a way out of this mess we are tied up in with corporations, then it will only work when those who start those industries stick with them or sell only to others who like minded. There has to come a time when shopping in a modern society doesn't feel like we are still Stone Age people picking through the wilderness for roots, berries, and herbs, and that is what it is feeling like.

Interested in others' experiences.

[SoCalDem]

1. It cost me $75 to fill my car the last time I filled it

Luckily I don't drive much, but sheeez!

When I first started driving, I filled a full-size Dodge behemoth with ashtray change:rofl:

[Skidmore]

4. My first car was a Plymouth Fury, the old ones with the

inverted back window that rolled down. Was a gas hog no doubt, but I could do most of the maintenance myself.

[SoCalDem]

6. My Dodge had "rocket-launchers" on the front bumper

I once slid into a building (it was icy).. It knocked two holes in the building & all the damage I had was concrete dust on the rocket-launchers & a few scratches:)


like this one, only mine was an ugly royal-ish blue & mine was a 4-door

[BrendaBrick]

15. Yeah - I once had my '64 Impala - SS two-door hardtop,.327 BTW

(Man - what $$$$ I could get from that...NOW!) Oy Vey!!! I'm taking...REAL CHROME that I used to shine with the back of a sheet of aluminum foil!!! Inside and out! Anyways...the '64 slid into the 50's something bullet-nosed Studebaker I had at the time....and nary a scratch on either one!!!

Also had a '37 Ford Club Coupe - rare - (looked like someone chopped it down - but it came that way ~) with less than 75K original miles. (The grill reminded me of the breast-plate that some Native Americans used to don). Bought it from an obscure car museum in S.C. I think. Had an emblem on the side - 85 Horse power! Thing was - cable breaks - no directional signals...(seat belts had yet to be invented) and if you really got into a pinch - could hand-crank it - only - you really had to know what you were doing...otherwise - easy to dislocate a shoulder!

Seems to me that the Studebaker and Tucker (made famous by that movie with Jeff Bridges) were way, waaaaaay ahead of their time with regard to some of the innovative designs. I suspect that many other types of innovative designs are still present today...only we never hear about them because the "Big 3" has done everything in their power to squelch it!

[HopeHoops]

2. I used to buy Marcal, but won't anymore (Koch). Scott products are a good buy.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. Better to use the other half of the tank.

Condensation in the fuel tank is prevented by keeping it full or nearly full.

And in an emergency, it's better to have a full tank.

[Skidmore]

5. I never let my tank get under half full. I've always had a fear of

getting stuck somewhere with no fuel. My husband used to laugh at me about this but now he has developed the same habit of fill when the tank gets down to the halfway mark.

[dionysus]

7. my dad is like that. better safe than sorry i suppose.

[fredamae]

8. Me too!

Every since the first gas crises (rationing) in the 70's.. when I was pregnant and lived 30 miles from the hosp--I never get below .50 full.

[Arugula Latte]

13. My mom keeps her tank full in case there's an evacuation

It's probably a very smart thing to do, but I still procrastinate about filling up.

[Gregorian]

9. No kidding. I've been through hell due to partially full tanks.

Corroded senders, rusted tank particles clogging filters. And the same goes for the five gallon cans, which I just discovered are a thing of the past. I have a bunch for my tractor, and they're all rusted inside from leaving them empty.

Don't get me started on gas prices. It's a bargain at any price. Higher prices are the only thing that is going to slow down the masses of people flying, and driving all over the planet. I hope they skyrocket. And I apologize for being so mean.

[drm604]

10. I am happier than ever that I bought a hybrid.

40 - 60 mpg. :D

[Skidmore]

I wish we could afford to buy a hybrid now.

[Ezlivin]

12. Love hybrids but...

Both my wife's car and my minivan are 14 years old. They run well and (right now) are not demanding much maintenance.

Let's say we sold the wife's Sebring and got $2,000 for it (ha!). I then used that as a down payment on a Toyota Prius that cost $24K including tax, title, license and every other fee you can imagine.

I just spent $22,000 to get better gas mileage and pollute less. But $22,000 buys an awful lot of gas. Now I'm paying around $300 a month in payments and getting better gas mileage. How long before the Prius pays for itself in savings?

As I said, I love hybrids and electric cars, but in pure financial terms it simply makes no sense.

How is possible to financially justify such a purchase?

[drm604]

14. In my case I needed a new car.

My old one was slowly falling apart, it was one thing after another. When the transmission went, it wasn't worth it to fix it.

You're correct that you can't justify a new car based on fuel savings if you already have one that is serviceable. I only purchased it because a new car was necessary. I'd still be driving the old one if it had held up.

[safeinOhio]

11. Here is how I fought back.

After being retired for 10 years and being bored to death, I got a job at a gas station for minimum wage. Was to work 2 days and ended up working 5 and 6. It now pays all of my bills. Everything is paid for, house, cars, etc. Now bank all of my pension and actually enjoy working again.
I see all of these folks coming in and buying one and two dollars of gas. Then buying a pack of smokes. If people are just buying gas, most swipe a card at the pump. Most that come inside buy smokes or coffee.
Anyway, I decided to sell 3 of my old cars and ordered a new Ford Focus yesterday. Will be able to pay cash and will save a lot on gas.

[BrendaBrick]

16. Here's something to consider:

So....OK. Not MUCH of a difference between a rating of D- versus an F as far as oil conglomerates go...but be that as it may - is the only thing I have found....thus far to actually VOTE with my bucks....RIGHT NOW - HERE AND TODAY:

http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/industry/oil.cfm#facts

(Scroll UP to the top...)

Boycott: Shell, Exxon-Mobile, BP & Chevron.

Support: Sunoco, Hess & CITGO (though I am told today that CITGO has something to do with Chavez in Venezuela).

Another link to consider: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Big_Oil.svg

To me - I think that it would behoove these companies (Sunoco & Hess) NOT to capitalize on this so-called 'grade' - even IF it is only a D-.

I mean...they ought to really spill out an aggressive PR...even if it IS only the difference between a grade of D- versus and all and out "F".

See - that's how it works. You get these (rated "F" folk's attention) by voting with our dollars $$$$ - know what I mean?

Supply and Demand.

I for one have went to google and have found 2 Sunoco gas stations which...from now on - have my business!

Secondly - with regard to the toilet paper purchases and stuff...consider this site:

http://www.betterworldshopper.org/

Click on the ipod

http://www.betterworldshopper.org/ipod.html

and for a small amount - WE CAN vote with your dollars.

And believe you me here folks.....together...ALL OF US....voting with our dollars...we CAN and DO make a difference!

Pass it on........