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How much has your lifestyle changed due to the price of gas?

Hasn't changed. If anything, I've been driving more lately for various reasons. Mainly because this is my last semester of college and I'm going home more often (100 miles each way) to move some of my junk back home each time (just came home this weekend to move some stuff). Plus, I've also been making the 100 mile journey to get to the airport since I'm being flown all over the place for job interviews. I'll be doing that for the 3rd time in as many weeks on Wednesday.

I try to not let it bother me too much. My car has a small tank, and I rarely wait until it's empty to fill it, so the impact isn't huge. A 10 or 20 cent jump in gas prices might mean an extra dollar or two next time I fill up, and I can easily make up that dollar or two at the grocery store.

What sucks is seeing gas prices posted, and then me having to pay 20 or 30 cents more than that for premium. But I knew what I was getting into when I bought my car. Gotta pay to play ;)
 
The SUV sits in the drive a lot more. The 28 MPG Accord gets used for near all family matters and the motorcycle @ 50 MPG for all quick trip errands and more in unfavorable weather.

Vacation this summer will really be a challenge. May wind up staying closer to home.
 
I'm 18... Senior in high school...

I would say my driving has been curbed somewhat, but I still need my car for work, (I work for a large city repairing computers and the public schools' network) but I get a $2.50/hr gas stipend on top of my regular pay, so in the end, I make out on that. I have found myself spending less on clothes and food and music to compensate for just being out and about with the car. Than again, in the past several months, my weekly income has increased greatly, so I can afford to drive more, and not give up all that stuff should I decide to splurge.

Next year when I'm in school in Boston, I won't be driving. My dad will use my current car outside work to save on gas, seeing as he has a V8 pickup which gets about 14MPG.
 
less driving thats for sure, and more cycling/public trans. but i was planning on moving away from my car in any event.

might even pick up a scooter for the summer and just keep the car for winter driving when needed.
 
It hasn't changed at all.

If gas hits the $4 mark I might consider getting a scooter or a used motorcycle though to run around town on. I wouldn't even consider selling any of my vehicles.... :rolleyes:
 
Bought a Hybrid and drive the SUV as little as possible

Everything seems to have gone up except for my pay in the past two years. I got a Civic Hybrid last year and don't regret it. When I bought it, gas was hanging around $2.70 a gallon. Filled up today for $3.36 at Costco. Feeling very good about my purchase now.

We stopped going to the movies and just rent from iTunes or Amazon (through Tivo). Not driving back and forth to the rental store actually saves us a good bit of money on the rental, plus it is always in stock with no late fees.

We now stay away from high-end meats and eat a lot more chicken. We even eat out less than we did in the past.
 
My lifestyle has changed only in that I have less money now to spend on other things due to the higher gas prices. In Chicago, we're above $4.00 for mid-grade gas. I'm sure regular will hit $4 by June. (That's why I fill up in Lake County). Honestly, I haven't changed my driving habits at all. I don't drive less because I still need to go places. Public transportation and biking is much less convenient and is quite a bit more time consuming. I'm not willing to slow down or accelerate slowly to save fuel (again, you loose quite a bit of time by doing so...almost a full day, by my calculations, over the corse of a year).

That said, with my next car, fuel efficiency will be a high priority as well environmental friendliness....be it a hybrid, electric, bio diesel or fuel cell. I detest our dependence on oil and look forward to a time when we are free from it's stranglehold. I'm a big supporter of alternate energy.

I think gas prices will start affecting my driving habits when prices hit $6 a gallon or I have to spend $60 a week to fill up.

Why gas prices are so high is a topic for another thread.
 
Being able to purchase fuel is going to be as important as the car you drive in showing off your wealth. But please, don't drive a lot just to show you have money, if you have to drive, drive. Things will always cost money, just don't be a looser about it.
 
Used to "drive around" a lot, specially when the weather was nice. The last three weekends have been BEAUTIFUL here in Houston, but I have kept my driving to a minimum.

As for public transport, it's almost non-existent. Everything is far away. Unless you work downtown and don't have to stay later or have any emergencies at work, public transport is a no go. If anyone's familiar with Houston, we have more than one "commercial center" as well... Motorcycles -- unsafe due to the stupid drivers.

I drive a Jeep Wranlger, so it's not the most economical car in the world. But it's paid for, fun, and fixing it is cheap. It would cost me soo much more to get into another car note... But if the said Jeep decides to die, fuel efficiency will definitely be amongst the top priorities.
 
IJ Reilly said:
I bought a used GEM.It also helps that I work from home, so no commute (well, down the hall, turn right -- but I usually don't drive it).
Click to expand...

Must be nice! I'm a 15-minute walk from the office, so I can't complain too much.

IJ Reilly said:
Food prices are up for two reasons, both related to the cost of fuel: higher costs for transportation, and feed grains being diverted to ethanol production. A double-whammy.
Click to expand...

The ethanol thing has turned into quite the farce, hasn't it?
 
Lord Blackadder said:
The ethanol thing has turned into quite the farce, hasn't it?
Click to expand...

Because corn is the wrong crop to use for the production of ethanol. There are other crops that can be more efficiently turned into ethanol, grown more cheaply, more environmentally friendly, and actually get farmer's money without subsidies. Corn should not be used for the production of fuel. It's a waste of resources and doesn't really help the environment in the end.
 
Antares said:
I think gas prices will start affecting my driving habits when prices hit $6 a gallon or I have to spend $60 a week to fill up.

Why gas prices are so high is a topic for another thread.
Click to expand...

Not really, just look in the mirror.

Lord Blackadder said:
The ethanol thing has turned into quite the farce, hasn't it?
Click to expand...

Yeah, but if we talk about it, this thread will be bumped into PRSI. ;)
 
To be honest it hasn't really changed that much. We might be selling our Touareg though which gets about 18mpg highway to get a more fuel efficient 28mpg Acura TL or 26mpg XC70.

My dad still commutes 150 miles round trip daily to work though. And no, his company does not pay for gas.
 
Significantly... and so would anyone's whose wallets are taking a significant hit. Your perspective on what is truly necessary changes dramatically. (I mean, do you really NEED that gigantic suburban? that sort of thing) No one likes being ripped off but sometimes that's what it takes to get people to change.
 
I don't drive so it hasn't affected me, bus fares are still £3.70 for a day saver.
 
Not much at all. I don't drive on a daily basis and my DLR fares to and from work are still pretty low. I did buy a car that should give better mpg, but that was mostly because I wanted the car, not to lower costs :p
 
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