My view of the world

This is what I saw as I pulled into the gas station this morning.

The price is changing so rapidly that the station employees are having trouble keeping up.

I half expected to see a sign that read:
“None of our employees can count that high. Our prices will be posted just as soon as we can hire a math major.”

The price was $4.29 9/10. it cost just over $43.00 for a fraction over 10 gallons.
(The 9/10 is a con, but it works. Any number of people will quote the cost of fuel at $4.29 instead of $4.30 which is much closer to the truth.)

What struck me was not the price but my reaction. I looked at the total and thought “that’s almost $50.00.”

I get approximately 30mpg on the highway and over 20mpg on surface streets so it’s not a big deal.
The psychological effect on the other hand is a big deal.

I’m already starting to make adjustments to my lifestyle.

I now know about how far I can drive after I see the yellow fuel warning light come on.

I no longer drive across town to see if there’s anything I want (want, not need) at some store or other.

I buy more groceries at the neighborhood market that is closest to my house and cook fewer dishes that require “exotic” ingredients.

Because the rising fuel costs are driving the cost of groceries up at a rate that exceeds normal inflation, I eat more chicken, providing it’s on sale.

I eat less fish because it has become prohibitively expensive. The last Ahi Tuna I saw at Albertson’s was “wild caught” and cost 16.99 a pound.

When they have it Thresher shark is 6 or 7 dollars a pound, so I can indulge my weakness for shark and bake.

I find the produce that is imported from places like Chile is not only expensive, it’s picked so green that it never gets ripe and what little flavor it has just plain sucks. -So much for eat your vegetables.

I use canned tomatoes and canned corn for a lot of my cooking, so far they’re cheaper and have a better flavor than the so-called “fresh” produce.

I buy a lot of canned goods on sale, providing I can find any that don’t have a half a pound of salt or sugar added.

I do most of my shopping for books online instead of driving to a brick and mortar bookstore.
It actually saves me money because I’m less likely to buy something based on the pretty pictures, but I also buy fewer books because I can’t read bits at random to get a feel for what it is I’m buying.

If there’s something I need I find myself saying, “I’ll stop and pick it up tomorrow, because I have to go out anyway.”

I make fewer unnecessary trips and I shop online. This is becoming common place.

Unfortunately, this effects the local economy because there are fewer people casually shopping. Instead of making multiple trips, people are planning ahead and making single trips in order to reduce the amount of money they need to spend on gas.

This is going to be the norm from now on. The price of gas is unlikely to fall much below $4.00 in my lifetime.

In Europe the cost of gasoline is lower than it is in this country, but the taxes are much higher, so they pay more per gallon.

But most of their cities have much better public transportation than we do here in Vegas and people are used to the inconvenience of waiting for the train or bus.

Since WWII America has been enamored with cars and the independence they provide.
Out here in the west, the car is what allowed places like Las Vegas to flourish. Now with the price of fuel escalating daily fewer people will be able to afford to drive or fly here or to any other vacation destination.
We have been spoiled by relatively cheap fuel, supply and demand have always driven the price of gas. Now hedge funds and speculators are driving the market and it’s out of control.

Unless some sort of regulation is put in place, we will soon be unable to afford fuel for our personal vehicles or for the transportation of goods.

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