Anyone having to alter their schedule around the gas in their car due to rising gas prices? I find myself strategizing about which route to take that will save gas and to also hit up everywhere I need to go in one trip. Either that or I don't go at all.

How popular is "real" gas in the USA? Not "gasoline" gas but , you know,real gas. Many people living in countries where gas is expensive choose to get a second tank for LPG (liquid gas) which is much cheaper. They switch to gasoline when they run out of gas and use gas (LPG) most of the time.

By the way, gas(oline) is much, much more expensive in most European countries ( even those that have their own petroleum resources) than it is in the USA.Over here, you pay like 6.5 US dollars for a gallon of gas.

Time for a new kind of fuel.

missfee said:

I find myself strategizing about which route to take that will save gas

How about the public transport route?

I'm blessed because 50% of my work is done online. I try one-stop shopping to save $, and I run a single round-trip to save even more.

PANDURITO said:

missfee said:

I find myself strategizing about which route to take that will save gas

How about the public transport route?

Outside of really large international meccas like New York, LA, perhaps even Chicago (Vendetta1 can probably shed more light on it), in the US we don't have the kind of mega public transportation systems like we have in Europe. It's been the land of the automobile for so long that most of our cities have been built around roadways exclusively for their use, and are not prepared to meet the chaging tide in terms of fuel resources. When I lived in Miami there was a decent bus system running from North to South, but hardly anything that made sense crisscrossing from East to West. My sister now lives in Atlanta and while they have a very efficient train system, if you don't live near the train stops you're pretty much screwed. I was astonished to find that the nearest bus to the train station by her place was like 25 minutes walking, and then the amount of time from that bus to the train was like, only 7 minutes (and i think i took one exit on the freeway). in the meantime in a car, you're at the train station in 10 minutes

Ottensen said:

PANDURITO said:

How about the public transport route?

Outside of really large international meccas like New York, LA, perhaps even Chicago (Vendetta1 can probably shed more light on it), in the US we don't have the kind of mega public transportation systems like we have in Europe. It's been the land of the automobile for so long that most of our cities have been built around roadways exclusively for their use, and are not prepared to meet the chaging tide in terms of fuel resources. When I lived in Miami there was a decent bus system running from North to South, but hardly anything that made sense crisscrossing from East to West. My sister now lives in Atlanta and while they have a very efficient train system, if you don't live near the train stops you're pretty much screwed. I was astonished to find that the nearest bus to the train station by her place was like 25 minutes walking, and then the amount of time from that bus to the train was like, only 7 minutes (and i think i took one exit on the freeway). in the meantime in a car, you're at the train station in 10 minutes

What she said.

Most of the US doesn't have the infrastructure for regular public transport.

I make it work because of where I've chosen to live and work, but most folks even here couldn't do it. And I depend on friends and family who have cars for things like big shopping trips and visiting folks in the suburbs.

I've been thinking of going back to school in the evenings and for the school I want to go to, that will mean I have to buy a car as there are no bus routes to that school in the evening. That's not an umcommon ocurrence here.

KoolEaze said:

How popular is "real" gas in the USA? Not "gasoline" gas but , you know,real gas. Many people living in countries where gas is expensive choose to get a second tank for LPG (liquid gas) which is much cheaper. They switch to gasoline when they run out of gas and use gas (LPG) most of the time.

By the way, gas(oline) is much, much more expensive in most European countries ( even those that have their own petroleum resources) than it is in the USA.Over here, you pay like 6.5 US dollars for a gallon of gas.

Time for a new kind of fuel.

the price on the corner is currently 1.65 euro per liter.

We don't drive in this house, life is all about the train or on our bikes unless we're going to church, to a party (cause our friends all live far), or my dude has a gig ( and need to transport his music gear). But Monday through Friday??? Psshhhh. the money you spend on a couple months gas to drive the car is a vacation to Spain already!

My weekly grocery shopping is transported with a detachable side-saddle thing (aka my farrahdtasche) on my bike. My bags are a bit bigger though and have a carrying handle, so when you detach the bag from the bike you carry it like a bookbag or "shopper" bag:

Identity said:

I'm blessed because 50% of my work is done online. I try one-stop shopping to save $, and I run a single round-trip to save even more.

[Edited 3/26/12 6:42am]

I recently changed jobs due to spiraling fuel costs. Spending over four hundred quid a month on fuel the equivalent of $650, got it down to $100 now. Uk prices are ridiculously expensive.

The weather has permitted me to pull my motorcycle out, so I've been riding that. Even so, I've been on medical leave and I haven't really had the need to take the train into the city (Chicago). But we have a train that goes (that ends in St. Joesph) back and forth from my town to the Chicago. That line was put in decades ago for the convenience of they second home owners and Whirlpool Corp. headquaters. In most instances people who live along the coast of Michigan either take train or pay a monthly service to take a bus into Chi-Town. There's a train service call the "South Shore Line, that travels from Indiana into Chicago and some drive across state lines and catch that train.

At this point, Chicago is to damn dangerous and the violence is too random to take public tranport unless you can't do any better. Pathetic but true... that's why we live in St. Joe for the most part now.

--------------------------------

[Edited 3/27/12 2:05am]

TD3 said:

The weather has permitted my to pull my motorcycle out, so I've been riding that. Even so, I've been on medical leave and I haven't really had the need to take the train into the city (Chicago). But we have a train goes (that ends in St. Joesph) back and forth from my town to the Chicago. That line was put in decades ago for the convenience of they second home owners and Whirlpool Corp. headquaters. In most instances people who live along the coast of Michigan either take train or pay a monthly service to take a bus into Chi-Town. There's a train service call the "South Shore Line, that travels from Indiana into Chicago and some drive across state lines and catch that train.

At this point, Chicago is to damn dangerous and the violence is too random to take public tranport unless you can't do any better. Pathetic but true... that's why we live in St. Joe for the most part now.

Wow.

I try to consolidate as many trips as I can. And I'm really glad I haven't done any plays lately (since the rehearsal spaces are all on the other side of town).

I'm glad my work commute is all highway - so I'm getting at least 30 mpg for that drive.

I definitely dont go out as much and there is one zumba class during the week that I wish I could go to but its far and I'd rather not waste the gas

veronikka said:

I definitely dont go out as much and there is one zumba class during the week that I wish I could go to but its far and I'd rather not waste the gas

I ride my bike alot more...

I'm actively looking for a good, used Prius...that being said, it's high time that we come to grips that it aint gonna get any better...it's a non-renewable resource...just imagine the price of the final gallon of gas

Unless I really need to do something, what's the point of driving with that amount?

I couldn't even tell you what the gas prices are here (New York City) because I never look. I love not having a car.

orger said:

I'm actively looking for a good, used Prius...that being said, it's high time that we come to grips that it aint gonna get any better...it's a non-renewable resource...just imagine the price of the final gallon of gas

Isn't maintenance on these car a lot more? and I've read the battery is very expensive as well

i do fewer road trips

veronikka said:

orger said:

I'm actively looking for a good, used Prius...that being said, it's high time that we come to grips that it aint gonna get any better...it's a non-renewable resource...just imagine the price of the final gallon of gas

Isn't maintenance on these car a lot more? and I've read the battery is very expensive as well

routine maintenance on a Prius is no different than that of a normal gas powered car and the hybrid system has no additional maintenance needs...because of it's regenerative braking system, brake pads need replacing far less with some reports of 80-90 thousand miles before needing replacement, so there's another savings right there...

from Wikipedia about battery life and replacement...

"As the Prius reached ten years of being available in the U.S. market, in February 2011 Consumer Reports decided to look at the lifetime of the Prius battery and the cost to replace it. The magazine tested a 2002 Toyota Prius with over 200,000 miles on it, and compared the results to the nearly identical 2001 Prius with 2,000 miles tested by Consumer Reports 10 years before. The comparison showed little difference in performance when tested for fuel economy and acceleration. Overall fuel economy of the 2001 model was 40.6 miles per US gallon (5.79 L/100 km; 48.8 mpg_-imp) while the 2002 Prius with high mileage delivered 40.4 miles per US gallon (5.82 L/100 km; 48.5 mpg_-imp). The magazine concluded that the effectiveness of the battery has not degraded over the long run.^[82] The cost of replacing the battery varies between US$2,200 and US$2,600 from a Toyota dealer, but low-use units from salvage yards are available for around US$500.^[82] One piece of research indicates it may be worthwhile to rebuild batteries using good blades from defective used battery"

Filled up the other day and it was $80. EIGHTY. DOLLARS. I just stood there shaking my head.

I haven't had a job in years.
With gas prices so high,
I can't afford one.

It's about 44 dollars a week for me.

missfee said:

Anyone having to alter their schedule around the gas in their car due to rising gas prices? I find myself strategizing about which route to take that will save gas and to also hit up everywhere I need to go in one trip. Either that or I don't go at all.

Are you too sexy to carpool, is that it?

Identity said:

missfee said:

Anyone having to alter their schedule around the gas in their car due to rising gas prices? I find myself strategizing about which route to take that will save gas and to also hit up everywhere I need to go in one trip. Either that or I don't go at all.

Are you too sexy to carpool, is that it?

Efan said:

I couldn't even tell you what the gas prices are here (New York City) because I never look. I love not having a car.

I wouldn't even know where to find a gas station in Manhattan; I've definitely seen them but they seem very few and far between. I am so glad I don't have a car. The only time I wish I had one is around the holidays when I have to schlep gifts and food on NJ Transit.

I had to go back to Iowa about a month ago; while I was there I rented a car. I probably drove between 350-400 miles total and spent just under $50 on gas. I didn't think it was that bad; but then again I haven't driven a car regularly since the late 90s! I was actually surprised that I really only had to fill up once compared to in college where the same drive would have taken at least 2-3 fill ups. (Not sure whether that was due to better MPG or a larger tank.)