How do you make ends meet with rising gas prices ?
With the price of gas at over $3.00 a gallon, it costs over $60.00 to fill th gas tank in my car. My husband and I only own 1 small, economy car. It gets about 30 mpg.
We only make 1 trip to the store a week, the rest of the time my husband just usues the car to get back and forth to work.
We live in an area that has no public transportation.
He has tried to find someone to carpool with, but has been unsuccessful because he works 14 hours a day.
We have eliminated going out to eat, renting movies, and anything else that is non essential and are still having problems making ends meet because gas now costs $160.00
more a month than it used, too.
My husband has tried asking for a raise, but he didn’t get it.
Does anyone have any inexpensive ideas to save money on gas ?
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Filed under Gas Conservation FAQ by on Jun 13th, 2011. Comment. 
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Comments on How do you make ends meet with rising gas prices ?
Bicycle if you have one…combine trips, go easy on the gas while driving, use the shortest routes.
I feel your pain also, as I have a long commute, and son is in college and so is the wife!
I dont know. I am in the same situation.
Gas here is approx $3.30 a gallon. No one that I work w/ lives by me and i have to fill up ( $45) about every 3-4 days.
If you find a solution let me know. Our company doesnt seem to think a cost of living raise is necessary
Stay positive first of all, I know it can be rough in times like these. If you are a religious person than pray. Also put yourself on a budget plan, there are many different forms you can get from the internet that can be your guidelines. If you have a bicycle that will work as well. Every penny counts, my wife pick up a penny here and dime there and you will be surprise with the outcome. Well, good luck and hope this can help some.
Here’s one I read, the author was an idiot, but the thinking is pretty sound:
Never spend a dollar. That’s right. A lot of people will throw their coin change into a jar and save it, which helps. But at the end of the day, take all your $1 bills out of your purse/wallet and put them aside. You’d be surprised how fast it adds up. I know… everyone needs singles… but why? You want to save money on unnecessary items? Don’t spend that dollar on the drink machine or the coffee. Even small purchases will take a double check… Do you really want to break a five to buy a pack of gum that you don’t need? Most people don’t realize how much they spend on items… just because they can.
Question for you though. If you spend $160 MORE a month than you used to, what other new driving habits have you picked up? Seems like you would have to fill up 5 or more times a month and unless the commute to work is extremely far, are you sure your figuring those numbers correctly? Just may be something else in there raising that total.
Well, it is costing me about $6 more each time I go to the pump to fill up. So gas prices are costing me about $13 more a month to fill up. $160 MORE a month. How many times are you filling up each month? My only solution for you is trade your car in for something more economical. No economy car is going to cost $60 to fill up. I have a good sized sedan and it takes about $30 bucks to fill up with prices hitting $3.24.
Carpooling: Lots of communities have ways for you to link up with others making a similar commute.
Car Sharing: You can get rid of the car entirely, the insurance and depreciation costs, and the fuel costs…. this one you rent by the hour (e.g. Flexcar).
Change the work schedule: Try a 10 hour 4 day week. This will save you 20% of your fuel costs and lots of bosses are amiable to the approach.
Move close to work: This may sound expensive, but if you can get rid of the car all together by living close to work and public transportation, your expensive “city” living is offset by the lack of transportation costs.
What ever your plan, think long-term: Remember, the world is using more oil. We are competing with India and China for our oil needs now. Yet, we’re able to pump less oil out of the ground than before. Extraction has peaked but usage keeps climbing. I’d plan on prices at the gas pump hitting $10 within the next 5 years.
If i were you I would go for asking government for help since these are the dumbbutts that keep raising gas prices. If we would just use the gas from the usa then it wouldn’t cost so much but we have to import it and thats why its expensive. Its like saying a dodge and a Porsche. which ones higher? The Porsche because it is imported when you can buy dodge that is made right here. not dissing dodges though because I love em.
This also doubles as a great way to get free exercise:
push the car to work and back.
Might have to go the clothes from Goodwill route, if you regularly buy new clothes.
Make sure your tires are inflated and that your air filter in your car doesn’t need to be changed. Make sure that your driving habits are such that you’re not wasting gas, like rapid acceleration.
I’ve been cutting down on driving myself…we used to have public transportation here like 10 years ago…but not anymore.