Creative Ideas To Combat High Ga$$ Prices

[Down Deep]

With the spike in the price of gas today (8-3) and prices sure to hit $4.00 per gallon by next summer, what ideas do you have for combating the price of fuel and keep fishing? We added a third guy on two of the three trips to Canada which worked out great. We didn't use less fuel, but had an extra wallet to help with the cash. I've also spent a lot of time on local lakes and found the fishing to be excellent even though I've had to switch to some species I didn't usually fish for.Fly fishing for gills has been tremendous and something I never had done before. Planning for the future I purchased a new high mileage car for the local trips (needed to replace an existing high roller) and I started taking the city bus to work two days a week. I,ve cut about a third of my gas consumption and really haven't been inconvenienced.

Anybody else doing anything positive to cut back on fuel consumption???

[Northlander]

I know I didnt go to Canada this year for our anual Canadian Fishing trip. Ill be hangin closer to home and doing Lake Superior, Mil Lacs, LOW and Vermilion instead.

All I know is these gas prices are a monopoly and the president wont do anything to stop it because he is all about big oil.

[Slyster]

I'll keep my small 15hp boat and stick to fishing within 20 mile sof home.

[upnorth]

Thinking of selling the boat and getting a smaller one that I can tow with a smaller vehicle. That 17' boat and a full sized pick are killing me.

Right now I am just not getting on the water much

[Wade Joseph]

My take is this...

A) The president doesn't control oil prices..nor does congress or the senate....None of them even have much influence on the WORLD market. The growing Chineese economy and consumption of oil coupled with the rest of the worlds thirst for oil has 100 times greater effect on prices than ALL of our elected officials combined. Granted, our government could pressure the big oil companies to cut prices and reduce their proffits but would you want that done to you if you sold Muffler Bearings and were making big bucks and suddenly the price of them skyrocketed and everyone was upset because you were making alot of money? Its what happens in a free market supply and demand environment.

I cant afford to get rid of my F150....its paid for, gas for it is cheaper than a new car payment would be PLUS gas regardless of the economy of said new vehicle.

C)With these prices and people FINALLY demanding a solution, it won't be long 'til someone comes up with an alternative fuel that will be more cost effective and will also be efficient. When that time comes they won't be able to GIVE away gasoline. THEN I will be able to drive my truck and boat as much as I want for free!

But to answer the question...I have parked my F150 except to tow the boat and drive the more fuel efficient Explorer 99% of the time. I am also trying to fish closer to home and I have quit mowing my grass.

[Daze Off]

Like most people I cannot figure out why people are reacting to these outrageous gas prices like sheep being led to slaughter. If we all started threatening (and doing) to not re-elect our "representatives" then I figure the gas prices would plummet.

As for coping, I got rid of the Tahoe (10mpg) and got a Trailblazer (15 mpg) and have actually changed my driving habits - I slowed WAY down as I tend to have a lead foot and always traveled at least 7 mph over the limit. Now I am a speed limit guy as much as I hate that.

I'll never understand why more people apparently do not use cruise control as it saves $$ too - it must be just to aggravate me....

And, I am on the water less and closer to home when I do get out. Last time I filled the boat it was $55 - I'm afraid of what it would be now at over $3/gal.

Daze Off

[MNice]

Tune up & slow down. I've been thinking of a smaller vehicle because I don't "need" a full size truck. I have a 01 silverado 4x4 with the 4.8 and can get 19-20 to work which is a 64 mile round trip. Problem is, it's not worth anything, it going on 7 years old with 130,000 miles and I think I'd be real lucky to get 10 grand. so I'm kind of stuck. I'll just keep things running smooth, squeeze out as much MPG and time as I can and when it's time to buy something different, It will be more economical.

[Valv]

MnIce, send me an email I have a question for you.

[upnorth]

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My take is this...

A) The president doesn't control oil prices..nor does congress or the senate....None of them even have much influence on the WORLD market. The growing Chineese economy and consumption of oil coupled with the rest of the worlds thirst for oil has 100 times greater effect on prices than ALL of our elected officials combined. Granted, our government could pressure the big oil companies to cut prices and reduce their proffits but would you want that done to you if you sold Muffler Bearings and were making big bucks and suddenly the price of them skyrocketed and everyone was upset because you were making alot of money? Its what happens in a free market supply and demand environment

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Wade you are correct the prez and the rest of the politicians don't control the price of gas. The only thing I am going to say is there are laws against monopolistic tactics and price fixing. These laws are in place to protect the consumer/general public. They need to be enforced!!

[dirtking]

I'll go to the bar / out to eat a little less and drive wherever I want to like gas was a buck a gallon. If it takes 60 gallons to get to LOTW and back and gas goes up by a buck (from $2.20 to 3.20) that is $60 extra - Head out the bar with buddies, go out to a nice restaurant, or play poker with your friends and you can spend that pretty quick. I for one won't slow down until I'm paying $ 5 / gallon - until then I will find other ways to save the dough for Gas. Can't keep me a way from the big pond for $ 60 in extra gas.

[Sutty]

I have a 98 GMC 1/2 ton with a 175000 on it. My plan is to keep it for hunting/fishing and buy another car for me to drive to work and stuff. I am just waiting for us to pay off my wife's car so we don't have two car payments. I am planning on having something sexy like a civic But it will get high 30's in mpg.

I don't think our government is completely to blaim but we have created a lot of bottlenecks. There are way too many types of gas for differant states and regions and not enough refineries to make all the differant kinds of gas. So we have mini monopolies at the refineries and throw in a fire at one like happened a couple years ago and we have demand shortages.

Anyway this isn't supposed to be why gas prices are high but what we are doing about it. I am afraid I will be going backwards on my boat gas. I currently have a 16 ft crestliner with a 40 horse four stroke that gets great gas milage. Unfortunately I went salmon fishing for the first time on lake michigan and now I need a bigger boat... So next spring I think I will sell mine and buy a new one...

[solbes]

I've parked the Dakota V8 for daily commutes (14-16mpg). We picked up an older car within the family that gets 28-30 mpg. Not very sexy, but gets the job done.

I was still putting 350 miles on the truck though most weekends. We did recently buy a boat lift on our property so we can leave the boat on the water and not have to trailer it in and out. That'll save some gas as well because we can take the car now.

Here's a blurb that gets my blood pressure up a little bit:

Exxon reported net income up 75% to $9.92 billion. That is the most a U.S. company has earned from operations in a three-month period and greater than the annual gross domestic product of entire nations including Cameroon and Zimbabwe. (USA Today) When I used to work at Proctor and Gamble they had SALES of $10 billion a quarter, not earnings. And that's a Fortune 50 company.

The current goverment does have some pretty close ties with oil. But it's always going to be a supply and demand equation. The price isn't going down until we reduce demand. We need to get oil alternatives and we better do it fairly quick.

[Da Beak]

Someone please explain this to me:

Yesterday on my way to work in the morning, gas was $2.91 on Hwy 212 in Chaska. (Both SA and Holiday) Last night, SA was at $3.20, and Holiday, (less than 1/2 mi down the road) was at $3.10! This morning, they were both at $3.09!!

Don't tell me we're not being gouged!

[big musk411]

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Wade you are correct the prez and the rest of the politicians don't control the price of gas. The only thing I am going to say is there are laws against monopolistic tactics and price fixing. These laws are in place to protect the consumer/general public. They need to be enforced!!

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Agreed, there are laws against monopolies and cartels in the United States, unfortunatly OPEC operates in other cuntries that are not subject to our laws.

I own stock in Exxonmobil. When gas prices go up, I make money. This partially combats the high prices for me, but not that much as I own a relativly small amount and drive my SUV 60 miles a day to work and back.

[SteveWilson]

Well I work from home now so my Suburban is only used for fun. Unfortunately it's starting to rust so I'll probably replace it with something else this year or next (thinking of a GMC Sierra 2500HD w/Duramax-Allison). Since sales will likely be slow, discounts will be high which will ease future fuel costs. Right now GM gives $3K off to employees (I get that discount) plus GMS pricing on vehicals so roughly $10K or so off on the 2500HD I'm looking at.

As for current crude oil prices, it is worldwide demand recovery from the Asian financial crisis (remember $1/gal gas in the 2000 - well crude demand in Asia fell through the floor back then) coupled with demand growth and inneficiency, especially in newly industrialized countries that we've exported our manufacturing to, plus trepidation in the market due to mid-east instability that has led to the fairly substantial increases we've seen at the pump. BTW fully exploiting ANWR won't have any significant impact on world crude prices (ok maybe $.05/bbl at most, 10 years on).

[BLACKJACK]

Several weeks ago we went on a camping vacation pulling a 26 foot travel trailer, we covered roughly 800 miles and at 10 mpg we used roughly 80 gallons of gas at a cost of $220 (80 x $2.75). If gas would have been $2.00 a gallon, our cost would have been $160. That $60 difference wasn't going to prevent us from going on vacation, thats less than $10 a day, I can spend that at the first gift shop we enter. The same way that I'm not going to cancel our 500 mile round trip to SoDak this fall pheasant hunting because its going to cost us an extra $40 in gas. Divided two ways, that $40 is the cost of splendid fun.

What I have done is try to save on gas on local trips. Instead of setting the cruise at 62-63, I set it at 59-60. I think twice about making that 30 mile extra trip, I try to combine errands. My wife and I ride together to work but used to drive seperately once a week to run errands. Now its only about once a month that we have to drive seperately.

I think the extra money I spend on gas has cut down on other spending, I try to stay away from Menards and Walmart, and if I go, get only what I really need.

I think that this whole oil situation is a case of supply and demand, China and all the other developing nations are sucking up the supply. Plus the U.S. hasn't done enough to conserve, done enough to push alternate fuels. It also doesn't help to have a Big Oil friendly administration, one of the first things they did was to relax standards on gas milage (and pollution controls).

In Europe, they require higher standards on diesel fuel (less sulphur), consequently the automakers have developed cars that get 60 mpg, using the cleaner burning diesel. I think thats the way to go.

[dirtking]

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In Europe, they require higher standards on diesel fuel (less sulphur), consequently the automakers have developed cars that get 60 mpg, using the cleaner burning diesel. I think thats the way to go.

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They do pay for it though - people think our gas is expensive - they pay BIG $$$$

[upnorth]

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Agreed, there are laws against monopolies and cartels in the United States, unfortunatly OPEC operates in other cuntries that are not subject to our laws.

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OPEC is a small portion of the problem. If they were the main cause of what we are experiencing the Big Oil companies would be hurting too. But they are experiencing record breaking profits. That and something 25% of our imported oil comes from OPEC nations.

[upnorth]

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They do pay for it though - people think our gas is expensive - they pay BIG $$$$

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The main diffence in fuel price in europe and here is taxes, their cost for fuel minus the tax maybe less then here or it was not that long ago.

[LABS4ME]

Only one problem with us developing "cars" that get 60 mpg... nobody in America wants them. Everyone wants a 3/4 ton pickup or big SUV, and we aren't going to see the auto makers developing engines that get good gas mileage in these... because we want POWER too. How mant soccer Mom's drive their kids around in Suburbans and Expeditions? How much sense does that make? Half of the reason for doing so is purely as a status symbol. I've driven some of them foreign specks and believe me, it's not like driving any car we are used to.

I still see the freeways around here plugged every morning and every afternoon with "big" vehicles, with only one commuter, that's getting terrible mileage on their way in or out to their home 40-50 miles outside the metro. We have a cultural problem here. America has always wanted to have an endlesss supply of cheap gas and no one is going to tell us how far we should commute or how big a vehicle we should drive or what kind of mileage we should be getting in that vehicle. (The CAFE standards are to be met as an average for the entire lineup of an auto makers offerings. so we have the ability to buy a vehicle that only gets 12 mpg.) We as Americans just WANT it all, just like the previous generations of petrol users and we will continue to complain about it, rather than do something about it, because we are a spoiled society. We as a society now EXPECT our government to make all of our decisions for us, control prices (which was done in the past and proven that it does not work), and fix every little problem we have. Let me tell you folks, "we" need to start taking the bull by the horns. If you want to live an hour away from your job and commute, you either better start car pooling, get a vehicle that gets better mileage or learn to not complain about gas prices. This was your decision on where to live, so in the end you have to make it work or move closer to work or find a job closer to home. I also notice the 'cabin' traffic hasn't died down any on weekends... What you are seeing is Americans unable or unwilling to adjust to ways to consume less fuel, to use more of their disposalable income on fuel. It may eventually reach a point where we will face catastrophic economic failure because of increasing prices, as we 'run out' of disposalable income... but we aren't there yet. What is that price? I don't know...

Do I like that Exxon is making 10 billion a quarter? No... but do I agree with it? Yep... I would rather have cheaper fuel and have them make less profit, but that is not how our whole capitilstic economy is run. In the end we really aren't forced to buy gas, we need fuel to do what we want to do based on our decisions. Could we all live in smaller metropolitan areas or towns and walk to work like it was common even 60 years ago? Sure be we choose not to. Could we go back to the one car family? Sure but we choose not to. A lot of that is based on convenience. Is it really price gouging? I guess again I don't know. I know we have reduced our demand only a fraction of what it will take to bring prices down. It still is the land of supply and demand. The supply is short, but the demand remains the same or growing. If it reaches a point where people shut down their vehicles, eventually prices will follow as they 'need' to sell fuel; to stay alive.

I unfortunatley have a company dependent on fuel, our monthly fuel bill has doubled over the past 2 years to about $12-14,000 a month... what are we to do? If I pass this all on to consumers, there will be less work for us, so we are taking a hit each month with these prices. We are trying to be smarter about how many deliveries go out to jobs or combining loads, but in the end trucks and equipment 'eat' a lot of fuel. This is my decision to stay in this line of work, so I have to live with it and figure out ways to make it work. I blame no politician for this... we've done it to ourselves. It matters not what party you are affiliated with or who you want to believe will help out Americans with fuel prices... it is out of their hands. The congress met with all the 'big oil' execs a couple months ago... what happened after all the show boating? Nothing. And that will be the best we will be able to expect.

Oh and what have I done? Try to keep the jobs I take within a 30 mile radius of the shop, use 1/2 as much fuel in the boat, and bought a truck that gets better mileage... at least I've gone from 12 mpg to 17 mpg. Almost 50%.

Good Luck!

Ken

[dfv87]

My suburban uses E85 and I try to fill with it any chance I get. I know the argument about less mileage but to me the cost savings is worth it. I sense zero change in the performance of the vehicle. Now I also know the argument that E85 costs to make are high but as I see it. We are using US grown corn, US labor to make it, to provide a US product for US use. If it is costly to make it is still cheaper than gas and it helps our economy whhich right now needs all the help it can get. The farmer could then take land they get paid to not farm and grow more corn to make fuel, just seems to make sense to me in my head. I realize there are a myriad of issues with E85 but that basic principal of the US being more self sufficient for fuel needs has me on the E85 band wagon.

Side note, Gas has to much higher for me to give up fishing! But to be honest a BWCA trip with my fishing buddies has entered my mind lately.

[cold one sd]

I know a guy that was driving 100 miles each way daily to and from work. I read on one of these forums about a guy that commuted 163 miles each way daily in California. Working in the city and living in the country can be a real pain in the but I'll bet. It is nice to live here in the sticks, but it is a long drive to anywhere. We get used to going without some things like mega malls and traffic. I'll stay here.

[Hooked On a Feeling]

I'ts very simple economics folks...

The big oil companies are publicly held, therefore, by law, they must make as much money for their shareholders. As long as their are no ties to price-fixing, the only thing we can do as consumers is drive demand down.

Also, It's very expensive to refine gas in certain areas of the U.S., California for instance uses 22 blends of gasoline depending on which area of the state you live in. You can thank the enviromentalist for that one. That cost is past on to yours truly.

[dirtking]

Oh come on Hooked lets just blame the President - would be much easier

Labs - very well put

[croixeyes]

Where is Jed Clampet and his shot gun when you need him?