Is Gas really that expensive?
I’ve been thinking about putting in my two cents on the whole gas price issue, but had managed to hold off until Tom said something. He makes a very good point.
Sure, I can remember when gas was $0.99 a gallon(it lasted one day), but I can also remember when a lot of other things were a lot cheaper as well. Milk is a good example. How much is a gallon of milk these days? Somewhere around $3.50 if memory serves. Bet if you tracked the price of milk and the price of gas, milk has risen higher, faster.
And really, so what if gas has gone up by $0.50 in the last 2 months. At that rate, I’d have to do quite a bit of driving to really, really feel it in my pocketbook. Of course, the real hurt comes when consumer goods prices begin to rise as the higher diesel fuel prices get passed along. Think about the last time you drove on the highway. How many Semi-trucks did you pass? Each and everyone of those has a 200 gallon tank and they fill it at least once a day. Tell me Wal-Mart doesn’t feel every penny of rising prices.
Let’s start calling it straight. It doesn’t really affect us directly if gas fluctuates higher by a few pennies a gallon, but we do feel it eventually.
Technorati Tags: gas, prices, gas prices, gallon, gasoline
Like this post? Subscribe by RSS
Or if you prefer, Subscribe by Email
Related Posts:
mapgirl said,
Wrote on May 4, 2006 @ 10:19 am
The problem is that most people don’t have a lot of room in their discretionary income to take a $50-$200 hit each month in fuel costs, whether it’s the gas tank on their car or their utility bill in the winter.
So what’s the bigger problem? Either people start moving closer to work, save more money to absorb the rising cost, or slash their budget in other places. Inflation is bound to happen over time, we all know it. But when looking at the true cost of keeping a car, it’s usually car payments, maintenance, and insurance that cost the most per month, not so much the fuel. It’s Just Money had a great post about it a few days ago. The calculator link was pretty eye-opening.
Kevin S. said,
Wrote on May 4, 2006 @ 6:23 pm
Very well said. I work in a grocery store, and when customers complain about the prices, I try to gently remind them that it takes gas to drive all the delivery trucks, to heat each of the buildings that each of those products go through before arriving at the store, etc etc. Most realize I am right. Occasioanlly there is one that doesn’t believe gas prices effect everything else that way.
I don’t argue with them, just shake my head and think to myself, “what an idiot.”
Gas prices is the ONLY commodity that effects the price of everything else.
- Kevin S.
DebtFree4ever.net