I can't believe I am the first to complain about GAS PRICES

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

Yikes...last Friday I filled the tank for $39.99
Steve filled it this week for $44.00
Today one week later than the first fill I filled it up for $41

Granted I am driving back and forth to af ew places thru out the week, but really over $120 in one week...and then Tomorrow or Saturday morning we leave for the beach for the week-end so there is another fill up...SHEESH!!!!!!

And I know in NC we a cheaper than many places, we are between $1.89-2.10...
Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[toomanystrollers]

We're about $2.10 in MA. I think my next vehicle will be a hybrid - once one big enough to lug 3 kids hits the market.

[tinkerbell1217]

Here in So. Fl. we are between $2.04 and $2.20 most places. I did see one place today for $2.02. Its crazy!!! I spent about $60 last week and I do not do alot of long distance driving. Once or twice a week I go to the far away mall (outlet), but most of my driving is within about 6-8 miles from my house.

Edit to add- this is for regular unleaded. I refuse to buy Premium!

[deborah_r]

Well, we are in LA and DH insists that our car must have the super premium gas (it has some fancy engine called a VR6 and he claims he's researched it and we really do need it), so we paid $2.66 per gallon this morning! It now costs around $33-$35 to fill it up, and we drive a VW Jetta, which I think has a 12 or 13 gallon tank. Makes me want to cry every time!

Edit to add: I think the regular gas was around 2.35 this morning, but I'm not positive.

[MartiesMom2B]

I now drive DH's bachelor mobile (Nissan Maxima) which is expensive in all ways. From its fancy tires to the super premium gas I need to fill it with. And I do have to fill it with super premium gas, it says so on the gas door and I looked it up in the manual b/c I didn't believe him. So I am paying $2.03/gallon for the fancy stuff. I'm sure it's gone up since then though. I remember the 90's when gas was less than $1.00 per gallon.

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03

[lukkykatt]

I have a Passat wagon, which requires premium gas too :( :( :(

It cost me about $30 to fill it up last week - when we first got it in 2002, we could fill up for under $20.

[Kate888]

Yes, it's CRAZY! I think it's around $2.15/gallon here in MI (for regular, not premium). Now I have to thank DH for insisting on getting Honda's. He also talked me out of getting an SUV.

Ah...I miss those days when gas was only $1.25 a gallon and I thought it was expensive. Sigh...


Kate
Mama to Maya 2-17-02

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/kao/otn/ptrose.gif

[zuzu]

We have a Passat wagon too, and use regular most of the time. When we bought the car, the salesman told us that the car and manual say to use the premium, but that it is not really required. He said we may get slightly better mileage and/or a smoother ride, but it won't harm the car at all to use the regular. I wasn't sure what to make of this, so I called the corporate VW customer service number and they told me that they have some agreement with the gas companies to make that recommendation in the U.S., but that using regular is fine and it won't void the warranty or anything. We've used premium a few times on longer trips, but honestly, I haven't noticed it runs any better on it, and the regular has been just fine. Ours is a 2003, if that matters. Even with the regular, it still cost us $30 to refill it last weekend though.

I don't like the high prices either, but we still have it so much better than Europe, where even when prices aren't through the roof gas there can easily be 2-4 times more expensive!

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5.10.03)

[sntm]

We still get it way cheaper than any other country. DH told me when he was in Belgium with the army a few years ago(don't ask!) it was USD$4 a liter!

<<<<<<<<<<<Is it wrong that this topic amuses me in light of recent discussions on the war?>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[McQ]

Well both of our vehicles only take premium (*#@!%) and that's going for $2.20 something around here. And my SUV gets miserable gas mileage and the car is AWD so it isn't much better there. Argh!!!

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[caleymama]

I so hear you. Our regular here in upstate NY is between $2.10 and $2.20 a gallon. I found it this morning for $2.07 and just about jumped for joy. YUCK!

[peanut4us]

Ok then, I guess i can't feel irritated that when I filled up yesterday, it was over $20. I about had a heart attack considering gas mileage is always a huge factor for us when we buy cars... but seeing how much some of the other cars are taking to get filled up, I guess I still do have an economical car ;)

[mamahill]

I've been excited that we've dropped back down to $2.25/gallon - for regular unleaded.

[candybomiller]

I'm almost afraid to admit this here, but our prices dropped down to about $1.96 a gallon for regular. We were jumping for joy. It's a terrible, terrible world, isn't it?

[DDowning]

Edited to correct a typo..

Just in case anyone doesn't know about this, but the gas pumps here (California) acutally shut off once you hit $50 (based on when DH fuels his Cayenne). If he wants to fully fill up, he has to drive up to the next pump and start again.

[deborah_r]

Wow, I didn't know that. And it's kind of funny, but I'm surre not for your DH!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

the same thing happens here. I guess it is a limit on how much you can pay for at the pump?

Or maybe they never thought anyone would need to buy more than $50 of gas at one time.

My husband drives our SUV on Boy Scout camping trips. Usually the adults just pay for their own gas, but after this last trip they are going to add it to the cost of the trip for the Scouts. $150 to go across CT and back. And CT is a small state!

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[ShayleighCarsensMom]

The prices have gone through the roof here in CA...$2.50+ for a gallon of regular, and we are less than an HOUR from the refineries that process it....whats the deal???
I have not filled up my car in 3 weeks, as I have given up driving due to these crazy prices, and we now bike or walk everywhere....
Who knew that taking a 3 year old on the bus could be so much fun, she loves it!!!

[tinkerbell1217]

Couldn't believe I found a Citgo for $1.99 yesterday!!!

[Melanie]

I think I filled up with regular earlier in the week for $2.37/gallon. Admittedly, it was one of the pricier stations. I prefer to patronize those who get a minority of their oil from the Middle East.

(yes, Shannon...I get the connection, too.)

[papal]

<stepping on soap-box>

Even with the so called HIGH prices, gas in this country is still ridiculously cheap. So you won't hear me complaining! :)
In India, people pay much much more for gas and earn MUCH MUCH less money as compared to people in the US!!
Petrol is taxed way more heavily in the rest of the world and we have it good, living here in America.

I guess what contributes to the expense is the ridiculous distances you have to drive for EVERYTHING. I wish there were corner stores and markets where you could walk in the evening and pick up your bread/meat/veggies/milk.. you know?
And it doesn't help that the more popular cars guzzle gasoline either.

<stepping of soap-box>

Hey, but this is the Bitching Forum and you have every right to complain! :)

[emilyf]

My VW salesperson told me the same thing (I drive a Jetta) and so I always use regular gas. No problems so far knock wood!
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[C99]

Sonia,

We have the same car and we occasionally put regular or mid-grade into it anyway, because prices are so high. We haven't had any problems.

[C99]

>distances you have to drive for EVERYTHING. I wish there were
>corner stores and markets where you could walk in the evening
>and pick up your bread/meat/veggies/milk.. you know?

There are...in the cities. I live walking distance to 2 markets and several more smaller convenience stores. I use them, although I also drive my car the 2 miles to Trader Joe's and back to stock up. But with gas prices what they are and the nicer weather, I'm driving a lot less than I had been.

>And it doesn't help that the more popular cars guzzle
>gasoline either.

I know. I read a huge article about this somewhere recently. I think in the Chicago Tribune last Sunday.

[papal]

You are right Caroline.. in Manhattan it was so awesome.. we could just walk downstairs and into a store and get what we want... so cool!
I live in the DC metro and yet getting groceries is like a shopping expedition! Getting there, loading the baby in the cart, going through aisles and checkout and unloading baby and cart and then coming back home! Sometimes it takes an hour or more! And since I do not like to do this often, I shop for the whole week or two weeks, so I have like 10 plastic bags full of stuff!
The worst part is that you have to put your bags in the car and then unload them at home! In India either they deliver to your home or they have fellas who put everything in your car and then at home there is someone to unload everything... heehee.. i am spoiled i guess.

[jec2]

When I lived in DC we would make our big grocery trips out to Virginia (can't recall exactly where but it was a haul and a daylong adventure). The shopping grocery shopping in DC, at least when I lived there, could have been seriously improved, especially for the sized city it is. I think that little specialty shops e.g. butchers/bakers, etc would have been wonderful to have.

[jec2]

a few weeks ago our local gas was said to be the most expensive in the nation! I think our prices are still hovering at just under $3/gal. (I think about $2.75) but I haven't looked lately.

[MamaKath]

Rashmi, I was just thinking some of the same things! Our friends from India visited my mom recently and were saying that a trip like mine (So. MD to No. NJ) would never be done in the car since prices were so high, that everyone travels by train. I can't imagine taking my kids and all our stuff on holiday by train. And then how would I get around to visit all my relatives who have scattered across Northern NJ? Lol, it is very different, eh?

Down here (in the sticks in the woods as my dd says) everything is a huge distance. To go for groceries, it is a minimum of about 5 miles. Forget the nearest mall, it is over an hour away. I miss my mom's town where I could walk down to the Blvd to the stores, the bakery, the luncheonetes, the post office, etc. Made for some outings where I could spend the money getting a little treat for the kids, instead of spending a furtune on gas (by U.S. standards of course). :-(

[egoldber]

Rashmi, I often think it would be good for us as a nation to have to pay more realistic prices for gas. When we travel in Europe, we routinely paid more to fill the gas tank in our car than to stay a night in a hotel! And we never drive long distances, but take a train to our destination and then rent a car there. Much cheaper bewteen gas and tolls to do it that way!

[papal]

I completely agree with you. I say, make petrol $10 a gallon. That would make most people take public transportation or car-pool. It would also bring back mom and pop stores since people would be unwilling to drive miles and miles to go to a Wal-Mart or Target. And it would probably help bring world peace that much closer.
I think, in general, it would be very healthy for the economy and create a more friendly culture!
Obviously I have nothing to back up any of this, but these are my thoughts.. :)
Obviously, 99.99% of people would not vote for me if I proposed any of this.. heehee.

[papal]

Kath,
The trains in India are not anything great to speak of when compared to the trains here. Yet, some of my best childhood memories are of travelling as a family in the train. There are no distractions, everyone tells stories, my mom and grandmom would make all sorts of yummy things to eat, my dad or granddad would take us kids off the train at a few stations and we would get candy or tea or Archie's Digests.... it was SO MUCH FUN!!!! And oftentimes, we would chat with complete strangers sitting next to us and make really good friends! And we would play a game called 'Antakshari' with other families in the train where you sing a song (from Bollywood movies) and the other team has to sing the next song beginning with the last vowel of the previous song... it was a RIOT!
Ahhh.... brings back such fond memories. I cannot imagine travelling by road in India.. it would be frightfully expensive and the roads are not that great.

[lukkykatt]

Good tip - thanks!

[JenCA]

DH drives a GMC Sierra and can fill up on regular gas at Costco, which costs him around $49. My BMW X5 requires premium, and at $2.79/gal (yes, you read that correctly), it costs me over $70 to fill up. Thankfully, I only have to fill up about twice per month, because I don't do a heck of a lot of driving. Then again, I bought my car knowing full well that it was going to be expensive to fill the tank, so I guess I can't justifiably complain.