Comments on: Gas is Expensive

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:59:18 +0000

Hey Twiggers, I hear you on Indiana’s crappy public transportation system. I work in the next county over from where I live. No public transportation goes between the two. I have to drive to get to work. I can’t move anywhere to save money because that would cause my rent to increase by at least $100. Believe me, I’ve looked…

Our town just got a public transportation sytem last year. And this is a town with a university that doesn’t allow Freshman to have a car on campus. You used to see them crossing the nearby busy, four-lane highway to get to shopping. How they made it that long without transportation and not having any students injured, I don’t know.
I’m at a loss on how to decrease my driving or gas spending, unless I start car pooling with others. That would mean some of us would have to adjust our work schedule, though.

By: Trent Hamm

Trent Hamm — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:59:50 +0000

Gas is currently $3.50 a gallon here and it costs me $70 to fill my truck. I used to have to fill it once a week before I quit my job - now I fill it about once every six weeks. That’s about $300 a month in savings and we’re already noticing it big time.

By: Twiggers

Twiggers — Sun, 04 May 2008 23:25:25 +0000

Oops…I forgot to say in my original comment that I added you to my blogroll! Sorry it took me a bit to get you added

By: dogatemyfinances

dogatemyfinances — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:09:45 +0000

I totally agree! My fiance and I drive less than 10 miles a day because we made a choice to spend more on our (rented) condo near the city.

Others made choices that require them to drive 100 miles a day. And now that choice seems much worse. It’s all about your own choices.

By: Shana

Shana — Sat, 03 May 2008 21:48:36 +0000

Interesting. I just wrote about this from the other point of view — that the cost of gas in the US is actually cheap to much of the Western world. (http://smarteasymoney.blogspot.com/2008/05/you-think-gas-is-expensive-its-not.html) I’m also pretty against most people commuting by car when it is only just them in the car… I think carpooling or public transportation is vastly better, even when public transportation means a longer commute.

By: Dean J

Dean J — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:37:24 +0000

Starting with “get over it” and ending with “that’s gotta suck” is quite the swing through the post?

By: Twiggers

Twiggers — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:01:45 +0000

Some places (like Indiana) have crappy public transportation. I either drive the 10 miles each way to work or I would have to walk it or bike it. Neither of those are options (I can walk 4 miles per hour, but there are no sidewalks either), especially when it is -35 outside in the winter. So I’ll continue to gripe and moan about gas! Believe me…I’d rather use public transportation and have extra time to relax in the morning…I hate driving!

By: BD

BD — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:28:54 +0000

LOL @ “I’ll end up flying weekly to Indiana”. Speaking from experience, let me just say that a local project would be better.

By: Amphritrite

Amphritrite — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:30:02 +0000

I lived in Glen Burnie (southern ‘burb of Baltimore) and commuted to Bethesda. The commute isn’t what kills you - it’s not even the gas…

..it’s maintenance on your car. If you think gas is bad, think about having to put tires on your car once a year from wear and tear. Think about having to replace the windshield at least as often because Maryland can’t figure out whether to rip the roads up or repair them (thus, chips, dings and cracks from flying debris). Consider, if you will, the oil changes, the antifreeze changes, the wiper changes, and…best of all… the amount of value leeching out of your vehicle as your mileage grows and grows.

I drive a 2001 with almost 100K miles on it. I only did that commute for a year.

Yikes.