us...we are these forum where this type of subject is talked about.

 

I really beleive everyonr needs to cut back and be more conservative but I dont know what its going to take for that to happen.

 

$10.00 a gallon

 

I'm afraid you are probably right Sierraben.

 

Please...Do not give them some kind of idea that $9.50.9gl is OK!!!

 

Hey okfarrier, are you just an ok farrier, or a farrier from Oklahoma?

Tim

 

A little of both.

 

My trucks are used for work most of the time so they have to get used no matter how much it costs. I can pass some of the cost on but not all of it. So I'm using the motorcycle as much as possible this year. I get about 45 mpg. And my significant other has her own. I just hope we have a warm and dry year. The thermostat is down to 58 during the day and 64 at night. Don't know what else to cut down on. I'm putting in a wood stove for next winter.

 

Some interesting tidbits...

http://www.gas-cost.net/



And, from: http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0826/p01s03-woeu.html


"European consumers are very sensitive to fuel economy and sophisticated about engine options," says Lew Fulton, a transport analyst with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). "European car magazines are full of comparisons of fuel costs over the life of a vehicle."

Europe's cars: 40 percent are diesel

That approach has given a special boost to diesel cars, which make up more than 40 percent of European car sales, compared with just 4 percent in the US.

Just ahead of Colombier in the line at the gas station Thursday was Nicole Marie, a high school teacher, who was using her husband's diesel Audi, rather than her own gasoline-powered car, to take her daughter to Normandy for a final week of vacation by the sea.

"I only use my car in town," she says. "We bought a diesel car deliberately because it is cheaper to run."

That is partly because the French government encourages the use of more- efficient diesel fuel by taxing it less heavily. Only in four European countries is diesel more expensive than gasoline, the way it is in America.

But efficiency alone does not explain the huge disparity between fuel-use figures on either side of the Atlantic: European per capita consumption of gas and diesel stood at 286 liters a year in 2001, compared to 1,624 in the US, according to IEA figures.

The nature of cities plays a role, too. "America has built its entire society around the car, which enabled suburbs," points out Mr. Dings. "European cities have denser centers where cars are often not practical."

In Paris, for example, about half the trips people make are by foot, by bicycle, or on public transport, says UNEP's Mr. Fulton. In America, that figure is more like 20 percent.

Impact of fuel tax

"The single most effective measure" that has brought down motorists' fuel use in Europe, however, is taxation, says Dings.

 

We are letting a prime source of oil for conversion to diesel and jet fuel get thrown
away every day. If you have ever driven across I-10 and seen those stockyards
with the cattle piled in them waiting to go to slaughter, Then you saw the endless
supply!! All the parts that aren't turned into steaks and burger meat could be used
to be rendered into animal fat and then a high grade fuel can be distilled out of it.
We consume a crazy amount of animals in this country and all the carcasses we
throw away could be used to make fuel!!
If you have driven by a landfill at night and seen a flame burning away and ever
thought dumb@$$ why aren't they using that turn turn a steam engine or a stirling
cycle engine and make electricity. Then you saw what the future should be!!
We let untold BTU's go into the environment all over this country and we should be
spanked for letting it go to waste when a simple 1800's bit of technology(yes they use
it for nuke power too) could be making the energy that the landfill itself requires to
operate if not also making a surplus that could feed the grid. Some areas of this
country are using it and it is a step all of them need to take. We have an area here
that has 3 Big construction debris landfills and they are filled to the brim (70 foot deep)
with all manner of wood debris and all that is turning into wood alcohol and just setting
at the bottom when with a little fore thought another site could have opened and then
taken the large wood debris and used that to make energy, But instead we just throw
it away and I guess in the future we will be digging up sites like this and marvelling
at the energy that was wasted in the past!! The newest one was built right after the
hurricanes here and it was capped last year and it was a huge hole in the ground!!
Everytime I went there I was amazed at how much crap was piled up and that last
time I was there where I dumped was now underneath the spot I was dumping now by
at least 10 foot!! It was a non stop flood of trucks and usually 3 trucks waiting at the
scale then you had to wait since they only dumped 4 wide at a time so they could
concentrate on one area and compact it good. I always said we should be shipping
this crap to Africa or mexico since we threw away full concrete blocks half sheets of
plywood, full sheets of drywall and all kinds of footage of pipe, insulation, duct work.
The people in those countries would be living large and we wouldn't have the big
wasted landspace and the environmental concerns. Those container ships that bring
stuff from China Go back that way with empty containers and could take it with them.
At least they wouldn't have to ballast as much seawater if they did since a dirty little
secret is that big ships as they burn their fuel they have to flood the fuel tanks with
seawater so the ship rides at the correct waterline!! Then in America at least they
have to unload that seawater that is polluted with fuel, In other countries they most
likely just dump it overboard before refueling since it takes time to dump all those gallons of seawater.

 

Well....The station that was $3.99.9 yesterday is $4.06.9 this morning...
Explain that one...

Chris..

 

Easy. They want to make a trillion dollar profit.

Sorry for the pejorative, but dam.........the price of gas.

 

The Dems got where they are because they preyed on the ignorance and wealth-envy of the dumb-masses that putting a "windfall profits" tax on big oil would somehow lead them to cutting the price of gas, when in fact nothing is further from the truth.

We allow our obsession with what other people are doing with their money and how they are earning it interfere with effecting real and meaningful policy and tax changes that would do wonders to our economy. So long as you have a large voting base that can't stand that someone else dare make a profit and build wealth, we're going to continue to go down the same old road with the same old ineffective politicians.

 

I once suggested here that gas guzzler taxes be imposed on anything over about 7700 GVWR, to be assessed at the time of a vehicle's registration. If you could prove it was for a legitimate commercial use, the tax would be waived. Needless to say that went over like a ton of bricks with most here.

People all too often want to compare buying a brand new, or nearly new vehicle when looking at fuel savings compared to the current 10 mpg gas hog they are driving now. There's no reason why someone can't buy a $3000-4000 used vehicle that gets 35 mpg as a commuting vehicle and recoup the cost in less than two years, even at today's prices. Its just the crazy mind set that people get into about having to surround themselves with three tons of steel to be safe or they don't want to be seen in a beater car. I've had a fuel efficient or beater car since I have been driving for the past 15 years...I'm still around and thankfully not as light in the wallet if I had been driving something else all the time. In my opinion, its all about mindset.

For those who HAVE to have a truck and can't fathom spending money to buy another car, consider what you're usually using a truck for and consider downsizing somewhat. A Ranger sized truck probably satisfies the need of about 95% of household duties and with a small V6 or even the 4 bangers of today, mid 20s in fuel economy aren't out of the question.

If you can't get your current insurance company to give you a decent break on having a vehicle listed as a pleasure only vehicle, its time to find a new insurance company. Everyone loves the brand names, but I've yet to have any one of them give me a really competitive rate. State Farm blew us away by about $500/yr on our current vehicles compared to what we're paying. You've just got to shop around, do your research (insurance ratings are easy to find) and don't get hung up on big names.

 

Probably won't change much at all. I altered my habits when gas hit $2.00. I just need to drive 24 miles to work and then 24 home. Stores are right across the parking lot from my office. Daily driver car is the Focus at 32 mpg. Have used good mpg cars since 1980. Don't drive during my Wednesday off all that much except Home Depot 2 miles away. Sunday is my long haul to Alameda at 90 miles round trip that I won't ever give up.

All the other cars get a fill up about twice a year except the truck at once every 6-8 weeks.