Fuel Prices

I'm not sure where you live, but try going to local farmer's markets to stock up on fresh veggies and fruits for much lower costs that at the grocery store. It's definitely harder to eat better when fast food is so much cheaper. We all feel the pain!

I totally agree!

It is outrageous how bad the cost of fuel is. The bad part about it is that it drives the cost of EVERYTHING up!!! Here we all are, trying to make positive changes and I can hardly afford to do it. It is so much cheaper and easier to take advantage of the value menus at McDonald's or Burger King. The government is complaining all the time about the high cost of health care and the fact the the US is in an Obese Epidemic. Well, how about cutting those of us trying to eat healthy a damn break and not charging me $5 for a gallon of milk!!! Somebody's pockets are getting FAT while we're all trying to get skinny. Makes me sick. Sorry. Had to rant for a minute.

I feel your pain. It is getting as expensive to cook a meal at home as it is to grab fast food. When you factor in the convenience of not cooking and little clean up.... it's tough. But stick with it!!!!! It's worth it. YOU ARE WORTH THE EXPENSIVE OF HEALTHIER FOOD. Remember that


..... *whispers* Says this hypocrite who ate fast food all weekend :frown:

I know exactly what you mean too. My husband works an hours drive away and he wants me to join him once a week for lunch. This used to be an affordable past time because we would choose a relatively healthy lunch place and I would get something light. But recently, by the time I spend the extra to drive up there and back, and he counts the time he is missing from work that day (he rarely takes a full lunch) we are losing money, so we have cut back the past couple of weeks, but when I try to save money, it leaves me no healthy choices.

Tired of them making money off of my trying to make my family work and eat healthy and do the things that HELP the economy!!!

Ugh! I so know what you mean.

I have decided that from now on, if we need to go somewhere that is within 2 miles of home, we will hoof it. Too bad my school and my daughters school are so far away, then I wouldn't need any gas at all.

Here is my related rant:

I'm almost done with school. Medical Assisting. My school places you on both an externship, then a job if the externship does not hire you.
They keep giving me leads all the way on the west side. I'm far east. I panicked because if hired in at say- $10.00/hr, that will be less than I make on unemployment- PLUS I will have the additional gas and childcare costs. I tried to explain to these people that I cannot afford to take a job that is farther than the school is now. They keep telling me I need to take what is offered so I can get experience and then get the job I want. This annoys the friggin crap out of me because it's not like I'm saying I don't want to work, I'm saying that I'm trying to avoid accepting a job that I fully know that I will not be able to get too.
Friday the girl said to me, "It's money, any money is good." I said, "I get that, but it's not enough to get me there to pick up the dang check!" What part of.... I don't have a rich daddy or unlimited credit card do they not understand? If it's Monday morning and I have a choice between feeding my kid or filling my tank, guess which I will choose? How embarrassing will it be to call in two weeks into the job and say, I just don't have gas to get there or my kid was kicked out of childcare because I can't pay them anymore. Am I being unreasonable?

Thanks. I needed to get that out.

First, we have it great fuel price wise in the US compared to many other nations. I think the government should stop giving the oil companies money to produce oil / gas. That would save the government money and would force more innovation.

Second, if you people are tired of paying so much for gas, then stop using so much! Here is a very short list of things you can do:
1. Trade for a more fuel efficient vehicle. Don't drive an SUV if you are the only one driving it all the time.
2. Drive less. Combine trips, don't go out to dinner, etc.
3. Car pool.

There are also modifications you can do to your vehicle that can save you tons of gas for next to no cost:
4. The biggest one: adjust the nut behind the wheel - can easily save 3-4 mpg. The gas pedal is not an on/off switch!
5. properly inflated tires can save 1-2 mpg
6. other small modifications to the vehicle can be found here - http://ecomodder.com/forum/fuel-economy-mpg-modifications.php

I have seen people report 40 mpg with trucks! It is easily doable people. Change what you can and stop complaining about what you can't.

Another big one I forgot. Buy something like a scangauge if you vehicle isn't already equipped with something that will tell you your instant mpgs.

Another big one I forgot. Buy something like a scangauge if you vehicle isn't already equipped with something that will tell you your instant mpgs.

Or you could just use the calculator on your phone and divide the miles on your trip odemeter with the number of gallons purchased. You know, since we're trying to SAVE money.

Anyone could calculate the overall mileage they've used per tank, but this device gives you instantaneous mileage while you're driving. Studies have shown that when people have this data in front of them, they automatically drive better to get better gas mileage. The author of this article using scangauge reported saving 40% on fuel costs by having the real time feedback. I have seen many people report that the fuel savings easily pays for the cost of the device in 6 months, hows that for SAVING money?

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/maintenance/4294223?page=2

Why are the prices so high over there? Is it because of the transportation costs, taxes higher? The people here really do have it made here in that aspect.