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May 28th, 2008
05:56 PM ET
Erica Cam: Price of Gas
360's Erica Hill asks, are gas prices changing your summer vacation plans?
Post your comments below.
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$4.00 a gallon. I am an American that has been living with this price for more than 9 years here in Belgium. Gas is currently at around $9.00 a gallon and Belgium has the 10th highest gas prices in the world with the U.S. is 111th. The main thing is change and adapt. My old US 8 cylinder car has been gone for years as all others Europeans. 80% of cars are 4 cylinder rather than 6 or 8 cylinder. My 4 cyliner BMW still can reach speeds of 180 kmh on the German autobahn if need be. Our vacation plans have not changed, but the way we get there is definately not in a 8 cylinder SUV.
I posted earlier and thought I'd follow up that the $4.09/gallon gas from yesterday and this morning has now gone up to $4.15/gallon when I left work today. BTW I live in Los Angeles – a city that is not bike friendly or else I'd ride my bike to work even though it's 15 miles one way.
I fing it hard to believe that with the technology and power our country has , we cannot find a way to lower gas prices. I'm not a consiracy theorist, but it really makes you wonder about the motives of car manufactures, oil companies, and brken(ours) governments
Not going to Europe this year,... but that's because of the $:Euro rate.
To be honest, I'm tired of hearing about gas prices. people either don't use it so don't care, or do drive in which case they already know the price.
Looks like those Europeans got it right by slowly introducing gas tax over a number of years. Their cars, habits and options have left them in a much better position than we are,....which is probably why I can't afford to buy their euros any more !
I have two cars, one (a 2-seater convertible) is my summer car and the other is my winter wheels (a SUV). I have yet to get the convertible out. One of the reasons is it is a foreign car and takes premium gas which is over the top in $/gallon at the pump. The other is that I don't see myself taking those weekend trips up the coast of Lake Michigan like I usually do every summer. Is it changing my summer vacation plans? Not really but it is affecting my summer weekend plans and it has caused me to move my vacation to Fall (hoping the prices retreat by then).
Jolene, St. Joseph, MI
Well in the U.S.A. you have it real Good !!! Germany the Government
does not care they Tax the Fuel so us $ 9.00 a gallon. So we won,t
travel very far!!!!!!
Alma Melvin Heward II
Berlin, Germany
P.S. Please Vote in November !!!!!!
Hi Erica
I'm a forty -seven year old student at (CAMPBELL UNIV.), My Wife and I have been marry for 9 year, right now the Gas Prices is really hitting us in the pocket, because My wife! Pay is making end meet. We made a decession for one of us to go back to school to improve our chance IN THE Job market .( dON'T GET ME WRONG MY WIFE DO HAVE A GOOD PAYING JOB) But the gas prices stuck us in the back HARD! I will finish in Dec 08 with my (BA) and I will finish my (MBA) in June of 2009. I'm a Barrack Obama ,( i WAS A hILLARY SUPPORTER , BUT SHE LIE TO MUCH . WITH HER SNIPER FIRE) AND HER , AND MCAIN VOTE ON THE WAR WAS ALL I COULD HANDLE FROM THEM TWO. We really need a change. Obama yes we can.
Robert (obama suporter)
Thanks Erica for giving me a (Opt) to voice my opion.
I don't know about other people, but I was walking past a gas station on my way home from work and saw that prices are now $4.45 a gallon. I know that the area I live in has one of the top 2 highest prices for gas in the country – but come on. It's sickening. The other thing I've noticed is that since so many people have started taking public transportation, the accident at crime rate has risen to a level higher than they've ever seen. I saw a guy start to draw a gun on the bus driver yesterday becuase he wasn't driving fast enough to get the people to work on time. I'm sure there is more to come, plus accidents will happen like what happened in Boston today.
I have two cars- one is a daily commute car. I fill the commuter car about every 8 days (420 miles) and for about $40. The "weekend/vacation/backup" car gets about the same mileage.
I think vehicle maintenence has a lot to do with the amount of gas a car uses. Dirty oil, oil filters, and air filters affect mileage yet many people don't even do this.
I like to take little trips here and there, but I budget for these so the gas sticker shock does not affect me that much.
I purposely bought a "fuel efficient" vehicle last year when my other car died but pretty soon it's going to get to the point where you cannot afford to go to work. It's already getting to be a hard choice between gas to do that and putting food on the table, but the shareholders and the CEO's don't think about that, they just think about the "cha-ching" they hear everytime someone fills up their tanks. I'm thinking about buying some vaseline just to "make it go in easier" everytime I have to fill up.
We were supposed to go to Europe this summer. My daughter was supposed to study abroad, but her grades and the value of the dollar squashed those plans. As far as gas goes, I parked the jeep and am using a more efficient car, but it takes premium-can't win for losing! We are also trying to do closer horse shows. I can't even guess how much it will cost to trailor the horse, but we're trying to sell her and we have to show her. Horses arn't moving very fast in this economy either. I think I will have to buy a kiddie pool and enjoy the back yard with the dogs!
So far it hasn't really changed my summer plans. I was in New York last month so the rest of the summer so I've been planning on staying close to home until my best friend and I take our usual late/summer fall trip. We had been planning on doing a road trip to New Orleans instead of flying,however depending on the price of gas by that time if it would be less to pay for a flight than the cost of gas we'll most likely fly.
My daily habits are what have changed more than anything. I'm lucky enough to work close to home with everything I need in between the two places to I've gotten into the habit of running all of my errands on the way to or from work. I also work a part time job that is on the other end of the city and people have asked if I'm going to give it up due to the gas it takes which is no because what I make covers what I have to spend on gas. I end up with less money going to savings that way but I still know that have enough coming in to cover what I need and still have some extra left over. It's become such a painful experience going to get gas that we've joked about starting a support group to deal with the stress of seeing the the dollar signs increasing as the gallons are filling up the tank.
The american dream is still on, in Europe for one gas litre it have to pay around 1,5$.
But for a family not the high gas prices will change the vacation plans , maybe a dispute, a split, a wedding, a aggrandizement in office , a birth 🙂
The low gas prices for sure will change all the plans in all direction like : a cheaper life -including food and all domestic needments , expensive vacations, long fly routes , specially in Europe.
What vacation? Between the price of gas and food there isn't any money left for a vacation so we're just going to laze around the house and read some good books and watch movies and just rest. Thankfully we don't need extra gasoline to do that.
Annie Kate
Birmingham AL
Erica,
For me, it's the perfect excuse to cancel our annual "obligatory family vacation" at my in-laws' (a 900 mile drive to Maine with 2 bored little kids in the back seat). We're staying put.
We aren't feeling the pinch at the pump as much as other folks given our location and work situations. However, we're experiencing the gas crisis through higher food costs. I haven't done the math, but I wouldn't be surprised if we're paying 3-5% more now than just 2-3 months ago. We're doing more meal planning and coupon clipping these days to keep costs down, but I wonder how other families are dealing with this? Especially when I hear stories on NPR about oil companies seeing major profit margin increases as gas prices skyrocket.
btw, I read in our local Sunday paper that someone reported gas being syphoned out of their car! I don't think that's made news since 1973. Sign o' the times?
I'm starting graduate school in the fall. It will require that I move about 250 miles away from where I currently live. I was hoping to quit work in late June/early July to have some free time to prepare for my move and for going back to school after an 8 year absence. However, gas prices in addition to other financial factors, have made me rethink my decision. I now plan to work until late July, in part so that I can hopefully save more money for gas for the commute I will be in for once I do move.
Hi Erica,
Gas prices are not a joke here in Florida. We are a bit higher than the national average. I had to change some patterns, starting where I pump gas. The most convenient gas station for me is in Miami Beach, on my way to work. Unfortunately, it happens to be the most expensive station in town. That had to go.
Secondly, I used to take weekend trip to the Florida Keys, and recently I have to think twice when I go.
For the most prices, airfares have remained the same, so no changes in my summer vacations. If that changes, which it will, it's just a matter of when, then my summer vacations may have to be adjusted accordingly.
To compensate for gas, I have found myself bringing my own lunch to work. I either cook or buy those "healthier" frozen foods. The best think about that, is that our local grocery store, Publix, has a buy one get one deal. I stock up.
Like many Americans, my income has not increased like the price of gas, and somethings have to go. I started paying more attention how much I spend on superfluous things.
Look forward to your story.
Ariston
P.S. I read some of the other blogs and a common theme is repeated "somebody" aught to do something. The last I checked we were the people. We are living as if on the 7th day God created the Model T.
It's funny that able body people live less than 10 miles from work but they still take public transportation then they go home get their car and drive to the gym and work out for an hour but "but there are not enough hours in the day". You could have riden your bike to work, skipped the workout, saved money both ways and spent that hour or so with family & friends or reading/studying.
I sorry to say, but I don't think this will change until it is too late because we are living la vida commercial.
Na'h, I can't say they have......I've seen this coming for quite a while.........wish I can help, I wish I can....
Yesterday morning low grade gas was $4.03/gallon by my job. When I went home afterwork, the price had risen to $4.09/gallon. I passed another gas station by my house (15 miles away) and it was at $4.31/gallon. You bet my vacation plans have changed! I've also cancelled premium cable channels (may get rid of cable all together) and got rid of call waiting on my phone. Gas and food prices have gone up much quicker then my less then 3% raise last year. Tough times ahead for a lot of people!
Over 2 years ago I was shopping for a vehicle and the one on the top of my wish list was the Chevy Tahoe but my instincts kept telling me that with the war and the present instability in the Middle East gas could shoot up through the roof and I could be in a situation where I have a vehicle that I could only afford to park in my driveway. As it turns out I was right and I even gave up my car.
I have been using public transportation for a while now and I had gotten quite comfortable with it. That is when the high food prices began to kick in. Then, here in Chicago we had a transportation budget crisis so much that every few weeks they scheduled a "dooms day" when fares were to jump from $2 to over $4.
These three things (along with are cities notorious ticketing of $390 to $1000 for common violations) caused me to look for alternate forms of not just commuting but transportation. Then it became clear to me that I had to find not just an alternate mode of transportation but an alternate life style. I had to change the way I live to be able to still pay my bills and save money for the things that make life vibrant and worth living like my hobby of building computers, traveling and going to school for foreign languages.
To save my life I decided to use my for transportation during the week and buy public transportation weekend pass since I have more destinations on the weekend including ones that I can't arrive to sweaty.
In addition, I have changed my diet for the better. I don't eat out much at all (meaning less than once per week), and I cook every day and eat many vegetables and staple foods. I even cut my own hair most of the time.
I only wish there were a way to eliminate sweating, then I could eliminate the weekend pass on most weekends and save $50 per month.
After all I have no remorse about the gas prices because this lifestyle change has been good for me. I noticeable changed my diet, weight and health and I finally acting in accordance of how I have always felt about waist and pollution.
Hi Erica, this gas thing is out of control but what to do? IF you go to Disneyland the gas stations around here will ask you to pay $ 4.15- $4.19 a gallon so you could go home. see u tonight.
We may have to park my car tomorrow, for a couple of days. And, yes, our Memorial Day plans were altered some. We are still planning for a vacation out of state, but who knows??? Thanks for asking, & take care. See you tonight!
Hey Erica!
I have been checking out places to go that might be economical.
I am thinking about Buenos Aires.
One U.S. dollar is worth $4 there!
Yes, I believe with flyer miles I'll go to Argentina.
So, that is my plan. Don't cry for me. . . .
Hi Erica, Great video, very cute. Gas prices are way too high. We think about it everyday. Being that we have a SUV, I try not to drive somewhere if I don't have to. Or I try to run many errands in one trip instead of taking several trips. It's gotta be great for the oil companies, $$10 billion in profits a quarter!
Hi Erica,
Loved the Marriott Ad that I had to watch before your video would play...I think by the time we pay for a Hotel, food, and sightseeing venues, we will be knee deep in a pit of quicksand.
I can't say I'm altering my life over a tank of gas, but it is a concern just how much it is driving the cost of so many things up. Very frightening.
Hopefully, Summer plans for most, will still be a go. The companies that rely on travelers need us all to try hard to keep them in business. We don't need more people to lose their jobs. Perhaps if leaving town is too costly, we could hit the sites in our own community. Even a local gift shop, museum etc. needs our dwindling funds. Take Care
Lorie Ann, Buellton, Calif,
Erica, I work hard for my vacation time, and often times have to shorten vacations or cancel them, I only have one vacation that I don’t mess with. Every year for the Memorial Day holiday, me and my friend go on a trip as a stress reliever, and a mental fix to get us through the rest of the year. That trip obviously just took place. We both pondered the gas situation and decided to go anyway. Staying home from our trip wasn’t going to make the gas prices drop overnight, but would make our blood pressure fly through the roof.
I think this gas situation is bad but see a different perspective. For so many years around this time gas prices always went up, however in the past few years they never went back down. Usually around the fall the prices drop a bit, pick back up during peak travel months (such as holidays) um… interesting development, but then would fall again only to rise again in the summer. However since the drop never happened they just kept going and going up and we have the situation we are currently in. I think someone needs to step in and do something but I am not convinced it’s a government issue so much as a gas corporation issue. The government could step in but then what? They tell them to lower prices, then where does it stop. We gripe enough about the price of cars will the government step in then too?!
As for the gas corporations, right now they can charge what they want simply because they can, people have to get to work, and people have to have a car. Not everyone is as lucky as you to be able to use the subway…wait…lucky that just shows you I’ve never ridden the New York subway.
Marcy
Mobile, AL
Hi Erica, no, my vacation plans actually haven't changed, but I'm thinking about taking the bus to work now. Gas prices here are about $4.05 a gallon. I actually like taking the bus, but if I do so, it will take me 1.5 hours to go to work. If I drive, it takes me only 35-40 minutes. But I figured I can work on my laptop while on the bus and actually get more work done.
Thanks, Erica, see you tonight.
Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington
I stayed closer to home over Memorial Day and enjoyed it.
I did want to travel but decided against burning up money on gas.
I have changed my everyday driving habits as well.
This gas crisis is insane!!
NOPE...high gas prices haven't changed my plans a bit. I am still headed to Florida in June for a week. Can't wait!!