Hello Miss Moneypenny - I will have to watch the Jib Jab later :-)
Gas prices affect us differently. Say someone uses 30 gallons per week. At $4.00 per gallon, that's $120.00 per week, or $500.00 per month. Who uses this much gas? "I DO". This was not by choice. I used to walk or bike to work, because I moved to be close to my source of income. That job is long gone after bankruptcy showed me the way to the unemployment line. I found my new job and started the commute 2 years ago when gas was about $2.70 per gallon (or $350.00 per month).
Here is the kicker ... 10 year ago my RENT was $500.00 a month - same as my gasoline expenditures now. My rate of pay has gone up 4 dollars per hour in the same 10 year period.
What is my rent now? Way over 1000 dollars per month
Obviously this has created a situation where I have to work way more to survive .... yes, the word was survive. 10 years ago I had enough money to do "fun" things; take mini vacations, golf quite a bit, and actually buy a few luxury items I really didn't need.
Now, would I be "richer" to move to a less expensive area and walk to work for a low rate of pay? Yup.
One the other hand, someone making 200,000 dollars per year spends only 3.3% of their income on gas. No big deal.
The recent increases at the pump are killing working class Americans, more than you may think. For me, they are like a knock out punch.
I found this comparison chart on MSN ...
Here is the kicker ... 10 year ago my RENT was $500.00 a month - same as my gasoline expenditures now. My rate of pay has gone up 4 dollars per hour in the same 10 year period.
What is my rent now? Way over 1000 dollars per month
Obviously this has created a situation where I have to work way more to survive .... yes, the word was survive. 10 years ago I had enough money to do "fun" things; take mini vacations, golf quite a bit, and actually buy a few luxury items I really didn't need.
Now, would I be "richer" to move to a less expensive area and walk to work for a low rate of pay? Yup.
One the other hand, someone making 200,000 dollars per year spends only 3.3% of their income on gas. No big deal.
The recent increases at the pump are killing working class Americans, more than you may think. For me, they are like a knock out punch.
I found this comparison chart on MSN ...
Year __ Household net worth __ Price of oil __ Barrels to buy America
1970 ...............$3.4 trillion ............. $3.18 .................. 1.1 trillion
1975 ............... $5.1 trillion ............ $7.67 ................ 670.3 billion
1980 .............. $9.5 trillion ............ $21.59 ............... 438.6 billion
1985 ............. $14.2 trillion ........... $24.09 ................ 589.7 billion
1990 ............ $20.3 trillion ............ $20.03 .................. 1.1 trillion
1995 ..............$27.7 trillion ........... $14.62 .................. 1.9 trillion
1998 ............. $37.4 trillion ........... $11.18 .................. 3.3 trillion
2004 ............ $57.7 trillion .......... $120.00 ................... 481 billion
2008 .............. $56 trillion ........... $140.00 ................... 400 billion
How interesting is that?
Solutions? I'm not sure, but I think many of us will have to adapt. I bought a horse like the cowboys used to have in the Old West....
13 comments:
Damn, I know what you mean. My expenses have gone up, up, up and my income has stayed the same. Kinda hard to survive.
Drowsey!! I think back and it seems like life was so much easier. A cheap cabin in the woods and an internet business sounds pretty good, no??
You are so quick to comment ... how do you do that?? Does your reader have an alert?? Whoo Hooo!
I loved you voice cast!!!!!!!! Other commenters - go to http://drowseymonkey.blogspot.com and see the VOKI voice recorder (well, hear it)
Goodnight!
hi speedy :)
i hate it so much, too. it is killing us. i started locking my gas cap on my truck. i never thought i would look at the gasoline in my tank as something worth stealing to somebody.
something has to get better, i sure hope for all of us.
goodnight man, beany !!
Goodnight Beany!!!!!!!!
I am still waiting for alternative fuels. I started driving when the price of gas was in the 30 cent range and there was all these alternatives proposed. It is now 35 years later and we are no closer.
Speedcat...
I hear you. I moved to California a year ago, got a $10K raise over what I was making in Massachusetts, and can barely get by. And that was before my rent got raised after 12 months.
So I've only played golf twice this year, which is (was) my recreation.
Looks like we are in the same sinking boat? Everything is rising quicker than our income.
Thanx to amBUSH and Kenny Rogers, we sing "Life was so much easier twenty years ago." ;~)
Yep, our buying power is getting smaller and smaller. It's a darn shame. Have a great day Eric. Big hug. :)
Speedy, petrol prices killing us all. pay cheque is still the same hahahaha
how are you man :)
I think we should all band together and start a "Bloggers Gas COOP"!! ~ or a chicken coop
Everyone can carpool with me too ... unless you like a loud radio on, then you have to ride with Problogger. He is dum
We spend about $800 a month on gas! UGH!!!! we're resorting to food storage.. I've been making homemade bread and will be canning veggies and fruits this summer! Just what I want to do in my spare time after working all day!! Everything has went up so much!
hi speedy eric,
you won't save any money carpooling with me all the way up here in alaska (little smile)
(BIG SMILE)
take care, beany :)
May I suggest you put a wind turbine and some wheels on your specially adapted toliet and drive yourself to work Speedy? Somehow I think theere will be no shortaage of your own unique and super efficent gas.....
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