Gasoline is eating my wallet
Whew! Planning a wedding sure keeps the mind busy. Sorry I haven’t updated in the past few days, I’ve just been running around like mad.
And all that running around, i.e., Wal-Mart for mason jars for table decorations, The Wedding Shoppe for the dress, The Chart House to meet with the judge, etc., etc., etc, has made me realize one seriously sad thing: GAS IS RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE.
That’s right. So high that I had to bust out the all caps. I mean really, $4 a gallon. That actually hurts my wallet.
Now I’m not one of those people who get mad about the price of gas, because really, there isn’t much I can do about it. So instead of banging my head on my steering wheel, crying to sad country songs and giving myself anxiety, I just pay the money and continue on.
Why stress about something you can’t change, right?
But lately, rising gas prices is all I’ve been hearing about. Every morning I start my day with breakfast and some good ole’ Kare 11. And every morning, I hear we’re hitting record pump prices.
The topic is also in all the newspapers under the sun, and it seems to be creeping into almost daily conversations in my life.
So now that I’m up to my neck in gasoline, I started wondering, how bad is it really? And surprise! It’s bad.
OK. So in the 80s’ Americans were spending a serious amount of disposable income (somewhere around 8 percent or so) on gasoline.
And, depending on where you read, in the U.S. we’re either close to that or over that now (yeah for multiple sources giving multiple numbers).
But either way, one things for sure, it’s high.
But here’s an interesting take on all of this: the demand is still here, therefore, supply hasn’t been hurt.
Sure, it’s dropped a little bit, but not enough to really make an impact.
I know I still drive to work (come on NorthStar….hurry up and be built) but on the weekends, I do try to bike or walk everywhere. (exercise and cheapness combined)
However, I do live in the city, and I understand this isn’t an option for everyone.
So what’s the solution?
In the 1970s during the oil embargo, Congress passed a maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour law.
The idea is lower speeds, equals less energy, which equals less gasoline, therefore lowering demand.
But, just like everything, there’s another side.
In an ABC news article, the U.S. Department of Energy reports gas mileage goes down at anything above 60 miles per hour at an additional $0.20 cents a gallon.
But the very next sentence credits the American Heritage Foundation with claiming 12 years at 55 miles per hour only made gas go down 1 percent.
Honestly. I just don’t know where I stand on any of this. Sure, I’d be willing to drive slower if it would make an impact, but the evidence seems inconclusive.
If there’s anyone reading this who knows a credible source on this topic, or who remembers the lowered limit, please write in and let me know how it was.
But either way, whether it worked or not, there are a few things folks can do to reduce their gas intake. Maybe if enough changes were made the demand would finally start to go down.
No. 1 “
