gasoline prices

[jojapeach]

Vandal Squirrel, you're my hero! I wish bus and rail made sense for my commute, but Atlanta has a poor transit system. I work in Gwinnett, and my job is not very close to the GRTA stops. I'd arrive to work as a perspiring (and not the type you can call a "glow") mess.

Luckily, I live about 20 mins from my job. (I used to commute 50 - 70 mins one way, so I moved closer to work.) I topped off my tank at $3.79 on Friday evening although I had filled up my tank on Monday at $3.55. I saw the price coming back up and wanted a cost-efficient fill-up. Despite being near the job, I actually drive slower (I try to stay between 50 and 55 mph), and I take an alternate route that has 1 stop light and 1 stop sign instead of the main route that has at least 7 traffic lights. Less idling = more gas in my tank. Even with a couple of errands, I only burned slightly less than 1/4 of a tank.

If you're not doing so already, I'd encourage people to modify at least one commute behavior to save more gas and more money.

NOTE: I hope I'm not sounding like one of the smug hybrid drivers on that episode of "South Park" because that's not the intent.



"Thaaaannnks!"

[AGDee]

The one on the corner was up to $4.25 this morning. I ended up driving 40 miles this weekend just taking kids to their friends houses, picking them up, etc.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by AGDee

The one on the corner was up to $4.25 this morning. I ended up driving 40 miles this weekend just taking kids to their friends houses, picking them up, etc.

I grew up in a city with decent public transporation, so I always took the bus. Once I got to highschool and some people had vehicles we'd always try to support the gas costs of the driver. Bagels and coffee was a usual winner in the am (but that meant we had to leave earlier), but it could be an interesting math and geography lesson for your kids if you had maps, mileage, cost per gallon etc. and worked out how much you spend on them and their trips and how if as a family you worked out ways to cut down on that, money could be spent on something else (like a trip to an amusement park or some kind of fun trip?). I know once I got my license I had to pay for gas, and luckily I had a job, and they covered insurance since I had good grades and got them a discount.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I grew up in a city with decent public transporation, so I always took the bus. Once I got to highschool and some people had vehicles we'd always try to support the gas costs of the driver. Bagels and coffee was a usual winner in the am (but that meant we had to leave earlier), but it could be an interesting math and geography lesson for your kids if you had maps, mileage, cost per gallon etc. and worked out how much you spend on them and their trips and how if as a family you worked out ways to cut down on that, money could be spent on something else (like a trip to an amusement park or some kind of fun trip?). I know once I got my license I had to pay for gas, and luckily I had a job, and they covered insurance since I had good grades and got them a discount.

I do like that idea. Some of it is unnecessary (like when my son forgot a part of his XBox 360 and asked me to bring it to him) but some of it is more necessary (band practice). The Detroit area simply doesn't have mass transportation. It makes sense, since the auto industry dominates, but it's sure a pain in the neck! Our school district area is quite large (compared to where I grew up) so the kids' school is 5 miles from my house. Of course, I live less than a mile from the next district's high school, but that does me no good! They both managed to make a lot of new friends in middle and high school who all live on the opposite side of the high school. If I'd known, I'd have moved over that way instead of buying this house! If I could sell my house for a decent price, I'd move over there!

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by jojapeach

Vandal Squirrel, you're my hero! I wish bus and rail made sense for my commute, but Atlanta has a poor transit system. I work in Gwinnett, and my job is not very close to the GRTA stops. I'd arrive to work as a perspiring (and not the type you can call a "glow") mess.

Luckily, I live about 20 mins from my job. (I used to commute 50 - 70 mins one way, so I moved closer to work.) I topped off my tank at $3.79 on Friday evening although I had filled up my tank on Monday at $3.55. I saw the price coming back up and wanted a cost-efficient fill-up. Despite being near the job, I actually drive slower (I try to stay between 50 and 55 mph), and I take an alternate route that has 1 stop light and 1 stop sign instead of the main route that has at least 7 traffic lights. Less idling = more gas in my tank. Even with a couple of errands, I only burned slightly less than 1/4 of a tank.

If you're not doing so already, I'd encourage people to modify at least one commute behavior to save more gas and more money.

NOTE: I hope I'm not sounding like one of the smug hybrid drivers on that episode of "South Park" because that's not the intent.



"Thaaaannnks!"

There has been a huge bicycle increase on campus, the racks are full A LOT which is good. I did buy the most expensive permit with the best priviliges, but I figure that the extra money spent up front will pay for itself since I have an off campus lab and an internship off campus next spring. A group of people in my lab also have the same class after lab, so we ride together since I have a better permit and they don't drive. I usually walk or ride my bike to my AM classes, go home for lunch, then pick up my car for my afternoon classes (off campus) and drive to lab, then campus. I also have lots of random class meetings and stuff going on, so last Friday I rode my bike to the end of campus near my house for my meeting, rode home, and then picked up my car to run errands that were impractical on a bike (returning glassware to WalMart, buying groceries, etc.)

I really wanted to get a Vespa or something similar, but I had other things to buy like furniture and everything else VandalShyster took when he moved out. Something told me I needed a couch, microwave, and vacuum more than I needed a pink Vespa. They also fall under motorcycles in Idaho, so I'd have to get a special endorsement. Oh and there aren't helmet laws here, talk about Darwin Awards aplenty.

Thanks for not sniffing your own farts

[jojapeach]

^^^ Same here. I paid as low as $3.47 in the Atlanta area. The price of a gallon of gas was dropping almost daily. However, I'm confident in saying that the price that we pay at the pump was dropping at a slower rate than the price of a barrel of crude oil.

I call price gouging because gas stations are making up for lost profits inside their stores. People starting using their money for gas only and would not go inside to buy overpriced candy, 20 ounce sodas, or sandwiches. I believe the stations are making small profits off the gasoline to make up for the drop in retail sales in the stores over the past several months.

[chettyg100]

they are all high.

While our prices are considered high compared to the rest of the country, they're continuing to drop here. I haven't seen prices skyrocket like some of you have.

[jojapeach]

Originally Posted by OTW

While our prices are considered high compared to the rest of the country, they're continuing to drop here. I haven't seen prices skyrocket like some of you have.

OK. That'll make me minimize my complaining for a short while.

[Boodleboy322]

Good point Jojapeach!

There is certainly going to be a price disparity depending on region specfic supply/demand. For example, the Dallas-Ft. Worth MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) may have been at $4.00 (rounded appx. price) a gallon during record highs. However, a town in a different state may have only been $3.00 a gallon during record highs. We can assume that the gas companies were making profits during record highs. We can also research online and determine that companies like Exxon-Mobil made record earnings during the 1/4 end financials at the time that oil was at it's record highs. So the question is what is different between the time that the barrel to gallon ratio was at it's peak vs. now? Let's go back to the original equation. Take whatever your gas price high was and divide that number by 145. Whatever number you get take that and multiply by 96. This is where your gas price should be assuming that the gas station hasn't changed anything on how they are making money (i.e. overheard, charge of food items, beer, etc).

AGDEE points out, we know that the role of weather and it's impact to the source is determinant in figuring volatility. But even when that's factored in we still quite a spread.

This is good stuff. Thanks everyone.

Originally Posted by jojapeach

^^^ Same here. I paid as low as $3.47 in the Atlanta area. The price of a gallon of gas was dropping almost daily. However, I'm confident in saying that the price that we pay at the pump was dropping at a slower rate than the price of a barrel of crude oil.

I call price gouging because gas stations are making up for lost profits inside their stores. People starting using their money for gas only and would not go inside to buy overpriced candy, 20 ounce sodas, or sandwiches. I believe the stations are making small profits off the gasoline to make up for the drop in retail sales in the stores over the past several months.

[AGDee]

Well, and people just don't understand how it all works sometimes. As they were saying today that the barrel of oil went down to $94 today, people were questioning why gas prices are rising. Well folks, did you hear about that hurricane? The one that shut down the refineries that provide 25% of our fuel? Demand is definitely going to exceed supply in that situation.

[jojapeach]

Originally Posted by Boodleboy322

Good point Jojapeach!

There is certainly going to be a price disparity depending on region specfic supply/demand. For example, the Dallas-Ft. Worth MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) may have been at $4.00 (rounded appx. price) a gallon during record highs. However, a town in a different state may have only been $3.00 a gallon during record highs. We can assume that the gas companies were making profits during record highs. We can also research online and determine that companies like Exxon-Mobil made record earnings during the 1/4 end financials at the time that oil was at it's record highs. So the question is what is different between the time that the barrel to gallon ratio was at it's peak vs. now? Let's go back to the original equation. Take whatever your gas price high was and divide that number by 145. Whatever number you get take that and multiply by 96. This is where your gas price should be assuming that the gas station hasn't changed anything on how they are making money (i.e. overheard, charge of food items, beer, etc).

AGDEE points out, we know that the role of weather and it's impact to the source is determinant in figuring volatility. But even when that's factored in we still quite a spread.

This is good stuff. Thanks everyone.

OMG. Thanks for the equation that I was trying to figure out today. I must be gradually losing my mathematical skills while I embrace my writing skills. *sigh*

So, now I'm sad that my alleged gas price should be $2.74 according to that nifty formula. I paid $3.79 on Friday.

[lawgal]

On the bright side, they busted those price gougers from last Friday, in our county (at the $7 and $6 a gallon on the way home from work). However, we are still paying $4.19 a gallon in our county. As if the Michigan economy isn't bad enough....

ETA: my math is the same as yours joja peach.

[AGDee]

Alright folks, at least the price of gas is dropping! I bought gas for $3.19 last night. This morning, they are showing two gas stations on the news who have it for $2.97! Let's hope they don't shoot back up. Even better, let's hope they keep dropping!

[Scandia]

Here the lowest is around 3.29. But it varies A LOT depending on the part of town and even the gas station company.