Gas Prices - My 2 Cents - Stop Whining!!

[PureEnjoyment]

I'm sorry, but I can't stand to read these forum posts about people b!tching about the gas prices. Honestly, if gas price hikes are affecting your budget......then you bought a car that was too much of a car for your pocketbook.

I'm sorry, but someone had to say this. I wouldnt go out an buy a hemi if all I could afford was a sebring....that's just common sense. People need to know their limits and come back to reality.

My parents always used to tell me that if you were to lose your job TODAY that you should have enough money in your bank account for the next 6 months to live off of "just in case" to pay every single one of your bills. If slight gas price increases are causing people THIS much harm then they need to re-evaluate what they are doing with their hard earned money because it sound like they arent living within their current budget.

[Moose]

Wow, six months, that's all? You probably need to re-evaluate that...

[NVmyC]

Well I myself am not one to whine about the gas prices because of the car I own but you do have to understand that it was only a short while ago that gas was less then $2.50 a gallon so in reality this gas hike affects everything that we might do on a normal basis. If someone puts on 1500 miles on there car each month and he/she has to pay .50, .75 or even $1.00 more per gallon then they did last year then tell me where that extra money comes from? How much of a raise does your employer give you annually? I'm sure the normal raise isn't enough to cover the cost of the raised gas prices. Your parents must've been wealthy cause I don't know any people that could just lose there job and have money for all there bills including gas for there car for the next 6 months while they are out of work. You are entitled to your own opinion about the whiners out there bitching about gas prices but I think that you should keep an open mind as to why this is upsetting these people. I'm sure that there are a number of rich people that have done without driving a certain vehicle just because of gas price. IMO you must work for Exxon or Chervon cause you sound kind of like a politician.

[OoTLink]

NVmyC, at least they don't sound like a talk show host. XD

[kevenj]

Originally Posted by PureEnjoyment

I'm sorry, but I can't stand to read these forum posts about people b!tching about the gas prices. Honestly, if gas price hikes are affecting your budget......then you bought a car that was too much of a car for your pocketbook.


My parents always used to tell me that if you were to lose your job TODAY that you should have enough money in your bank account for the next 6 months to live off of "just in case" to pay every single one of your bills. If slight gas price increases are causing people THIS much harm then they need to re-evaluate what they are doing with their hard earned money because it sound like they arent living within their current budget.

Am I living beyond my means? Lets see....

I make $31,000 a year (probably a small fracton of your income and most other on this forum) and yet:
-I own my own home valued at about $160,000 (2 years ago it would have brought $200K plus) and my mortgage balance is $46,000
-my cars are my cars, not the bank's. I'm 44 years old and never had anything close to a 'new' car until the 300C.
-I have absolutely no debt (except my mortgage).
-I have well in excess of your "6 months" living expenses in cash in the bank, plus 2 brokerage accounts (one is an IRA).

I'll admit I've had some very good luck in the past and have made some money in the stock market (due to my dad's financial wisdom that I at least had sense enough to listen to) but I think it's fair to say that I do manage my money extremely well; I am not living beyond my means and yes, gas prices are really starting to hurt me. So far it's just annoying that I worked hard and was able to buy a really nice car and truck that I can no longer afford to drive regularly. But the ripple effect of higher prices for fuel is just beginning to be noticed. The price of fuel effects farmer's costs, and then there's the obvious cost to truckers, who deliver virtually everything we consume. EVERYTHING is going to skyrocket, and it's going to affect all of us, not just the stupid people who do truly live beyond their means.

I guess in a not-so-funny way your are right though; but it's not that my living standard has increased; rather it is my "means" that have decreased, due to our ever more worthless dollar (which is the real root of the problem and the reason, along with the debacle in Iraq, for the price of oil today).

[jblue21]

believe it or not but the US is the 45th cheapest for gas prices out of 145 countries. i wonder how bad people would whine if we were the 145th?hmm

[JOHNNYRENO]

no snivelling allowed either way. if you dont care or if you do.

[chuckkent]

My biggest complaint about gas prices is that with a little foresight this country could have cut our costs in half. The argument about buying a smaller car is sort of pig headed.......The 5.7's are very efficient and rival some of the sh^^box compacts made everywhere. I'm one of those people that owns a house, car, flat screen TV, travel, etc. and etc. and don't owe anyone anything....so what. I know when I'm getting screwed and it makes me mad.........

[chitown1211]

The cost of everything goes up with gas prices. If the gas in your tank was the only thing effected by high gas prices you would have a point. But trying to pay for your gas on top of the rising price of everything else adds up.

[wildmark]

Originally Posted by chitown1211

The cost of everything goes up with gas prices. If the gas in your tank was the only thing effected by high gas prices you would have a point. But trying to pay for your gas on top of the rising price of everything else adds up.

I dot like the higher prices, so everytime I fill up and think wow thats a lot I think back to the UK, (I'm British) and there paying over $10 per gallon!!!! and it makes feel good again!