Is anyone feeling "the pinch"??

[Stephanie]

Higher gasoline, gas and oil prices have started to wreck our home budget. How is everyone else coping?

[Janice]

We are fine so far. We have a small compact car and only one driving to work, so we are ok.

[angelwing]

Sold my jewerly, trying to get a 3rd steady job, 2 full time jobs are not helping here as i'm still paying off my hubby's 250k hospital bill from last year, sigh

[HurricaneHunter914]

According to the news, in the next few years gas prices should decrease.

[senorpepr]

It hasn't been too bad for me. I've cut out the senseless drives around the city, but I still drive to work. This summer I'll probably ride my bike to work -- not because of the gas prices, but rather for the enjoyment and exercise.

[CajunMama]

Like you senor, I have changed my driving habits but i'm not about to peddle myself to work. I'm using half the gas i used to.

[senorpepr]

Like you senor, I have changed my driving habits but i'm not about to peddle myself to work. I'm using half the gas i used to.

Well... I live three miles from work, so it's not that bad.

[azskyman]

We don't drive much either, so the cost of gasoline is less of a shock to us. Still, I don't like paying $40+ for a fill-up. What I do notice is the price of other things is going up too, caused by the higher energy costs, and it is a combination of all those things that is making it a little more difficult. Plus, we try to fly to California every four or five weeks to see the granddaughters...and the cost of airfare is now about $100 more per trip than it was a year ago (for the two of us combined).

[HurryKane]

I wish I lived closer to work so I could ride my bike there.

[sunny]

I have changed my driving habits but i'm not about to peddle myself to work. I'm using half the gas i used to.

Me too, Kathy. It was second nature to just jump back in the car and go get this, and then go back out to get that. $3 a gallon cured that!! Shelby and I have also been doing a little car pooling on the week-ends, since we like to go to the same places anyway...

[Janice]

John has been stopping at the store and HomeDepot, etc. on his way home from work. Now, he basically can leave the car sitting all weekend. That helps a lot.

[Aquawind]

No major changes yet but the $47.50 on the pump yesterday was the biggest total I have ever seen with my vehicle.. Prices have dropped ~dime here so the tank was on fumes..lol

The greatest thing for everyone would be to ride your bike to work! I miss that opportunity. It is so relaxing for the mind and great for your health. I would highly suggest it if you wanna save and change your current lifestyle. Just do it!

[Stephanie]

Riding the bike to work is out the question for me - 50 miles one way. Our gas prices for home heating were between $300 and $400 per month.

I've always did some errands on the way home from work just so I wouldn't have to do it on the weekend. Pretty much, my car stays put on the weekends as well.

[HurryKane]

Riding the bike to work is out the question for me - 50 miles one way.

Ditto--22 miles for me.

I need to get a basket so I can ride it to the grocery store, though.

[Stephanie]

Riding the bike to work is out the question for me - 50 miles one way.

Ditto--22 miles for me.

I need to get a basket so I can ride it to the grocery store, though.

I'd need a trailer for my bicycle... I have four pets so we're talking litter for the cats, dry food, can food, etc. Not to mention the fact that I may have a heart-attack riding it.

[Scorpion]

Wish I could ride my bike to school. It's 20 miles away though .

[HurryKane]

Heheheh, yeah, the basket would be for oops trips (oops I forgot the milk/bread/butter/etc.). Fortunately the tiny grocery store here is 2 miles away, and it's so tiny that it's hard to leave there with a gargantuan amount of stuff

[Janice]

If we have another bad cane season, we all could really get pinched.

[coriolis]

It kills me to put $5 worth of gas in the tank and the needle doesn't go up. Our van only gets 20 mpg.

Once the mornings are above 50 degrees and there's no chance of rain, I'll be biking the 13 miles to work. Last summer I rode in 22 times and hopefully I can beat that this year. Our work will be adding a locker room soon which will be great.

I've been taking the bus a lot. I can get a day pass for $2.00, while gas to drive would be approaching $5.00 per day. Taking the bus forces me to keep a schedule. It get me out of the house early, so it forces my wife to get up and help the kids find their shoes, ets. I arrive at work at 7:30, so I can check Storm 2k before my boss gets in. Also, if one of the kids has to get picked up from school, I am off the hook for that. Finally, (and the best part) I have to leave work at 4:00 to get the last bus to my town. I just finished a 900-page book on the bus that I've been meaning to read for years.

[SouthFloridawx]

We have been feeling the pinch yes. I am starting a new job on monday and now I am kind of worried about gas prices because i have to travel abou 25 miles there and 25 miles back. My car gets about 25 miles per gallon but, sometimes it doesn't so I'm not sure what it is going to do to our pocket. I'm sure we'll find a way to make it work though.