Gas Prices, Are You Driving Less?

68 Suburban · 03-13-2003, 12:05 AM

I find myself driving 60% less than before gas prices shot up. How about you?

InsideOut · 03-13-2003, 01:34 AM

We are self-employed and work together so we car pool or leave a car at work. Whenever possible, we drive the Volvo instead of the Yukon to save on gas, but we have always done that. So no real changes here...except a lighter wallet!

Shari

**john hd** · 03-13-2003, 05:51 AM

since i have to travel alot for my work i drive about the same.

just costs a little more to fill the truck, about ten bucks.

no big deal.

about a week after the shooting starts, gas will go down again just like it did in '91.

then we in wisconsin will have to switch to summer blend, and the price will automaticly go back up. not to mention the yearly automatic increase in our gas tax (.77cents a gallon).

if our government wanted to help out, they could reduce the taxes on gas for a while, but you all know they would never do that!

john

overlander64 · 03-13-2003, 08:04 AM

The prices haven't caused me to make tremendous changes in my driving habits. My one big concession will be to start driving the '78 Plymouth Horizon to work once the salt is off the highways for the season; but for now it is just look the other way as the meter rgisters about $62.50 for a fill-up of premium unleaded for my '99 Suburban 7400 Vortec - - at least it is enough fuel to get me through three plus weeks.

I won't be towing my Overlander as much this summer as usual, but that was already decided before current developments. I have been planning to take the '78 Minuet 6.0 Metre and '75 Cadillac Convertible to the WBCCI International Rally in Vermont since August of last year. I don't really know whether there will be much fuels savings despite the smaller trailer as the Cadillac doesn't normally return fuel economy figures as good as the Suburban.

Kevin

Silvertwinkie · 03-13-2003, 08:11 AM

There is no change in the amount I will drive, including planned trips w/ the Bambi.

I have cut back on my speed demon act a bit to try to conserve some fuel and checked my tires, etc for the proper specs to run as best as it can.

Regards,

Eric

**jcanavera** · 03-13-2003, 09:55 AM

We haven't planned past our first two rallys in April. While we will probably travel as much as last year we might limit distances or locations due to prices.

The bulk of our driving is done with my Honda Accord which does about 30 mpg. My Chevy Express van which is my tow vehicle, spends a pampered life in the garage and other than towing is used when we need its space, or like last week when it hadn't been run for a month and it just needed to get out.

Jack

dmac · 03-13-2003, 12:24 PM

My family is not driving much less, but we are more selective in which car we take to minimize total cost. No reduction in trailer travel plans for the summer - I'm still working and value my limited travel time.

femuse · 03-13-2003, 12:33 PM

We do our driving (for work) from end of May to mid September.
We will go where we have to go. Our problem is, we depend on our customers to travel. In short driving distance to big metropolitan areas, between DC & NYC, I don't think we will see much changes on people habits. They use their trailers or MH every year around the same time, the same shows, with the kids, the dogs, meeting the same friends.

Where I think we will see changes, it's in the Florida crowd. They usually are on a fix income, always whine about money (they make more than we do), and drive big BIG BIG motor homes. I am afraid they may decide to stay longer in one place instead of travelling every week. And then they will spend less to pay for the fuel.
If it gets too bad, we will do only the big shows, travel less, stay home and start to finally build our house.

**Pick** · 03-13-2003, 06:53 PM

I don't drive much in the winter anyway. My employer provides me with a car and gas, but it was stuck in my driveway, so I drove my 4X4 for a week and a half, and I paid for the gas. We are pretty much homebodies, unless we are Airstreaming! Everything we need is within 5 miles. Wife's family lives across the street, my brother is in Tuscon, and our parents are six feet under.

**john hd** · 03-13-2003, 07:06 PM

pick

oh boy!

john

SuzySue · 03-13-2003, 07:45 PM

I'm sure glad I sold my house in Dec. I was communiting about 120 miles per day and even at 30 mpg that gets $$$$$. Now it is only 60 miles per day. But, what will be affected is how much I see my hubby. He has an E-350 van that get 13 mpg. He travels a lot in the summer, but this year he will only come home when it is not out of the way. I already miss him. What is worse is, is he gets to live in the Airstream and I'm stuck in the Trail-Lite. I can not wait until I can get my Airstream.

ps I hate gas stations

davidz71 · 03-13-2003, 07:58 PM

While my in-laws are 1.2 hrs away, I've been blessed with the best. My mother on the other hand has been a handful to my wife and sometimes me. She is my mom though.

I'm driving the 2500 to work and back (7 miles each way) but drive my wife's Astrovan more for trips to the grocery store and around town for honeydo's.

bhsl8 · 03-14-2003, 08:36 AM

Did someone say that gas prices went up???
Maybe that's why it cost me $75 to fill the excursion. When the weather warms a bit here in Wisconsin I can walk to the office, only about 2 miles. Maybe that's not a bad thing eh?

Brouck