What is the cost of fuel in your area?

[bizcamp]

Gasoline price should settle in at 1.25gal. Go get that TV and AS now before the sales go away. Best time to buy a TV is end of year, or Jan. new year, depending on the deal. AS might be best to buy in Feb. before the new season starts up.
Don't let the opportunity of a lifetime to get the full rig pass you by!

Bizcamp

[Larry in MO]

Quik Trip, 23rd & Noland Rd., Independence, MO

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$2.77 for diesel $1.65 fer regla

[Gene]

Going into Grand Junction today the City Market was $1.78. Coming home we stopped and it was down to $1.75. With discount, $1.65. But Larry in Mo always one ups me, or is it one downs?

It's going down so fast stations are 20 or 30¢ apart trying to catch up (or down) with each other. 10¢ by Thanksgiving?

Gene

[Larry in MO]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

But Larry in Mo always one ups me, or is it one downs?
Gene

Well, we gotta be good at something, don't we?

Where are all the oil conspirators that maintain that gasoline prices
skyrocket but never come down quickly?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Larry in MO

Quik Trip, 23rd & Noland Rd., Independence, MO

Hi, I keep looking at my money, what little I have, and just can't figuer out why California money is worth about 50% less. [at least at gas stations]

[SteSpot]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I keep looking at my money, what little I have, and just can't figuer out why California money is worth about 50% less. [at least at gas stations]

That is because the money gets all worn out crossing the Rockies......pj

[Larry in MO]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I keep looking at my money, what little I have, and just can't figuer out why California money is worth about 50% less.

I'll add that dilemma to the list of other problems I'm going to send to the new administration in January but I suspect your taxes and transportation costs are a lot higher out there.

MY question (and it is about ME, isn't it?):

Several months ago, gas got to $4.00 around here. It was the end of the world according to the media. The sky is truly falling this time! Folks couldn't afford shoes for their kids, the propane company wanted its money, NetFlix had cancelled their subscription, and Chiefs tickets went up 12%. Holy crap, what are we going to do now?

My real question: how much gasoline did these people use? Dump trucks, UPS, NW Airlines aside, how much fuel did these people buy?

At $2/ gallon, we spent about $150/ month for gasoline. At $4, we spent about $300/ month-no surprises there. My public school education tells me we spent an extra $150 a month for fuel. This, folks,is not the end of the world! But you're going to tell me that you don't have an extra $150.

My 2nd real question: If $4 gas was simply ruining people, how come they are not rich now at $2? Were they so close to the line that $150 a month was ruining them? $150 is a night out at a nice restaurant w/ the mrs. $150 won't buy a good pair of boots, never mind Luchesse boots. $150 won't buy a decent suit, a pair of trailer tires, or a case of good tequila.

If $150 a month is ruining these folks, they need to take a long look at where their money goes instead of blaming ExxonMobil or the government in my opinion. And my opinion is what you wanted, wasn't it?

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Larry in MO

Where are all the oil conspirators that maintain that gasoline prices
skyrocket but never come down quickly?

Larry, as a semi-oil conspirator, here's my answer—when wholesale prices started dropping fast, retail prices lagged behind for a while and the normal differential between wholesale and retail widened. By now, it's narrowing to normal differentials. The problem isn't easy to track down from my house, but I think, 1) retailers don't make good profits on gas, the money is in potato chips and coffee, so if they can keep prices up as long as possible, a few more bucks, 2) all the retailers know each other and watch each other's prices and what's to keep them from having some informal "understanding", 3) wholesalers, who have had to pay higher fuel costs like everyone else, want to keep prices to the retailers up as long as possible. Eventually a little bit of free market intervenes (and large retailers threaten wholesalers) and people are afraid of price fixing, and the retail prices drop faster.

Now what is the differential between price of production and refining and between refining and getting it to the wholesale market? While wholesale prices are readily available (though there are many contracts that don't get included in quotes from the commodities markets), the rest is murky. I don't claim to understand that.

I do know that early in the decade oil companies started to cut their storage of crude. Storing stuff costs money and ties up capital. It didn't take long before this created a tight market and that meant prices went up. This was great for the oil companies—less cost and more profit. Not so great for us. Did they conspire to take advantage of economic principles? Did one company get the idea from another one by keeping an idea on their competitors? All I know is they are not going to tell me.

It all looks like a duck, walks like one, but the truth is that doesn't prove it is a duck. Take Donald Duck, he walks and looks like one, but he really isn't a duck. Or Duct Tape (?) So this makes me a semi-oil conspirator. I don't know the answer to whether there are conspiracies, formal or informal. Only a fool would put it on paper or in an e-mail, but there are a lot of fools out there. Maybe someday we'll find out. It sure looks suspicious though.

But I want to know what Missouri is doing in this possible conspiracy to have such lower prices? Was no one buying gas so the price went down? Were you all so busy counting ballots since Nov. 4 no one went anywhere? I suspect, but can't prove, Missouri is part of the conspiracy. Larry, confess! Or send us some gas.

Gene

[53flyingcloud]

Greetings Gene~!
Interesting point and, several are spot on. (Storage, for one..)
The biggest differences between Mo., AND, the rest of us is..They have barge transportation cost where the rest of us pay for truck drivers. At least that what I was told by several retailers I spoke with.
Once you review these figures..it makes sense to transport more oil/gas on the system.
I quote,
"Commercial shipping is on the rise,” said Carmella Mantello, director of the New York State Canal Corp. “And in years prior to now, the canal was not looked at as a commercial shipping corridor. If we can continue to capitalize on this, then the canal can and will be looked at as an alternative.”

Mantello said and, I quote,"One gallon of diesel pulls one ton of cargo 59 miles by truck, 202 miles by train, and 514 miles by canal barge. A single barge can carry 3,000 tons, which is enough to replace 100 trucks". WOW..
Time to bring the Erie Canal back on line, don't you think?
ciao
53FC

[Gene]

Thanks, 53'. That makes sense. I saw an article (which I didn't bother to read other than the headlines) that the Erie Canal is being used for commercial shipping again.

I'm glad to see Larry isn't a co-conspirator because I think he's a good guy.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Just spent $2.39 per to fill-up here in Bflo today. On the news last night they said we are now the highest in the country. Reason: shipping costs. Seems we no longer import from the Great White North, and we only have one pipeline into the area. Wouldn't it have made more sense to make sure we could keep supplies up BEFORE we stopped importing.
Oh I forgot, we want maximize profits not serve the consumers. After all we got 'em in a barrel right.

[clancy_boy]

$1.63 U-lead
$2.67 Diesel (AND FALLING QUICK - Gulfport had diesel at $2.53!!!!)

I thought the bottom had been reached - went up 2-3 cents last week and now a drop again.

The speeders are back - cheap gas gets the speeds up.

[mrmossyone]

People drive more when gas is cheaper too, they actually tend to spend almost as much on fuel when it's a lot cheaper. It's all about perception, people think I can go to all of these other places because fuel is cheaper but they don't stop to think that going to those places causes you to use more fuel.

Anyway, regla 1.57 in Cooterville, TN., USA.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I hear all the theories, and some make sense, but why is Southern California always on the high side? Are the oil wells too far away? No, I could walk to the nearest oil well from my house. [about four miles] Are the refineries too far from my house? No, there are several within 20 miles from my house. [I ride that far on my bicycle 3 times a week] And I'm sure that is not too far to drive a tanker truck either. So, for me, I'm not buying the transportation theory; Unless it's like Orange juice, we have wonderful oranges grown right here in Southern California, but they keep giving us orange juice from Florida. Is our gas being trucked to Florida?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, no the sky isn't falling, but gas [not diesel] prices are still fallig.

Regular...................$2.19

Mid-Grade...............$2.29

Premium..................$2.39

Diesel.....................$2.79

Hi, today we noticed the gas prices at our local Shell Station dropped twice.

This morning........................................... .This afternoon.

Regular...................$2.13................... ..........$2.09

Mid-Grade...............$2.23......................... ....$2.19

Premium..................$2.33.................... .........$2.29

Diesel.....................$2.69.................. ...........$2.59

[Yhottys]

$2.05/gallon for unleaded in Klamath Falls, Oregon
$2.27/gallon for unleaded in Weed, California
$1.89/gallon for unleaded in Redding, California

Road trip!

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Saw Regla for 1.79 this AM!

[clancy_boy]

Walmart in Picayune, MS is $1.55 and .03 cents extra off with a gas card so it's $1.52, now we are getting somewhere.

[clancy_boy]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

<snip> but why is Southern California always on the high side? <snip>

You know - there is a whole series of jokes to go along with this comment but I will have to pass. None of it has anything to do with the cost of gas.