I don't have to go to work every day or drop kids off at school or day care, either, so I can pretty well pick and choose when to hop in the car. The huge increase in the cost of gas has still made a big difference in the way I run my life.
I have a flea market stall that I used to run out to at least once a week but have long since changed that to once every two weeks. I used to go for nice, long drives out in the country when the mood struck but that has been completely crossed off my list.
Banking, bill paying, grocery shopping, etc., have always been done as a bulk driving trip so that hasn't changed. To take the bus to do all of these things would be foolish.
Summer holidays which require long distance driving has also been abolished. I drive to Florida for the winter and that's all the vacation I need. My backyard is pretty to look at and enjoyable to be in so why leave it in the summer?
If gas prices reach the heights that are predicted, my fears are more for the residual fallout caused by those high prices. Many people will lose their jobs because the dollar can only be stretched so far. Job loss means more people on welfare, therefore more tax dollars needed to support them. Public services will suffer, again because the dollar can only be stretched so far. I fear we are a society on the edge of collapse if something is not done quickly.
The oil rich countries are gouging us and I don't think there's a darn thing we can do about it. Maybe our high salaried politicians can find a way.
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