High Gas Prices: The New Reality

I mentioned in a previous article that I got a look at gas futures all the way out to 2009, and the per-barrel price of crude only climbs from here. Mind you, the futures only go from May to September, and this pretty much covers the summer driving season in each year. As we speak, the price per barrel of light sweet crude (the kind we refine and drive on) is about $64, and is forecasted to go to $72 by 2009—this isn’t taking hurricanes, political instability, or refinery shutdowns into account, only consumer and trader demand.

Meanwhile, we consumers are no longer shocked, only annoyed, when it takes twice or three times the amount of money to fill up than it once did.

We’ve all seen or heard of the things we can do to our cars to improve our own mileage, but there is one thing that hasn’t really been mentioned: how we drive.

We tend to go hither and yon in a vain attempt to get our stuff done, and most of our weekly driving is to one place: work. Since we HAVE to go to work each week, it only makes sense that we make an effort to move closer to work, cutting down on the miles commuted. If shopping exists in places closer to work, allowing you to get stuff done in a smaller driving area, this would make the most sense.

Another thing we can do is plan our routes. Instead of driving aimlessly through towns like a ricocheting pinball, plan the trip so you either go in a line or in a circle for maximum efficiency, consolidating your driving. Also, determine whether or not you truly NEED to go to the places you would normally visit—cutting out unnecessary places cuts out unnecessary miles, saving both gas money and car wear. If it means moving your shopping to another (unfamiliar) store, so be it.

I myself am forming such a plan—I figure with Hubby’s commute being the regular driving around here, I can move the family to somewhere closer to that work, and my shopping to the new area. Never having considered this option before, I’m now keeping my eyes open to see what stores and services are available in the neighborhoods closest to his work. I always figured that 11 miles one way was as close to work as we’d want to get, but the times (and gas prices) are a-changin’. We can get closer, and we can access the same kinds of services and stores over in that area just as well…AND NEVER HAVE TO HIT THE FREEWAY AGAIN!

I’m sure it’s the same for many other people too—it’s just a matter of push-come-to-shove. I’m not waiting for things to come to that.

I’d rather plunk money down for a house than plunk money down for a so-called “fuel-efficient” car, because one appreciates, and the other depreciates. I already own my cars, and plan to pay cash for a suitable house in the new area. Then all Hubby will have to do is work to cover our expenses. Could this be some sort of quasi-early retirement?

Seasonal high gas prices are here to stay, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them high into the off-season as well. We cannot quit driving altogether, but we can make better use of the gas we DO have. Instead of blowing it on a Memorial Day trip when everybody else is hitting the road, play it low-key and contrarian by doing something at home—same thing for Labor Day, and all the other “mass-migration” holidays. I personally refuse to be on the road with all the nut-jobs rushing to get to their holiday destinations, because they tend to cause accidents. I want to live to blog again.

Nowadays, it seems like if you want to see Mom and Dad during Christmas, you probably shouldn’t have left home (or the hometown) to begin with. Drive, fly, it doesn’t matter…either way, you’re using SOMEBODY’S gas and paying for the privilege. I realize some of us HAVE to, but many of us could stand to re-think our travel plans, and how we get from Point A to Point B.

Update: what can "brown" do for you? UPS can teach you more efficient driving skills, like this one--only making right turns. This way, you're never stuck at stop signs and red lights burning gas.