Consumers spend billions on gas

[beautiful_mess38]

I still wonder why the oil companies are making billions in profits plus giveing themselves millions in bonuses.

Do they really think we're that stupid. They're taking advantage is what they're doing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070522/us_nm/usa_congress_gasoline_dc

[Sandman]

Well, we were stupid enough to re-elect Bush.........

[beautiful_mess38]

Well it isn't 100% Bush's fault. It's greedy corporate. And know matter whom is President the corporations run this country.

[EdBailey]

What can we expect when the two top elected officials, virtually all the Republicans, and even a few Democrats in the Congress are owned by the oil industry?

[beautiful_mess38]

maybe all stations should try this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070525/ap_on_re_us/gas_price_protest

[jjcheyenne]

I hope those oil companies are living high on their record profits!! I went 2 weeks without being able to buy food. I had JUST enough money after my last pay day to get enough gas to get to work for 2 weeks. NOTHING left over for food or anything else!!! I really hope they are proud of themselves!

[beautiful_mess38]

Have you noticed the price at the pump before you use it. Yesterday I was behind a Ford f250. $86.00. I pumped $63.00 in mine. I'm shopping at Sams Club now for the month. That way I don't have to go into Oakhurst everyweek for grocery shopping. Driving around YLP I can go about week in a half on a tank. It just p*sses me off the limitations the oil companies put on you to benefit themselves.

[Ironhorse]

I hope those oil companies are living high on their record profits!! I went 2 weeks without being able to buy food. I had JUST enough money after my last pay day to get enough gas to get to work for 2 weeks. NOTHING left over for food or anything else!!! I really hope they are proud of themselves!

Join the club. It's why I no longer have cable too. Had a choice between the cable TV or computer and the computer won out (less money). What really hurts is it's impossible to even try to budget for the month for gas with the price fluctuations and the jumps in price when you don't expect it, so I guess the solution is to just expect it to jump 20 cents or more/gal each month.

What's bad is, you're supposed to eat healthy diets, but fresh, healthy foods are more expensive all the time, so you wind up buying crap and starches instead (pastas, etc.) You can't afford to eat healthy sometimes, and I search for the sales and buy from produce stands, I also use coupons when I can find them. And I eat mostly chicken, bought when it's on sale, so it's not like I'm out there eating filet and stuff. But like the media reports and jjcheyenne said, people are having to make choices between gas and food and other things. I drive about 650 miles a month (sounds like a lot to me, but it's just a round trip a week to Fresno and back, and I'm sure other people drive a lot more), have a compact car. I plan my trips very carefully so I can stop along my route and do anything shopping I need. I rarely shop at stores that aren't along that route, just so I don't have to use the extra gas. I don't get to go on vacations, unless I hitch a ride with my son and his family. Other people I know are in the same boat. I laughed (sarcastically) when I read about the new laws on price gouging, etc., big joke. Doesn't it seem like when there is a situation where gas ranges 30 to 50 cents higher than the low price in an area the size of Fresno it could be (most probably is) price gouging as understood by any reasonable person??????? And no, it's not all the dealers, it's the parent company. But in Washington you have the foxes guarding the hen house. Until this country stands up to the politicians and says enough is enough, the gap will continue to widen between "them" and "us". The rich are in the process of getting richer and the middle class is getting poorer, while the poorest are becoming non-entities. They want to cut back on gas being used? Send home 12 million illegal immigrants, that would be a start. (Yeah I know, another topic altogether.) Hmmm, sorry for the rant, the gas situation just gets to me. Especially after a winter of making choices as to whether or not I can turn my heat up to 66.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Weird how the price of petrol plummeted a few cents per gallon this last week and a half. Petrol at Valley Childrens Valero was 3.21 a gal on Thursday am. I NEVER get petrol in fresno. ALWAYS stop at Valero or AM PM on my way up the hill. I rarely get petrol at the YLP Chevron and forget the Chevron (or any one) at Ave 15. I can't tell you the last time I bought any petrol other than Valero or AM PM. (good thing I don't have a Turbo engine).

I let the tank get down to 50 gal left (the light was on) and spent 45.00 to fill up ScoobyDoo with petrol. And you wonder why the Jeep and 77 V8 Truck are grounded? My Jetta goes for miles on a tank of petrol also. As for food shopping, I never go to Vons in Oaky (sorry, but even though I favour local shopping... I won't pay the inflated prices at Oakhurst's Vons or Raleys.) I always stop at Winco in Fresburg on my way home from work. Or Sams' Club. Even FoodMaxx's prices are outrageous.. but they are owned by SaveMart which now owns all the Albertsons and ever since they bought the Albertsons... Ive notices the FoodMaxx prices skyrocket!!!!!

[Ironhorse]

Yeah, the Valero and AM/PM went down 6 cents since last week, just over the weekend. I normally get gas there on my way home (never buy gas in Oakhurst). Sometimes I'll go to Costco, but usually the other two are cheaper by a penny or two. But most anything else actually in "the city", forget it, 30 to 50 cents higher per gal. Makes NO sense. And that Chevron at 15, I agree, forget it!!!!! Now that's price gouging.

[Ironhorse]

You know, thinking about it, it seems like anytime we see in the paper something about another investigation on gas prices, etc., the prices go down a few cents that same week. Coincidence? I doubt it.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Yeah. I can't afford to pay Chevron and Shell for price gouging. If the whole world would avoid Shell and Chevron and 76 etc etc.... then the prices would go down. Live on Valero (even the other South American Petrol place... forget the name.. is outragously priced!!!). I can't be paying 3.50 plus a gal for petrol.. I still have to buy Pedigree Dog food for my kids.... ie dogs... (which I had time to make my own for the mutts)

[jjcheyenne]

I only buy gas at Arco or Velero by Childrens Hospital. I never buy gas in Oakhurst or North Fork. It is $3.49 in North Fork. How does the Government expect people to live? (the people who don't work in the oil companies) They are saying the gas prices are going to hit $4.00 a gallon by the end of summer. All my money is going to gas just to get to work. I don't go anywhere but work and home. I can't even go shopping anymore. I have been living on a box of rice for the past 2 weeks. I do make sure I get dog food for my babies. I get Pedigree for them. They come first.
They were saying on the news today that for this holiday weekend, most people don't care about the gas prices, they are going on vacation anywhy. HUH? What people are they talking to? Everyone I know is staying home because they can't afford to drive anywhere.

[Ironhorse]

I was surprised when I was coming home last night that the prices at the Valero and AM/PM by Children's hospital were still $3.21/gal, hadn't gone up like I expected them to.

[jjcheyenne]

I was suprised too. But like you said, everytime there is word about an invistagation, the prices go down. I think the invistagation is still going on. (I hope)

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Petrol is still $3.29 a gal at 22 mile house. I was sure it would go up this weekend too. If the whole world would avoid Shell, Chevron etc... then the oil industry would realise that we can't be duped.

JJ you HAVE to eat more than just rice. Heck, get some pinto beans and make up beans and rice. Good source of protein. You won't do your doggies any good if you don't feed yourself!!!!! When I was a new grad RN, I was so poor from making 13 dollars an hour and paying it all out in bills, loans and rent... that I would live off of a pot of spaghetti (and that was just jarred sauce and noodles!).
for a week!