They also drive smaller and more fuel efficient cars, walk and bicycle more,and plan their car trips more to avoid driving to buy only a quart of milk.

They eat out less frequently and cook their own meals more frequently.
They tend their own gardens more.
To enjoy their enviable vacations, they're more careful with money year round. They bring their own sandwiches on train and car trips instead of buying more expensdive meals in depots or at road stop cafes.

In general, they prioritize better and smarter.
They plan for and budget for those autobahn driving experiences.

They also drive smaller and more fuel efficient cars, walk and bicycle more,and plan their car trips more to avoid driving to buy only a quart of milk.

They eat out less frequently and cook their own meals more frequently.
They tend their own gardens more.
To enjoy their enviable vacations, they're more careful with money year round. They bring their own sandwiches on train and car trips instead of buying more expensdive meals in depots or at road stop cafes.

In general, they prioritize better and smarter.
They plan for and budget for those autobahn driving experiences.

And there's not a large constraint on ordinary, daily driving yet. Traffic is still heavy here in Detroit metro and the fuel-wasting aggressive, poor driving habits engaged in by so many on the roads here have yet to end.

And there's not a large constraint on ordinary, daily driving yet. Traffic is still heavy here in Detroit metro and the fuel-wasting aggressive, poor driving habits engaged in by so many on the roads here have yet to end.

For some perspective on Patrick's numbers, each employed American owes $250 a month interest on the debt. That's $6,000 a year for his sister's family (assuming both work). And that doesn't pay down a dime of the debt, which goes up by a staggering half trillion a year under Bush. We had a big party and charged it all to our kids, to whom we lovingly bequeath a mountain of debt and a degraded planet.

For some perspective on Patrick's numbers, each employed American owes $250 a month interest on the debt. That's $6,000 a year for his sister's family (assuming both work). And that doesn't pay down a dime of the debt, which goes up by a staggering half trillion a year under Bush. We had a big party and charged it all to our kids, to whom we lovingly bequeath a mountain of debt and a degraded planet.

I think, however, that we are reaping what was sown by decades of ignoring warnings.
Fuel efficinecy, conservation, mass transportaion, questions about diminishing oil supplies are hardly anything new.
Each time these subjects were brought up, however, the implications were ignored, and they have been scoffed at by many.

We've been a nation of proud SUV and McMansion owners., with a feeling of entitilemant to cheap gas and cheap goods. . Those hard working blue collar workers huritng now also voted for Bush and his energy non-policies in large numbers.

I understand the trouble we're in now, but I also think Patrick has apoint.
If things hadn't got as bad as they are now, would anyone be paying atttention today to the decades-old warnings?

I hope we seize the silver lining around the storm clouds, and, for once, ignore campaign promises about easy fices and gas tax holidays. I hope that finally, we grow up enough to insist on reasonable estimates for the future and long term solutions.

I too am cutting back on things. I eat out less, purchase food more frugally, cut out extra driving.

Also what kind of impact by cutting out luxuries is on the economy?

As I tried to make clear in the post, I am in no way dismissing the burden this is on families. Speaking specicially to myself and my sisters family they don't do the starbucks or the bottled water.

However the lines at SB are full every time I drive by. Again my general point was that gas prices seem to be a focus for people while high prices/wasted money elsewhere seems to slip through the cracks.

As to the falling dollar, I am hoping to post a series of posts on oil prices and the dollar in the coming weeks. I'm no scholar but I hope to provide a little insight for people to discuss over.

The fact is that not every family is made equal. You don't mention the financial situation of your sister. If she and her husband have pretty good jobs, then maybe they are able to handle the situation without much headache. Of course, the extra mouth to feed to come could change things. Who knows.

Not everyone is as lucky to have such good jobs. They may be employed in the “low” jobs (i.e. the ones everyone keeps associating with illegal immigrants), may be self-employed, and not employed at all during this current time.

For my dad, it's the second option. He runs his own small business in an industry that's changed a lot since he started doing it, along with the attitudes of many of his customers. Now, I know that's not anybody else's fault (except perhaps the big box companies that have bastardized the industry with their crappy systems). Yet, the fact remains that running a small business is hard to do in the best of times. Well, what happens during a slump in business? That's right, you just don't have the money coming in during those times.

There are some things he could do better. I often say he's probably the local Dunkin Donut's best customer (though he usually only gets it once a day), and those charges can add up. He could probably cut back a bit on them; fortunately, we're about to consolidate home and business into a new building, so that could become a reality.

Circumstance, along with other factors like the dropping dollar, have to be considered when discussing anyone's ability to afford gas. Can my dad get to his business and around where he needs? Sure. Does he find it tough to do? Definitely.

Think of the overall inflationary pressure this will cause (or conversely, if the Feds keep lowering the interest rate the continued devaluation of the dollar). These costs also get passed on, as do higher heating bill for those on gas, etc.

Simply looking at the effects of cost of gasoline on direct driving doesn't begin to capture the overall effect on a family budget.

I've grown chidren who have children, one with disabilities, one with a serious neurological illness. The cost of gasoline and food prices are far more devastating to those who are already tightly frugal. They dont go to starbucks or drink bottled water; they're in the trades, and the gas prices and cost for solid nutritional food for their children (they go through milk like water) is deeply stressful as they watch their savings dwindle and do not know what the future holds for health. I have read the scoffing about Americans and their precious cheap gasoline on many blogs over time. However, for those who already struggle, the rage and speed with which the increases came on, and the ongoing need to go to jobs involving labor at different sites is nothing to scorn in any way in my humble opinion.

For those who have the luxury of having to decide to forego a $2.00 latte or whatever they cost, that's fine too. For those who have to forego nothing, that's fine also. But… It isnt fine in any way for those who have little or nothing and who also have serious health issues and who also have children. Nowadays, many families with young children are middle aged, not 'young'. THe inflations affect them too, regardless of age

just my thought.

dr.e