Where I live the gas prices jumped overnight from the high $2.70+/gallon to over 3.10+ a gallon in one day! What are the prices in your area? This is terrible. Hard to make a buck with it all going in the tank!

You must be in the area impacted by the issues at the BP refinery. Ours here jiggled up over the past week a little bit but I spotted 2.22 when I was out doing shops today.

And this is why I love my Honda Hybrid. 35-40+ MPG.

I paid less for gas today than I have in about 4 months. $2.11 for the legally required "full-service" in NJ. Prices in Delaware are about $2.35, in PA about $2.49. All have been dropping all month. I was thinking today that I will see gas below $2 a gallon in NJ right after Labor Day.

I am youth challenged. I remember when "full-service" meant gas in the tank (for $0.18 per gallon when I was a kid, $0.24 when I started driving and paying for gas), check the oil, clean the windshield, check the tire pressure, say please, say thank-you. Now it means gas in the tank.

Today I got annoyed at an Exxon station. The attendant walked away and let the pump run until I called him to stop it (NJ we don't pump) I ended up with over $27 of expensive gas when I asked for $10. Good thing I needed gas, but if I had more stations to do I would really have been po'ed. I could have gotten a lot more gas for my buck at Costco. At least I'll get some of those Plenti points, whatever they're worth.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2015 03:15AM by MsJudi.

BTW, the state mentioned directly above, also forbids the warehouse club gas stations from requiring membership in order to buy gas. It is a well kept secret. Actually, I just disguised this information a little since the lines are already long enough.

Ours jumped from $2.09 to $2.89 in 6 days!!!

Saw $2.09 today here

Gas here is $4.00

$3.39 in Northern California

2.09 to 2.39 in Cresson - Rio Vista - Alvarado - Itasca - Hillsboro Texas.

Gas is so cheap now in the Dallas area that I'm thinking of driving to Europe.

cpburt - I'd like to share expenses if we can pick up some shops.

Ours went from 1.99 to 2.89 overnight, as Flash mentioned, they said it was because of a refinery problem. We are currently, down to 2.59, and I hope it keeps dropping. On the news they said the increase would only last about month, due to the refinery problem.

That refinery problem and the huge increase reminds me of a conversation in a grocery store a year or so ago. I bought shelled walnuts in this particular store at Christmas for about $8.00 per pound. The following summer, I intended to buy more and they were $16. I nailed a guy in the produce department and said "what's the deal on the walnuts at $16?" He said, "Well, you heard about the BP blowup in the Gulf didn't you? Everything always goes up after something like that." To which I responded, "Are you telling me we lost walnut trees in the Gulf?" We didn't get anywhere after that. So much for walnuts. No, I didn't pay $16. Found them on line at Walmart for $8.00 and bought three pounds. Yea for me.

We eat a lot of nuts in our house. I buy 3 pound bags of walnuts and almonds at Costco and store them in the freezer. The price keeps going up, but I can still get a bag for under $20.

@MDavisnowell wrote:

That refinery problem and the huge increase reminds me of a conversation in a grocery store a year or so ago. I bought shelled walnuts in this particular store at Christmas for about $8.00 per pound. The following summer, I intended to buy more and they were $16. I nailed a guy in the produce department and said "what's the deal on the walnuts at $16?" He said, "Well, you heard about the BP blowup in the Gulf didn't you? Everything always goes up after something like that." To which I responded, "Are you telling me we lost walnut trees in the Gulf?" We didn't get anywhere after that. So much for walnuts. No, I didn't pay $16. Found them on line at Walmart for $8.00 and bought three pounds. Yea for me.

@MDavisnowell wrote:

cpburt - I'd like to share expenses if we can pick up some shops.

I'll let you know after I figure out how I'm going to drive over the Atlantic Ocean.

When maps.google.com started you could get surface directions from NYC to Paris, obviously done as a hoot. These days they have put on their more 'serious' side and only show air flight times for a direct flight.

Can we take a ferry?

@cpburt wrote:

I'll let you know after I figure out how I'm going to drive over the Atlantic Ocean.

I think it is frustrating that in parts of Texas it is under $3.00 a gallon and here in the Midwest it is well over $3.00 a gallon and rising daily. Why? Why is it so different in one area than another? I want to move. Anyone here in FL? I want to know their gas prices. We used to live in SW Florida, Napes to be exact and I want to go back down badly. Of course, I would do shops all the way down to pay for the move down. LOL.

It's 3.69 here in socal. But that will probably change by the time I get off of work.

Naples is more expensive than parts up the coast. We have been seeing 2.22, then it jumped to 2.24 and today it was 2.23. There are still the giant brand name places that think it is worth 2.35 to 2.37. I wonder why there is nobody at their pumps? Can they really survive just on the convenience store?

ETA: Gas prices depend on the price of oil, the price of refining it, transporting it, the federal/state/local taxes, the cost of the gas station (land, salaries etc.), and the big one is scarcity. With the BP refinery issue areas of the upper Midwest have scarcity which will continue until the refinery comes back on line (about a month). I didn't notice today, but yesterday West Texas Intermediate crude oil was $40 and change for a barrel, so in the greater scheme of things oil prices should continue to go down. Many of the refineries have had overcapacity for a while as people get more fuel efficient vehicles, so many of them (especially Marathon Petroleum) have taken the needed breaks to repair, replace and upgrade their facilities. Their new efficiencies allow them to more competitively price product in their markets. Gas still needs to be shipped and the closer you are to the shipping point, the cheaper the transport of it will be. The big hit we are likely to see in the next few years is that when the average vehicle got 15mpg and there was an 18.4 cent federal tax on gas, a 150 mile trip would drop 1.84 in the roads coffer. At 50mpg (like my hybrid) I am only dropping 55.2 cents in the roads coffer. My car is at least as hard on the roads as any similar weight vehicle whether it gets 15mpg or 100mpg. So gas taxes will likely triple or more as soon as there is the federal/state/local will to do it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2015 10:35PM by Flash.

Flash, You are in the Naples area? You mean when I move down there I have to compete with you? Oh no! I think we must make a deal, I will take the crumbs, with a few donuts now and then, lol. OK?

MD has relatively high gas taxes (and we voted last year to raise them so we can repair roads and public transit) and regular locally in my DC suburb is $2.41 at name brand stations, paying with credit card. A few miles away I see $2.64 for the same brand. With my grocery store rewards card, I fill up with either 20 or 30 cents per gallon "off" depending on frequency of filling (and grocery shopping).

Filled up today for $1.89/gallon, in SC. Across the state line, .40/gallon more in NC, due to state taxes.

Filled one car yesterday at $2.06 at Costco. Filled another today at the same location and it went up to $2.13. Still, not bad! This is South Texas though. My California trip earlier this month saw gas at around $4 a gallon, even at Costco
.

$3.39 yesterday. (Sad face)

To add to Flash's list, the price of gas will also depend on if it is raining today, if it might rain next week, if the price of eggs went up because all the chickens died of bird flu, if a hurricane might hit South America, if the big one is coming and California is going to fall into the ocean, if the Cubs are predicted to win the World Series........

Gas prices in Northern Florida are down to $2.19 a gallon and according to the AAA they expect gas to average below $2.00 by the first of the year! I remember during the gas wars in the 50's that gas was 29 cents a gallon!