I've just gotta unload..I was shocked today

@dragon54u (31634)
United States
May 10, 2008 4:36pm CST
I had to fill up a gas can for my dumb lawnmower--lol, of course it's dumb, it has no brain!--and I spent over $7 on a little less than 2 gallons!!!! Our gas has gone up to $3.77 here in southwestern Ohio and just last week it was $3.42. $.35 in a week!! I wonder if there will be an increase in push mowers? I wish I'd brought mine with me from Phoenix! Also, I needed to pick up some cereal and after looking at the prices I decided to finish the oatmeal I have here at home and mix the cereals I do have so I'll have a different flavor. I have 4-5 boxes about 1/4 full and together they'll provide a lot of texture, crunch and flavor! I'll have to find something else for breakfast when all that runs out, this is ridiculous! Even the biscuits that my dogs love for treats is more expensive than last week! I was just speechless. I either need to get out more or stay home so I won't be taken aback at such rapid price increases! Thanks for letting me vent!
1 person likes this
9 responses
Marie Anne
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
11 May 08
Good gracious! I'm in Chillicothe and haven't been out in a few days so don't know what the gas is here today, and I don't want to know. Fortunately I don't have to drive much, but my husband has to drive to the VA M-F now and that will take some getting used to. He mowed the lawn today and we'll probably be needing to refill the gas cans too. Yuck ...
1 person likes this
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
11 May 08
Chillicothe?! We used to go over a long bridge--or it seemed long when I was a child--and I think it was near there. Anyway, there was a paper mill that stunk to high heaven there! I'm told it's gone now and I'm sure that it smells better! I'm in Springfield. My dad is in Bellefontaine and their gas is usually about ten cents higher than ours for some dumb reason. Hope the VA isn't very far! Wouldn't it be nice to have some nice, efficient public transportation that actually took you where you wanted to go in a reasonable amount of time?
Marie Anne
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
11 May 08
Oh no, the paper mill is still here, and 'The Mead' still stinks! I'm actually a bit on the other side between Chillicothe and Frankfort, so we don't smell it here unless we go into town and then only when they're doing whatever it is they do with the pulp on certain days I guess. I just moved here in Sep so I'm still learning about the area.
1 person likes this
TriciaW
@TriciaW (2441)
• United States
10 May 08
I agree it can be so shocking as everything seems to be going up. I went to buy a roll of packing tape the other day and it was almost $8 what the heck is up with that? I suppose everyone is trying to get the most out of anything they can sell at this point. Everyone worrying so much that we are all going to stop buying. However there are certain things we have to buy and it seems those things are going out of control too because they know we have to have them. All I can say is thank heavens for Dollar Tree where you can still get everything for a buck!!!
1 person likes this
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
10 May 08
Dollar stores are my best friends! Especially around Christmas time when I send out a lot of cards to soldiers. Without the dollar stores, I couldn't possibly send more than a few! A lot of people look down on the dollar stores as having mostly junk but they have some VERY nice things there as well as some good quality stuff that just wouldn't sell elsewhere.
Fishmomma
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
12 May 08
Gas is higher in Southern California; however, still feel your pain. I am buying some food on sale, but have been using some of my stored food coming up with different meal ideas.
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
12 May 08
Have you heard of http://www.angelfoodministries.com/? You can get about $75 worth of food--good stuff!--for $30. Check and see if they have a branch near you. I'm going to start using them next month. Quality meats and vegetables and staples according to the people who buy their packages. It's a bring your own box type thing but for that price, you can probably afford to buy an extra gallon of gas or three with what you save over a traditional grocery store!
Fishmomma
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
12 May 08
No branch near me, as checked when food started going up. I would use it, if there was one near me to save money. The site really looks great and hope many people do take advantage of this way to get food.
happythoughts
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
13 May 08
I bought a push mower last year when gas was expensive but not this bad. Im so glad I did. It was $84 and I figured it would pay for its self by mid summer this year and from there on out it has saved us money. We also gave out old mower to a friend and so we have more space in the garage. The push mower is light enough to hang on the wall like a garden tool. I cant say enough about it. It needs a bit of oil every now and again but not much and it is no where near the cost of gas.
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
13 May 08
I'm seriously thinking of getting one. I bought a mower last year for $99 and I just spent nearly a tenth of its purchase price on gas for a month for it! If I find a cheap reel mower (that's what they call them now!) I may just get it and sell the gas guzzler! Reel mowers are great exercise, too!
creationsbyrobin
@creationsbyrobin (3071)
• United States
12 May 08
These price constant price increases are getting me worried. It seems everytime I turn around the price of everything has gone up! Even at Walmart the prices on just about everything is higher than it was last month and it's not just a few cents... it's more like 15% - 20% and there's no sing of it slowing down! Gas here just broke the $3.50 mark (yea, I know it's not horrible...yet) but the local news is talking about prices in the $4.00 range in the next 4 or 5 weeks and my round-trip mileage to work is about 200 miles a week. And the person I know at the supermarket said that the price changes they get are more frequent and they are almost always price raises : ( Looks like I be trying to stock up on the items I use when they go on sale.
creationsbyrobin
@creationsbyrobin (3071)
• United States
12 May 08
And the amount of corn needed is going to go up next year. We're looking at a possible wheat shortage in the US because so many farmers have stopped growing wheat and switched over to corn... that's just crazy that the US could be facing a wheat and grain shortage! I agree, growing a garden and stocking up on supplies will be prudent, because it'll be awhile before things get better. Looks like it'll be a lot of salads in my near future!
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
12 May 08
The problem with the groceries is that nearly everything is tied to wheat and grains. The price goes up on those and everything that uses them or is made from them goes up, too. Our meat comes from animals that are fed that expensive grain so it affects our meat and even our shoes! Bread and anything else that uses grain, plus the dairy products that come from the cows that eat grain! Now, with more corn being grown for fuel instead of fuel, it'll be getting worse. Stock up on what you can and start thinking of ways to save money or grow your own garden!
CherBear04
@CherBear04 (483)
• United States
13 May 08
Gas here in North Central Ohio is $3.85 today. I'm gonna have to start cutting back on my work days which stinks - it's gonna have to be Mon Wed Fri longer hours, instead of 5 days a week, between my husband and I we will be paying $200 a month just going to and from work.
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
13 May 08
You must be near Columbus. I'm in Springfield. It's amazing how much the prices fluctuate between counties. I'll see $3.75 here then go to Urbana and it'll be $3.69. Further north in Bellefontaine, it will jump to $3.86! I don't know how they decide to raise it but the inconsistencies between counties is surprising. I'm glad you can work 3 instead of 5 days a week, you must have a very cooperative employer!
hockeygal4ever
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
12 May 08
There has been a big surge in electric lawn mowers and push mowers for the past few years simply based on being "green" but now that gas is so expensive I'm pretty sure we'll see more and more being sold!
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
12 May 08
Push mowers are also good for our waistlines! I remember mowing my brother's yard with a push mower and it seemed to go on forever!
hcpoirot
@hcpoirot (1562)
• Indonesia
12 May 08
Not only in your country, dragon. In my country Indonesia too. At the end of May (yes this month) the government will raise the gas price again. We had to find a solution quick or otherwise I had to stay home all time or riding a bike which is not funny cause jakarta is a big city to travel by bike.
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
12 May 08
There are cyclists that are injured here every day from cars that don't watch for them or they themselves are careless and try to hog the road. I always admired China--I think it was China--whose people go nearly everywhere in the city on bikes. Or was it Japan?! Anyway, people would be more fit and the air would be clearer with more bikes and less cars! Does your government raise the prices? Here, our oil companies are responsible for pricing their product.
ducky685
@ducky685 (38)
• Canada
11 May 08
oh how i wish i was paying 3.77$ a gallon for gas. unfortunitly prices here are close to 5$ a gallon, expected to get closer to 6$ by summer. i am in canada and thats how it works out when you translate it to american. 1.24$ a litre, 4 litres in a gallon, 1.24 x 4 = more money then i want to spend.
dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
11 May 08
Wow, that's even worse! I know Europe has always paid more, back a couple years ago when it began to rise a friend of mine in Germany pooh-poohed us and said they were paying the equivalent of $5 a gallon! I guess we'll all have to make some drastic lifestyle changes.