[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Alvin

Filled up today and local station was @ $3.42 per gallon for Regular Unleaded.

IIRC, last week same station, same blend was around $3.29...

ta6point6

It was just over 4 years ago that Alvin started this post.

I paid $2.349 when I last put gas in my car that take's regular unleaded.

I paid $2.689 when I filled up my car that uses premium yesterday.

While the price of gas has gone up somewhat, it is still relatively cheap, all things considered.

If the price of regular should break $3.00 per gallon, it's still less than what it was 4 years ago, and that wasn't the peak price during the last 4 years.

[Chief of the 60's]

$2.40 last week

$2.45 an hour ago

[Fullsize455]

I have no idea why people are complaining about gas prices, as cheap as gasoline is. How many of you happily pay more for a 20oz or smaller cup of foofy coffee than you do for a gallon of gasoline? How about the fact that milk is more expensive per gallon than gasoline?

Gas prices rise and fall with the seasons according to demand. It's been that way for a very long time. Same with lots of other things where the demand varies throughout the year or seasons. $2something a gallon for a product that goes through an extensive refinement process to produce, then carries with it more hazards when it comes to production, storage and transportation than most other products? Yeah, gas is cheap. Rather than waiting to "catch a break" from uncle Sam or costs for goods that naturally rise and fall, why not work a little more or work to improve your job/career to make more money? You're not going to change gas prices by complaining, and you can wait forever for that break but ultimately it's up to you to either improve your lot in life or just be stagnant or fall behind as the world around you continues to change and evolve.

I've averaged about 1275 miles per month over the last year in my work vehicle. At the roughly 18mpg I average, that's about 71 gallons of fuel, multiplied by about $3/gallon average(probably a little high), that's around $210/month in fuel cost. If small fluctuations in that price make or break your budget, the problem isn't gas prices, frankly. I know people who spend more than that just going out to movies every month, or drinking it away at the bar, or any number of other things that people spend more money on, but then somehow they blame someone for gas prices. I just don't get it.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Fullsize455

I have no idea why people are complaining about gas prices, as cheap as gasoline is. How many of you happily pay more for a 20oz or smaller cup of foofy coffee than you do for a gallon of gasoline? How about the fact that milk is more expensive per gallon than gasoline?

From my previous post, I think it's obvious that I basically agree with you.

I also don't understand people that pay more for a foo foo cup of coffee.

But is milk really more expensive per gallon where you live than regular gas? I'm serous...

I pay between $1.98 - $2.08 per gallon for milk. Now that's for 1% milk - but that's what I prefer.

[Fullsize455]

It is here in the Reno/Carson area, yep. Cheapest gas in Carson right now is hovering around $2.85/gallon, roughly $3.10 in Reno. I just paid $3.48 for a gallon of Winco 2%, the cheapest I'm aware of around here.

[MUSLCAH]

2.51 regular here

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by The Champ

I also don't understand people that pay more for a foo foo cup of coffee.

But is milk really more expensive per gallon where you live than regular gas? I'm serous...

I pay between $1.98 - $2.08 per gallon for milk. Now that's for 1% milk - but that's what I prefer.

Compairing gasoline$ to milk$ is apples to oranges.
Here in Maine, whole milk has been hovering between $3.50-$4.00 for 6 years (since I relocated). Two years ago, while visiting my sister in Illinois, I was amazed to see the price in Aldi @ $1.69. I was so impressed that I took a picture of the sign on the cooler door.
Meanwhile, gas was within 20 cents of what it was in Maine.

I also feel it is very unfair to lump 'everybody' that complains about the cost of gas in with the folks that piss money away on take out coffee.
I don't buy convenience store food or beverages because they are so expensive. The only reason people think gas is cheap now (those that do), is because they've been conditioned to prices in the high $3 range since 2006.
Sure, $2.50 seems fair after it was above $3.50 for so long.
It's been on the steady march back to $3.00 (and above) since the flooding down south last fall. Not much fluctuation going on that I can see.

If small fluctuations in that price make or break your budget, the problem isn't gas prices, frankly. I know people who spend more than that just going out to movies every month, or drinking it away at the bar, or any number of other things that people spend more money on, but then somehow they blame someone for gas prices. I just don't get it.

If they really really needed to, they could cut back on or give up their creature comforts. Gasoline however, is a necessity for getting to and from work and many other things. You can't pour a cup of Starbucks or a can of Bud Light into your gas tank to go to town for groceries.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

The only reason people think gas is cheap now (those that do), is because they've been conditioned to prices in the high $3 range since 2006.

Really?

The U.S. average gas price in 2006 was $2.57. Currently it sits at $2.42.

Despite inflation - gas is cheaper today than it was in 2006.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...es-since-1990/

The only years that the national average was at $3.00 per gallon or higher - 2008 and 2012-14.

The national average has been below $2.50 since 2015.

A hidden increase in consumer gas prices is the fact that most states have increased gas taxes over that same period, so without the additional taxes the national average would be much lower than it was in 2006.

Since 2006, all but 15 states have increased their gas taxes:

[hurryinhoosier62]

It’s anywhere from $2.53 to $2.74 per gallon around here. Down the road from me, two Marathon stations have two different price; one is ten cents a gallon lower than the other. Make THAT make sense.,,

[tom s]

We are approaching $4 again in LA county.Our state put a .12 gal tax on gas and .25 a gal on dsl last year.Tom

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by tom s

We are approaching $4 again in LA county.Our state put a .12 gal tax on gas and .25 a gal on dsl last year.Tom

Current average in LA is $3.598 - but many stations offer it as low as $3.299 in the LA area..

But California is nearly always one of the most expensive states. It's not just housing cost that are high there.

https://www.gasbuddy.com/GasPriceMap?z=4

But California's fuel costs are figured into the national average price, other wise the national average would be much lower.

[David Jones]

I live in Pleasant Grove Alabama and the Shell station (my preferred fuel) I pass there is at $2.39 for 87 octane. In Hoover, the other end of my commute, the Shell station is at $2.46 for 87 octane. "Rabbit gas", as my Dad used to call no brand gas, is around $2.35 for 87 octane close to home. All have crept up over the last couple of weeks.

['ol Pinion head]

$2.19-2.23 ia gal s as cheap as it gets here in the Territory for 87 octane junk gas.
Filled up with 87 octane PURE gas yesterday for $2.53. The ol' 4.0 in the XJ likes the real gas.
Diesel is $2.69 a gal, add in another dime a gal for my diesel additive.

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by The Champ

Really?

The U.S. average gas price in 2006 was $2.57. Currently it sits at $2.42.

Despite inflation - gas is cheaper today than it was in 2006.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...es-since-1990/

The only years that the national average was at $3.00 per gallon or higher - 2008 and 2012-14.

The national average has been below $2.50 since 2015.

A hidden increase in consumer gas prices is the fact that most states have increased gas taxes over that same period, so without the additional taxes the national average would be much lower than it was in 2006.

Since 2006, all but 15 states have increased their gas taxes:

[img]http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/Post-Launch-Images/2017/07/sln_jul26_chart.png?la=en[mg]

Bravo, sir.

I love the laughable and borderline conspiratorial argument that people spew about gas prices being manipulated and people being conditioned. So hilariously ignorant. The price of almost everything fluctuates regularly, but nobody complains about most of it except for gas for some reason. Because it's a "necessity" for most people, that should somehow have a bearing on price? Say no to socialism, kids.

There are a number of reasons why gas prices fluctuate so noticeably, but among them is the fact that it is sold on very tight profit margins. Any time anything mass market is sold on very tight profit margins, the price fluctuates regularly.

Take a look at a store like Winco foods, for example. A big part of their business model is to sell things as cheap as possible and usually be the cheapest around. As a result, if you actually pay attention when you shop, you will see a lot of things(especially perishables) fluctuate frequently, even day to day. That is because the cost to produce it varies for various reasons, thus the wholesale cost varies, and if the end retailer wants to maintain that tight profit margin while keeping prices as low as possible, that means the end price fluctuates.

Perhaps you guys would prefer gas be sold on something more like the Safeway model? Where they buy the food for the same price from the wholesaler, but they mark it up significantly more than Winco because they can, because people still happily pay it? Then your gas prices would rarely fluctuate, but they would also be 50% higher a lot of the time. Brilliant.

People who argue that gas is expensive or that prices are being "manipulated" simply have no understanding of even basic economics. No concept of supply and demand, no thought whatsoever about how complicated the market is and why it is particularly volatile. I find it appalling that some people actually believe the government should step in, when people complain about "big oil" making too much money, etc.. Half of the idiots who make those arguments also have a smartphone in their pocket that is making "big smartphone" billions and billions of dollars hand over fist. Never a complain about that though. Nor a complaint about "big movies", "big music", "big sports", "big whaterver industry you can think of", where the powers that be make the kind of money that most people only dream about, by selling products or entertainment to plebians who suck it up oh so willingly.. yet "big oil" is what everyone complains about. Because gasoline is a "necessity".

Say no to socialism, kids. Without big oil, you wouldn't own a car in the first place, and you wouldn't be putting gas in it or anything else. That is, unless you're planning on going out to refine your own. Please let me know how that works for you.

[chevymad]

$3.29 for regular here in SW Washington. $3.69 for premium. Only ever got as low as $2.86 before heading back up.

Edit: Interestingly that Gasbuddy web page showed a lower price, so I checked my county(theres only 2 stations) Gasbuddy is averaging in a 3d station that's across the Columbia River from us in Oregon!(different taxes) lol Anyway, no name station is $3.29 and Chevron is $3.39 for regular.

[Charlie Brengun]

Just wait until they tax it like they do here in Europe.. $8.20 a gallon for 91 octane (and they want to mix that up with 10% ethanol by 2020 in my country).