Stop complaining about Gas Prices!
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribing is a great way to avoid being asked to come in on Saturday
I am a believer that if you have no control over something, it is pointless to stress about it. As a result, unless you are some oil executive or have ties to the Saudi royal family, there is NOTHING you can do to change gas prices. Yes, there are some ways that you can limit the amount of gas you use (see here and these tips should be followed. However, once you have followed that advice, you are helpless to further effect gas prices.
How much money are we really talking about here? Let’s say that an average person drives his/her car 12,000 miles per year and has a very modest 25 miles per gallon performance. For this example, we will also assume that the price of gas has gone up $1 per gallon. How much more money per year will this person have to spend on gas–$480. Now I am not downplaying the effect of $480 on anyone’s budget. Who couldn’t use an extra $480/year? In addition, I will concede that increased gas prices can cause almost everything else you buy to go up in price since gas in its production or transport. Still, I believe the amount of focus on the increasing gas prices is way overblown.
Instead, I propose that you focus you energy on other ways to make money or save money. This blog is littered with ways to make money, so I will leave that subject alone. Consider the following ways to save some extra cash:
1. Make a call to your cable company. Have you taken advantage of their bundled services yet (cable, internet, and phone service)? I will save over $720 this year just because I did this via Comcast. Did you know you can also negotiate with your cable company? Call them and start talking about cancelling HBO or another premimum channel and see if they will offer you a better deal. You might have to commit for another year or two, but you will save some money.
2. Look at your cell phone bill. Are you spending extra money for text messages? All cell phone companies offer packages for text messages that can save you money if you are frequent texter. Do you use your cell phone for most of your long distance calls? Are you still subscribed to a long distance carrier on your land line? If so, get rid of it. I recently ditched AT&T and save myself about $30/month for a service I rarely used. For emergencies, I signed up with Pioneer Telephone, a company that has no monthy fees and only charges you for calls you make.
3. Buy a nice thermos. FIll it with coffee at home (you can even buy some premium, gormeut stuff). Drive by Dunkin Donunt’s and Starbucks and laugh at those people wasting their gas by going out of their way or just starting the car an extra time. Packing your lunch will give you the same results.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Filed under: Being Cheap, Economy, Saving Money, The Recession
Hey. I’m up for swapping links. I’ve got you in my blogroll already.
http://netgpt.wordpress.com/
I like that…focus on things that are under our control. There’s definitely room for improvement for me.
[...] Stop Complaining about Gas Prices at The Red Stapler Chronicles — I love the concept. It’s incredible how much energy and mental health we all spend on things we that we can’t control. This article urges us to focus our energy on things we can actually control. [...]
[...] Stop Complaining about Gas Prices [...]
[...] Stop complaining about Gas Prices! [...]
I both agree and disagree with you. I think higher gas prices are good, because they force us Americans to look at our lives and make adjustments.
But on an individual level, higher gas prices are painful. As a college student, gas to get to campus is 35% of my expenses right now, and that’s with me trying my best to drive as little as possible!
In the end, I have to be willing to make adjustments: taking more online classes, bunching my other classes together on two or three days of the week, and looking into getting an off-campus job.
Also, people have to know what changes WON’T save them money. For example, I could move back to campus and drive less, but that would only save me money if gas hits $15 a gallon before I graduate next year!
good point stephanie–I can’t downplay the harm that gas prices can cause
My main point is that since you can’t control the prices, concentrate on something that you can control.
Yeah, even though we can’t change the price of gas, we can limit our consumption of it. You’d be surprised to learn how something as simple as going a little slower makes your gas tank last longer - http://www.mpgforspeed.com/
Well, we’ve already negotiated the best possible packages for our cell phone and communication networks. We did that a few months ago when it was time to change plans.
And I took care of the coffee situation years ago by switching to the cheaper coffee at work; and in more recent times to brewing at home.
But the overall point is good. Sometimes you just have to find something else to cut back on.
[...] Stapler Chronicles presents Stop complaining about gas prices: “Instead, I propose that you focus you energy on other ways to make money or save [...]
I agree don’t focus on complaining, focus on action. Change your driving habits, change your commute, be smarter about the amount you drive. Focusing on action should stop the complaining.
[...] Free Or Low Cost Ways To Save Energy & Money Stop Complaining about Gas Prices Invest in What You Know Five things Indiana Jones Can Teach Us About Personal Finance Taxes… Now [...]
Very good point. I marvel at the people that will drive further to a petrol station or buy their groceries at a more expensive supermarket to get a 4c/litre off petrol voucher. That would save me a grand total of about $2.40 on a tank of fuel. That would be a maximum saving of $5/month for me. By shopping at a cheaper supermarket I save about $160/month.
Ok, I got your point , good way of thinking!
But it’s so much fun to complain about gas prices!
Seriously, you have a lot of good points.
[...] Free Or Low Cost Ways To Save Energy & Money.Stop complaining about Gas Prices!Five Things Indiana Jones Can Teach Us About Personal [...]
[...] of interest to me:26 Ways to Make Extra Money While Keeping your Day JobStop Complaining about Gas PricesIncrease your Salary Without Increasing your WorkDebunking the “Latte Factor” Share [...]
In general we all like to complain a lot - so much that we often don’t realize we’re doing it. The reality is that gas prices have gone up drastically but if you look at the price of gas in Europe I’m pretty sure they’re still paying more than we are. Budget for it and adjust.
Complaining about something for the sake of complaining is a waste of time.
Excellent post, common sense and rational. I guess even I am guilty of overreacting and not “thinking” sometimes. I have done many of things you suggest in your post, and you are right. Budgeting and careful planning, whether gas is high or not, is always a smarter way to live and find progress. Enjoyed the read.
the fearless blogs last blog post..Bringing Them to Our Lair
Great post buddy, but you know that everybody always complain about anything. But such a good information and suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
Ferraris last blog post..Ferrari Opens Up Shop At Nurburgring
Well, there is nothing we could do about the increasing fuel prices but there are lots of things that we all could do in saving more with our fuel and gaining more MPG. I hope that the hybrid technology would soon be adapted
LOL- ah, so you really are a closet socialist!
Well, cashcrateworks , I can understand why you say we shouldn’t complain but then again, the fact that we drive more (and don’t have a choice about that in most cases) means that any increase in price does affect us more. It’s still not a huge part of my budget but there’s no doubt that you feel it when the price increases by 50% or more in a short period- and for some people, there isn’t enough expendable income to cover the increase.
In other words, the volume that we consume is the problem and that makes us more sensitive to price fluctuations. So then you probably think, “consume less”, but you really have to visit the US to see why that generally isn’t very possible. Most of us live in suburbs that are miles from our workplace simply because there isn’t affordable housing close in to the urban centers. And even shopping and schools aren’t constructed in a way that makes them accessible without cars in most cases. The infrastructure would have to change, drastically, before any of us could significantly cut back on fuel consumption.
The reality is that gas prices have gone up drastically but if you look at the price of gas in Europe I’m pretty sure they’re still paying more than we are. Budget for it and adjust.
Absolutely true! Are you really going to NOT drive because you have to pay an extra $.50 cents a gallon?
Fuel Economy Helps last blog post..Gas Prices Dropping; Closer to $3 Per Gallon
Agree need to change some of the habits lie Change our driving, but still price always concern for some people , lot more thing on which people need to concentrate need to better planning hope your good post can give more careful thought and idea rather than shouting on price.
Now that gas prices have dropped I haven’t heard anybody shouting for joy. Has everyone just moved on to the next best thing to complain about.
Utah Personal Injury Attorney
Wow, I never knew that about Gas Prices!. That’s pretty interesting…
Gas price is getting higher and higher and we can do nothing about. That’s why it is better to seek information that could help us on how we are going to conserve that energy. This article is very informative on how we are going to serve gas.
I admit I wanted to drive less when it was four bucks a gallon, but I was transporting my son back and forth to college a hundred miles away four times a week. It was getting pretty tough. Now that it is back around two bucks, I’m not complaining!
That is a really great way to look at the situation with gas prices! I too feel that there are many other ways to save money and not worry about the fuel prices. Many of the ones you mentioned I already have done…cable company and phone company. What about removing the charge of local TV from your cable provider!
Good thing the trend is reversed, I’m just not sure about 2009.
As soon as the economy recovers and people have enough $$$ to pay for gas, demand will increase. This, in turn, will drive gas prices right back up again. Enjoy the low prices while you can!
I never complained about gas prices really. But now I’m happy to see them drop a dollar over the past 6 months.
I guess even I am guilty of overreacting and not “thinking” sometimes. I have done many of things you suggest in your post, and you are right. Budgeting and careful planning, whether gas is high or not, is always a smarter way to live and find progress. Enjoyed the read.
Good thing I never complained about the gas prices.
After our generation, oil prices will skyrocket since there will be no oil left. But that’s okay.. it’s not us!