Gas prices are going up fast

[NW-Bound]

During the pandemic when gasoline was cheap, I thought about driving my motorhome to Costco to fill its 55-gallon tank, even though I had no plan for any trip. It was just to hoard some gas.

I decided against it. Even if I saved $2/gal, it's only $110. The gas may go stale, and it's not easy to retrieve it via siphoning to transfer to my cars. And the $110 is minuscule compared to the loss of value of my investable assets, and the then health worry from Covid. Can't worry about little things like $110.

 

[Koolau]

During the pandemic when gasoline was cheap, I thought about driving my motorhome to Costco to fill its 55-gallon tank, even though I had no plan for any trip. It was just to hoard some gas.

I decided against it. Even if I saved $2/gal, it's only $110. The gas may go stale, and it's not easy to retrieve it via siphoning to transfer to my cars. And the $110 is minuscule compared to the loss of value of my investable assets, and the then health worry from Covid. Can't worry about little things like $110.

Heh, heh, I bought 500 Forever Stamps "just in time" before the last USPS price gauge, er, I mean price increase (How DO you buy THEIR stock?) So saving $110 on gas would make it worth a $5 pouch of Stabil to keep it fresh. I've always gravitated toward the "quick" pay-offs. Must just be my nature. Watching stocks rise is kinda cool, but copping a quick $100 by filling my "spare" tank would make my day. I guess "to each his own" or some such. YMMV

 

[NW-Bound]

Heh, heh, I bought 500 Forever Stamps "just in time" before the last USPS price gauge, er, I mean price increase (How DO you buy THEIR stock?) So saving $110 on gas would make it worth a $5 pouch of Stabil to keep it fresh. I've always gravitated toward the "quick" pay-offs. Must just be my nature. Watching stocks rise is kinda cool, but copping a quick $100 by filling my "spare" tank would make my day. I guess "to each his own" or some such. YMMV

I know about STA-BIL. But getting gas back out of the motorhome is no easy feat.

Else, I would not pass up $100.

By the way, 32-oz of STA-BIL for ethanol gas is $17 at Walmart.

 

[NW-Bound]

Forgot to say, during the pandemic I was too concerned with people dropping like flies in Europe, then in other countries, to worry about $110.

And potential lack of TP and food stuff occupied my mind more than the potential gain from the abundance of gasoline.

We were able to get some flour, but yeast to make bread was nowhere to be found.

 

[Koolau]

I know about STA-BIL. But getting gas back out of the motorhome is no easy feat.

Else, I would not pass up $100.

By the way, 32-oz of STA-BIL for ethanol gas is $17 at Walmart.

You don't LIKE the taste of gasoline? I had a friend (usher at my wedding) who used to siphon gas by mouth (spitting out the first mouth-full.) He'd also wash his paint brushes and hands with leaded gas, back in the day. Even as a teen I worried about such unsafe practices. He died of old age at 91 last year. I guess good genes are as important as environment since his mom lived to 100.

Sounds like inflation has hit Sta-Bil as well but YMMV.

 

[11522914]

Heh, heh, I bought 500 Forever Stamps "just in time" before the last USPS price gauge, er, I mean price increase (How DO you buy THEIR stock?) So saving $110 on gas would make it worth a $5 pouch of Stabil to keep it fresh. I've always gravitated toward the "quick" pay-offs. Must just be my nature. Watching stocks rise is kinda cool, but copping a quick $100 by filling my "spare" tank would make my day. I guess "to each his own" or some such. YMMV

Wow, 500 forever stamps.

That would take me......well, I don't use stamps, forever [emoji16]

Just kidding. I use 10 stamps a year. So 50 years.

 

[NW-Bound]

^^^ You can no longer siphon gas out of car gas tanks. I used to do this all the time.

There's a ball in the throat of the filler hose of the gas tank. Its function is to prevent gas flowing out in the case of a rollover accident. The ball prevents the insertion of a siphoning tube.

 

[11522914]

^^^ You can no longer siphon gas out of car gas tanks. I used to do this all the time.

There's a ball in the throat of the filler hose of the gas tank. Its function is to prevent gas flowing out in the case of a rollover accident. The ball prevents the insertion of a siphoning tube.

I recently learned that the hard way.

My daughter accidentally filled her Camry with diesel. [emoji37]

 

[Koolau]

Wow, 500 forever stamps.

That would take me......well, I don't use stamps, forever [emoji16]

Just kidding. I use 10 stamps a year. So 50 years.

DW sends Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Thinking of You, Shut-Ins, Sympathy, etc., cards by the dozens per month. So, with a bit of luck, 500 stamps will last her until the next USPS postage increase! We don't very often get to see most folks we've known over the years so cards are sort of DW's "mission." I don't have any issue with her spending the money as it brings a lot of joy to a lot of folks - especially DW.

By the way, we go to a couple of resale shops and DW gets grocery sacks of unused cards that folks drop off. Heh, heh, some of the cards sent by charities in hope of getting back donations just get recycled through the shops. I doubt DW spends more than $.05/card and many of her cards are truly lovely. When her arthritis is "at bay" she will make her own cards from construction paper (with stickers, sparklies, etc.)

When folks ask DW "What do you do all day?" she will mention her passion for sending cards. YMMV

 

[NW-Bound]

Below is the photo of a typical rollover ball check valve.

It is also called "anti-siphon" valve, although I believe its original function is to prevent gasoline spillage in a rollover accident.

With one of my cars, I was able to "steal" a bit of gasoline when I needed it by disconnecting a section of rubber hose going to the fuel manifold. I also had to hotwire the fuel pump to run it. In most cars, the fuel line is not so accessible, and much of its length is a steel line.

 

[SecondCor521]

I don't know if anyone could devise a rationing scheme that works out.

I thought they tried it during WW2. I don't know how it worked because that was before my time. I would have guessed there could have been grey market trading of stamps, but a quick search suggests that the ration books had identification markings so you couldn't use other people's stamps.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/s...search-starters/take-closer-look-ration-books

 

[NW-Bound]

I thought they tried it during WW2. I don't know how it worked because that was before my time. I would have guessed there could have been grey market trading of stamps, but a quick search suggests that the ration books had identification markings so you couldn't use other people's stamps.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/s...search-starters/take-closer-look-ration-books

Good bit of past history.

Now, even if you could not sell your ration ticket, you could always get the merchandise and sell that. And with gasoline, there was no rollover ball valve in those days, so it would be super easy to siphon.

 

[aja8888]

I filled up at Walmart this afternoon for $3.79/gal. It's getting crazy here in Texas!

 

[Koolau]

I thought they tried it during WW2. I don't know how it worked because that was before my time. I would have guessed there could have been grey market trading of stamps, but a quick search suggests that the ration books had identification markings so you couldn't use other people's stamps.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/s...search-starters/take-closer-look-ration-books

According to my parents, there was a thriving black market for all rationed items. Apparently there was no problem using "borrowed" ration points and stamps. Mom told of dad's family "descending" upon them unannounced (as was their custom even after the war when I was still young.) Mom would go to the neighbors and beg ration coupons for meat or other scarce items - to be paid back later. Mom would probably not have bought the coupons, but my dad had saved sugar and other items BEFORE rationing. He had survived the depression and was always prepared with staples (flour, sugar, beans, etc.) Sugar was easily traded for coupons. Probably illegal, but it was common - showing that short of summary-corner-executions for black market participation, it always happens when gummints ration things. YMMV

 

[Koolau]

I filled up at Walmart this afternoon for $3.79/gal. It's getting crazy here in Texas!

Heh, heh, sounds good. Our price is about a dollar more. Of course, our oil has to come an extra 2400 miles so YMMV.

 

[Andre1969]

I recently learned that the hard way.

My daughter accidentally filled her Camry with diesel. [emoji37]

I didn't think it was possible to do that? At least, I'd always heard that they made the fuel nozzle for Diesel a different shape, to keep people from doing just that?

 

[Andre1969]

As for rationing, I'm too young to remember it, but I heard that during the first Arab Oil Embargo, in addition to "odd/even" days, they made the pumps cut off at something like 8 gallons or 10 gallons. Supposedly it was that little detail, that pretty much killed interest in big cars, moreso than the high cost of fuel itself. It's bad enough to pay sky-high fuel prices for your '73 Electra that might get 7-8 mpg, but when it gets to the point that you're only getting enough fuel to get you maybe 60-80 miles at a time, plus dealing with long lines, and the possibility of the station running out of fuel, that's where the REAL fun sets in!

 

[scrabbler1]

^^^ You can no longer siphon gas out of car gas tanks. I used to do this all the time.

There's a ball in the throat of the filler hose of the gas tank. Its function is to prevent gas flowing out in the case of a rollover accident. The ball prevents the insertion of a siphoning tube.

I remember after Hurricane Sandy in late 2012, when there was a temporary gas shortage due to power outages and the inability to get gasoline into the NYC are and trucked to local gas stations, I considered siphoning gas from my car's gas tank to put into my ladyfriend's car's gas tank. I mentioned this to my mechanic and he warned me against it because (most) current cars had a sensor at the bottom of the tube which would likely get damaged by a siphon hose. My LF was able to take the bus to work, and the local PD was not issuing parking tickets for overtime parking in municipal parking lots (so I wouldn't have to move her car).

 

[joesxm3]

I need 93 octane. Just gassed up today $4.75/gallon.

 

[Koolau]

I need 93 octane. Just gassed up today $4.75/gallon.

I know you need the higher octane for some engines to get maximum performance. Unless the car is older, you can usually get away with using lower octane because the car senses detonation and retards the ignition (lowering performance, of course.) Just a thought as YMMV.

 

[NW-Bound]

According to my parents, there was a thriving black market for all rationed items. Apparently there was no problem using "borrowed" ration points and stamps. Mom told of dad's family "descending" upon them unannounced (as was their custom even after the war when I was still young.) Mom would go to the neighbors and beg ration coupons for meat or other scarce items - to be paid back later. Mom would probably not have bought the coupons, but my dad had saved sugar and other items BEFORE rationing. He had survived the depression and was always prepared with staples (flour, sugar, beans, etc.) Sugar was easily traded for coupons. Probably illegal, but it was common - showing that short of summary-corner-executions for black market participation, it always happens when gummints ration things. YMMV

But, but, but what was wrong if I had the right to, say, some beans and I did not eat beans, but preferred rice. Why could I not exchange the items by bartering with another person? And selling/buying is indirect bartering via the exchange of money (or bitcoins as it may be done now).

This shows that rationing creates a whole slew of new problems. For example, do we give more food to a bigger guy than a skinny guy, because the skinny guy should need less food and would be more likely to sell it?

But, but, but I am a skinny guy with a high metabolic rate, and I eat a lot in real life relative to my weight. If the ration is by body weight, I would be among the first to die, because I will get skinnier and skinnier, and get rationed less and less food.

 

[Beststash]

It's getting crazy here in Texas!

Getting?

 

[Jerry1]

I would imagine that the market is doing a fair amount of rationing already. I’m thinking there’s a large amount of people doing things to conserve gas like combining trips or forgoing them. Unfortunately, the market is brutal on people with less means. However, even people with means, like many here, are people who are LBYM (aka - tight with money) so I’m sure they’re looking for ways to use less gas and spend less.

 

[jollystomper]

This morning before COFSDASH(tm) I filled up one car 8(only needed a little more than 1/2 a tank) at Costco for $3.98/gallon (compared to $4.25/gallon average in the area). Normally at 9AM you could find at least one pump with no wait. However this morning the line was out of the gas station area into the parking lot.

The "good" news was that enough folks still have the "I MUST use a pump that is on the same side as my gas cap" mentality that, once squeezing inside the gas station area, the 5 lines with pumps on the passenger side were noticeably shorter than the 5 lines with pumps on the drivers side. So my wait was not as bad.

I am just glad Dw and I do not have to commute to work, and all our driving is pleasure/errand related. We can somewhat control the impact of the gas cost, and the mileage is low enough not to be a problem. I have friends with commuting jobs that this is a much bigger issue.

 

[6miths]

Has gone up markedly over the last week - $5.40 here today. $1.02 of that is tax. Happy to pay a bit more if it means no Russian oil in support of friends in Ukraine. Of course it means many other things will be more expensive but that's the way it goes. Will be good for the economy of western Canada at least.