# $368 a month on gas = 3 gallons a day! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 6, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965 "2011-05-06T14:47:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/21 "2011-05-06T16:10:52Z")
I live about 6 miles from my office. My wife and I each drive a Prius. I bet we average close to 3 gallons a day, if you include trips to the airport (50 miles each way at least twice a month), trips to Seattle, (60 miles if we don’t take the ferry), trips to Portland, trips to Spokane, going to the store, etc. On a “good day,” sure, we use less than half a gallon. On average, much more. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/22 "2011-05-06T16:20:40Z")
> [@bup](#): > > [America, you fucking suck.](http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/05/news/economy/gas_prices_income_spending/index.htm) > > The linked article boo-hoos how much of household budgets gasoline is costing us - but also says the average price of gas is close to $4 a gallon. > > It never mentions that at $4 a gallon, $368 is\* 92 gallons a month!\* You fucking idiots are using 3 gallons a day! On _average_! What the fucking fuck are you doing, that you average 3 gallons a day in gas usage? > > Don’t give me hard luck stories about this one guy you know who has to commute 50 miles each way and it has to be in his car - this is the average usage by a family. > > I’ve got an idea for gas price control. Next Tuesday, we will show the gas companies we mean business. On that one day, [del]boycott the gas stations and don’t buy gas[/del] STOP BLAMING THE GAS COMPANIES AND DON’T USE 3 FUCKING GALLONS THAT DAY! OR THE NEXT OR THE NEXT! AND BUY A MORE FUEL EFFICIENT CAR AND GET OFF YOUR FAT ASS AND WALK OR BIKE TO THE STORE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE! Post this as your facebook status if you agree! You gonna come over and take my kid to school? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/23 "2011-05-06T16:28:14Z")
I agree with the OP in the macro sense. As a society, we’ve purposefully set things up to value sprawl and size over all else. We’ve known that cheap oil wouldn’t last forever for decades now, but we’ve stuck our heads in the sand and kept building huge suburban tracts and clusters of big box stores separated by long busy streets with no sidewalks. But most regular people are just doing their best within the system as it exists. Which unfortunately necessitates a lot of driving. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/24 "2011-05-06T16:31:06Z")
Who and what is driving up these prices, anyway? I recall that they were over $4.00 a gallon a few years ago and then they dropped. Will this happen again? ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/25 "2011-05-06T16:35:04Z")
I live 31 miles from work. I burn 2 gallons a day commuting to work. To conserve gas, I try to drive in the 60 to 65 mph range on the interstate. I can sleep as late as 6:45 am and still get to work on time. I am almost always home by 6:00 pm, and usually home before 5:45 pm. I could take trains and buses to get to work. It would, however, take about 2.5 hours one way, assuming I don’t miss any of my connections. That means I would have to get out of bed at 5:45 a.m. to shower, get dressed and get to the bus stop. This will get me to work at 8:45 a.m. I will have to brownbag my lunch every day or go hungry, as there are no eating places within easy walking distance. If I have to leave work for some family emergency, I am out of luck. A doctor’s appointment will take all day instead of a morning or afternoon, as the mass transit logistics just don’t work out. In the evening, I will get home about 7:30 p.m., assuming I don’t miss any of my connections. Experience tells me the connections will often be missed, in which case I might not get home until 9:00 p.m. or even 10:00 p.m. If I don’t miss a connection, I have about two hours in the evening to eat a little something, watch TV, surf the net, or do a little reading before going to bed. If I miss a connection, I will have to go to bed almost as soon as I get home. I could move closer to work, but I want to live in a neighborhood where I don’t have to carry a firearm to feel safe. I’ve already lived in such neighborhoods for far too many years. Inasmuch as the cost of moving would probably be between $1500 to $2000, it’s a moot point anyway. I use about 45 gallons of gas a month driving about 1400 miles, of which 1240 are used commuting to and from work. French kiss my ass, Bup. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/26 "2011-05-06T16:37:23Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Who and what is driving up these prices, anyway? I recall that they were over $4.00 a gallon a few years ago and then they dropped. Will this happen again? Looks like it’s already started. Maybe. Oil prices have dropped the last few days. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/27 "2011-05-06T16:38:02Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Who and what is driving up these prices, anyway? I recall that they were over $4.00 a gallon a few years ago and then they dropped. Will this happen again? Mostly it’s the weak dollar and the turmoil in the Middle East, as well as rapidly expanding economies in India and China driving up demand for fuel. I don’t think gas prices are going to come down nearly as fast as they did the last time, and maybe not at all. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/28 "2011-05-06T16:50:36Z")
It has become rather common in the US for Man and Wife to both work. One consequence of this is that often their workplaces will be many miles apart. As a result, it becomes impossible for the family to live near their workplace. Further, job security has been on a steady decline for many decades. A worker who moves her household to be nearer her job may well have her good intentions undone at the next down business cycle. While in some cases moving expenses can be deducted from taxation, it still isn’t cheap, and disrupts children’s schooling. In the America of today, it makes little sense for people to place a high priority on proximity to work when choosing where to live. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/29 "2011-05-06T16:53:37Z")
Are you under the impression that the Indian and Chinese economies were not rapidly expanding three years ago? I spend $222 a month on gas, based on $4 gas and my rough calculations (though it’s well under $4 here), and that’s for all travel. My wife probably adds another $80. We’re hardly profligate’ my commute is 17 miles one way, hers is about 5 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/30 "2011-05-06T16:57:07Z")
The OP is fucking clueless. I commute 23 miles, one way, south of my residence. One of my roommates commutes 12 miles, one way, north of my residence. My other roommate doesn’t work because of medical conditions but he has to go about 15 miles, I’m not exactly sure but I know it’s in the mid teens, east to a hospital three times a week for half of the day. Add into that trips to the store, entertainment places, family and friends. Now explain to me how we are supposed to do that for less than three gallons a day you clueless shithead. I guess we could all move really close to our workplaces/hospital except only a retard would do that. I would have to live in the middle of downtown where a tiny shitty apartment in the bad part of downtown costs three times as much as I am currently paying in rent. My working roommate would have it better as he would live in a nice part of a city and his rent would only be about double of what he is paying. My other roommate can not afford to live on his own but I guess he could get other roommates at the new place. The three of us rent a four bedroom house with a two car garage, a smallish front yard but a fairly large back yard with a pool. Gas around our house is $4.20 or so and I fill up twice a month and last time I filled up it cost me $90. So that’s $180 a month just on gas. Even if the gas price was doubled it would still be cheaper for me to stay where I am than to pay the rent I’d pay by moving downtown to live within walking/biking distance of my job. Again, the OP is fucking clueless. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/31 "2011-05-06T16:58:25Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > Now explain to me how we are supposed to do that for less than three gallons a day you clueless shithead. Ride motorcycles. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/32 "2011-05-06T16:59:21Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > It has become rather common in the US for Man and Wife to both work. > > One consequence of this is that often their workplaces will be many miles apart. As a result, it becomes impossible for the family to live near their workplace. > > Further, job security has been on a steady decline for many decades. A worker who moves her household to be nearer her job may well have her good intentions undone at the next down business cycle. While in some cases moving expenses can be deducted from taxation, it still isn’t cheap, and disrupts children’s schooling. > > In the America of today, it makes little sense for people to place a high priority on proximity to work when choosing where to live. Preach it. You just described my situation to a tee. (Except I’m in Canada.) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/33 "2011-05-06T17:01:25Z")
During the bubble, a lot of people bought houses far away from the Bay Area for a decent neighborhood at an affordable price. I doubt they can move. When my office moved, I went from an 8 mile one way commute to an 18 mile one, though I’m down to 15 thanks to another move. But I have a Prius, so I don’t care so much. And car sales last month were heavily weighted to fuel efficient models, so the public is heading in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/34 "2011-05-06T17:05:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Ride motorcycles. 😃 I have seriously thought about this and I have a couple friends who did start riding about 2-3 years ago because of gas prices but I am too much of a chicken. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/35 "2011-05-06T17:11:37Z")
Ha. I feel good about us. We have one car and go through less than 35 gallons a month. A lot of that is luck: it was possible to move close to my job, but some of it is really deliberate choice: one car means my husband spends a lot of time reading a book while waiting for me to pick him up, and I took my job in part because it was possible to live close to it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/36 "2011-05-06T17:16:17Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > I have seriously thought about this and I have a couple friends who did start riding about 2-3 years ago because of gas prices but I am too much of a chicken. If I still lived in the UK, I’d get one in a heartbeat, but Florida drivers are way too shitty to risk it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/37 "2011-05-06T17:31:37Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > I live 31 miles from work. I burn 2 gallons a day commuting to work. To conserve gas, I try to drive in the 60 to 65 mph range on the interstate. In the last three cars I’ve had, the best gas mileage is at around 50 mph. ---
**Author:** ![MacGyverInSeattle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@MacGyverInSeattle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacGyverInSeattle)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/38 "2011-05-06T17:36:57Z")
I have a 20 mile one way commute each way, I bought a Smart car just for the commute, it gets 40 MPG so I burn 1 gallon per day. My wife works from home and only goes out maybe twice a week, she gets by with about 1/2 a gallon a day. I would telecommute, bike or bus in that order if I could but they are not a option. The company has a policy of NO telecommuting, even for us IT folks. They love their face time. I used to bike to work when I worked downtown (8 miles each way) and loved it but at this job, it not only would it be a 3 hour ride each way, there are no roads to bike on for at least 5 of the miles, freeway only, no alternates or side roads. Public transportation here is a very very sad joke, they are all but useless, if I wanted to take a bus it would take me most of the day to get either to or from work and they don’t run long enough hours that I could actually get to work, immediately turn around and actually make it home the same day. I have had my son meet me at work several times on the bus and he had to leave the house less than an hour after I did in the morning to get to my work by the time I got off work. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/39 "2011-05-06T17:37:06Z")
You’re all very special. None of you can use public transportation, or use a vehicle that gets better mileage, or do anything to reduce your consumption below 3 gallons a day, including weekends. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965/40 "2011-05-06T17:39:45Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > In the last three cars I’ve had, the best gas mileage is at around 50 mph. European market vehicles do best at 56 mph, because that’s the middle speed that the Euromix mileage figures are calculated at. [QUOTE=bup] You’re all very special. None of you can use public transportation, or use a vehicle that gets better mileage, or do anything to reduce your consumption below 3 gallons a day, including weekends. [/QUOTE] This city has no fucking public transportation. Where the hell do _you_ live? I drive a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. It’s one size up from the smallest class of vehicle you can buy in the US. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/368-a-month-on-gas-3-gallons-a-day/580965.md?page=3)