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High Gas Prices and Living
By Daphne | May 27, 2008
The high gas prices have made most people rethink travel, errands and other trips. The prices have made people censor themselves and become more conservative.
I had a conversation with a friend at church this weekend and she said that she had been cutting back on coming to church because of the price of gas. She said that she can’t afford to drive to work every day, have some money for groceries and be able to pay her rent. Since she lives a distance from church, driving to and from church can be costly.
Today oil prices have dropped to about $130 per barrel. It does not seem like a lot but considering the price of a barrel last week was closer to $140 than $130 this is a difference.
For people who can take public transportation that is an option, but if not then cutting back has definitely become the best choice.
When people are not buying, the demand decreases. Of course with oil it could be sold other places, but the U.S. is a large consumer of oil. The increase in prices have drastically affected consumers’ wallets. If oil decreases enough so that gas is considerably less than $4.25 a gallon then people may consume more.
Changing your habits because gas being unaffordable is difficult but it is something that must be done. If prices remain high, then it will be necessary to change habits or also to make long lasting efforts to reduce the amount of oil consumed - either by driving less, using alternative fuels or taking public transportation.
High gas will make a difference in consumption habits just like my friend who is cutting back on non-necessary trips. If people only go to work and shop on their way home instead of eating out or going to the movies, then the high price of gas will be more detrimental than beneficial.
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Topics: May 2008 |