I've been into energy conservation for decades but saving money is only one of my motivations. Still, 'back in the day', I cancelled a trip from San Antonio to the Everglades because gas prices got so high...they were up to 45¢/gallon! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> A few months later I realized that the marginal cost of that jump in prices would have added $65 to the cost of the trip. There's no way I should have given up a two-week trip to the Everglades for $65...

I agree that gasoline prices seem high but if you calculate how much this year's trip costs vs. what it would have been last year the sticker shock is tempered a bit. If it's still too much consider changing driving style. There's usually a big savings to be had dropping the speed from 75mph to 65 or less. Similarly, air conditioning, which generally sucks up a lot of gasoline, usually isn't needed in the early morning hours...

I too grit my teeth over gas prices today but I don't cancel 'trips' because of it. The sad point, IMO, is that for Americans gasoline is still too cheap...there's been little change in demand...little conservation resulting from these high prices. My neighbor still fires up the SUV to drive the mile and a half to the country store to buy the newspaper and chit chats for twenty minutes or so...while the vehicle idles. Three hours later the first mile and a quarter is repeated to pick up the mail. That behavior and the other idling cars I see at the store tell me that gasoline price isn't an issue...yet.

FB