I just saw this question on MSN and wondered how people on here would respond?

What does the possibility of $4.00 gas prices mean for you?

We live in a rural area and driving is part of life. But since $3.00+ prices have come up, I have to admit that we have cut back a lot. I don't go to the store for just one or two items anymore. I also try to plan our big shopping trip, the one we go out of town for, very well and try not to forget everything. We, especially me and the kids, stay home a lot!

My husband still has to go to work, and he can bike once in awhile, but he works on the side of a mountain and biking every day isn't going to happen. He even carpools now and then but truthfully, his scheule is so different from everyone elses that that really isn't going to happen either. Of course when he does drive, he drives a Honda which gets pretty decent gas mileage.

Edited to add this article What $4 gas would mean to you - MSN Money

My husband drives a big suv that fills up for 80dlls. He can't carpool for he has random work schedules and can't compromise others' needs. This is definitely teaching us to stay in and negotiate shopping trips in what would be other schedules. Four dollars per gallon is mind boggling and it might just get worse!

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You must be the change you want to see in the world ~ Gandhi

DH commutes 40 miles a day and I commute about 50 miles a day so unless we switch jobs, we will have to keep filling up at whatever price the gas is. We also work opposite schedules so someone is home with our DD so we can't car pool. I saw on the news this morning that Indiana is already paying $4.09.

This summer I might be able to carpool with someone to work on the weekends.
When the weather is nice dh rides his bike to work. It's nice because we have a bike trail that goes throughout our city.
When the weather is nice the girls and I will ride our bikes to the library, and to run other errands that are not too far away.
I was willing to take the bus to some places, but dh told me no. Evidently the bus barn is not a place a woman should be alone with 2 kids.
The farthest we would go for a summer vacation would be 2-4 hours away.

The kids and I were going to take a vacation to seattle this May, driving from our home here in So. calif and wind up the coast to see Hearst Castle and then throu Frisco. But with gas prices rising and my biggo SUV, I have changed our plans. we are going to hit some inexpensive touristy things in So Cal instead, like Calico Ghost Town, Joshua Tree, Hunington Library, and every single childrens museum within a 2 hour drive!

For day to day conservation I am walking the kids to school more and doing better planning on which errands to do when. I am now filling up every 9 days instead of every 6.

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Christine
WAHM to James (10/00) & Caroline (4/03)
Surro Mommy to Jillian & Taylor (08/06)

I live in NE Indiana, and gas is at $3.45 right now. Dh & I saw on the news that by summer, it will be up 30%, which will put it well above $4/gal.

I am doing as the OP is doing....trying to make the most out of each trip we make. I live 8 miles from the nearest store and 12 miles from my oldest sons school. He has track practice almost everyday now, so that really bites as far as having to go pick him up from it!! I HATE IT!!! You really can't win. You can't let gas prices rule your life, but you also can't AFFORD the gas!!

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We're in good shape as far as commuting goes. Our jobs, groceries, retail stores are all within 5 miles of where we live. The price of gas isn't going to affect us nearly as much as the cost of goods and services that will go up due to transportation costs for those companies.

Gas prices are really stressful! We live in IN and the prices here are $4.62 today! My DH has a 40 min commute each way to work and we pick up my DSD in Pittsburgh once a month (6 hr drive each way) These are all things we can't compromise on. I am just stressed on where else I can cut the budget!

Gas is 2.99 where I am. I'm sure it'll be up there soon as well.

Well, we drive 700-800 miles per week between the both of us commuting to work (I babysit a few days a week, but it's 50 miles one way!) and church and shopping. The gas prices are killing us. DH rides a motorcycle, so he CANNOT WAIT until the snow melts and he can drive that instead of his big pickup truck. It's about $3.09 around here right now. If it goes up past probably $3.25 I'm going to see if I can get a bit of a cost-of-living raise. If not, I might need to quit and focus on a work-from-home opportunity. The killer is that everything is going up in price, too.

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Trust God. Whatever risk there is in doing so, the risk of not trusting in him is far greater. - Spurgeon