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The gasoline apocalypse has arrived for some regions of the American continent. The average price of a gallon of petroleum distillate has made it to $4.48 nationwide, while Premium Unleaded is over $5, and diesel has roared upwards to nearly $6.50. In some places, people are paying upwards of $9 for a gallon for transportation fuel. For Americans on a tight budget, a 50% jump in average fuel prices since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran has had a sharp impact on the old pocketbook<\/a>. With many American workers already living paycheck to paycheck, and with the average American not having a spare $1,000 in their bank account for emergency expenses, the consequences of price increases have been dire.\u00a0<\/p>\n Inflation has been out of control in recent months, and many Americans have had to cut their spending in an effort to make ends meet<\/a>. Reducing their spending on food, healthcare, or cutting into their savings (or going into debt), just to keep the car full of petrol has become far too normal. Last weekend, I asked Jalopnik readers\u00a0what they were doing to keep their budget balanced at the fuel pump<\/a>, and I\u00a0got a wide variety of answers, as you might expect.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u00a0have spent the last few days weighing my options, and\u00a0I’ve come to a few conclusions on where I can cut the fat from my persona; budget in order to keep my fuel tanks full. First, I will be using my plug-in hybrid Audi A3 E-Tron<\/a>\u00a0a lot more, doing my best to drive with electricity as much as I can. Second, I will be selling at least three cars and two motorcycles over the course of this fall, reducing my incredibly high insurance costs. And third, I’ll be cutting my cell phone plan for the first time ever, both to reduce costs and to curtail my doomscroll screen time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those are a few of my tips from my own life, so let’s dig into the recommendations from the Jalopnik commentariat, why don’t we? And if you didn’t get a chance to weigh in last week, here’s your opportunity. Drop a few ideas in the comments below and we’ll have a rousing conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The actual good advice<\/p>\n
Molenira\/Getty Images<\/p>\n A motorcycle that can get 50-65 mpg and red baron frozen pizza<\/p>\n Suggested by brian b<\/p>\n I’m partial to the Freschetta four-cheese myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n I um… I’m just driving less.<\/p>\n Suggested by MustangIIMatt<\/p>\n Many such cases. Unfortunately for me, this is the most I’ve ever driven in a month of my life. Every new “record high diesel prices”\u00a0headline is dealing me psychological damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n learning to cook more of what swims and grows on the west coast and PNW, switched from dairy to oat milk, didn’t use the AC at all this summer<\/p>\n Suggested by bcfls<\/p>\n Cooking locally-grown produce at home and reducing your home HVAC bills are smart ways to decrease your costs. I\u00a0hope you’re saving enough to offset these ridiculously high pump prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n Six years ago I purchased a sizeable number of ExxonMobile stock at $34\/share as a hedge against gas prices. Over the past six years, gas went up as did my stock. When gas goes down (not that often) so does my XOM stock. The average net change is close to zero. Actually, XOM has gone up steadily irrespective of the cost of gas ($160\/share today).<\/p>\n Gas price today ($3.75 in Denver) is actually cheaper relative to when I started driving in the mid-1970’s. The ratio of gas price to my income is 1\/3 today compared to the mid-1970’s.<\/p>\n Suggested by dotivax149<\/p>\n Won’t someone think of the shareholder value?<\/p>\n Thinking maybe of buying a bunch of bondage gear and learning how to pronounce “Guzzoline” in an Australian accent. I think we might be almost there.<\/p>\n Suggested by Skeffles<\/p>\n Do not, my friends, become addicted to guzzoline. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence!<\/p>\n I have rewards points and gas coupons through various sources that can be as much as $0.60 off per gallon for up to 20 gallons. I also get 5% cash back on gas by using a specific credit card. I use the money at the end of the year for holiday gifts. Every little bit helps.<\/p>\n Suggested by Old_SLAAB_Guy<\/p>\n Points!<\/p>\n I’m eating fewer $20 burritos. seriously though, I’m eating less.<\/p>\n Suggested by C. Dub<\/p>\n Yeah, I feel that. I’ve resorted to a rice-heavy diet, and I’ve stopped eating most meats because the cost of groceries is through the roof!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The ones who are coping<\/p>\n
Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/p>\n If you have to change the way you live your life over $100-$200 you’ve made poor life decisions. You might blame it on bad luck or “the system” or whatever else you think isn’t your fault; but it’s probably your own doing. At least if you admit that you might be able to improve it.<\/p>\n Suggested by Bragg<\/p>\n An American worker making the federal minimum wage will have to work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and through Thursday’s lunch in order to make $200. I\u00a0sure hope they don’t need to eat or have any other bills to pay this week, or it’s all going to gas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nothing. I just pay the piper at the pump. Haven’t even backed off the [Bentley] GTC gas guzzler. Took it to the North Fork yesterday to pick up tomatoes. Full tank of gas round trip: $121 in fuel.<\/p>\n Suggested by OuttaHere<\/p>\n Cool.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nobody wants to change their behavior they just want other people to fix their problems! This needs to stop, if you can’t adjust your driving then you have zero reason to complain! I don’t adjust my driving because I have never cared about gas prices!!! They are a current fact of life, when I need gas I pay what ever it is! I don’t slow down in my Corvette because it’s costing more to drive it! You complainers need to grow up!<\/p>\n Suggested by 24C8Zo6<\/p>\n In my daily driving, I\u00a0almost never exceed the speed limit, I\u00a0always coast down to a stop, and I accelerate smoothly and without jolt. These are good tips for reducing your fuel consumption, and everyone should adopt them to achieve better fuel economy. I didn’t even need any exclamation points to emphasize my perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n Same thing as during Biden driven inflation period or the other 50 times fuel has surged since 1973<\/p>\n Make wise purchase decisions cut the fat.<\/p>\n Tough periods don’t last. Tough people do.<\/p>\n Suggested by Jecketman<\/p>\n I\u00a0must have forgotten the point during Joe Biden’s tenure that he launched an illegal war that drove up international fuel prices<\/a>. Was I asleep that day?<\/p>\n I’ve taken a loan against the $5000 check I expect to receive after the election.<\/p>\n Suggested by Johnny Scrofula<\/p>\n
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