OT: Will Rising Price of Gas Affect Your GAS?

[ProfD]

We don't have to get into *why* the price of gas is heading into the direction of giraffe snatch.

 

Wondering as we hurtle toward a national average of $15 per gallon to coincide with minimum wage, whether or not that will adversely affect your GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). 

 

If/when it costs $200 to fill up the gas tank, that could place a burden on the OB-X8 or 3rd Wave slush fund.

 

Then, there is the cost of driving to and from gigs.  If the transportation cost reduces $100/gig to a $65 pay day, is it really worthwhile.  Virtual gigs might have to come back.

 

Hopefully, the direction this thread takes will be more humorous than anything else. 

 

Brotha @dB please feel free invoke the nuke option if this thread is considered political and/or takes a turn in that direction. 😎

[KenElevenShadows]

I suppose anything that takes away from my disposable income would have an adverse affect on GAS. That said, I don't really have that too much any more, largely due to having most everything I want/need already, a serious lack of space and reduced funds (I retired). Right now, living in California, even the "cheap" gas stations have risen over $6.00, so it's definitely getting expensive. However, Europeans have had to contend with horrible gas prices for much of their lives, and they seem to have coped pretty well and still have GAS!!  

[KuruPrionz]

There is no question that things are changing, forever. 

I have more gear than I need and plan on selling some stuffs. 

There isn't much if anything that I really NEED. 

 

The band I was in is still playing gigs off yonder a bit. The gigs never paid great, now I have to question their sanity. 

[zephonic]

It has affected my GAS for a new car. Our QX80 is great for what it is, but I’m not even gigging right now due to injury, and just local drives still require two fill-ups per week at $125-130. I can’t gig with this car if fuel prices remain at $6.50/gallon. Looking at a Corolla.

But yeah, in The Netherlands they are at €2.50/liter which is roughly $10/gallon, so….

 

 

[Art-0252]

This is something I've been thinking about as well. The price of gas in my state makes driving to a blues jam 30 minutes away a more costly endeavor than it used to be. Similarly, I've been known to drive up to a few hours to get a great deal on a piece of CL or FbMarketplace music gear , but if the drive costs $100+ in addition to my time going there and back...how much am I really saving? Yep, between this and the stage of life my family is in, I think I probably won't be buying any more big ticket items in the near future. Good thing I have some great instruments to gig and practice with because it might be approaching a time where a lot of folks have to financially hunker down to compensate for inflation and cost of living.

[CEB]

I don't know.  First I need to decide if I want to retire,  The phone has been ringing and I am getting gig offers. Hell if I know why. 

 

If I keep doing the Pop gig I don't see how I get away from the Kronos and the thing is damn heavy and I am older than heck.  I need the one shot sampler installed in Roland workstations and I really dislike my FA-06 action ever since it came out but live with it.   If I change genres I can get a lighter 88 master board where I don't need Setlist and just spend my time on Piano, EP, Clav and maybe a couple of other sounds.  I can change out the top board for a poly or just use an 88 and the SKx.  I play in a local blue band and My rig is a Yamaha slab and the SKx. 

 

For that matter I have a ton of gear in mothballs I can bring back out but they may require calibration.  Or I can just retire and play chess tournaments.   I enjoy gigs once I am on site and playing.  I have stage help this summer which helps.  

 

At my age the main determinate is the level of passion and not the gas price.

[Rod S]

My wife and I are working from home.  This has reduced immensely our gas bill, especially me (70km commute daily roundtrip), so this in itself has not triggered any decisions.     Gas prices here are about $6,50 / gallon, but if you figure in purchase power parity is is a huge chunk of people's budgets.    We're moving to a new office  next month, but don't expect to go more than once a week to the office, and my wife is going to continue 100% WFH.       Not gigging so not a factor.   However, the whole conundrum with everything that is happening is prompting some major reflection.  

 

We're moving to a house next year where I'm installing PV solar panels, so this may speed up my decision to have an electric car.   

[Theo Verelst]

50 Mpg for small transportation makes up for the rise in EU gas prices compared with more average Mpg...

 

T

[ProfD]

11 minutes ago, Theo Verelst said:

50 Mpg for small transportation makes up for the rise in EU gas prices compared with more average Mpg...

Please reveal what you're driving that gets 50 MPG. I've got a strong feeling it's neither a gas guzzler nor a chick magnet. 🤣😎

[CEB]

Nothing that gets 50 MPG will have the pulling power to haul my rig LOL.

 

[Stokely]

I work from home, my wife drives a LOT (works in realty).   We have solar/battery on our house now, so electric cars make more sense than ever.  She logically would get the first one.  I don't ever intend to buy an ICE car again; though mine is paid off and that makes a difference.

The drummer in our band had his painting/handyman business smacked by covid, still hasn't really recovered and the gas prices are starting to make him say "no" to gigs that don't make sense financially for him.  That on top of medical bills in his case.   He drives an older SUV that gets terrible mileage but it's not like he can afford to run out and get any of the electrics and have a giant car payment.   I wouldn't be surprised if he says he can't do it anymore and that would suck.

The Ford Lightning will have the pulling power for any rig, same with the other electric trucks.  Unfortunately it's going to be a while before they are available and they won't be cheap.

Gigs are probably far and away my biggest gas expense and I do maybe one or two a week, so no, gas prices won't directly change what I buy or don't buy.  They might indirectly if a lot of other things get more expensive.   The "problem" is really that my rig is pretty damn good--I would have KILLED for my current sounds and flexibility 30 years ago--and me looking to change or add to it is just a solution in search of a problem.

[Theo Verelst]

It's somewhat fun to try to get to 25km/L by practicing efficient driving techniques, but a hook with ample horsepower is pleasant as well.

 

Reduced Gas is a second order effect  "less money, less Gas".

 

 

[Moonglow]

The rising gasoline prices largely won’t affect my decision to play gigs, as there is monetary compensation and value added enjoyment from playing out. I may push back on rehearsals, since neither of those factors are involved. 

[Adan]

My wife and I have been all EV for several years so, no.  

[Baldwin Funster]

Well I may only be able to afford to eat beans. That well may give me gas.

[ProfD]

13 minutes ago, Jr. Deluxe said:

Well I may only be able to afford to eat beans. That well may give me gas.

Amazingly, the rising cost of gas could very well lead to more gas. 🤣

 

Whoever manages to get their azz in gear and figures out how to harness and convert that into energy will be a winner. 🤣😎

[Docbop]

For me no, at my age my GAS has moved more to SAG.  Sadly fuel prices will raise prices on everything we buy.  I have already started planning my driving to get more done on each time out and less trips.   Glad I'm not living in L.A. anymore where so much gas is used just sitting in traffic.    This is when I wish the US was more like Europe and their  good system of buses, trains, and bicycles to get around and reduce need to own a car.   That part of the reason I like living in Boston and to lesser extend Oakland was because of the subway system.  I could drive to a train station and then take subway or bus all over.  

 

The oil/energy industry has been fighting fuel efficient cars and alternative energy for as back to the 70's.  These crazy gas prices could be the what finally drives people to EV's and building nationwide coverage of charging stations.    Oil industry could be shooting itself in the foot. 

[ElmerJFudd]

I’m definitely motivated to drive less and walk/ride more.  

[Wrrtyuuiioop]

I am in England where our road fuel 95 RON petrol (gas in the US) is equivalent to $9 a gallon (US Gallon).

 

It is not just road fuel costs, anyone here with a Tesla or full Electric will also be suffering as the cost of electricity has rocketed upwards in the last year.

 

Last time I filled up my car which has a 75 litre tank capacity it cost me just over £100 ( $125 USD ) which is the first time ever it has cost over £100.

 

 

[zephonic]

2 hours ago, Docbop said:

  This is when I wish the US was more like Europe and their  good system of buses, trains, and bicycles to get around and reduce need to own a car. 

Yes, and on top of the excellent (but expensive) public transport system, there are now EV ride share apps. When I'm in The Netherlands I use SixtShare. You look for an EV parked near you app, tap "reserve", and walk to it. You unlock the car with the app, at which point the meter starts running. Drive to where you need to go, get out and end the ride on the app. You pay per minute (usually €0.25-0.30) and there are no parking fees because municipalities endorse the program. If you take the car to a charging station, you get credits.

It's only in the big cities for now, but if it eventually covers the entire nation a lot of folks will no longer need to own a car.

[DJkeys]

The other point is that the price increase in Diesel affects the price of every single product including musical instruments.  

 

-dj

[Stokely]

That ride-share stuff above is a very interesting way to look at driving.  It will take a different mindset where so many people see their car as a part of them.  I've had that a bit with a few of my vehicles, but I'm basically to the point where if I could teleport I'd do it quite gladly.  Driving sucks (and can kill you!) even with audiobooks

The US basically is screwed in many areas at least when it comes to public transport.  It was built, and continues to be built, around freeways.

I live near Orlando, perfect example.  It has relatively few people but is very spread out, and new developments tend to go outside the beltway while the inside is basically falling to pieces in many areas.  There are exceptions to this like Baldwin Park where some of this undesirable area was reclaimed for neighborhoods, but mostly everything just continues to spread.  My wife and I way back when shared a car and at times one of us would take the bus...it was abysmal.  Not only was there no shelter at most stops (in Florida!  You either melt from the sun or get swept away by rain) but the buses were rarely on time, took forever to get anywhere, and you had to switch buses a lot in ways that made little sense.  Trains, pretty much forget it, they added one passenger line near downtown that helps very few people, there's no way add them after the fact when roads are littering the landscape already.

Obviously places like NYC are completely different, and more like the cities I've visited in Europe and Asia in that regard.  Dense and built around public transport.

I've already found the best solution for me and probably one that helps society at large: don't drive, work from home.  Not everyone can or wants to, that's understood, but it's one way to cut down on miles driven.

[stillearning]

The wife is retired, I work one night a week teaching music nearby, and we have 3 cars that all get 30+ mpg, so no, it hasn’t really affected us much. Gig wise, I take one keyboard, a stand, bench, and pedal board that all easily fits in our Subaru Outback. That said, our next car will likely be a PHEV or EV. As far as G.A.S. I have too much gear now and nowhere to put it as it is. 

[RABid]

I am retired, drive a Camry, and travel 3-5 miles to the grocery, bank, restaurants, etc... It has not affected me directly that much, but it is costing me on services. My lawn guy raised his price $5 a week beginning of this season because of gas prices. I expect him to rais his price again pretty soon. But honestly, I'm getting hit harder at the grocery store. I'm working hard not to waste food, buying things that we eat well and can freeze. 

[Bill H.]

One thing I've discovered this spring: If just don't go over the speed limit, I get 20% better fuel economy!  Yeah I'm a bit of a leadfoot... Anyway, that saves me around $1 a gallon - and although (as usual) I blew it a couple of times this morning, that's what I strive for now. 

 

I like Prof's gas GAS topic, but honestly what affects my GAS the most these days is that I just don't lust after everything under the sun anymore. My younger self would be totally embarrassed. 

[Docbop]

2 hours ago, Stokely said:

That ride-share stuff above is a very interesting way to look at driving.  It will take a different mindset where so many people see their car as a part of them.  I've had that a bit with a few of my vehicles, but I'm basically to the point where if I could teleport I'd do it quite gladly.  Driving sucks (and can kill you!) even with audiobooks
 

I remember I think was Tesla and maybe another car company talking about the future is subscription cars.    That it would be basically the car share kind of thing and you would use an app to request a car and app would respond with where a car would be available to for you and possibly deliver to you if necessary.   You'd get the car use it as long as you need to then just leave at a specified place.    Advantage car always in good running condition,  no fuel when fuel is low you just go to a specific spot and get another subscription car.   Kind of interesting but another subscription so you don't own anything, your quality of life is dependent on how many things a month you can afford to subscribe to.   Reminds me of the old days of company towns many were mining towns and you work for the company. lots of hours for crap pay, but company owned the stores and would sell you things on credit.   Trouble is you go so deep into debt to the company you couldn't afford to quit to find a better job.    

[o0Ampy0o]

We live in a time which celebrates everything so every no one can get a taste of Something.
 

The subscription lifestyle fittingly enables nothings to get a taste of Something. 
 

No meals, no ongoing diets, just a taste. A taste is within possibility while elimination of world hunger is not.
 

This isn’t due to pandemics, wars, global warming, etc. It is the way people think. Those other things followed as a result.

[zephonic]

6 hours ago, Docbop said:

I remember I think was Tesla and maybe another car company talking about the future is subscription cars.    That it would be basically the car share kind of thing and you would use an app to request a car and app would respond with where a car would be available to for you and possibly deliver to you if necessary.   You'd get the car use it as long as you need to then just leave at a specified place.    Advantage car always in good running condition,  no fuel when fuel is low you just go to a specific spot and get another subscription car.   Kind of interesting but another subscription so you don't own anything, your quality of life is dependent on how many things a month you can afford to subscribe to.   Reminds me of the old days of company towns many were mining towns and you work for the company. lots of hours for crap pay, but company owned the stores and would sell you things on credit.   Trouble is you go so deep into debt to the company you couldn't afford to quit to find a better job.    

 

Tesla's vision is self-driving vehicles that make money for their owners when they're not using their cars. When you're chilling at home you can make your car available to others who can summon it on the app, have it take them to their destination, and you get paid (and Tesla too, obviously). 

 

Musk thinks this business model will make every other car a losing proposition.

 

[o0Ampy0o]

7 hours ago, Bill H. said:

One thing I've discovered this spring: If just don't go over the speed limit, I get 20% better fuel economy!  Yeah I'm a bit of a leadfoot... Anyway, that saves me around $1 a gallon - and although (as usual) I blew it a couple of times this morning, that's what I strive for now. 

 

I like Prof's gas GAS topic, but honestly what affects my GAS the most these days is that I just don't lust after everything under the sun anymore. My younger self would be totally embarrassed. 

Do you mean specifically on the highway? Speed limits are not set with fuel efficiency in mind. They are set with environmental conditions in mind. In town how you accelerate and decelerate are at least equally important. On the other hand engines can be designed for efficient fuel economy best utilized by following guidelines. There is no reason to drive 100+ mph, for instance, but if that were common the engine could be designed to be most efficient at that speed.

[Adan]

Living in the Bay Area, I was almost always on a bike or public transportation.  Here in Vermont I'm getting in my car 8 times a day.  Strictly from a quality of life standpoint and all other things being equal (which they never are -- but it's a thought experiment), I'd stay out of cars as much as possible.  The more you can free your mind of the clutter of cars and such, the more space there is for music.