One Snarky Chica with Issues

As the gas prices here in the US just keep going up I am becoming more aware of the cost of gas in my monthly budget. I already try to go to the grocery store every other week. And I do not really spend a lot of money so any other errand shopping that I have to do I try to save up for when I have to go multiple places. With that in mind, I do not really feel like I am wasting gas but it has got me to considering long treks now in terms of is it really worthwhile if it costs me $30 to get there?

For instance, I have some family members that live about an hour and 15 minutes away. I drive to see them on an average of once a month but sometimes more than that. Whereas they came to where I live (actually in the city as opposed to their middle of nowhere location) two times that I can recall for the entire year last year. So, the rising price of gas is breeding a little resentment in the form of ‘why do I always have to come to you?’

I have a membership to Sam’s Club that I use to buy things like fruit and eggs, which they sell at a lower cost than the grocery stores. However, the closest Sam’s Club to me is 20 miles away. That entire trip would take about a gallon and a half of gas. At $3.79/ gallon it suddenly becomes not worth it. I would be spending $5.69 in gas to save a couple of bucks.

The closest multiplex movie theater is right across the street from the Sam’s Club (ah, the problem with living in the ‘downtown’ area). So, that would mean spending $5.69 in gas total just to spend $8.50 a piece for a movie. Suddenly, a Netflix subscription looks great! Or maybe even ten bucks a month to add on a movie channel to the cable package.

And I have to wonder how people that are working minimum wage jobs feel. Assuming that they do not live close to work and have to drive there.