How Are We Dealing with the Gas Crisis?

Every day, I scour the internet looking for news pertinent to office professionals. Lately, I've been inundated with articles of rising oil prices, and while I find it a mundane detail of life, gas prices are affecting us all and how we deal with it is incredibly important. We can't escape the ever increasing prices and I would love to discuss what we're doing about it.

I read an article today at Salon.com that outlines the reasons why gas is so expensive. The author suggests that while it's easy to point a finger, it's a combination of everything from economic changes to greed that makes us pay so dearly at the pumps.

The average price of gas as of today in the U.S. is $3.94 a gallon, which makes a barrel $130.04. According to Oil-price.net, the trend will continue upward, reaching a high of $169.05 by the year's end. So what exactly does this mean for you and me? For me it means that I'm currently spending almost $50 to fill up my tank and because it's only increasing, I won't be driving much.

What can we do?

Check the internet - GasBuddy.com has made it easy to find the cheapest gas stations in the U.S. and Canada. Buying gas is inevitable, but we can certainly use a little help to save.

Carpooling - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 77% of people who drove to work last year drove alone. This is an astounding statistic considering the trend in rising gas prices.

There are tons of great ways to save money on gas and amazing resources to do so. eRideShare.com is a free service that matches you up with people in your area looking to carpool as well. Of course, you can always discuss a carpooling system with your office. Gas prices are affecting your co-workers too and I can imagine that they would like to relieve some of the burden.

Hybrids

Many people are jumping on the hybrid band wagon. They are a great alternative to gas guzzling vehicles, but are they all their cracked up to be? CNN.com states that while you may pay less at the pump and even enjoy a tax break, hybrid cars are generally 20% more expensive than non-hybrids. They continue to say that it will likely take a consumer 2 years to recoup such upgraded expenses. While hybrids are an alternative, it might be less of a short term expense to consider a subcompact car. These cars typically have few cylinders and less power than your average car, thus reducing the amount of gas you exhaust per mile.

I can't recall a day last week that rising gas prices wasn't in the news. It's gotten me thinking of how I've squandered lots of money recently driving my car. Luckily, in my position with OfficeArrow.com, I'm able to work by telecommuting. This has saved me tons of money on gas not having to drive to and from an office. Unfortunately, because I'm isolated in my home, plugging away at my computer, I'm not able to enjoy the comradery of my co-workers. The current gas situation has limited the time I would normally take for lunches outside of my house, with friends. Of course, this is a luxury I'm willing to give up for the time being.

Some of my friends and co-workers are doing what they can to hedge rising gas prices as well. A friend of mine has implemented a system for carpooling for him and his wife. His wife has to be at work at 8am whereas he's to be at work by 9am. He happily goes to work early and intends to use what he would have spent on gas on his 4 year old instead.

Others I know have chosen to leave their SUV's in the garage collecting dust while they cruise around in their 4 cylinder cars. This is a great idea. If you're not carrying canoes, home improvement supplies or other giant bulky items, drive your Corolla to all of your destinations and save huge at the pump.

I can't even imagine all of the creative ways people are saving on gas, but I definitely want to know. Are you cutting back lunches or vacations? Are you carpooling with others at your office? What are you doing to save yourself from going broke at the gas station?