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Old 07-11-2007, 10:37 AM   #1
richfaa
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fuel prices, Oh boy

tell you what guys.. the high cost of fuel is doing us in. We have been out for over a month and the trip -O- meter reads 3315 miles thus far and we still have 1437 to go to get home.The fuel bills are starting to roll in.just paid out 649.00 in fuel bills and figure we have rolled up about $1000.00 in fuel thus far and still have 1437 miles to go.Yes we are gas but we do not do to bad on MPG all things considered..we are very close to diesel. We figure over 1500.00 in fuel alone for this trip.That is a big chunk out of our monthly income and we will have to make some serious adjustments. From what we are hearing here at the FCRV rally we are not alone in that thinking. Fuel just went up to 3.29 here.
 
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Old 07-11-2007, 10:47 AM   #2
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I filled up Sunday in Wytheville, Va. on the way back from the beach at $2.59 per gallon on diesel. ($2.87 at our local truck stop in Teays Valley). Back to the beach Friday to get back with the women of the family. Sure beats hauling the TT there last year with a 3/4 ton gasoline hog at 6.5 MPG. Definitely an expensive habit, but they way I look at it we only live once, even though we will be broke (Ha!!).
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Old 07-11-2007, 06:21 PM   #3
The Oldguard
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Rich, just be thankful the truck runs on gas, if your truck ran on “Milk” it would now cost you $ 6.35 for two gallons at our local Costco today, want a crap just another way to stick it to the “Worker, and Retired”!!!!
Now let’s start on bottled water……..Not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!
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Old 07-12-2007, 01:46 AM   #4
Chuck and Carol
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We will have to adjust our plans too. Went home for a few minutes yesterday from our campground, apparently right after we left the circuit breaker on our freezer kicked off. Lost all the meat I had just stocked up on at BJ's. Stinky mess.
Have changed our plans twice. Our gas/diesel just don't seem to be going down at all in our area.
When you talk about bottled water, you don't "have" to buy that. Some bottled water is as bad as tap.
Sunday off to PA for a month. After that ---- who knows. See what the price of diesel is then. School taxes coming upJoys of still owning a house.
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Old 07-12-2007, 02:34 AM   #5
Glenn and Lorraine
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I'm sorry but I just can't let the price of fuel ruin our lifestyle. We signed on to Full Timing to be able to travel Where and When we want to. Since we started our summer trip May 6th we have paid as high as 3.35 a gallon in Estes Park, CO and as low as 2.57 in VA. At the Flying J here in Ogden, UT it is 2.95.
We do buy bottled Spring Water at Sam's Club. Yesterday a case was $4.12 for a case of 32-16 oz bottles. At Wally World and elsewhere you are paying nearly 5 bucks for a 24 pack of 16 oz bottles. We have never had a problem with Spring Water. The taste is much better than any CG we have been in. We even have 2 whole house filters and even after those the CG water generally still tastes bad.
Now iffn ya really wanna compare "price per gallon"? How about beer or wine????

There are certain things we can live without, such as eating out less, but traveling is NOT one of them.
I KNOW this isn't for everyone but another way to spread the budget is to sell everything and go Full Time. Sell the house, the properties. Get rid of property taxes, school taxes, homeowners insurance premiums, yard maintenance, house painting, wall papering and the cost of being a homeowner just goes on and on and on.

You all have seen the license plate I'M RETIRED AND I'M SPENDING MY KID'S INHERITANCE. Think about it, if you leave any amount of money to the kids they are gonna blow it anyway. HEY, YOU EARNED IT, YOU BLOW IT!!!!!!!
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Old 07-12-2007, 02:42 AM   #6
Chuck and Carol
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Sometimes that's easier said than done.
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Old 07-12-2007, 02:44 AM   #7
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Here on Vancouver Island, gas is 1.09 a litre and diesel is 1.02 a litre so that makes gas at 4.14 per US gal and now that the CAD buck is up to 95cents US, Americans don't get the big exchange bonus they used to when our dollar was 65 cents US.
I go to some remote areas so I have a 220 litre aux tank and the tank on my TV with an 8 ft box is 140 litres so a complete fill up is close to 400 bucks........... ouch!
Now, the ferry costs for a rig 50 feet long, overheight, and 2 passengers is 185.00 each way so to take my rig off the Island and back is 400 bucks. No wonder I am thinking of retiring on the Mainland.
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Old 07-12-2007, 09:14 AM   #8
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Rich, I know the feeling because we have pulled our new Montana over 5,000 miles so far this year. You will just have to do like we do. Take it out of the food money fund. It works great and I have lost 15 pounds so far.
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Old 07-12-2007, 01:40 PM   #9
richfaa
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Well unlike some who have been far more successful that we have and have far more $ to spend.. we don't, Pulling this 3400 around the country is a luxury that we enjoy but a luxury all the same. We will need to cut expenses and the luxuries will go first.If'in you don't got it you can't spend it...
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Old 07-12-2007, 02:32 PM   #10
Chuck and Carol
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Amen
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Old 07-12-2007, 02:58 PM   #11
Bill Frisbee
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and "Amen" again!
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Old 07-12-2007, 03:07 PM   #12
sreigle
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I think most of us are hit hard by increasing fuel prices. It certainly has impacted us at an average of 3000 miles or more per month.

When we started fulltiming gasoline was around 1.35 and diesel around 1.25 per gallon. Those prices have more than doubled but our retirement income did not. Like many others we had to come up with ways to cut back on other expenses. One of those things was to start staying longer at our "destination" for that "trip." We found staying a week is cheaper than staying a few days, in terms of daily campground costs. Staying a month is even better. Depending on the park, a month's cost can be anywhere from 25% to 60% or so of the cost of an equivalent number of days at a daily rate. For example, we know of one park that used to charge $20/night (back in 2003). The weekly rate was $120. The monthly rate was $225 plus electric. So figure the month would cost $275 to $300 instead of $600 at the daily rate.

And you know what? We found we like staying at a destination for a month. We have time to explore the area and get to see things most people don't ever see. We have time to let the real tourists have the sites on the weekend. We'll do our sightseeing during the week. We have days for laundry, for cleaning, and days for just plain being retired. In other words, we economized and by doing so found it improved our lifestyle. This might not work for everyone but it sure works for us.

I sure can empathize on the fuel bills. When we leave here the 29th, our destination is 2100 miles and ten travel days away. That's something over $600 just to get there. But we will be there for a month. We'll pack lunches for most of our sightseeing tours and take along our chairs. We'll find a mountain stream and set up our chairs and small table and have our picnic. We enjoy doing that more than going to a restaurant for lunch. And it saves us some money.

There's a Walmart SuperCenter 12 miles from here with a fuel station that has diesel. The diesel price in that station is 25 cents less than at the local stations. Yesterday I paid 2.629 for diesel (ulsd) at that station. Gasoline was 3.199 at the same station.

Unless we win a lottery or someone we don't know wills us a fortune, we will always have to watch our spending to keep it from getting out of hand. I don't think we're alone in that.

Wrenchtraveler, at that ferry cost I doubt this Montana would ever leave the island. I'd choke on a gasp if I had to pay that much just to ride the ferry!
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Old 07-12-2007, 03:15 PM   #13
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One more Amen!
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Old 07-12-2007, 05:46 PM   #14
Bill Frisbee
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I suspect that the experiences of Rich & Helen may well be reflecting the reality of RV life for many of us in the future. "Middle class" retirees will find it increasingly difficult to afford the status of "long-timers" who also maintain their permanent residence. As a couple approaching the status of "middle class retirees", we have great sympathy for the reality Rich & Helen are confronting. We love our RV and the time we (and our grandkids) spend in it. We love traveling and exploring new places. At the same time, we have family commitments to honor, health issues to deal with, a home we love, and the reality of limited financial assets that will take precedence over the luxury of "long-time" RV travel and exploration. If we can afford our primary goal of becoming 3-4 month Florida snowbirds and 3-4 month "summer residents" at our local Lake Ontario campground while also maintaining our permanent home, we will be happy. Other than trips to and from Florida, extended RV travel in our future is likely to be an infrequent event and highly dependent on our ability to accumulate the necessary cash before we depart.

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Old 07-12-2007, 05:47 PM   #15
richfaa
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Until something changes we have decided to say home longer. It was our dream to travel the country but we just can't afford to do that things being as they are now. This trip is verifying that. We have not totaled up all the bills yet and we are not home yet but this 5 weeks on the road is going to cost in the area of 2500.00 most of that in fuel cost.We are in a small C.G in N.E because it is very cheap and we are looking a P.A.G's for the rest of the trip. cost me 3.389 today Diesel 3.199 Shell. So much for dreams...
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Old 07-12-2007, 06:00 PM   #16
richfaa
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Just saw Bill F. Post.. We are also middle class maybe even upper middle class retirees. We planned and saved for a long time to "follow our Dream" We are not over extending ourselves. We pay the bills as they come in but at this rate our "dream"money will not last long and we will not change the lifestyle that we have chosen. We will keep the stick house..that is a far higher priority than keeping the 3400.Our "great adventure" will just not be as great as we had dreamed.
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Old 07-13-2007, 12:39 AM   #17
Chuck and Carol
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I think the first year is the hardest and most expensive. We are still in vacation mode. Bought the truck, outfitted it and the new Montana. Hopefully, we will "slow" down and recup over the winter. We will set up "goals" for next year.
I like having my "stick" house to go back to, my own doctors and the pets Drs. Yesterday was an example. I failed my eye Drs. appointment and will eventually need surgery. First, there is another problem that needs to be brought under control.
We will make our trip to PA, have relatives and friends there. Already saved that money and then home. In late August we will go to Ohio and Tennessee back home. We will try to use PA campgrounds and of course our Thousand Trails.
Still trying to get to Florida for part of the winter. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't ---- Oh well. First things first.

I don't want and am not ready to sell the house. Right now health issues are first.

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Old 07-13-2007, 03:25 AM   #18
richfaa
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The first year is the most difficult as it will reveal the real word circumstances.There was no way we could have anticipated the huge increases in fuel and services when we were doing our financial planning. The price of oil effects every single thing we buy it is not just gas/diesel. We will not lower our quality of life to travel.We will not stay in wallmart or truck stop parking lots. It is simple we will cut back..If we are 30% over budget we will cut back 30%..it is that simple. For those who do have financial parameters we hope these post will help.
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Old 07-13-2007, 04:22 AM   #19
skypilot
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Rich - What are PAG's. I don't know the abbreviation and don't find it elsewhere. (Being dumb today I guess). Thanks.
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Old 07-13-2007, 04:27 AM   #20
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Our travels for this summer have been completely curtailed because of fuel prices and our desire to still be able to travel to see our football team play this coming fall. As said above, things have to give and the one luxury we still want to enjoy is watching our University football team as much as we can. However, if fuel goes up much more, we'll even have to look at that travel (daughter expecting, first grandkids -- so I'm sure priorities will be shuffled!! ).
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