We are at $3.06 for off-brand at Murphy's. It is some how affiliated with Wal-Mart, because they are in the same parking lot and offer a discount of some kind concerning them.

The guy where I normally buy gas (BP) told me to be wary of the cheap gas. That it may not have the additives that are needed. Prolly, a bunch of <I won't say> ?

Does it make a difference where you buy it, just wondering?

Dwayne

Since it all comes from the same place- who cares. Most people have been using the cheaper brands for years without any problems. Here in SW Florida regular is going for an ave of $3.30 & up. It's a good thing I'm retired & don't have to fill up 2 times a week anymore. My biggest concern is when are the cruise lines going to up their fuel surcharges again & the increases in food prices which are constantly increasing.

I think it was 20/20 or one of those type shows. The "experts" stated that there wasn't much difference in fuel additives. All of them have to meet federal standards.

This all goes back to a story I read a while back. The guy in charge of a state laboratory that inspects gasoline stations was interviewed. It was either New Jersey or New Hampshire. They randomly buy gasoline from different places - "brand-name" and "no brand" - and analyze it to ensure it meets standards. He said in all the sampling he had ever done, there wasn't a significant difference between any of the samples. Brand X 87 octane was just as good as Sunoco 87 octane. In fact, much of the fuel sold by "no brand" stations is excess inventory from brand name distributors or a blend of more than one brand name. So that fuel you buy at the Mom and Pop station down the street is quite likely Chevron, or Exxon, or perhaps a little of each.

They state guy was asked where he bought his fuel, and he said "I always go to the cheapest place I can find".

I'll admit to usually getting Exxon because I can use my nifty little Speedpass and it makes the transaction quicker. Plus I don't have to wait for a pump...because....87 octane at the Speedway station at the I65 interchange is $3.08 today. It is $3.24 at the Exxon station right next door. My 93 octane at the Exxon was $3.45. There is often a wait for an open pump at the Speedway.

Here is Wisconsin they're talking about another 30% increase in dairy products because of the cost of corn. The government is subsidizing farmers to grow millions of acres of corn for making ethnol to add to gasoline. I get 3 miles per gallon less when I use the ethnol gas. I have to go to another county 40 miles west to get the good gas. What's next? Is there going to be a food shortage because we don't want to drill for oil in the U.S.?

Sonny

My mileage suffers too when using ethanol blends.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Beers:
My mileage suffers too when using ethanol blends.

I can't even us it in my car but we're all paying the price with higher prices for other things since they began to manufacture more of it.

There is also starting to be a flour shortage. However that should correct itself. Before long we won't be able to afford to drive to the store to buy food, that will increase supplies.
Was $3.59 for the cheap stuff here in Oakhurst California.
I do some part time trenching. I have really seen the price for parts go up in the last few months.

The price of everything will go up because everything has to be delivered by trucks and diesel fuel is over $4.00 a gallon. Wasn't long ago diesel fuel was cheaper than gasoline.

Sonny

That's very true about the diesel. My grandmother had a VW Rabbit with a diesel engine to save money over buying gas in the late 70's. It used to be so much less than gas.

Dwayne

Diesel in Alabama used to be more expensive than Georgia. Now, tractor trailer drivers are heading to Alabama to fill up on slightly cheaper fuel. Hey Dave, just go down to exit 334 in Priceville and look at the lines at the Pilot to get fuel. They have had to add two additional pumps to help ease the flow of traffic.

I was driving a few miles to fuel up at a cheaper place. I ran the numbers and found out I was wasting money. It does not take to many extra miles to cost you more when you try to save money.
$3.64 for the cheap stuff today.

Diesel at the Texaco down the road is $3.98. I guess the Alabama revenue officers will be out more often now, checking tanks for agricultural diesel.

I've never understood why only one station at the Athens I-65 interchange sells diesel - and it is actually a little ways down the road. A friend of mine bought one of the new Mercedes vehicles with the bluetec diesel. He gets great mileage but still grimaces when he fills up.

As much as I love California, I'm glad I don't live there. I don't know what we're going to do here, though. There is no mass transit, period. I live 40 miles away from work. I do all my chores in Decatur on Saturday, Moulton on Sunday. We don't take any unnecessary trips anywhere and combine everything together. My car gets 30mpg. They have us by the throats, so we have to cut down elsewhere. I'm going to try to grow more veggies this year. If I knew how to make flour, I'd grow wheat. I couldn't slaughter my own animals, and I hate chickens, so that's out. We keep the a/c at 80 in the summer and the heat at 72 in the winter. We have an all electric house, but electricity is going up 10%. We're in bed by 8:30pm, do the laundry during the day on Saturday. I don't know what else to cut down on.

Well....$3.71 for the cheap stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Sonny V:
What's next? Is there going to be a food shortage because we don't want to drill for oil in the U.S.?

What's next ?
Right now, here in Italy we are already far beyond no-drilling.

The whole nuclear energy program was stopped since the 80's, because of Chernobil's hysteria (although France and Slovenia ran on their nuclear power plants about 100 miles off the borders ... ): every nuclear power plant was pulled down, and nowadays we don't have any of them.
They say "don't worry, we've got a group of scientists developing nuclear technology and they're ready for the day it will be used ...".
I think - and I'm not the only one - that it's time to restart an Italian nuclear program.

Gas is today 1,45 euros per liter (per liter, and 1 € = 1,590 USD).

A car magazine called "QUATTRORUOTE" (sounds like "Fourwheels") some years ago tested many gasolines: the difference was between places, not between brands.
Brand name or no-brand distributor buy the same gasoline from the nearest oil refinery, so the gas they sell is actually the same.
In other words, it all depends on the oil refinery.

quote:

I think - and I'm not the only one - that it's time to restart an Italian nuclear program.

I'd be happy to help with the health physics and radiation protection programs. I just need to convert my consultant rates from dollars into euros.

They just said on the news that it is going to go up again today, and more by Memorial Day!

Dwayne

Why don't they just raise it to $5/gal. and be done with it. That's what they want, 100Billion in profit a year, so that's what they'll get. Be done with it, stop screwing us around, inflation is nearing the double digit mark. But wait--we will all be saved by our tax incentive--oh, but wait that's our money anyway. Alabama's finest is proposing that they give us a break on Memorial day and take away the $.18/gal state tax. How about lifting the $1.54/gal federal tax, nope can't do that, our fantastic road system would collapse. Oh, how I would love to do an audit. Anyway, I'm through ranting, $3.48/gal. at Wal-Mart for the good stuff.

The Federal government has a vested interest in higher gas prices. While the tax-per-gallon stays the same, for the past few years Exxon has paid taxes at a 41% rate. This is the effective rate. While Exxon had a profit last year of $40.6 billion, they paid $30 billion in taxes - or to put it another way, one corporation paid more taxes than the bottom 50% of the individual U.S. taxpayers combined - which is 65 million people.