Tuesday, Another day another dollar

 Or should I say .50 cents. Gas is coming down here and is now in the $4.50 range depending on what station you buy from.  So, it is down about .80 cents from the all-time high.  When you think about this a 15-gallon tank of gas filled once a week would be 12.00 more. Twice a week, $24.00.  So close to $100.00 a month.  Definitely a budget buster.

We drive more miles out here in the west as everything is so far apart.  However, we seldom waste gas idling in traffic. unless you are in a more heavily populated area. There are not too many of those in Idaho.  

Now gas was about $2.60 here for more than a few years.  It would go up and down with the different seasons, as to make sure and gouge us during high travel times.  But really this is where is hovered.  So, you take $5.30 and subtract $2.60 and you get $2.70.  Now that 15 gallon tank that cost you $39.00 to fill costs you costs you $79.50.  If you drive any distance to work which most do here (hub's commute was 50 miles one way) you can see how a budget was or is blown out of the water.

I could not get my gas card to read last week and I had to go into the station, where I found a mother dressed in scrubs frantically counting out nickels, dimes, and pennies, to get $5.00 for a gallon of gas.  I turned and looked at her car with two car seats, and children in them.  The car was very old and slightly damaged.  She was on her way to the day care so she could get to her job as a CNA.  This is what the gas prices have done to the lower wage earner. I was relaying this story to my daughters when we were swimming at Lil sis's.  Braunwyn immediately said, "Mom, tell me you did something." Yes, I insisted she fill her tank as I was filling mine.  She was embarrassed but grateful.  This would have been me 30 years ago, trying to get enough gas to get to the next school.  Hell, we sold nightcrawlers to get enough gas for the next day. I just told her that her life would get better with work and someday she could pay it forward.

Just having gas come down .80 cents is going to help. It won't be enough, but it will help. Look around guys, see who needs your help, and help if you are able do so.  This is the mother at the pharmacy that turns down the prescription needed for her child because it is too expensive.  This is the child buying a box of macaroni and cheese so they can make their younger siblings' lunch. This is the older gentleman putting back the chips because his card does not have enough money to buy them.  This is the young man trying to get the last 25 dollars out of his account to fill his truck to get to the last job. They are all over.  People who are still just making it but really not making it. They are one bag of chips away from not having enough.   

I of course did not get as much done yesterday as I wanted because .... well, I was playing with Kelsa.  She is so much fun and she will not think I am hysterical in a few years.  Right now, I am the center of her world and that is just kind of a nice place to be.  I am not going to waste these times.

It is take the neighbor to the food bank day today. Which means I need to get busy as in sewing busy. 

I picked the last of the lettuce last night for a salad, and we will not be able to grow anymore until it cools down.  But I also had enough green beans for a meal, and they were so good.  There was one piece of strawberry /rhubarb pie left last night and I ate it about 10 p.m. so it would not tempt Hubs anymore.  See what a good wife I am?  I do things like that for him, because I am a good wife....:)

I wrote this post as I did not want to complain about our gas card.  I said I would not complain about higher prices, because I have enough.  I am not living in Ukraine, our store shelves are full, I can buy what I need.  I told myself earlier in the year I was not going to dwell and complain about prices even though it is a pain. It throws off my ability to pay off the house at a better clip.  But I do have enough. I am blessed. 

I am off to sew and need to jump off this soap box.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are int the negative.

Kim