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I just wondered how the new fuel costs are affecting seniors on a fixed income?
I am also curious if any seniors have decided to move to a large city where shopping is condensed and public transportation is readily available.
I am now in TN and shopping is so spread out the gas costs just eat up my budget. The price of food has gone up considerably and that sure isn't helping.
Comments appreciated,
Don
At the most we can only attribute 2000 miles a year to shopping. At only 20 mpg that means 100 gallons so the difference between $3 and $4 a gallon is only about $8 a month. No, we won't change much for that.
We do seem to be in an inflationary cycle and are seeing the price of fuel start to affect the prices of everything. Just the cost to drive to shop is not the whole picture.
I had wanted to do some extended trips and now I'm wondering if that will be impossible with these high costs.
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I had wanted to do some extended trips and now I'm wondering if that will be impossible with these high costs.
We are going on a trip this weekend and gas is simply not a factor... I'll drive about 600 miles total and it will only cost $25 more than it would have last year.
I'm paying more attention to how often I drive and where I drive and try to combine trips if possible. I also try to hit several stores in a section on the same trip.
I used to go to a lot more auctions that were 100 miles or more away. Now I only go if there's something I really want and I figure the cost of gas into the price and base my decision to make the trip on that.
I've discovered interesting things to do closer to home and I'm having a great time. We have farmers' markets several times a week and I'm having fun discovering new veggies and talking to the growers and bakers. I've also cut back my food budget, eating more tofu and beans, fresh veggies and less meat.
I'm also buying more online rather than going to several stores to look for something.
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It has definately curtailed my 'discretionary' travels / errands / auction / alternative energy seminar hopping (even at 50 mpg in the car and 20 mpg in the motorhome). It will also play into my 'relocation' spreadsheet that weighs the cost of commuting to Dr, airport, shopping (as in living in rural WY or ND, where you end up frequently driving hundred miles for stuff, and maybe 300+ miles to an airport)
I am not an alarmist, (or a peak oil theorist) but.... I think we are in for an 'energy' adjustment that will recalibrate housing, locations, food, and commuting costs. There are increasingly homeless seniors due to energy costs, but the food issue will play heavy in the next few years. This year's crops are being planted with expensive seed, dramatically higher energy and fertilizer costs, and shipping ocean containers of food and consumer goods is about to result in radical price change. Hang On ! - even Walmart will be challenged
I am thinking a 'walkable community' with a mild climate and a long growing season could be attractive. As well as a low tax, energy efficient home, with a 'guest house' to rent for extra income. I feel fortunate to not require AC or serious heat in my present location, and the replacement will need to be less of the same. I just want to have a nice little spot to grow algae for my Bio-diesel, which I can use for heating OR transport. Maybe I can combine it with a greenhouse to keep peace in the family and to leverage assets.
Didn't know math would be so important on a daily basis.
Things we are used to not giving any thought to.
Hubby even refigured running down to the store (we're rural) to get the morning paper ...instead of just 50 cents, it would be almost $3.
$4 just to drive to a friends house for coffee and a chat.
Guess we've been spoiled .
My Dw still works part-time in a grocery store. She drives 50 miles round trip each work day, and she works five days a week. So that is 250 miles a week.
I may drive 50 miles each week myself going to the farmer's market where I sell our produce.
I just wondered how the new fuel costs are affecting seniors on a fixed income?
I am also curious if any seniors have decided to move to a large city where shopping is condensed and public transportation is readily available.
I am now in TN and shopping is so spread out the gas costs just eat up my budget. The price of food has gone up considerably and that sure isn't helping.
Comments appreciated,
Don
Where in TN do you live? My husband and I are trying to decide where we want to retire...we have it narrowed down to three states, and TN is one of them! In fact, I'm having some trouble finding a small city in TN that is affordable, yet is pretty self contained. Things look very spread out there. We currantly live in Southern California and things are very spread out here, so we have really cut back on our driving and try to make each trip out count. We paid $4.23 for gas today...and that's low compared to what we paid a few months back! The cost of gas takes a huge chunk out of our retirement!
Look for places in East Tennessee. I love Knoxville and don't have to do much driving. Downtown is thriving and provides good bus service. Fountain City is a trolley car suburb of Knoxville that provides easy walking to anything you need.
Fairfield Glade is a 55+ community near Crossville. They provide a lot of transportation and have stores and doctors right there.
Just don't get out in the country or out of the city. I'm in suburban Knoxville but have everything I need within two miles.
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