Why Gas Prices Aren't That Bad

I'm just like you, I need gasoline for my car to go anywhere. I feel like I should be in a state of panic every time my car gets low on fuel. The media and everyone I talk to says that the cost of gas is such a huge problem (click for story) for them and the rest of America. They make it sound like people are going to actually start using public transportation!! Don't worry, that won't actually happen in my town anytime soon. I'm supposed to be worried, but I'm not worried at all. You shouldn't be either...let me explain.

I'm not worried about the cost of gas because I have already done the math and my family can easily afford gas at $6 a gallon. Gas is projected to be an average of $4.15 a gallon by the end of summer and that doesn't scare me in the least. Don't get me wrong, I wish gas was about $.08 a gallon, but I can afford to pay for higher gas prices and truthfully so can you. If a latte' costs almost $30 a gallon and we can get two a week from our local coffee stop then we can afford the liquid that helps us run our automobiles...even if it costs $5 a gallon.

Rising fuel costs are exposing America's addiction. Americans spend every penny they have, and then some. In fact Americans have a negative savings rate,(click for story). A negative savings rate simply means spending more money then you actually have. That reminds me of our government. We don't know how to stop buying stuff we don't need in order to afford the stuff we actually do need.

I need gasoline and you probably do too. What I don't need is a cell phone, high speed internet, 412 cable channels or even two cars for our family. I need is a roof over my head, food in my stomach and my wife by my side. If we only bought what we needed then the stuff we needed wouldn't seem so expensive.

TFC TIP:

If you're struggling with gas prices buy a gas gift card every time you get a paycheck for however much gas you think you'll need until your next paycheck. By using the card you'll learn how much gas you're using which means you'll watch your driving more closely and you'll be able to better budget (click for story) for your future gas usage.