High Gas Prices?

Everyone seems to be talking about the high gas prices these days. According to this nifty tool, it looks like stations in our area are ranging from $3.85 to $4.05 a gallon.

If you've ever been to this blog before, you know that we live on a pretty tight budget, so it seems that something like this would really be a budget buster for us. But honestly? It hasn't been.

In March, we budgeted $170 for gas. Then we bought the minivan, bumping up from a sedan. Then gas prices started going up. So we adjusted the budget. I now budget $210 per month for gas. And we've had extra room in this category ever since (though we do use more gas in the winter).

Could an extra $40 a month ($480 a year) bust our budget? Sure, if we hadn't planned/accounted for it.

Though, I do have to say, as someone who remembers when $6 would fill up my tank enough to get me home from college, paying $50 at the pump is painful - and that's nothing compared to what people who drive SUVs and trucks are paying - youch! But, I always thought y'all were crazy anyway. ;)

How have gas prices affected your budget?

(Oh, and as further food for thought - check out Tread Softly and her car-free lifestyle! If we lived without a car, we would shear $331 out of our budget - and we don't even have a "real" car payment!)

Best. Financial. Tool. Ever. Period.

What's Missing Calculator

Take a look and see what an extra $25 a month will do to your mortgage. Imagine if you gave up cable in favor of paying down your student loan. This calculator? Is the recipe for hope.