by Wendy Harmon March 14 2012 (10:03AM EST)
Let's be honest, the above image is exactly how we all feel. We're constantly shoving money into our gas tanks, one dollar at a time. We are paying some of the highest prices in gas since the so-called war in the Middle East started. Does that really have anything to do with it? Hard to say when I'm watching the prices of crude oil drop. So why is gas still so high!? Simple and basic economic law and politic; ah ELP, remember that class in high school? It's all about supply and demand! The more you get out and go, the more gas you use, the more you need it. There's the demand, you NEED gas. The suppliers see you need gas and guess what, they'll supply but at a cost. Oh and what a cost it is, ouch! Also, to add onto this was the recent state tax increase on fuel. Did you know that currently North Carolina is 6th in highest taxes out of 50 states!(According to API.org) Combined State and Federal tax is 57.6! Just last year in 2011 we were 9th highest; and yes that's still extremely high, with a combined taxation total of 53.7
It's a rip off, and the families of North Carolina feel it every time we pull up to fill up. Individuals are having to make choices of: "Do I cut back on groceries so I can put gas in my car?", "Do I cut back on the medications I need to take so I can afford gas?", "I HAVE to put gas in my car so I can get to work, so I can get money!". Sadly, most work places have not given a pay increase to increase cost of living expenses. So, they're still paying employees as if gas was still $2.00 a gallon (or around about).
You're probably wondering if I'm going to start lecturing you on driving less and taking public transportation. If it's available in your area, sure go for it! It would probably help de-stress yourself as well for letting someone else do the driving so you're not dealing with more than half the knuckle-heads on the road! I digress, if you can then great, but for many of us who live in rural areas or have large families that becomes much less of an option. So, what do we do now? Well, it is an election year . . . do I think that will make much of a difference, let's be truthful with one another. Gas prices have steadily increased over time for the past several presidents. It's not been the fault of one. The gas prices today are not the same as when our parents drove, nor is it the same price you paid when you were in high school or last year. Could it be lower, I would hope so! However, as with time the value of everything increases, so to some extent you're going to have to swallow your pride and your nativity and realize gas prices are not going to get below $1 a gallon. If you do, you are in need of a serious wake up call!
So, what can we do to help lower prices or at least get the most for what we put in? First, voice your concerns to the right people. The Ceo of Shell, BP, Citgo, etc. they're the ones that have the influence. Sorry to say, but you yelling and cussing out your local attendant at the Wilco is not helping your day or his. He has no control over what the price is today, tomorrow, yesterday or even a week from now. He's living paycheck to paycheck just like the rest of us. Another thing you can do is make sure your car is well maintained. Not only will this increase your gas millage, but will increase your safety and the value of your car. Make sure your wheels are correctly aligned. This can make a HUGE difference in your gas millage as well as the wear on your tires. If you're car is pulling, it's resisting, creating drag and making everything work harder than it needs to, thus making is less efficient. Have appropriate tires! Make sure your tires are in good condition, not slick and balding, and that they are inflated correctly. Too little or too much air is a bad thing. Also, don't have on winter tires in the spring and summer, that's just silly! Check your plugs and wires! If one is dying its making the others work more, yet again decreasing the efficiency of your car.
Finally, don't top off your gas tank. By doing so you're actually hurting not only your wallet by paying more; just so you can round up, but you're also damaging the system. Say what? Topping off the gas tank can result in your paying for gasoline that is fed back into the station's tanks because your gas tank is full. The gas nozzle automatically clicks off when your gas tank is full. So why continue to push more in? Gas station pumps are equipped with vapor recovery systems that feed back gas vapors into their tanks to prevent vapors from escaping into the air and contributing to air pollution. Any additional gas you try to pump into your tank may be drawn into the vapor line and fed back into the station's storage tanks. So you're essentially paying the station more for something you're not even getting. Also, you need extra room in your gas tank to allow the gasoline to expand. If you top off your tank, the extra gas may evaporate into your vehicle's vapor collection system. That system may become fouled and will not work properly causing your vehicle to run poorly and have high gas emissions. Remember, the harder you make your engine work, the less effective it is. Finally, topping off your gas tank may foul the station's vapor recovery system. Adding more gas after the nozzle has automatically shut off can cause the station's vapor recovery system to operate improperly. This contributes to the air pollution problem and may cause the gas pump to fail to work for the next person. (All of the information about topping off your tank came from EPA.gov
So, there you have it. Probably not the magical solution you were hoping for, but the necessary work that is needed to be put forth in order for you to get the maximum benefit. Remember, what you put it in, is what you get out.
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Witty Bits: Wise or Brilliant
by Wendy Harmon on March 7th 2012 (10:26AM EST)
"The difference between a fool and a wise man is that a fool goes and does something blindly. A wise man knows it's a bad idea, but does it because he has to. A brilliant man finds a way to make it into a good idea."
In the statement above I give you the option of three choices. The fool, the wise, and the brilliant. Most of us know why the fool is a fool, he (or she) jumps in without thinking and blindly charges in. Perhaps they are fueled by their emotions (which can be a good and powerful thing) or perhaps they were fueled by pride or ego (isn't that part of your emotions? I suppose technically, but lets keep it separate for now). We've all seen the fool; perhaps even in ourselves, as they are in that "go get'em" attitude but for several of the wrong reasons. If the entire time you're trying to achieve your goal and you're constantly saying to yourself; "Call ME an idiot will you! You said I didn't do my best, I'll show you!", at first this seems like proper motivation, but is it really? True, proving self-worth is very important especially to yourself because if you don't put value in yourself who will do so likewise. Ah ha! The first mistake of the fool! He is not proving his self-worth or value to himself, but his perceived value toward the individual who damaged his pride and bruised his ego. If you're entirely fueled by the sole desire to prove one individual wrong who said something that hurt you, you're either going to run out of steam quickly, or be fighting an uphill battle for a LONG time.
So, the wise man KNOWS it's a bad idea, but does it because he has to. Well, isn't he going to do the same thing? If he's truly a wise man than, no. Let's put our wise man in the same situation as our fool. He was called an idiot and was told that he did not do his best. Obviously someone who is influential in his life has some persuasion over him (be it a boss or manager or father figure). Yet again it may flare the temper of our wise man, but hopefully only enough to get him to think, "Why would I be told such a thing?" Our wise man might be fueled by his emotions as well in order to perform or achieve better, but since he is a wise man he will do something the fool did not. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!!! He is responsible for how he performed, how he acted, and how he handled the situation. No one else, the entire responsibility is on him! Now, with this step included with our wise man unlike or fool, even if he goes about with a somewhat similar mind set of "I'll prove you wrong." He has a much higher chance of success because he will be evaluating himself, not the world and circumstances around him.
Finally, we come to our third individual, the brilliant man. He in a sense is the twin brother to the wise man but has taken his awareness one step beyond. Not only has he admitted responsibility and has taken it, he has also challenged himself to increase his value. He stays positive, focused, and takes a bad idea and turns it into a good idea! He knows that life is a balance, a yin-and-yang, a darkness to the light, so when he is presented with the darkness, he goes in search of the light. It's there; it always has been, sometimes it takes some spelunking to find it. Thomas Edison once stated, "I did not fail 5,000 times in making the light bulb, I FOUND 5,000 ways NOT to make a light bulb!" He took responsibility, admitted that it was all on him but in reverse took a negative and turned it into a positive.
My challenge to you for today, and tomorrow, and next week, and . . . well you get the idea . . . Is to start taking responsibility and instead of viewing or stating things negatively, look for the light side and start thinking positively. I can assure you you'll be a happier person in the long run and will succeed more often!
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