Honestly, no one has the answer – not even the top economists assessing the situation.  But we should step back and take a look at the very question itself.  What do we mean by expensive gas anyway?  Isn’t this just a relative term?  Gas is expensive compared to what?  And expensive for whom?

Yes, we all remember the glory days of one dollar gas.  Even two dollars per gallon sounds pretty good right now.  And driving out of town used to be such a treat.  Now it’s an investment and carpooling and other approaches are becoming a necessity for making it in this environment.

The chances of returning to below three dollars per gallon for gas are very, very low.  The current prices in the United States are actually much more in line with what you would find in Europe or many other parts of the developed world.  If anything, our prices are becoming more realistic, not more ridiculous.  For the longest time, gasoline was actually cheaper than a gallon of milk.  Imagine that: milk is a renewable resource that we can make over and over again.  Fossil fuels are non-renewable and thus extremely limited.

The best solution to today’s gas prices is to do what humans do best – adapt, change, and thrive in a new environment.  If you expect to create change around this problem, you should not expect the economic law of supply and demand to bend to your desires.  This is a very real situation, and we have been spoiled for far too long.  I would suggest finding new ways to make it in this economy.  Drive less, invest in an economical car, and save your money!

High gas is here to stay, folks.

So what can you do to deal with these ridiculous gas prices? Good question. I suggest trying out one or more of the following ideas to get better results from your current gas mileage situation:

• Carpool with friends to work.
• Take the train instead.
• Drive slower. (Trust me, you’ll still get there.)
• Use cruise control.
• Plan your errands in one trip.
• Avoid excessive out-of-town trips.
• Get a more economical car.
• Splurge on a hybrid.
• Walk to nearby shops instead of driving.
• Plan outings with friends to defray gas costs.
• Spend more time at home.
• Subscribe to Netflix instead of driving to the video store.
• Get a bike.
• Get a moped.
• Hitchhike. (Maybe not the best idea but…)
• Plan your trip with Google Maps before you go.
• Empty your trunk of excess weight.
• Get a tune-up and/or an oil change.
• Watch the latest Family Guy episode.
• Party with the neighbors instead of going out
• Get rid of your car and change your lifestyle. (It may be a reality soon enough…)

These are just some ideas to get you thinking!

Just across the street, a rival gas station has about one third the traffic of its busy competitor though gas is only a few cents more – five cents more per gallon at the most.

One day, while riding in my friend’s car we pulled into the busy gas station so she could get the cheaper gas. I decided to prove a point about how ridiculous it was to go to such lengths just to save a few pennies per gallon. She ignored my comments and insisted that a penny saved is a penny earned and all that jazz.

So I timed her and just observed the situation. Not only did the fill up take just over fifteen minutes from finding a pump to driving away, my friend also had to endure several close encounters with other aggressive drivers eager to save a few bucks. We both learned an important lesson that day.

How far should you go to save a few cents per gallon of gasoline?

If gas does indeed reach $5 by then, it may be a short-term indicator of how gas prices could continue rising over time. Some researchers claim gas could reach a whopping $12 per gallon between 2010 – 2015.

As of this writing, I am driving a 2006 Honda Civic EX. The civic has always been great on gas mileage, a feature that got even better with the new design introduced in the 2006 model. On a good day of freeway driving, my car gets close to 40 miles per gallon. Even in town I can pull over 30 mpg just puttering around on errands and such.

Despite this, I really have considered getting into a better driving arrangement to get even more out of my gas expenses. Right now, my neighborhood gas station charges $4.57 a gallon for 87 octane. At this rate, it runs me approximately $50 to fill my tank. When gas escalates to $10 or $12 per gallon, I’ll be looking at over $100 to fill the same gas tank.

The future does not look good for gasoline, and we should all be thinking about ways to save more money, to cut back on driving, and to get more out of every penny we spend on gasoline!

As we continue to grow, we’ll provide more information on great cars with good gas mileage, tips for pinching pennies on fuel costs, and driving ideas to help you save time on the road!

Stay tuned for more info to come very soon…