half empty
July 25, 2006
I managed to fill up my tank at $2.99 a gallon a couple days ago, but it looks like it’s gone up again. I suppose it would be nice if the Hummer owners felt the price pinch the worst, but I’m sure it will be more like the single mom who drives an old Taurus or the college kid trying to get by on scholarships who will be hurt the most.
I did like this quote from an article in the Free Press:
Fearing the pain of paying $60 to fill up her car, Talley said she never lets her tank get below the halfway mark.
So it’s somehow less painful to fork out $30 twice as often? I just don’t get some people.
If you let the tank go down too far you get the desperate “Oh my god, I have to buy gas RIGHT NOW and it’s $3.21/gallon!” rather than “Hey, that’s a good price for gas. I think I’ll buy some.” If you have a strict rule of never letting the tank go below 1/2, though, you’ll get the desperate “Oh my god, I have to buy gas RIGHT NOW at $3.21/gallon or else I will go BELOW HALF A TANK!”
I think gas here went up by 11 cents yesterday during the time I was at work.
Yeah, if it’s a benchmark to give you time to shop around, that makes total sense. If it’s just that you think it’s better to pay $30 twice than $60 once, well, that’s just crazy talk.