So what's everone paying for gasoline?

[French G.]

7,44 Dollars for a gallon of .95 octane gas in the south of France 

Doesn't seem like pries have gone up much there. I remember being in France in 99 and gas was about $5/gal while at home it was probably in the mid $1 range. Worst I've ever paid was in Norway, Think it worked out to around $6,50/gal. Of course the obligatory hot dog and coke to go with the fill-up set me back another $8-9.

[RocketMan]

Saw a story the other day that oil would likely not drop much further.  A barrel of oil was up by $1.15 at close of trading yesterday.  It's up by $1.17 in current trading.  That is a fairly significant move.  Methinks the bottom has been reached.

[Tallpine]

Forget the average annual salary unless you are converting way-back-then dollars to today dollars and adjust the cost of living figures as well.  In 1953 it was possible to rent a room for $5/week and for another $5/week you could get (admittedly rather meager) breakfast and dinner.  OTOH there were far fewer luxury items that the average working stiff could afford.

The real fun of nostalgia is the selective memory - only to good things get mentioned, while the rest of the stuff that made life back then the same rat-race hellhole as today is ignored.

stay safe.

The Draft 

[Northwoods]

$2.88 (down from $2.91 overnight) at the RaceWay (independent, cheapest available) down the street from me, and matched by the Shell and BP stations nearby.  Down the road about 5 miles it's $2.81.

The talking heads are predicting even lower prices "as we get into the winter months when people are driving less."  You'd think refineries and the rest of the system would know to cut back production in anticipation and keep the supply/demand ratio about stable.

stay safe.

Haven't read the rest of the thread, but I rather suspect it's more like there's an election in a month.  .gov arm twists to get gas prices down so the proles think all is good (or at least getting better) and they're less angry and vote for the incumbent instead of the new guy.

[Tallpine]

I guess this would be a good time to go fill up the Suburban ... might get it under $100 

[HankB]

Within the past few days, I've seen "name brand" gas (Shell, Exxon) around the Austin area as low as the $2.959 - $2.999 range, though some stations are still up around $3.199.

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, ALL the local gas has been diluted with ethanol.

Worse, I think the EPA is meddling with mandated "seasonal blends" since MPG of both of my cars is down over past years. (Neighbor had noticed the same thing with his cars.)

[K Frame]

Haven't read the rest of the thread, but I rather suspect it's more like there's an election in a month.  .gov arm twists to get gas prices down so the proles think all is good (or at least getting better) and they're less angry and vote for the incumbent instead of the new guy.

Yeah... no.

A lot of people think this, but it has nothing to do with reality.

Crude oil and gasoline are internationally traded commodities, with prices affected primarily by supply and demand levels both in the United States and internationally.

How little the government can affect the price of those commodities can be seen in the relative recent oil releases from the strategic petroleum reserves. The effect on prices was extremely limited and very short lived.

[zxcvbob]

$2.89 at Costco.  $2.95 to $2.99 everyplace else.  OTOH, my gas mileage just went to hell, so it's that winter mix that has a lot of butane in it (not many BTU's) and it's cheaper to produce.

[Scout26]

I've seen anything from $3.29 to $3.55 around here.   Although it's only $3.07 at the Pilot (where I also get another $.03 off) in Gary, IN.  However, the next time I'll be through there is 23 Oct.  I'm down to a little more then 1/2 a tank, so I'm going to have to buckle down and buy gas in Illinois.   I guess I could fill up from the gas cans in the garage.  I probably will as it's time to rotate the gas.

[Ben]

Regular dropped to $3.95 today. Diesel is still $3.99.

[dm1333]

$3.05 for 87 octane here in east bum f#ck Michigan. 

[BobR]

3.41 for regular in Eastern WA. +10 cents each grade up from regular. Probably 15-20 cents cheaper a gallon 45 minutes east of here in Idaho, that is normal.

bob

[grampster]

2.919 here in W. Michigan.

[Perd Hapley]

I saw it at 2.69 at one Quiktrip, maybe 20 or 30 miles south of St. Louis. I think one sign read 2.67, near Eureka, but it was hard to tell.

At a couple of places, it was 2.68, for cash customers.

[K Frame]

Regular dropped to $3.95 today. Diesel is still $3.99.

$3.95?

Where are you? California?

[Ben]

$3.95?

Where are you? California?

Heh. Yup. See my first post in the thread for all the fun.

[never_retreat]

3.05 of regular gas and 3.30 for diesel. That at a Hess station in NJ.
Gypsies gas is a little less.
I should be able to fill the truck for under a 100 bucks soon.

[Perd Hapley]

Just saw 2.67.

[charby]

Paid 2.93 today in Cedar Falls, IA for 87 E-10.

[K Frame]

2.67... balls!

[zxcvbob]

2.67... balls!

I thought balls generally were in whole-numbers.

[Pharmacology]

Just paid $2.89  at the Bucees near San Marcos

[wmenorr67]

$2.77 for regular and $3.03 for premium here in Tulsa at most QT's.

[Scout26]

It's not the .gov (well, it is.  But in a round about way).  The economy is contracting (or in Obamaspeak, "Not growing fast enough"), and not just here, but worldwide.  Therefore, less overall demand and all the refineries are at +95% percent operations.

But contracting here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/more-businesses-are-closing-than-starting-can-congress-help-turn-that-around/2014/09/17/06576cb8-385a-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html

Money Quote:

Consequently, for the first time in 30 years*, business deaths now outnumber business births,

  Since small businesses produce 90+% of all new jobs and they are no growing, hence unemployment continues to grow/remain stagnant.  No matter what bullcaca numbers flow from Washington.


*- While the Washingate Pest says "30 years"  That would put it in the middle of the Reagan years.  However, the actual (Brookings Institute !!)  study points to 1978-1979 (not 1984) as the last time more closed then opened.  The Carter years.  Yep, the "Reagan Hatred" knows no bounds.

[MrsSmith]

$3.09 this morning in Savannah.