They do like to increase the price for the holidays, But like stated earlier 1.65 is always better than 4.00

ole

I can't complain if it's up or down by 10 cents. As long as it's under $2 no one should be whining.

I think the only way this statement has merit is because it was $4.00. If we were now just reaching $2.00 we'd be whining and rightly so. Based on the consumer price index, relative to the fall of 1977 when regular gas was $.52, it should now be $1.83. If I'm not mistaken, we should remember too that the $4.00 fuel price influenced the CPI making the $1.83 higher than it would be if the price of fuel was factored out.

Bob

Can't argue with that Bob. Very good point.

Also back then thay had to pay people to fill your tank, wash your windows and check under the hood if you wanted them to...

They gave away Premiums like Dishes or Toys with a fill...many of our toys came from the Gas Station...though I did not realize it until recently...

They did not sell a lot of other Merchandise either...some Stale Peanuts or a rock hard Salty Nut Roll...

So they had less to sell and gave a lot more...

One thing to remember though is to factor out the Gas Taxes...I don't remember what those were back then...but not much...

History of Mn/DOT Revenue Changes
Motor Fuel Taxes (Gasoline and Special Fuels)

1975
Increased from 7 to 9 cents per gallon

1980
Increased from 9 to 11 cents per gallon

1981
Increased from 11 to 13 cents per gallon

1983
Increased from 13 to 16 cents per gallon (for eight months) and then to 17 cents per gallon beginning January 1, 1984

1988
Increased from 17 to 20 cents per gallon

1994
Phase out of 2 cent gasohol credit over 4 years

What memories! I loved those peanuts. Amazing how much less it took to please me then than now.

Bob

Yes those peanuts were quite a treat back then...the ones in the little cellophane packages...I think some had the heated nuts as well...maybe Cashews, served in a little paper Cornucopia or something...

I had forgotten about them until I started thinking back on the tiny little Gas Stations...


Thanks for the listing Big Tom...do you have the most recent State Tax, I think it went up in October...

How about the History of the Federal Tax as well...

I bought a FF truck just so it would run happily on the choked 87 octane out there now
E85 and pulling toys? uh no.

Here's the Federal through 1997

Table 1: History of the Gasoline Tax
Purpose
Date Tax
Rate in
cents
per
gallon General
Revenues Highway
Account Mass
Transit
Account Other
Trust
Funds
June 21,
1932 1.0 1.0
June 17,
1933 1.5 1.5
Jan. 1,
1934 1.0 1.0
July 1,
1940 1.5 1.5
Nov. 1,
1951 2.0 2.0
July 1,
1956 3.0 3.0
Oct. 1,
1959 4.0 4.0
Apr. 1,
1983 9.0 8.0 1.0
Jan. 1,
1987 9.1 8.0 1.0 0.1
Sep. 1,
1990 9.0 8.0 1.0
Dec. 1,
1990 14.1 2.5 10.0 1.5 0.1
Oct. 1,
1993 18.4 6.8 10.0 1.5 0.1
Oct. 1,
1995 18.4 4.3 12.0 2.0 0.1
Jan. 1,
1996 18.3 4.3 12.0 2.0
Oct. 1,
1997 18.4 15.44 2.86 0.1

Oil under $44 today, lowest level in nearly four years. It's also down about $9 a barrel since I paid my lowest recent price of $1.579. I have to assume the delay is based upon the increase in gasoline inventories at higher costs.

I filled my truck tonight almost 24 gallons, $42! Gas is still $1.79 up here but I am so happy that filling it was less than half of what it was four months ago.

I just heard a report on the radio this morning that experts are predicting prices on oil to drop in 2009 from the current $50 a barrel to $25! They are saying this will continue for about a year before the pendulum starts to swing up again. That would mean my weekly gas consumption will go from a high of $45 per week to about $10 per week (current is $20 per week)

All well and good but I have lost over $25,000 in my 401K, it is down to a 201K, could I be looking at a 101K in 2009??? ARGHHHH!

Windy

It's all relative.....I think.

Bob

well windy, use that extra cash to pay down billz and buy cheap the stocks cheap through a roth. see everything is now better