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I’m tired of people complaining about gas and food prices.
There, I said it.
How many times in the last couple of weeks have you heard someone, on television, radio or your front porch, start or end a sentence with “…because of the rising cost of gas prices…”?
For perspective, some people like to juxtapose the ppg of gas to other liquids like water (around $20 per gallon) and Starbucks coffee (around $40 per gallon). Although I chuckle along with those comparisons I do understand that there is a certain priority on gas since we are a very car-centric culture.
The reason I am tired of hearing this statement is because it flows from an attitude of not being in control of your own destiny. “Well, I can’t do that because Big Oil is taking all my money, and since they ask for it I have to give it to them, and there’s just nothing you can do about it.” Gee, how’s the weather over there Eeyore?
Newsflash: You have a choice.
You are in control of you. Not Big Oil. Not Big Coffee. Not Obama. Not McCain. You!
Don’t like paying so much at the pump? Ride the bus. Get a bike. Buy a different car Tahoe breath.
Don’t like the cost of food? Eat less. Start a garden co-op in your neighborhood, you may even loose some weight (I should take this advice).
Don’t have enough money at the end of the month? Get a second job, better yet, learn something new and get a better job.
The reason I’m saying this is because when you realize you have a choice, then you have the ability to shy off the negative “news” that we are bombarded with daily and have a positive outlook.
By the way the media spins it, you’d think the sky is falling and the culprit is an oil-and-food powered sky falling machine. But you know what, my neighbor’s son Rob just quit his job and started his own business. What is he doing!?!?! Doesn’t he know we’re in a recession? Doesn’t he know that gas just went over $4 a gallon? I think he does know that. I think he also knows that he has a choice when it comes to providing for his wife and daughter. I think he’s in control, not his employer and not the government. He’s in charge of his destiny and where he’s gonna be a year from now. I think I know where he’ll be - winning.
June 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
THANK YOU DANIEL!!! Someone needed to say it. Barry and I agree with you completely.
Our choice is to only have one car. Since we are on one income and gas is high we made the choice to stay with one car. It has been great. Barry has lost some weight walking to work on the days I need the car (he is less than 5 blocks away) and we seem to stay on budget better this way with only one car expenses.
June 12th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
way to write a pull-yourself-up-the-by-the-bootstraps post daniel! i’m proud to say that i don’t have “tahoe breath.”
June 12th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
@Trina
That is awesome that you guys are staying on budget and have chosen how to live.
@Myra
Hahaha. Well, I couldn’t help myself. I should just stop watching television and reading Newsweek. Funny thing is, I actually really like Tahoe’s. But our Camry get’s 28 mpg.
June 13th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
funny post, daniel! we are really enjoying walking to a lot of places. We try to fill up our minivan (ugh! i hate saying i own a minivan!) once a month and usually make it. we have a second car but we rarely use it since jon walks to school. there is benefit to living in an urban area.
i have to admit…i do complain about food prices cuz when you got 3 kids+2 adults chowing and drinking milk it does add up. we don’t buy processed foods (very often) and i did start a garden. we walk 2 blocks to our farmers market to get produce and we try to figure out other ways to save some $$.
it just becomes a challenge to see how we can make those dollars stretch and it has been kinda fun!
June 13th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
@amelia
Ok, you’re making me jealous - you have a farmer’s market that’s more than a guy smoking in the back of a truck trying to hawk three mangy cucumbers. True story.
Sounds like you’re doing a great job of being a home economist. Amanda is doing a great job too, and she’s certainly worked hard to make our dollars stretch. Blog some pictures of the garden…
I won’t say anything about the minivan
June 13th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Scary about the cucumber guy. The market here are real farmers and they are so cool! It is fun to get to know them a little. There is the gourd/lettuce lady, the apple guy, the amish bread family, the herb people etc.
I love the farmers market. It is a pretty big deal here–a lot of people take advantage of it. They were even giving away a cool reusable bag to bring back with you when you go!
June 14th, 2008 at 3:04 am
Gas is $8/gallon in Israel. We don’t have a car.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Glad to read something worth reading!
It’s hard to tell peeps at work(and church) I can’t eat out b/c I have a budget for food. You should see their faces when I mention simplifying wardrobe.
BTW-Hi!