I drive an old car. Is that a surprise? :) It's 11 years old, with almost 83,000 miles on it. Not bad, considering that I bought it 7 years ago and it had 62,000 on it then. I don't drive much, but I do need a car, so this is the perfect answer. Occasionally, I'll get the New Car Envy, but that's a different post.
Anyway, I had some work done to the car this week, and since it was going to be an almost all day job and I couldn't get a ride otherwise, the owner of the garage gave me a ride home.
It was an interesting conversation when he started out with the comment that people complained about $3 a gallon for gas on their way to a $7 cup of coffee! Yeah... kind of silly, isn't it? Smart mechanic.
My thought: When people stop silly overspending, that's when we'll know that gas prices are really starting to hurt.
We get so used to the "way things are" that sometimes we don't see things the way they really are.
There are a number of things I don't do because of gas prices. I no longer cruise looking for garage sales, for instance--I find them in the paper, or I stop if I happen to see one while out on another errand. I agree...if you aren't willing to give up something like an expensive cup of coffee (which doesn't, IMHO, taste all that good anyway), you shouldn't complain about gas prices. People gripe and moan...and still the roads are jammed.
ReplyDeleteWe generally change cars every 9 or 10 years. This year I got my first used car--a 2004 Ford Escape--and I just love it. It certainly uses less gas than my old Durango!
I haven't gone to many garage sales this year for the same reason. I plan a route, but seldom even finish it.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting what people won't give up as they gripe along! :)