I Paid $3.87 a Gallon

I use premium gas in my little motor scooter. It makes a big difference and it doesn't burn much. This is the most I've ever paid for gasoline. I know people that burn 8-10 gallons a day, just on their commute and another 20 gallons a week driving around for other purposes. These are not people with big incomes and gas prices have nowhere to go but up. Buying a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle will help in the long run. In the meantime, you have to unload your old gas guzzler at a loss and incur the expense of a new, more economical vehicle. In multi income family units this may have to be done times two or three.

Two hundred dollars a week for gasoline, budgeted every week, must be a reality that many people are facing. unnecessary driving and additional cars for non working members of the family must surely be a thing of the past.

Say you have a family income of $60,000. That is supposed to be "middle class". If you have a good tax guy, in California, you might get your State and Federal income tax bill down to $12,000 a year. If you pay another $8,000 for gasoline, you are now down to $40,000 a year. There are no apartments anywhere in my area, of any kind, available for $1,000 a month but say you found one. Now you are down to $28,000 a year. Your car itself, is going to be a big expense. Almost nobody buys them for cash and you have to have collision and liability insurance. There are maintenance costs involved. If you can keep your car costs to $6,ooo a year you are a thrifty individual, very thrifty. You are going to have a cell phone, cable and internet access. Don't forget your light bill. Say another $4,000 a year in expenses. That's $18,000 left for you and all you've got so far is a place to live and a car to drive.

You have a lot of decisions to make concerning your $18,000 dollars. If you're older, you might want to consider health insurance. If you are younger, you might want to remember that you occasionally enjoy sex and mind altering substances and that these things involve monetary expenditure. You've been looking at that new laptop and a big screen TV would be nice. Everybody needs a vacation, even if it's just a long weekend skiing or at the beach. It's almost Easter, time for that new Spring wardrobe. Remember to put away some money for retirement every month, you're not getting any younger. Starbuck's really is a necessity, ya know. Don't forget to eat, MacDonalds has a great new selection of dollar menu items.

You've worked hard to get where you are. Welcome to the middle class. Next month gas will be $4 a gallon.