Travel? Maybe...

My husband and I were going to drive to California to visit friends but with gas prices already at $3.50 here and without a doubt headed higher by April when we were considering going, we are now wondering if we can do it. I think it would take $500 plus meals and the occasional motel room so flying looks better. But, what to do with our two Bichons? We already impose on our daughter quite a bit and we wanted to take them with us, which we can't do if we fly. Also, at least one of our friends does not welcome dogs so that's a problem too.

I have a feeling that everyone's travel plans are going to be limited this year by oil prices which will cause airfare to go up and make car travel unattractive too. We are so used to going whenever and wherever we please in our cars that it is going to be a shock to the system to have to weigh the options very carefully, and perhaps not go at all. We have already started trying to take one car to work, not two. And we buy gas at Costco which is the cheapest around here. It was a 15¢ a gallon difference this past weekend between Costco and our local stations.

With the government's decision to cut off drilling for oil nearly everywhere in the United States, and the unrest in the Middle East, which surely will not end well, there is no place for oil prices to go but up and up and up. Delivery figures into the price of everything we buy so prices on everything will necessarily rise. This country, and the world, are headed for an economic time like no other. We will all be pulling in the belt sooner or later. Prepare now and save yourself some real grief in the future. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.... a depression era mantra that we would be well to heed now.