ECON The average price of regular gas has climbed to $4.55 per gallon - 5/20/2026

Yeah. It's higher than that in WV. Minimally cheaper one county south of us. Still, I splurged yesterday for a half tank of non-ethanol. I couldn't bring myself to notice the price/gal.
 
Even if the strait opened up today, I think we're going to see gas prices stay high (or go even higher) through the rest of the year at least, so I traded my premium gas drinking Mercedes convertible in for a hybrid car last week.
 
Zahra said:
The cost of diesel worries me far more than this. Wait till the impact on the cost of goods to our shelves hits home - ouch!
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I dropped my truck off for annual inspection this morning, noticed the price for diesel was $6.89, probably a bit higher than other locals but "location, location,location". Their gas was at $4.99 while all the other locals are $4.85
 
Beef prices are next. I mean they already are but will be going higher. Apparently we just made deals with China to sell them oil and beef.
Art of some deal I keep hearing.

I read it will increase production here and bring prices down. Uh huh. Lemme hold my breath.

Sorry but I have real sour taste in my mouth from all this.

I just checked the Bakers Hughes rig count
“Drill Baby Drill” still has us sitting at a negative 25 rigs from this time last year.

I don’t think we will be seeing a drop in fuel prices anytime soon. The big club is getting richer gouging the little guy and playing the markets.

I can’t say it any clearer. They don’t care how much you suffer. You are just a digit on a screen.

I watch the markets and read the stats.
The more volatile the market swings the richer they get. There is lots of insider shorts and puts going on with billions being made.

ETA: Fixed my dyslexia.
 
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ktrapper said:
Beef are prices next. I mean they already are but will be going higher. Apparently we just made deals with China to sell them oil and beef.
Art of some deal I keep hearing.

I read it will increase production here and bring prices down. Uh huh. Lemme hold my breath.

Sorry but I have real sour taste in my mouth from all this.

I just checked the Bakers Hughes rig count
“Drill Baby Drill” still has us sitting at a negative 25 rigs from this time last year.

I don’t think we will be seeing a drop in fuel prices anytime soon. The big club is getting richer gouging the little guy and playing the markets.

I can’t say it any clearer. They don’t care how much you suffer. You are just a digit on a screen.

I watch the markets and read the stats.
The more volatile the market swings the richer they get. There is lots of insider shorts and puts going on with billions being made.
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I just got a few family packs of T bones for $10.99/lb
 
Yesterday:

Always the cheapest place in a small town, outside of Sams in Tupelo, was 3.95. Boy, I was blowing snot everywhere. Huffing and puffing. Giving the cashier the bad eye, and everything. Even gave the Tax Collector's office a hard time accusing them of slapping the gas station with a surcharge cuz of the closing of the SoH.

After we left, right around the corner a gas station was advertising 3.79.

I looked over at SB: What is wrong with you? You're supposed to be my navigator, and catch these things.
 
CaryC said:
Yesterday:

Always the cheapest place in a small town, outside of Sams in Tupelo, was 3.95. Boy, I was blowing snot everywhere. Huffing and puffing. Giving the cashier the bad eye, and everything. Even gave the Tax Collector's office a hard time accusing them of slapping the gas station with a surcharge cuz of the closing of the SoH.

After we left, right around the corner a gas station was advertising 3.79.

I looked over at SB: What is wrong with you? You're supposed to be my navigator, and catch these things.
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What is an SoH? It makes me think of the old S&H green stamps. (That's how I earned my Brownie camera but wish I'd kept the stamps because maybe I could've gotten a .22) Oh well.... I actually think my brother earned a Daisy BB gun with his.
 
Walrus said:
What is an SoH? It makes me think of the old S&H green stamps. (That's how I earned my Brownie camera but wish I'd kept the stamps because maybe I could've gotten a .22) Oh well.... I actually think my brother earned a Daisy BB gun with his.
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LOL SoH = Strait of Hormuz.

don't feel bad, it took me reading it a few times to realize that too.
 
Zahra said:
Even if the strait opened up today, I think we're going to see gas prices stay high (or go even higher) through the rest of the year at least, so I traded my premium gas drinking Mercedes convertible in for a hybrid car last week.
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I need to trade my Lincoln in for the same reason.
 
I am not trading anything in. I will keep my paid for trucks. I figure its cheaper in the long run than taking on another payment just to save on gas. I can drive 55 instead of 70. That saves a lot.

I am refusing to finance anything ever again. I will buy everything outright from here on. If can’t afford it new I buy used and fix it.

I canceled my Costco Citi card as well.
My credit score runs well above average.
I don’t carry a balance on that card so I am not sure why they raised the interest rate from 21-26. I took that as just another gouging insult so I canceled it too and told them why.

I guess I am getting a real bad case of the chapped ass over all this.

I cancelled Star Link yesterday. I guess they started it all when they wanted to raise the rate to $130 a month. I started looking at everything.
I am getting rid of and cancelling anything that does not bring real value to our home and life.

Cancelled Apple Music, cancelled Prime yesterday. I got several more things on the chopping block that will ultimately save me $4300 over the course of a year. My wife was in shock that I found that much to save.

She had a little angst over not having a internet streaming something. I showed her how she can find plenty of free youtube she can watch on her phone.

Past time to de-slave ourselves.

ETA: We normally get average 15mph with our F150 that has the Eco Boost.
Dropped yesterdays trip to Missoula and back down to 55 and averaged 21.3 by the time I got back home.
 
Just saw this morning here on the mountain regular gas is $6.15/gallon. Diesel is $7.29/gallon.

Just be aware that our illustrious POS Californistan governor wants to run for POTUS.... WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!!! :hof:
 
ShadowMan said:
Just saw this morning here on the mountain regular gas is $6.15/gallon. Diesel is $7.29/gallon.

Just be aware that our illustrious POS Californistan governor wants to run for POTUS.... WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER!!! :hof:
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That’s awful.

They never consider the parent that cries at night trying to decide whether to buy fuel, or good food for theirs kids and instead wind up on a ramen noodle diet with diabetes incoming so they can continue to commute to a job that refuses to raise wages and may soon get rid if them in place of one of Elon’s AI robots. All the while these CEOs are are getting rich off our backs.

Stuff like this is why we are taking much more extreme measures. Can I afford all the BS, yes I can, I make a good living, but why should I just throw money away for them. Screwem. I am done helping them take control. I know I can’t stop it and my living is a fart in the wind in comparison, but I refuse to help.
 
ktrapper said:
Beef prices are next. I mean they already are but will be going higher. Apparently we just made deals with China to sell them oil and beef.
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The beef being sold to China will be shit you wouldn't want to eat, it's the byproducts like tongues, tripe, tendons, and of course hides for the tanneries. For some reason Chinese like this stuff. The US also exports a huge amount of Chicken to China, according to USDA export numbers 85% of the Chicken exported is Chicken Feet, China loves to chew something off those feet. This deal will in no way way take a Rib Eye away from anyone.
 
Cacheman said:
The beef being sold to China will be shit you wouldn't want to eat, it's the byproducts like tongues, tripe, tendons, and of course hides for the tanneries. For some reason Chinese like this stuff. The US also exports a huge amount of Chicken to China, according to USDA export numbers 85% of the Chicken exported is Chicken Feet, China loves to chew something off those feet. This deal will in no way way take a Rib Eye away from anyone.
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Either way beef is going up. Even living right in the middle of ranching country we were able to buy a whole for around $3250 starting price, last year, now the price is $5000. Who knows where is goes froM here.
We are in the process of procuring our own means of beef production but more than likely will start out by purchasing steers from one ranch we found, live on the hoof.
Turn them out on our grass (40 acres worth) for the summer, then butcher ourselves.
 
Oh, I understand, Ktrapper. I'm retiring on June 1, and these price increases have already impacted the budget I made in January, plus I normally do my pantry stocking at fall harvest. I canceled several of my trips this summer and am re-stocking the pantry now, plus buying meat for the freezer before it goes any higher.

This is not the way I had planned to start "retirement," not that I'll really ever "retire" but I need to take some time off to get my knees worked on and get my health back. My workplace has become highly toxic and it was time for a change, no matter what happened.
 
Firebird said:
Painful, and folks aren't likely to forget these prices come the mid terms.
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Is anyone talking about how expensive gas was under Biden? How about assination attempt on Trump? What about the Minn shooting?

My only point is there is too much time still on the clock. Lots of if's.

What if the gas price drops? What if the markets are still up? What if job numbers are up? What if rates come down?
 
hd5574 said:
The first time I remember paying $5.00 a gallon for gas was on a trip to see DHs dad in AZ when Obama was president..most stations were $4.99...still the record high we ever paid..
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I'd have to look at my journal to be sure, but I think it hit $6.22 in Ohio at one point -- not for long. I think the governor paused the gas taxes.
 
ktrapper said:
Either way beef is going up. Even living right in the middle of ranching country we were able to buy a whole for around $3250 starting price, last year, now the price is $5000. Who knows where is goes froM here.
We are in the process of procuring our own means of beef production but more than likely will start out by purchasing steers from one ranch we found, live on the hoof.
Turn them out on our grass (40 acres worth) for the summer, then butcher ourselves.
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I raise them, currently around 90 cows on extremely expensive land in the Midwest near a rapidly developing city. Until the drought in the Plains goes through the cycle it has always done in the past there will not be a chance of rebuilding the national herd. Here in southern Wisconsin it seems we have avoided everything the past few years, even when the drought monitor maps those maps are based on soil moisture and not how much rain .The Drought Monitor maps measure the the total soil moistureand not what anyone sees. We are deficint in total soil mpoisturr

I have been around farming all my life and this is all i can say today and until my crops are safely in a silo a or
grain bin plus my hay shed is I will very quiet wondering what tomorrow brings
 
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As was already stated -- The price of diesel dictates everything we buy and produce (especially farming).

I drive a diesel pickup, and I keep tabs on prices. But as I'm sitting at the pump filling my truck, watching the numbers scroll to oblivion, the average population doesn't realize this. There are many times people go to the gas station, fill up their gasser, and not even pay any attention to the price of diesel. Then they complain that their can of green beans at Walmart is quadruple the price.

I bet if gas was the same price as diesel, or higher, some people wouldn't know what to do. Food or fuel.
 
In our little town 19 miles away, regular was $4 per gallon and diesel was $5 per gallon.

Cost increase of $1.50 per gallon.

This is hurting a lot of people.

President Trump did not look far down the road when he took Iran on and the impact it would have across the world.

Will still vote for Trump because the alternative is socialism.
 
Don’t forget the typical uptick in pump prices due to the Memorial Day holiday travel. They do it every year around all the big holidays. Fuel vendors also are still changing over to warmer weather gas formulation too so that may have an additional effect on the price.
 
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