[Personal] The trips are getting less frequent

Many of you know that Jean’s (ownedbytwins) family is from Massachusetts. We’ve been together now going on 11 years, and we’ve regularly gone back to MA to visit. It’s about a 6 hour trip from where we are, and although tiring, it’s something that can be done in a weekend.

It’s starting to get more difficult now financially though. I mean, it’s tough enough with the twins eating us out of house and home, but filling up the car with gas is really starting to become ridiculous! Let’s give an example. Back in 1996, Gas averaged about $1.27/ga, and that was for PREMIUM. Makes me laugh to look back at the discussion of rising gas prices 10 years ago.

I haven’t bought premium gasoline in years. I don’t even bother looking at the price. I simply get the cheapest regular gas pumped. This weekend when we traveled, we paid $2.85/ga. That’s double what it was in ’96, at least against the average. In some areas of the country it’s even worse than that, or it’s going to be real soon.

We bought the minivan because we needed the space for the twins. But when it costs me $46.00 to fill up the tank, and I have to do it once to go there, and once to get back, I really need to start evaluating if I’m better off spending my $92 someplace else. Hell, I wind up putting the gas on the charge card when we go, because last thing I need to do is overdraw the back account trying to put stupid gasoline in my car. Figured I’d deal with it when I got back.

This summer, when we have the twins’ birthday party, the MA folk are coming down to visit us. They’ve got large family cars, trailers, and campers. I can’t even imagine how much it’s going to cost them to come down and visit us for a few days.

Current Mood:  depressed