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Post by papaof2 on Nov 10, 2021 17:36:31 GMT -6
They're in the "jack up gasoline prices for the holidays" season.
Local price for unleaded regular was $3.099 two weeks ago, then it dropped a few cents. Then the tanker came and refilled the stations' tanks and it went to $3.199 - with no drop in price before the tanker came today and refilled the tanks and the price is now $3.259. Two weeks to Thanksgiving so two more opportunities for the price to rise. Not a problem for us, as my truck's tank is full (not sure of the better half's SUV, but we usually "fill at half"). We have no holiday travel planned. With 20 gallons of treated gas in the equipment shed, we're cushioned for a while.
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Post by gipsy on Nov 10, 2021 18:39:59 GMT -6
The fillup today at Costco was 3.29, cheaper by 30 cents then the other places
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 10, 2021 20:58:26 GMT -6
The closest Costco (6+ miles) was $3.079 this morning or $0.18/gallon cheaper. If I needed more than a half tank - as in also filling some 5 gallon cans - then it might be worth the trip today. We almost always top off the tanks when we are by there - "fill at half" includes topping off with gas that's cheaper by $0.10/gallon or more. I'm retired, so it's worth my time to stop for good deals ;-)
I check gasbuddy.com (there are also local versions, such as http://www.atlantagasprices.com) several times a week - more to be informed than for an immediate need. We know how much we'll be driving within maybe 10% so we can plan most gas purchases and avoid the holiday/weekend price peaks. Unlike the years we drove to see a set of grandparents every Thanksgiving and the parents every Christmas - load the car and go, regardless of price.
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Post by iamnobody on Nov 11, 2021 18:47:49 GMT -6
$3.559 per gallon around here for regular grade
I may have to soon go "green" and ride a bicycle or get a horse.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 11, 2021 19:52:26 GMT -6
$3.559 per gallon around here for regular grade I may have to soon go "green" and ride a bicycle or get a horse. The ultimate "green" transportation with power assist might be a bike with electric motor assist that you charge with solar panels ;-) An adult trike is big enough and stable enough to mount a couple of 100 watt solar panels as sun shade, rain protection, limited power while in motion and charging while parked. They also usually have a decent cargo basket. If you limit your "pedal out" distance to half the rated battery miles, you should always have power for the return trip. On level ground on a sunny day, you light have almost unlimited "solar power" miles ;-) I've debated modifying the pink Barbie Jeep the grands loved some 10-12 years ago with a cargo comparment (basket on a scissor jack) instead of seats and using a very nice Vex remote control transmitter and receiver to have a powered "shopping cart". Walk to the nearest grocery (about 1/2 mile), "driving" the pink cart. In the store, raise the basket to a convenient height and load it up. Go through checkout and everything back in the basket so the basket can go back down for stability in transit. "Drive" my purchases home and into the garage for easy transfer to the kitchen. That would also work for a trip to a restaurant (1/2 mile) or the Post Office or County Library branch (2 miles). I could even use that to take a couple of 5 gallon cans to the gas station to buy gas for the mower or generator - the maximum load is something like 120lbs - and that certainly beats carrying 50lbs of gas + can in each hand for that half mile back home ;-) If you can get it through US Customs and the US vehicle safety regulations, there's a Chinese electric car that looks about big enough for two adults and two kids in single digit ages for under $10,000 (plu$ $hipping). It's top speed is something like 35mph so slightly better than a golf cart but the per mile cost to run it is small. There are some even smaller vehicles (max of two people) for less. Go to aliexpress.com and search for electric car.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 27, 2021 22:09:14 GMT -6
We're almost at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday and the price of gas locally dropped to and has been stable at $3.199 for more than a week. I was surprised when it didn't go up another dime or so for the holiday. Guess they're holding that increase until the Christmas travel season...
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Post by bluefox2 on Nov 28, 2021 19:56:48 GMT -6
We are currently down around $2.72 in Leavenworth. The Kansas City area in general is around $3.05 or so
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Post by gipsy on Nov 28, 2021 20:57:05 GMT -6
If you guys feel something wet on your backs, it might be puke from those prices. 50 to 70 cents more here.
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Post by papaof2 on Nov 28, 2021 21:31:33 GMT -6
If I needed to make the 12 mile round trip to Costco, they're $2.999 today.
I do need 5 gallons of diesel, but it's $3.449 locally and there's no posting for Costco today. I might even get my diesel parking heater set up and tested this week - not that I need it with one day being 70F but January might be a different story...
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Post by iamnobody on Nov 29, 2021 9:10:32 GMT -6
$3.66 gal for regular here
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Post by gipsy on Nov 29, 2021 16:47:12 GMT -6
Costco 3.19 today
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Post by bluefox2 on Nov 30, 2021 6:52:22 GMT -6
As of last night some stations in Leavenworth, Ks were down to $2.69. I like it because I buy a tank of gas every morning for my job. I work as a delivery driver using my own truck.
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 7, 2021 19:09:20 GMT -6
As of 30 minutes ago, the nearest station has unleaded regular for $3.159 and diesel for $3.049. If I hadn't needed diesel for the parking heater I'll be testing this month, I'd have no idea that the actual price is less than unleaded. The next station up the road has diesel on their sign at $3.499 and guasbuddy.com has been showing area diesel prices around $3.449. You only know for sure when you look at the pump...
FYI. At maximum output (5,000 watts or about 17,000BTU) then parking heater should run about 19 hours on 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of diesel. That's about $0.42/hour for that level of heat or about $0.08/kWH which is competitive with grid power. If you were heating a small space - van, small RV - you might be running the heater at half it's maximum output and spending $0.21/hour for heat.
Where are you? What are your options for heating your space? What does that heat cost by the hour? What are the plus and minus factors of each possible heat source?
I'm trying to configure some things that would work for an extended period without our usual infrastructure (Texas in February 2021). Alternate fuels would include kerosene (50/50 kero and diesel is recommended to prevent gelling of the diesel in extreme cold so that's an acceptable fuel all year. Straight kero doesn't have the lubricity needed to prevent wear in the "dosing pump" - fuel is fed 0.02ml per "dose" to control the burn rate and thus the heat output - although 2-cycle oil might be acceptable if only kero was available. (100 to 1? 200 to 1? Just trying to get a "little" lubrication in the kero to keep the pump happy.)
You would need to have a spare glowplug ($30-$40), controller ($15-$20), pump ($15), etc. to do your own repairs in an "infrastructure down" event. If you're providing a battery just for the heater, the minimum would be a 100AH AGM battery that gets recharged at the same time daily or two 100AH AGM batteries if you can't provide consistent charge rates and times. A 100AH LiFePO4 battery might be competitive in price with two AGM batteries and would have longer life - typically 4,000 cycles or more at 80% DOD. 4000 cycles/365.25 days/year = 10.95 years
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 12, 2021 17:26:42 GMT -6
Today, that station is at the high end of the local diesel prices at $3.479. At least I got my fuel for testing the parking heater at a bargain price.
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 17, 2021 11:59:50 GMT -6
Yesterday, the nearest gas station with diesel had it for $3.479/gallon (unleaded regular was $3.159). Today, their diesel posted as $3.299 (unleaded regular is $3.139). The next 4 stations have diesel for $3.449 or $3.459 - there seems to be zero logic in the price variations of diesel in this area.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 17, 2021 14:25:24 GMT -6
Costco was 2.99 yesterday Regular
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 17, 2021 15:14:17 GMT -6
Nearest Costco (6 miles) is $2.79 today.
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 17, 2021 19:05:42 GMT -6
Regular gas down to $3.55 here
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Post by gipsy on Dec 17, 2021 20:48:58 GMT -6
You have to remember the tax rate here. Everything in your wallet, and a couple gold Eagles to boot.
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 17, 2021 21:24:34 GMT -6
Some days, everything in my wallet probably couldn't start a fire in a Crisco can...
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 18, 2021 10:28:23 GMT -6
Regular gas just jumped back up to $3.60
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Post by willc453 on Dec 18, 2021 20:13:39 GMT -6
Reno, NV. here. Gas was $4 a gallon, dropped to $3.89 the other day.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 24, 2021 15:28:09 GMT -6
Costco was 2.89 for reg today
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Post by biggkidd on Dec 24, 2021 19:21:45 GMT -6
$3.25 for some time here in southern Va
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Post by 9idrr on Dec 25, 2021 10:25:46 GMT -6
Last time I looked, my station was $4.199 for Regular. Butte County.
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