Shortages

[Alaskan]

We are back above 5 bucks a gallon.

Lack of refineries up here... most of our oil goes south... gets refined, and then has to be hauled back



I always find it maddening!

 

[murphysranch]

Gas went up $1.03 in two weeks here. Last I looked at the cheap station, it was $5.25 a gal. But that's been a few days.

 

[Mini Horses]

They just mention an OPEC change and up price on what's already here.

Been talking COLA for months... no increase because of that! No...wait!!!!!

 

[farmerjan]

Although I don't agree with some of the ways things are done... a friend in the oil and gas industry explained to me that they go up when things like a cutback, or a shortage or say a disaster like a hurricane happens... because the gas station owner/operator has to think ahead to what it is going to cost him to REPLACE the gas in the tanks when he gets his next fillup... AND has to slide it a bit so that it doesn't go up $.50 or $1.00 the next fillup. Say they continued to sell the gas they got delivered for 2.75 a gallon... so with taxes and all they are getting 3.00 gallon at the pump... they have to pay their rent heat lights, etc and so on... OKAY everyone else goes up $.20 at this announcement but he does not so he sells out of gas in 2 days instead of 5.... he can't get a delivery for 3 more days until his scheduled one... his income from "convenience items" in the store goes way down so he is sitting on "nothing"... gets a new delivery and the price is up to 3.25 gallon...so now his gas is priced higher than every one else because they went up some and can afford to average it out a little and since they only went up .20 before , now they are only going up another .20 so they lose a little or just break even on the gas but they have business coming in the door.

I don't agree the way it works, but I do understand it after having it explained to me. It is all about margins...

Honestly, my grandparents had a gas station in Ct. when I was a kid growing up.... went through the gas rationing and even/odd days in the 70's... and I know for a fact that they made a few pennies per gallon on gas... and they did NOT have a convenience store... a soda machine was about it... they did some repairs but towards the end was just a gas station....this was 50 years ago.... but they had a steady clientele for gas and you could make it a little easier... then when the gas rationing hit, and all that, they finally sold out as the land was worth a whole lot more than they could make. It is a different ball game now than it was back then. Gas is actually just the "convenience" thing that gets the people in the door....

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

It was 3.69 yesterday. 3.59 on Friday. Diesel was 4.76 last I looked at it.
Pop explained it to me years ago. The profit margin was always low. Store owner/ service station only made a few cents off each gallon. There's only one old time gas/ service station I know of around here. His draw has always been they filled your pump for the same price and it's one of the best reliable service places around. Full auto shop, I had a Buick rebuilt there in the 80s. Same family since the 50s.
Convenience store now has to have gas, beer, lottery and some kind of quick good food. Fried chicken, hot and cold subs/sandwiches. Plus they are all corporations. All the Mom and Pops are gone except on the islands or little towns to far off the main road.

 

[farmerjan]

@Grizzlyhackle yeah it is a shame that all the convenience stores are now the "gas/service stations" of old....
Gas here at the station I got it for 3.32 just as it was going up is now 3.49. The diesel here is 5.15 and there is a range of 4.59 to 4.99 in the 20 miles between here and town to the north.... Crazy.

 

[Grizzlyhackle]

And today regular is 3.75 in Md. 3.59 in Delaware. Diesel in Delaware now 4.95-5.05.
I stopped to get a bale of hay on the way home. 9$. I asked was it something new and special.
Can't find the old receipt but I'd swore it was 7$ not that long ago.
Dr. Pepper is 5$ a six pack at food lion. 3.33 at Wally world. I'm confused.
So I walk past the coolers and meat displays in Walmart and they're about half full or less. Did something happen today I ain't aware of? Maybe it was during a rush or shift change.
Go to checkout, 30 people standing in line to use the do it yourself checkout. So I keep walking. Nobody in line at the express, 2 other cashier's talking. People are truly lemmings.
Last has anybody seen Muncho's in the stores lately? I've tried for 2 weeks to get just one bag.
The only bright spot was going to CVS and get a prescription. 3$ for 90 days. Thank God DW has Blue Cross.

 

[SageHill]

I stopped to get a bale of hay on the way home. 9$. I asked was it something new and special.
Can't find the old receipt but I'd swore it was 7$

Wait - what the heck - $9 a bale --- good Lord I'd take that any day in a heartbeat. Don't out here (So Cal) a bail is ........$27 alfalfa.

 

[Mike CHS]

I guess that griping about $5 a bale from the field wouldn't be a good idea.

 

[farmerjan]

I guess that griping about $5 a bale from the field wouldn't be a good idea.

Nope, not a good idea to gripe about $5...... we are getting $8 a sq bale now.... farm I went and tested this evening is getting $9 a sq bale of good orchard grass...