Consumer Pain Goes Beyond The Pump

[onehandle]

Source: Washington Post

Two dollars for pizza delivery. An extra $1.70 to ship a $20 package. And a $10 surcharge for lawn-mowing service.

The rising cost of fuel is rippling far beyond what consumers pay at the pump. Companies across an array of industries are instituting fuel surcharges that are nibbling away at consumers' pocketbooks. Like the airline industry with its baggage fees, businesses say they are being squeezed by higher gas prices and must pass on the costs to survive.

"We're going to be paying higher costs across the board whether you pay it in the form of a surcharge or you pay it in the form of higher prices," said Noreen Perrotta, finance editor at Consumer Reports, who recently paid an extra $10 to have her lawn mowed. "We'd better get used to it, and we better start budgeting for it."

Soaring gas prices are pushing Americans to shop for bargains, change their driving patterns and vacation at home. But less attention has been paid to the impact of the many small and often indirect ways that consumers are paying for gas, and generally, there are no regulations governing how fuel surcharges are calculated or implemented.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/23/AR2008062302497.html

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File this 'top story' from the Post under, "no shit, this was apparent months ago, Sherlock."

[dipsydoodle]

1. Some of those things can be overcome

like cooking your pizza and going out and buying a lawnmower.

[MissHoneychurch]

2. And again someone will be out of work

it is not a solution. Even though homemade pizza tastes a lot better.

[Dr.Phool]

5. WTF?

I mow my own grass, and make my own pizza on occasion. How am I putting someone out of work?

I've never been able to afford a lawn service.

[MissHoneychurch]

6. If suddenly everybody starts that

then yes, it will put people out of work.

[Dr.Phool]

7. It could be called survival.

[MissHoneychurch]

8. So people who depend on those jobs

are supposed to lose even the little money they make?

Yes, the stronger survives, I just thought we don't live in the middle age any more

[Jack_DeLeon]

16. ROFLMAO...

I'm sorry, I guess according to you we should just keep paying money anyways just so the pizza guy doesnt go out of business.

I started cutting my own hair so I wouldnt have to drive into town and pay for a haircut, and also cause i wanted to learn a new skill, I guess I'm just a heartless bastard.

But seriously you either adapt or you die, that is supposed to be figuratively, but I suppose these days and in the future when oil is even in more short supply that could be quite literally if you dont prepare.

[dipsydoodle]

12. Good on you

Can't say I make my pizzas though - not clever enough : just buy them at supermarket and freeze ready for heating up whenever.

There would be little point in bleating to someone who's poor about the increased cost of lawn service and mowing the lawn is good exercise anyway.

[Hekate]

3. Meals on Wheels is staffed by retiree volunteers who use their own cars & gas...guess what?

Talk about an "oh shit" moment. Parents who carpool after-school teams to practice and games are hurting, too.

Hekate

[Jack_DeLeon]

17. Kind of sucks but honestly...

school sports are a "luxury."

So I wouldnt be exactly weeping for the soccer moms when there are so many others in the world with real problems.

[Dr.Phool]

4. We thought about flying to Vegas this week-end.

Prices were insane.

We have a Sun Cruz (non-Abramoff) gambling boat about 10 minutes away. We'll be spending today out in the Gulf.

[Roland99]

9. Thanks to Greenspan and the ideo of "substitution", I have no inflation!

Thanks, Alan!


But, uh, when the store brands are getting more expensive, where do I go next?


Food prices are going thru the roof!

[pattmarty]

10. Does anyone here remember the "first" gas crisis in the 70's?

Every fucking thing went up in price. Petroleum is linked to so many things for crying out loud that there is barely a few things that won't be impacted. Jobs, pizzas, lawn mowing are just a few of these. When the price of fuel goes up, it effects EVERYTHING.

[MiniMe]

11. I remember. Its different because supply was short then

I remember waiting in those gas lines, and only being able to get gas on odd or even days depending on your license plate. I remember waiting in line for gas for hours, and then the gas station running out just when you got there, or running out of gas while in line.

We sure don't seem to be having shortages now.

[Jack_DeLeon]

18. Because we dont have an embargo...

and also due to the fact that we are willing to pay more for gas that ensures our supply for as long as it lasts.

If we arent embargoed and we start having actual shortages well then you can assume the end is pretty fucking nigh.

[Javaman]

14. Yup, I made a killing...

I was 13 at the time and set up a "coffee stand". I bought my first computer that way.

[K Gardner]

13. The parking lot at my local "Big Lots" was filled with Jaguars, Mercedes and Lexus' last week..

first time I've EVER seen that. The restaurants around here last Fri and Sat night were virtually deserted. It was quite eerie.

[union_maid]

15. Home heating fuel

That's the one I can't get past. Sure, we keep it cooler in the winter, but there's a limit and if it's a cold one, I literally don't know how we're paying the bill. Everything else is drip, drip, drip, but that one's a KAPOW!And yes, every time we give up something to offset the added expense we do a little toward loss of jobs. We got big problems.