US gas prices, 45th cheapest of 155 countries

mrblanche

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Most of the countries on the "cheapest" list are either major oil exporters, or they are subsidizing the price. For example, a significant portion of Venezuela's budget is used up in subsidizing gas prices.

Those with the highest prices are mostly those who have used gasoline as a tax provider to support other projects, and, if the users actually cut their gasoline purchases, the countries will have real problems with those projects (such as nationalized health care).

We have the same problem with cigarettes in this country. The price has finally gotten high enough that total tax revenues are down.
 

theimp98

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also, more money people here spend on gas.
less they buy. Less we buy more it hurts the world Economy.

when i was living in hong kong, the us went into a mild recession.
half the people i knew there. got laid off.

I hate to say, but to some degree the world depends on the west, not just the US to buy buy buy
 

alleygirl

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Originally Posted by TigerOnTheProwl

Wow, compared to us, your gas costs nothing. Here it's 131.9 cents per liter. Per gallon, that would be about $5.27.
What is your minimum wage though? Here it is $5.85 per hour.
 

beck4582

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When I bought gas the other day it was $3.47. Something has got to give eventually. I'm going broke because of gas. At some point I'm going to have to start choosing between food and gas. I know a lot of American families are already at that point.
 

babyharley

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Originally Posted by Beck4582

When I bought gas the other day it was $3.47. Something has got to give eventually. I'm going broke because of gas. At some point I'm going to have to start choosing between food and gas. I know a lot of American families are already at that point.
It went up 20 cents here in a week. Monday it was at $3.39 - last night it went back up to $3.59. Its unreal & so expensive
I cannot even imagine paying $5.00 a gallon - I would walk everywhere!
 

natalie_ca

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48 hours ago according to the internet, it was $1.30 per litre (there are 4 litres per gallon).

So that's $5.20 per gallon.

The cheapest place 48 hours ago was a bit over $1.22 per litre. That's $4.92 per gallon.

They are predicting that it will hit $1.50 per litre ($6.00 per gallon) soon.

EDIT: Just noticed that they give today's rate......just under $1.29 per litre ($5.16 per gallon). One year ago it was $1.09 per litre ($4.36 per gallon).

http://www.winnipeggasprices.com/
 

save_adopt

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i try my bset to not let things like this work me up, but im starting to get scared. were going broke with gas money too
 

carolpetunia

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The prices are artificial, though (at least in the U.S.), controlled by corporate and governmental manipulation. The war in Iraq is part of that manipulation.

At this moment, the U.S. has spent $517 billion dollars on the Iraq war -- over $340 million PER DAY. Not to mention over 4,000 U.S. dead and nearly 30,000 U.S. wounded. I won't comment on whether the war in Iraq is valid, useful, or winnable.

What else could we have done with that $517 billion dollars? I'm thinking we could have covered national security to a faretheewell, fed and sheltered our entire homeless population, established universal healthcare, and bought ice cream cones for every single American -- and still have had enough money left for the technology and programs to drastically reduce both the demand for and the price of foreign oil.

I believe there will be an upturn in our economy after this election, but it will be decades before the devastation of these eight years can be repaired... if ever.
 

katiemae1277

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I think it's pretty gosh darn coincidental that we are seeing the higher gas prices EVER right as our tax rebates are coming out
 

beck4582

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I really do long for the days when I could fill up my tank for $10... Now it costs me over $40. It's just really sad. No one used to even *think* about how much gas costs, cause it didn't really effect their day to day life, but now, I work for about HALF a day just to have the gas money to come to work each week. That's sad...
 

jcat

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The difference is staggering. As of late March, U.S. gas prices averaged $3.45 a gallon. That compares to over $8 a gallon across much of Europe.
And then there's the varying distances people drive, the public transportation options available, and the different services people get in exchange for high gas prices.
I live in Germany, and we're paying well over $8 a gallon. The last time we filled up, with diesel, mind you, it came to just under €100 = $154. That should last us at least a month and a half, although our car is fairly large
(VW Passat station wagon).

We live in a semi-rural area, but aren't dependent on cars to commute to work. I have a 2-hour commute by train (plus a half-hour wait on my way home), and hubby has a 1-hour commute by bicycle, mainly along bicycle paths. I can read, mark tests, surf the Web, etc., while commuting, and he gets a good physical work-out while enjoying nature. We're not stressed out by traffic jams. We have three large supermarkets, three banks, a number of bakeries and butcher shops, a bookstore, a greengrocer's, etc., all within walking distance. I hardly ever use the car in our town. In a pinch, I could take Jamie to a vet on foot or by bike.

I'm quite familiar with the situation in the U.S., having been born and having grown up there, and I spend around one month a year there now, so I have some basis for comparison. Not enough is invested in public transportation there, and forget about town planning! If you live in a suburb, you're "stranded", and totally dependent on cars.
 

carolpetunia

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Originally Posted by jcat

Not enough is invested in public transportation there, and forget about town planning! If you live in a suburb, you're "stranded", and totally dependent on cars.
You are so right! Where I live, the heat is so wretched most of the year that walking or biking would be impossible, but where it can be done, we should design for it. An air-cooled underground tunnel network for bikes and pedestrians would extend the season considerably. Just think how much oil would be saved, how much pollution would be eliminated, and how many people would be in better health!

A few forward-thinking developments have been built around here, with multi-unit residential combined with shopping, dining, offices, and parking garages... but they're all so upscale that no mere mortal can afford them!
 

oscarsmommy

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I have a 12 gallon tank and it takes me $40 to fill up!!

I saw that this morning it went from $3.58 to $3.79 in a day
 

forensic

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Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

What is your minimum wage though? Here it is $5.85 per hour.
I think in Saskatchewan it's... $8.60... ish... 'bout eight and a half, American, anyway. Probably higher than some places, though...

In any case, that's about the same ratio (fuel cost : minimum wage) as here right about now... I think it's about the same in the UK.

But you have to consider how much people here drive compared to many other places in the world, though there are other exceptions. *sigh*
 

tara g

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It went down about 10 cents a gallon around here this past week, now holding steady at $3.45-3.49 depending on where you go. I remember when gas hit $1/gal and everyone freaked out. But we dont let it bother us too much - we've gotta buy it, since we both work 25 miles away from our house at well paying jobs. We bought our "gas-saver" though, a 92 Integra that gets 30mpg, and we fill up about 1.5x a week for $35-40.

I do think the prices are ridiculous though. I think I'll move to Venezuela!
 
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