Gas prices.

[notsobigjoe]

Hi guys, so let me start with the most pertinent statement I can make regarding my post. It is not meant in any political fashion or statement what so ever so if you steer the thread that way then it's on you.
I had 18 trips booked this year and have canceled several of them including seeing my father in Rome New York who is 84. It's just to expensive. I did however fill all of the canceled slots with local small campgrounds that are a plenty here in Central Florida. I found them all here on this campground page.

https://campgrounds.rvlife.com/regions/florida

Making the best of it and hoping it doesn't get to much worse or I'll have to cancel more.
Anyway, I'm sure all of you are thinking the same thing and wondering what those thoughts were.
Joe

[AKsilvereagle]

trail-explorer wrote:
At least 5 years ago I started putting money into an extra bank account I have.
I've turned that money into my "camping and recreation fund" savings account.
The money from that account goes towards fuel for my vacations and camping trips.

Because that money sits there and isn't used for anything else, it's not a huge hit to my main bank account to go camping.

This is also what I exactly done when I finally had the opportunity to obtain a Canadian Bank Account since 2009 and designated it as my "vacation and travel fund" as I generally take my vacations in Canada (except the past two COVID years of course)...

I had reached the "balance maxed out limit" over time in compliance without having to declare or report it to the feds (IRS) reference to the FBAR rules....In the meantime I can also exchange an unlimited amount of funds without tapping into my Canadian account balance (which I currently do) as the Canadian Dollar is still somewhat in the toilet compared to US Dollars....

Once the Canadian Dollar gets stronger again (at $1.15 CAD or lower per USD) I will pilf on the account and spend more out of it because of my gaining benefit side of purchasing power I invested over the years (balance sitting at flat $1.15 CAD)...

As my Canada vacations in total expenses average 68% in fuel purchases alone, that dictates whether I exchange money and spend it on fuel (still much higher than $1.15 exchange rate) and leave my account balance alone or whenever I decide to just tap into the account whenever I want knowing I got three or four vacation years sitting there to fund it !!!!

The down side to all this gas price drama we have to endure is that since I turned 16 years old, I have had to work two full time jobs for 41 years of the 44 total years that I have been in the workforce....

...Because - everytime I pull up to a gas pump . . . I work for THE OIL COMPANY !!!!

[monkey44]

Years ago, we tossed all our change into a five gallon water bottle ... remember those, from home coolers? When it filled, we spent days rolling coins. We bought a brand new flat screen TV with it.

Most folks today spend on CC and get no change ... so a separate bank account for 'spare money' makes more sense. In fact we have several accounts for specific payouts. Mortgage is one. Annual payout for insurance, HOI and Vehicles. And one - our favorite - for camping and entertainment. We deposit into each one for the month when the retirement deposits arrive.

[mr__ed]

trail-explorer wrote:
At least 5 years ago I started putting money into an extra bank account I have.
I've turned that money into my "camping and recreation fund" savings account.
The money from that account goes towards fuel for my vacations and camping trips.

Because that money sits there and isn't used for anything else, it's not a huge hit to my main bank account to go camping.

I remember when folks would put their spare change in a large bottle. Over time, they would get so heavy and filled with many $$ of coins.

[notsobigjoe]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Notsobigjoe Last year at this time I was in a park at Smyrna Beach at about $300+ a month. Pretty nice place but I don't remember the name.

Good price! I have no idea which one it was but that's a great price. I know if you go north to aster or west to mount Dora you can get some really great campgrounds for dirt cheap. My father stayed at Astor for years at 300 a month and he loved it. It's a bit rural up there but he loved it anyway. Beverly beach where I'm a pretty regular occurrence is over a hundred a night for me but that's in Flagler. New Smyrna beach campground is pretty good but I didn't think they had monthly reservations, Of course I don't know I just hear from other people. There's the KOA in Daytona which is off the beach but party central. If you remember what campground it was I'd love to know. Thanks for the chat!
Here is a great link
https://campgrounds.rvlife.com/regions/florida
Joe
here is a great link.

[philh]

snowbird friend heading home from FL today, texted me and said truck stops are 5.50 for D

[ferndaleflyer]

Notsobigjoe Last year at this time I was in a park at Smyrna Beach at about $300+ a month. Pretty nice place but I don't remember the name.

[time2roll]

mr. ed wrote:
Some of the best fuel mileage ever achieved took place centuries ago:

Spanish sailing ships regularly got thousands of miles per galleon. 😄

Continues and is growing today with wind generation and charging electric vehicles.

TX has the most wind power and soon will have the largest EV factory in the US.

[monkey44]

Here in Central Florida, yesterday ... $4.24 regular gas. We're a bit rural, and I suspect it's much higher in Orlando.

[Lightning55]

Gas is getting pretty pricey in CA. $6.55 for premium.

[Tom_Barb]

You know your couch is old when the fuel in it is worth more that the couch it's self.

[trail-explorer]

At least 5 years ago I started putting money into an extra bank account I have.
I've turned that money into my "camping and recreation fund" savings account.
The money from that account goes towards fuel for my vacations and camping trips.

Because that money sits there and isn't used for anything else, it's not a huge hit to my main bank account to go camping.

[mr__ed]

Some of the best fuel mileage ever achieved took place centuries ago:

Spanish sailing ships regularly got thousands of miles per galleon. 😄

[BarneyS]

I copied the following from Facebook and believe the author is a lady called Caitriona Loughrey I think it might be appropriate here so here it is. Enjoy 🙂
Barney

Barely the Day Started
Barely the day started and
it's already six in the evening.
Barely arrived on Monday
and it's already Friday.
.. and the month is already over.
.. and the year is almost over.
.. and already 40, 50 or 60 years
of our lives have passed.
.. and we realize that we lost
our parents, friends.
.. and we realize it's too late
to go back.
So.. Let's try, despite
everything, to enjoy
the remaining time.
Let's keep looking for
activities that we like.
Let's put some color in
our grey.
Let's smile at the little
things in life that put
balm in our hearts.
And despite everything,
we must continue to enjoy
with serenity this time we
have left.
Let's try to eliminate the
afters..
I'm doing it after.
I'll say after.
I'll think about it after.
We leave everything for
later like '' after '' is ours.
Because what we don't
understand is that:
Afterwards, the coffee
gets cold.
afterwards, priorities change.
Afterwards, the charm is
broken.
Afterwards, health passes.
Afterwards, the kids grow up.
Afterwards parents get old.
Afterwards, promises are
forgotten.
Afterwards, the day becomes
the night.
Afterwards, life ends.
And then it's often too late.
So.. Let's leave nothing for
later.
Because still waiting to see
later, we can lose the
best moments, the best
experiences, best friends,
the best family.
The day is today. The
moment is now.
We are no longer at the
age where we can afford
to postpone what needs
to be done right away."
It Looks Like An Eternity,
But It's A Short Trip,
Enjoy Life And Always
Be Kind

[notsobigjoe]

mr. ed wrote:
I’m not rving at this time due to a disability, but my heart is still with the lifestyle. Due to fuel costs I would definitely cut back on the cross country journeys I used to take and concentrate in just one area of the country. In my case, that would probably be the southwest. I would also likely stay in one location for an extended time to save on fuel costs.

In the future I think Rvers will find it a little more difficult to find spaces available as long as fuel prices continue to spike and world conditions generally continue to worsen.

I still think RVing will be the cheapest route to go. we are going out to New Smyrna Beach for my wife's birthday and the room on the beach is 399.00 for 1 night. Now I always liked the higher end RV camps but that 3 - 4 nights in my world. But 90.00 for 20 gallons will play a factor from now on. Will we get used to it? I won't at my income bracket but it won't beat me at my favorite thing to do.