Gas prices are impacting us all. Obviously when John and I go back South in September, we’ll be paying higher costs to fuel our GMC diesel truck, which is our long-distance vehicle. (Our Saturn just wouldn’t make it!)

Right now diesel fuel is $4.779 per gallon in this area!! It’s hard to remember that back in 2006 we complained when it went over $2.00 per gallon! The trip to Florida and back, based on today’s diesel prices, will cost us about $744 round trip!!

I’m flying down to Florida alone to see how Mom’s doing in less than two weeks. Last year when I did this solo trip, I rented a car for the ten days I was down there, but this time I’ve decided that the high cost of gas makes such a rental beyond my means. Instead I hope to get by with our electric golf cart. The savings will justify a second solo flight to Florida in August to check on Mom.

I booked my flights many months ago but now it would cost me about $200 more for a flight to Tampa from the Tri-City (MBS) area. (I’ll need to watch and book for any trips I plan for the future well in advance.)

So I’ll use a shuttle service to get to and from the Tampa airport, and when I get to the condo, I’ll get by with our four-seater golf cart (with sides – when needed). Sun City Center is a golf-cart-friendly community. I can go from Beall’s and Home Depot on the west side of town to Publix on the east-most end.

Walmart is across a highway from Publix, and golf carts can’t cross that highway, but I can park at Publix. With my wheeled shopping cart, I can trot across to Walmart and shop to my heart’s content then come back to my golf cart parked at Publix.

Most of my trips will be back and forth to the South Club pool which is about a five minute (by golf cart trip) and to visit Mom (again about five minutes). If I need a car, I can rent one from Enterprise which has a local outlet.

It’ll take planning, but I figure, if I can get by with just the golf cart, I’ll save over $250-$300 in car rental costs not including the cost of fuel. My airlines tickets are $322-$350! So my gas savings, based on not renting a car, will cover the expense for a second trip in August.

When’s the inflationary rise in the price of fuel going to stop? It’s really changing the way we do things.