You need to prepare for an even bigger increase
Gas prices are continuing to rise nationwide with no end in sight.
Many of us are over the $4 a gallon mark at this point. Every night, gas prices are needing to be changed on signs to keep up with the continual uptick.
There seems to be no plan or end game in sight. With no plan in action, you need to know your options when it comes to combatting the issue.
The first thing you need to do is start a budget. Make a monthly budget and plan for how much you think you’ll be spending for the month. I understand this can be tough because the prices are changing, so guess on the high side.
Once you have that number, try your best to not go over it. This means not taking needless trips to see friends in a neighboring state. It means missing out on weekend activities if it’s a far drive.
I know this sucks to hear, but if you want to save money on gas, some of the unnecessary drives need to be cut out. If you don’t want to cut them out, know that you will need to plan more money for gas every month.
The next thing you can do is try to work remotely. Remote work cuts out all the driving time needed to go to work and back.
This especially helps if you are driving an hour or more each way. Depending on the type of job you have, this may or may not be feasible.
If your work is more administrative, you might be able to work from home, at least for a short amount of time. Talk to your boss and make sure you have valid points to back it up.
Remote work is much more popular nowadays thanks to covid. Take advantage of the situation and find a job where you can stay home. A Google search will pull up many companies that have 100% remote work.
Third, you can get a more fuel-efficient car. Again, this may or not be doable for you, but it'll help. If you drive a gas guzzler as the daily commuter, maybe it's time to think more about a fuel-efficient option.
If you need a truck because you have a landscaping or plowing business, then you might not want to sell it.
The option that everyone can is to budget. Make a budget and prepare. Be aware of what you should be spending for the month. It’ll make you feel much more comfortable with your finances as a whole.
This is implied, but you should budget out all of your income and outcome for the month. Don’t just budget for gas.
Budgeting will help you feel more in control and will help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety you’re feeling.
