[MNJohnnie]

You may not think it makes much of a difference, but if it continues, you'll see a lot of stores closing because people spend their entire discretionary income on overpriced energy.

You may actually want to try looking at the data about what % of income people spend on their "energy" rather then just emoting. Conservative think, we do response to vapid emoting. Your statements on this thread are pure hysteric emotionalism that do not have any base in fact.

If you burn 20 gallons of gas a week, which is a considerable amount of gas for the average person and the price goes up to $5.00 the change in cost to you each week is 20 x$2.50 = $50.00 a week or $200 a month. Since the price rise lasts about 4 months out of the year, that is an annual increase in cost of about $800.00

That is NOT going to require the average family to significantly change their lifestyle. Maybe they will eat more home cooked meals rather then going out or buy more generic rather then name brand products or cut back on some of their leisure time activity but it is NOT going to cause an Economic Depression.

[wagglebee]

It’s the whole mindset where people are doing okay themselves, but they think everyone else is a paycheck away from the soup lines.

[mysterio]

YOU'RE going to tell me about facts v emotion? That's a real laugh.

If everyone stops spending $200 per month in discretionary spending, don't you think that might have a bit of an effect on the overall economy? Especially after you add in the fact that NG heat bills are jumping and that the cost of everything transported is skyrocketing due to fuel prices. So it isn't the $200 figure you quote. It's actually much more.

If you make your living selling or making something non-essential, you'll find out soon enough.

[Iscool]

Mp>That is NOT going to require the average family to significantly change their lifestyle. Maybe they will eat more home cooked meals rather then going out or buy more generic rather then name brand products or cut back on some of their leisure time activity but it is NOT going to cause an Economic Depression.

I'm sensing you don't have a clue...

Truck drivers are spending over a thousand bucks to fill their gas tanks...

Every time the gas price goes up, anywhere, the cost is passed on to the consumer...

All plastics use petroleum as part of their make-up...

The price of coal, natural gas an propane have sky-rocketed as well, (just to keep pace with the gas suppliers I suppose)...

If it was just gasoline for our vehicles, you may be on the right track...But that's not the case...