Gas as a % of income

[boxchain]

Rural US Takes Worst Hit as Gas Tops $4/gal

This article makes the interesting point that it's not the SoCal-ians with their $4.50 gas that is really being seriously impacted, it's the people in the rural south and west that are truly being hurt by gas prices. Since their incomes are very low and gas usage high (through both living far away from anything and driving old beat up trucks), they are spending a serious amount of their money on gas.

Keep in mind this is on average and I'm sure there are plenty of people in CA who are too poor to drive to the store, and people in the south don't need exotic mortgages to buy a house.

So, what are you paying as a percentage of income?

[Red]

Erm you don't want to know......suffice to say there isn't an option for it

[getnpsi]

I'd say over 10% when im a nice guy and I fill up the gf's car.

[elhigh]

My numbers would be a lot more alarming if my wife and I didn't share the ride.

[MetroMPG]

I put $119 worth of gas in my car in 2007. $75 this year so far. (Sheesh. No wonder the rotors rust up.)

But I don't commute (work from home), and I bike most of the year for local trips in an ideally sized city for cycling. And this winter, I offset a fair proportion of what would have been gas-powered local driving with the ForkenSwift.

Who are the other sub 1% people? Either you drive little, or you're making some decent coin!

[fshagan]

Its an interesting question ... I'd have to add up my wife and my use. I do know that a gallon of gas is cheaper for us now than it was in the gas crunch of the 1970's (it was about 25% of my hourly rate, where now it is under 10%).

[getnpsi]

Oh wow if you want to play gallon of gas vs hourly rate im in the serious poor house. I spend about $50 a week on the aspire. I was spending about $60 a week on the other car, BEFORE the gas prices went over $3.75 for PREMIUM. Now around here its $4.29 for 87oct.

[meemooer]

gas is 37% of my hourly rate. I spend at least 200 a week on gas, including weekend errands and helping friends out for a small amount of pay. I work 50 hours a week just to offset the cost of fuel. i figure $160+ a week in overtime helps make it not hurt as much when i have to fill. But with recent predictions, i either need my work to give me a big raise, a demo, a gas allowance or a bonus[to use as a down payment on a motorcycle]. And since none of those will happen, i've been looking for a local job, even though it'll pay less

[COMP]

15% +++++++++ group

[Ryland]

My total cost of ownership of my car per year is around %5 of my income.