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Not everybody with tight finances is a gambling, smoking, junkie. I know plenty of people who struggle to get by while living frugally, making all their meals at home, and not using vices. Have 2 or 3 kids on the median household income and see just how tight things can get, even without your assumptions that the only reason they could be low on funds is because they blew it all at the casino.
I don't think a person who buys spare W12 engines to keep his fleet of Audis in mint condition has a lot in common with the average person.
Not really talking about you. Note though that to others in this thread the idea of a person for whom a 50% increase in gas prices squeezes them financially must be a compulsive gambler, addicted to cigarettes, are poor decision makers, spendthrift with their money...its ridiculous. The median income in this country is $45,000 a year. Take home thats about $750 a week. There are a LOT of people in this country for whom paying $60 more a month for gas is a big deal, and no they're not gambling addicts and 3 pack a day smokers or people who waste money at convenience stores.
Right of course, and not every person at average or below income is a gambling junky or whatever.
But it happens. This girl I know, she and her husband denied their son a Chucke-cheese birthday on his 5th or 6th, which was all he wanted in the world, so they could go to some drug-fueled music festival. They had plenty of money for drugs but "couldn't afford" that. Pathetic.
I'm not rationalizing but the people you/we are talking about could cut costs temporarily for $60 a month. Cancel Netflix and streaming for a couple months? Like I said I'd gut my home entertainment to save a pretty decent amount of coin each month. I know you don't agree and I don't want to get into it, but IMO this is temporary. It sucks, yes... but it won't be like this forever.
Interesting to see how a real world example of gas prices related to actual driving causes so much heartburn. I guess it's a good thing I used an example of my 17MPG truck instead of a 35MPG compact car.
$180/carton yikes! That's over 50 gallons of gas here.
Marlboro Miles... sounds familiar. Was that before TV cig ads were banned?
Love the SAK. This one was purchased in Switzerland.
Obligatory mention of gas price. Sam's $3.46.
Originally Posted by neurocity
Today, downtown Chicago at the 7/11 I saw American Spirit Yellows were $17.99 a pack. F'ing $180 a carton!
I remember buying cartons of Reds in college for $30. Anyone remember Marlboro Miles?
Still got my Miles Swiss Army knife. The Chili cook book is upstairs somewhere too.
Last edited by ChattanoogaPhil; Apr 12, 2026 at 06:00 AM.
True. Oil prices go up and down. In recent years prices have been both higher and lower than today. I would think prices will likely move higher after the recent no-deal news before moving lower again. Interesting times.
Last edited by ChattanoogaPhil; Apr 12, 2026 at 06:57 AM.
Today, downtown Chicago at the 7/11 I saw American Spirit Yellows were $17.99 a pack. F'ing $180 a carton!
I remember buying cartons of Reds in college for $30. Anyone remember Marlboro Miles?
Still got my Miles Swiss Army knife. The Chili cook book is upstairs somewhere too.
When I was in the military cigarettes were 25 cents a pack on base in Panama which is hard to believe these days. As you can imagine, A LOT of people were smoking back then.
True. Oil prices go up and down. In recent years prices have been both higher and lower than today. I would think prices will likely move higher after the recent no-deal news before moving lower again. Interesting times.
Yep, unfortunately it will probably get worse before it gets better...
When I was in the military cigarettes were 25 cents a pack on base in Panama which is hard to believe these days. As you can imagine, A LOT of people were smoking back then.
I always said I would quit when they hit $1/pk. That was in the early 80's. I actually waited until they were around $1.30 to quit. Damn, it's expensive to get cancer now!
Gas was .59 for "Ethyl" when I started driving. If smoking didn't kill you, the lead would.
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I always said I would quit when they hit $1/pk. That was in the early 80's. I actually waited until they were around $1.30 to quit. Damn, it's expensive to get cancer now!
Gas was .59 for "Ethyl" when I started driving. If smoking didn't kill you, the lead would.
When I started driving 32.9/gal was a common price for quite a while. You could get 3 gallons for a dollar (which I didn't have many of).
Oh please. Rich boi like you has no room to talk and have no idea who I interact with
How many former drug addicts you hang out with/helped get them off stuff? Always hilarious seeing you make endless assumptions and think you know best lol!
Im from Appalachian West Virginia…I know plenty about lower middle class and poor people. We’re not talking about our drug addicts, we’re talking about median income Americans. For some strange reason that to you means drug addicts.
When I started driving 32.9/gal was a common price for quite a while. You could get 3 gallons for a dollar (which I didn't have many of).
Originally Posted by Mike728
I always said I would quit when they hit $1/pk. That was in the early 80's. I actually waited until they were around $1.30 to quit. Damn, it's expensive to get cancer now!
Gas was .59 for "Ethyl" when I started driving. If smoking didn't kill you, the lead would.
Originally Posted by LexBob2
When I was in the military cigarettes were 25 cents a pack on base in Panama which is hard to believe these days. As you can imagine, A LOT of people were smoking back then.
Y'all are old. LOL (I do remember the days when gas was just over a buck)
