Open Thread Mondays: Rising Gas Prices

Allan Rosen sent over the following suggestion over the weekend:

Gas prices are on the minds of a lot of people.   How about asking people what they think is behind the dramatic rise in gasoline and home heating oil prices.  Gas companies are making record profits. Are prices being manipulated?  Are gas companies in collusion with one another? Can and should government step in and what can they do?  Is there a shortage? Will gas prices reach $5 a gallon by this summer or sooner?  Will prices drop again and if so why?

Rosen is right – people are concerned about rising gas prices. But I’m not so interested in hearing conspiracy theories about the cause of the inflation, or speculation about what happens next. My question is simpler and closer to home: how has the rising cost of oil affected you? How are you coping with it? Are you finding ways to keep costs down? Care to share, and help your neighbors out?