Gas prices

[saurav]

Is anyone worried (or experiencing) that their business might get slow because of the rising gas prices? I saw a new client today who used to go once a month for a massage but she said that isn't going to be possible now and will probably have to do every 6 or 8 weeks because she has to refigure her gas budget.

I know that for me, I'm trying to drive as little as possible, and not having a regular weekly paycheck and not knowing how much I'll make until the money is in hand, well, it seems as though everything is a luxury now. April was a particularly bad month

Anyone else feeling the effects of the pain at the pump?

 

[luv2wsh]

I haven't had a problem with clients cutting back because of the gas prices, but with doing only outcalls, *I* am feeling it! Most of my clients are elderly - and the majority of them do not drive anymore, so gas isn't an issue to them, other than a great conversation topic. I have actually gained a client who used to drive nearly 45 minutes for massage - but I live in her town and go to her home. She has been talking about making the switch for quite awhile (since we met last Oct.) and this gave her the push. I do feel bad for the MT she's leaving.......but I don't have a clue who that is, so the guilt isn't too extreme. (We need a WHEW! smiley in here!)

 

[Villain]

Gas is $2.999 in my city for regular unleaded... while my car gets decent gas mileage for it's size, it's still a big hit in the pocketbook.
Prices in my city range from $45 to $60 for an hour massage, and quite frankly, it costs about $45 now to fill up my tank!
(I've been charging $55 for the last year for clients in town... but have been thinking of raising my rate.)
Like Rose of Sharon I do primarily outcalls... in which case you're seeing a huge chunk of your income go into "feeding the beast!" :? *sigh*
A friend of mine has a Ford Expedition, she said her husband spends about $70 to fill it with gas these days. So it could be worse!

 

[Cosmetq]

$3.05 in most of florida for midgrade.

i have to raise rates of some long term clients due the higher operating costs.

and i live in a tourist market. i definitely see less people driving into my town for a weekend at the beach.

 

[BC13MF]

I haven't had anyone decrease d/t gas prices, but then we're in a city that is based on traveling long distances and 30 mins plus for anything you do, unless you live downtown. People are commonly traveling across the city for 40 mins just to go somewhere or do something, or get to work. (Right now the lowest grade is about $2.89 / but the guy on the corner is $3.09)

However, April is tax time, and THAT does cause a few people to slow down a bit. We'll probably have fewer clients until about May 15. That's pretty common for our practice.



A thought, is to cut your days in your practice down a bit and stay longer. We did this recently, and it was a bit of a change for a few clients at first, but has worked out well in the long run.

 

[Danny]

deleted

 

[juliaa(:]

tonight it was $2.72/gallon here in the middle of Ohio

last week there were 4 days straight when the prices rose and fell 3 to 4 times in a single day!!!

Last Tuesday they started at $2.85, went down to $2.70, up to $2.82, down to $2.76, then stabilized? at $2.78
Weds -Friday weren't much better!!!!!!

My older clients, and heck, even some of them my age and younger have cut back on massage, and many other things because of the gasoline, fuel oil, electrical rates, etc. Living in the country in a county of only 47-50 thousand people means you drive everywhere to do everything.... NO bus lines, NO taxis, NO subways to help relieve the impact of the pricing at all. It definitely has made a change in my income, and not for the better.

 

[koolcat]

We're over 3+ dollars per gallon here in my part of NH.

I am mobile, so the rising gas prices are definitely a consideration. I haven't noticed clients booking less but that might be because I travel to them. I haven't raised my prices as a result, yet. I charge an extra $10 for travel outside of a 30 mile radius from me...don't know yet whether I'll change that aspect.

Aside from business, I've been lumping my errands together trying to be more efficient that way...so I go the post office less (when I'm going to be in the area anyway, and no extra trips), and make my trips for shopping (business & personal) less often.

Yeeeeee-Doggggyyyyyy! :shock:

 

[jdwestbrook86]

Gas prices here in SW Florida for regular unleaded... $3.02/gal Premium $3.23/gal.

Hybrids should be selling well these days. I wonder if this will be the year of alternative fuels... out of necessity...

 

[GSD & Mastiff Owner]

we're currently researching buying/leasing a hybrid SUV. i know they're more expensive- but i need to look up any related tax incentives to crunch the numbers.

 

[nysenutz]

:shock: :shock: :shock:
How much do you guys pay!!!

At the moment prices near where I live the average is about $1.72 a litre( $6.50 a gallon). Every so often we hear in the news about how the US are complaining about petrol prices, i'm afraid to say you guys don't get much support from your European counterparts.

Mat xxx

 

[Kim P]

consider my humbled, Foz............ we do tend to be a bit spoiled on this side of the pond...............

 

[Bananaz!!]

Well that's true we probably are a bit spoiled.
On the other hand... and maybe I'm wrong, but I always imagined that most areas of Europe have a better mass transit system.
Not only do we not have a mass transit system... but I'm a 1 hour drive from a city with a city bus system, also the closest with a nationwide bus system (greyhound) and I live about 4 hours from the closest city with a passenger train service (amtrak).
Thus in my area of the mid-west at least... cars, motorcycles, and bicycles are the ways to "get about town" or for that matter... get just about anywhere!
And you know I think I'd look rather funny dragging my massage table and wheeled suitcase around behind a bicycle when doing outcalls!
Though I'm seriously considering that pack mule or Sherpa macalla and I have been discussing... :wink:

 

[phantomcat135]

:shock: :shock: :shock:
How much do you guys pay!!!

At the moment prices near where I live the average is about $1.72 a litre( $6.50 a gallon). Every so often we hear in the news about how the US are complaining about petrol prices, i'm afraid to say you guys don't get much support from your European counterparts.

Mat xxx

if i had socialized medicine, i wouldn't care if i had to pay higher rates for gas.

 

[~Jessika~]

That is a very good point, we do have a fairly good public transport system here - not as good as other parts of Europe though.

It is getting more reliable now, I get a bus and train to work everyday (about 1hour each way). But the problems can be the costs. If I wanted to go down to London by myself for a trip it would cost me £38 to turn up and buy a tickets. Petrol would be about £40 in our car. The problem is when we both travel - we save nearly £40, but I do think of the affect we have on the environment so for some of my longer drives I try to make them carbon neautral.

Though saying all that, when we come over to you guys and hire a car (usually Orlando) we love the prices! Sometimes I just want to fill up the car just to see how low the price is compared to back home.

Mat xx

 

[jennababe_68]

Filled up Tuesday night at Sam's and it was $50 to put a full tank in my Trailblazer (best time to buy). I've always been careful about combining errands and cluster-scheduling clients and those habits are paying off now, plus old habits of checking my air pressure, not doing jack-rabbit starts, staying reasonably within the speed limit (in the parts of town where you can and not be run over). My dad was SUCH a gas-mileage geek and it used to drive me NUTS. Now I'm appreciating those lessons.

Gas prices go up and down. I'm not going to change my rates over something that fluctuates. So I pack my lunch more often and cut other corners, and in a few months things will be back to normal. Sure, it's a budget squeezer, but I planned for it so not a buster.

I realize it helps to be in a fairly urban area where I don't have to drive a half hour just to get groceries. It also helps to have worked for a petroleum wholesaler so it's easier to plan for and understand the seasonal and market fluctuations plus how much of that per-gallon price is taxes and how very little is actually profit for the wholesaler and retailer.