Gas Prices in Michigan Hitting Where it Hurts

According the the AAA Michigan - Fuel Report of March 17, gas prices in Michigan averaging around $3.26 a gallon, we can see the $4 a gallon writing on the wall not too far into the Summer. My paycheck has already shrunk this year when compared to last and with gas prices rising as they are, I am finding it difficult to manage my available cash to pay for the fuel I need to perform my job.

As a Retail Sales Representative, gasoline is one of the most important tools needed for my job. I can't travel from store to store without it. The company I work for cut back on what they reimburse me for as of January 1 of this year, which added up to about $850 less than what they paid last year and that was with gas being almost $1 less a gallon than what it currently is priced at. So far, the best I can do to lessen the blow to my wallet is try to fit more work into each day, clustering as many store visits into a route as I can in the time frame I am allotted. I am finding, though, that it is not an answer to my fueling cost problems.

I decided three years ago, when I purchased my present car, that I needed the most fuel efficient vehicle I could find for the money I had available. I purchased my 2003 Chevy Cavalier, new on the "A" Plan with a trade in for under $8,000, an excellent deal. I have been extremely pleased with my bare bones car. Manual transmission, manual steering, no power windows, no cruise control, small and cramped...but I get about 32 miles to a gallon on my baby and I am more than pleased. With putting about 30k miles on a car a year, just performing my job, I definitely need a fuel efficient and cheap, but dependable vehicle to get the job done and this car has filled my need well.