Gas prices???

[fysh]

Originally Posted by MikeG

It is a $1.70 in the Burbs of Chicago and about $2.10 in Chicago itself.

I hate to say this but I rather have the money I lost in the markets back than cheap gas prices. Many people I know feel the same way.

Why can't we have both?

My income is tied to the price of gas. If gas is expensive then my profit margin goes way down and I have to raise prices to compensate. This past Summer I was burning over $200.00 a week in my Mowers, hand helds, other equipment, and my truck.

On another note, have you folks noticed that other prices that went up this Summer to compensate for higher fuel cost(groceries, eating out, misc supplies.) have not come back down?

[MontanaMoose]

Detroit could have a worse economy than my part of OR I suppose. It's not auto manufacturing driven here, rather it's home starts. When that falls on it's face, a number of other industries around here take a dive also.

The reason being cited for cost of goods not going down now that gas is down is that warehouses are full because of low demand. Once again maybe the ppl are speaking. Demand goes down, price goes down. Don't drive so much, don't consume so much and you (collectively speaking) won't pay so much.

MikeG, may I ask that when you say you'd rather have the money back that you lost on the market, is that because you bought high and sold low? I mean no offense here of course, but I'm curious if ppl are selling when all financial advisors I hear from say the same thing. 'Hold'. Yes, true...if a stock is known to be on the verge of cratering, I suppose some would bail, though there is another way of looking at that.

On the other hand, if you din't sell, you've lost nothing...you still have your investment, which will eventually grow. Mind please that these are my opinions gained from experience and nothing more. Well, maybe too much coffee and chocolate...but hey...'tis the season.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[fysh]

Originally Posted by MontanaMoose

The reason being cited for cost of goods not going down now that gas is down is that warehouses are full because of low demand. Once again maybe the ppl are speaking. Demand goes down, price goes down. Don't drive so much, don't consume so much and you (collectively speaking) won't pay so much.

The ol' "Supply and Demand" thing, it always baffles me when the powers that be use that 'reasoning', now I'm not saying that it does not really exist, rather that it is an overly used addage put forth as an excuse to gouge the masses.

I would also add that if the Warehouses are that full then all the more reason to liquidate like many retailers have done and are still doing after the Christmas Sales were much lower due to the recent financial meltdown, many offering as much as 80-90% off retail.

[MikeG]

Originally Posted by MontanaMoose

Detroit could have a worse economy than my part of OR I suppose. It's not auto manufacturing driven here, rather it's home starts. When that falls on it's face, a number of other industries around here take a dive also.

The reason being cited for cost of goods not going down now that gas is down is that warehouses are full because of low demand. Once again maybe the ppl are speaking. Demand goes down, price goes down. Don't drive so much, don't consume so much and you (collectively speaking) won't pay so much.

MikeG, may I ask that when you say you'd rather have the money back that you lost on the market, is that because you bought high and sold low? I mean no offense here of course, but I'm curious if ppl are selling when all financial advisors I hear from say the same thing. 'Hold'. Yes, true...if a stock is known to be on the verge of cratering, I suppose some would bail, though there is another way of looking at that.

On the other hand, if you din't sell, you've lost nothing...you still have your investment, which will eventually grow. Mind please that these are my opinions gained from experience and nothing more. Well, maybe too much coffee and chocolate...but hey...'tis the season.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

I actually did not sell anything(except cabela's stock), I held all my stocks but they still all dropped. Some I only lost few hundred, others I lost a few thousand on. If I bought a stock for $10 and it rose to $100 and than dropped back down to $10, I still have the investment but the value dropped $90.

I had Apple stock which dropped. I had citigroup stock which tanked. I had Berkshire Hathaway stock which, yes it is like gold but when you read the numbers it can give you a heart attack. And others which suffered greatly. All my stock I bought at a low investment but even though I didn't have it in cash I still consider losses on the stocks that dropped.

The bright side of this is that I am young, only 21, and I have plenty of time to make that money up. I started early for my retirement and now I have suffered my first loss.

Hopefully with lower gas prices people will start spending more, going on trips more....wait scratch that it will not happen. Especially with the new president coming in.

[fysh]

Originally Posted by MikeG

Hopefully with lower gas prices people will start spending more, going on trips more....wait scratch that it will not happen. Especially with the new president coming in.

[MontanaMoose]

Oh, ok MikeG, well your point of view is one way of looking at 'loss' and I know that many do look at declining stocks that way, part of why things are the way they are, but good for you that you've held on.

I won't go into from whence I speak, but I know a little about how stocks work. Granted I haven't gotten rich from my meager investments but I am informed that selling now would be the wrong thing to do.

I also subscribe to the theory or axiom, or other term for the idea that 'you can't lose something you never had', also the saying that I hear around the market that, 'you aren't going to lose anything unless you sell (low)'. Not much to go on when one looks at their investment going down the dumper, but like you mentioned, you're young and the market and economy (and just about everything) moves in cycles...

MontanaMoose