[zaga_fan]

So you stopped doing these things in 2006 when gas reached $3 gallon? For five years you have stopped doing all these things that you did prior to? Besides 2008, when gas reached $4 gallon, gas has held steady between $3.20 - 3.50 with slight ups and downs for short periods of time. I would assume that your salary has not risen in those same five years???

I've had to change jobs twice in 5 years so my salary has pretty much remained constant.
I've had the same job for the a little over 2 years and it took me almost 2 years to get my "annual" raise.
I make +0.71/hour more that what I started at over 2 years ago.

I stopped going out on the weekends when gas hit 4 bux a gallon and when it went back down I had already made a habit of cutting back so I continued to do so.

In Perry County gas has probably held steady between 3.40 and 3.70.
You can go an hour north , an hour south, an hour east, or an hour west and the gas is always cheaper.