Ooooops I forgot to add the conversion rate for GB pounds to US$. The rate per us gallon is: $7.98 !!!!!!! yes nearly $8 a gallon!!
Back to maths revision now!
I am working in the UK at the moment. There was some gossip on the media that farmers and hauliers were so fed up with soaring prices that they were going to blockade the refineries. The papers jumped on this and said that ther would be no gas, but don't panic buy .....!!!!!
Of course everyone and their lawnmower went to the filling stations and drianed the tanks dry! some Garages were reporting that their normal taking s for the night (last Monday) were between £3,000 -£4,000 but they took £42,000.
The prices of course sky rocketed!!
And how much do they pay here I hear you ask?
Wait for it.....
UP to £1.20 a litre that is the equivalent of:
$4.54 a US gallon!
The chances of it going down much are limited say my english friends - so if you are planning a trip over here and hiring a car then be prepared for a huge gas bill, filling up a Ford Focus costs about £45 about $78 dollars!!
Now the filling stations have run out but there is plenty of gas the delivery tankers just can't keep up with the demand!
Good idea, Scottmom. We have discussed holding on to some things for the spring, so I'm thinking we may do that if the really nice things don't get a decent bid. I'm also thinking of splitting up some of the larger baskets into smaller ones to give more people a chance to win. I looked over the bid sheets from last year--we had 20 items (it was our first year) and only about 5 different families got everything. We have a $400 tanning basket that I know we won't get near the value for.
Writermom, make sure to put a minimum bid on your big items so you get something our of them or have them to hold on to for when things aren't so bad.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
Isn't it amazing how the prices will raise so quickly on the smallest speculation of problems, but take forever to drop after the crisis has ended?
By the way, if anyone is doing Scholastic book fairs, my rep told me yesterday that in an effort to reduce fuel costs they are going to really pack the trucks full and try to do 3 or 4 schools in a shot instead of just 1 or 2. It could alter your drop off and pick up dates for your fairs.
In Springfield, IL we are at 2.99/ gal. The problem with taking buses here is that they don't run at night. They stop at 5:30, so people taking them to work have no way home.
As our silent auction chair, I am concerned that we will even be able to get people to spend on the great donations we have been working our tails off to get. Our school is 80% low income. Last year we made $400 on our auction, and this year we have twice as much stuff, which I realize now is not going to translate into twice as much money made.