Oil/Gasoline Prices and Food

[Bicycle Lee]

But...it's hard to complain when you see it like this: we still have the lowest gas prices of any nation in the world.

That's actually not true (assuming Bicycle Lee is speaking of the U.S), although it is low compared to most of Europe.

touche...

isn't dairy price affected by season too? I've heard that cows produce less milk in the hotter months.

Edited June 5, 2004 by Bicycle Lee (log)

[Mottmott]

Personally, I haven't had to curtail any of my activities because of these increased energy costs, but then I live in a city and drive a Toyota (and as seldom as possible anyway). Just about everything I need is within a 5 mile radius. Nevertheless, I think I need to find a way to conserve energy more than I do. And yet am selfishly unwilling to give things up. Sometimes strange things.

It's not just running the oven an hour to bake a potato for one to have with a pan seared steak instead of making a week's worth of casseroles on the same energy dime. It's really stupid things like putting in energy efficient window replacements to reduce my horrendous heating bill because I'll miss the crinkly window glass that throws wonderful patterns on the walls and ceilings (especially in the dining room to keep it food related). It's self indulgent, I know.

So where are other places to save energy (and its costs) that are less important than good food and crinkly window glass? Has anyone tried instantaneous hot water heaters? Solar or wind energy? Hybrid cars? Care to share your experience with us? Are the fabled savings real?

[lala]

And yet am selfishly unwilling to give things up. Sometimes strange things.

It's not just running the oven an hour to bake a potato for one to have with a pan seared steak instead of making a week's worth of casseroles on the same energy dime.

So where are other places to save energy (and its costs) that are less important than good food and crinkly window glass? Has anyone tried instantaneous hot water heaters? Solar or wind energy? Hybrid cars? Care to share your experience with us? Are the fabled savings real?

About a year ago, I got tired of using my oven for a single baked potato. On my annual shopping binge at the local cookware emporium sale, I purchased a fantastic DeLongi Turbo Convection toaster oven. It's about twice the size of a toaster, and functions as a toaster, broiler, oven, and convection oven. I use it for toast, baking hot dishes, roasting small cuts of meat and, yes, that single baked potato. One of the best purchases I've ever made, and I reccommend it for any household of one or two people. It did cut my electric bill considerably, enough to nearly pay for itself in the first year.

Now, if only I could stop referring to it as my Suzy Bake Oven....