Pianotech

I have heard economists recently say that the price of gas is very visible, so people react to it, but their psychological reaction isn't really justified by the actual effect on their finances.  Here's the math that very roughly reflects the current situation.  Suppose your car gets 20 mpg.  At $3/gal, the cost for fuel is 15 cents a mile, and at $4/gal it's 20 cents a mile.  That seems like a dramatic increase, and for someone with marginal finances it might be significant, but the thing to focus on is the difference, which is 5 cents a mile.  If you drove 40 miles for each customer on a particular day (way above the average for me), it would be $2 extra per customer.  With the rates that we charge, would anyone consider that enough to pass on to the customer?  The price increase for gasoline is likely to be only for a period of months. 

I remember from a discussion about credit card fees that a lot of folks just consider that a general business expense and don't add it to the bill, whereas I do.  For a standard tuning fee, the credit card fee is very roughly $5.  I prefer checks and cash.

Without getting into politics, I think it's interesting that there is often a lot of public commentary on gasoline prices, but practically none about the cost of insurance, which to me seems outlandish.  It has gone up way faster than inflation.

I'm glad that I now own a Chevy Bolt, which costs on average over the year about 3 cents a mile to drive for the "fuel."  Of course, it's not as handy for long trips, but 95% of my driving is powered by just plugging it into the wall in my garage.  It holds all of my tools.  I even fit my piano tilter in it for a job last week.  

I have heard economists recently say that the price of gas is very visible, so people react to it, but their psychological reaction isn't really justified by the actual effect on their finances.  Here's the math that very roughly reflects the current situation.  Suppose your car gets 20 mpg.  At $3/gal, the cost for fuel is 15 cents a mile, and at $4/gal it's 20 cents a mile.  That seems like a dramatic increase, and for someone with marginal finances it might be significant, but the thing to focus on is the difference, which is 5 cents a mile.  If you drove 40 miles for each customer on a particular day (way above the average for me), it would be $2 extra per customer.  With the rates that we charge, would anyone consider that enough to pass on to the customer?  The price increase for gasoline is likely to be only for a period of months. 

I remember from a discussion about credit card fees that a lot of folks just consider that a general business expense and don't add it to the bill, whereas I do.  For a standard tuning fee, the credit card fee is very roughly $5.  I prefer checks and cash.

Without getting into politics, I think it's interesting that there is often a lot of public commentary on gasoline prices, but practically none about the cost of insurance, which to me seems outlandish.  It has gone up way faster than inflation.

I'm glad that I now own a Chevy Bolt, which costs on average over the year about 3 cents a mile to drive for the "fuel."  Of course, it's not as handy for long trips, but 95% of my driving is powered by just plugging it into the wall in my garage.  It holds all of my tools.  I even fit my piano tilter in it for a job last week.  

I have heard economists recently say that the price of gas is very visible, so people react to it, but their psychological reaction isn't really justified by the actual effect on their finances.  Here's the math that very roughly reflects the current situation.  Suppose your car gets 20 mpg.  At $3/gal, the cost for fuel is 15 cents a mile, and at $4/gal it's 20 cents a mile.  That seems like a dramatic increase, and for someone with marginal finances it might be significant, but the thing to focus on is the difference, which is 5 cents a mile.  If you drove 40 miles for each customer on a particular day (way above the average for me), it would be $2 extra per customer.  With the rates that we charge, would anyone consider that enough to pass on to the customer?  The price increase for gasoline is likely to be only for a period of months. 

I remember from a discussion about credit card fees that a lot of folks just consider that a general business expense and don't add it to the bill, whereas I do.  For a standard tuning fee, the credit card fee is very roughly $5.  I prefer checks and cash.

Without getting into politics, I think it's interesting that there is often a lot of public commentary on gasoline prices, but practically none about the cost of insurance, which to me seems outlandish.  It has gone up way faster than inflation.

I'm glad that I now own a Chevy Bolt, which costs on average over the year about 3 cents a mile to drive for the "fuel."  Of course, it's not as handy for long trips, but 95% of my driving is powered by just plugging it into the wall in my garage.  It holds all of my tools.  I even fit my piano tilter in it for a job last week.  

I have heard economists recently say that the price of gas is very visible, so people react to it, but their psychological reaction isn't really justified by the actual effect on their finances.  Here's the math that very roughly reflects the current situation.  Suppose your car gets 20 mpg.  At $3/gal, the cost for fuel is 15 cents a mile, and at $4/gal it's 20 cents a mile.  That seems like a dramatic increase, and for someone with marginal finances it might be significant, but the thing to focus on is the difference, which is 5 cents a mile.  If you drove 40 miles for each customer on a particular day (way above the average for me), it would be $2 extra per customer.  With the rates that we charge, would anyone consider that enough to pass on to the customer?  The price increase for gasoline is likely to be only for a period of months. 

I remember from a discussion about credit card fees that a lot of folks just consider that a general business expense and don't add it to the bill, whereas I do.  For a standard tuning fee, the credit card fee is very roughly $5.  I prefer checks and cash.

Without getting into politics, I think it's interesting that there is often a lot of public commentary on gasoline prices, but practically none about the cost of insurance, which to me seems outlandish.  It has gone up way faster than inflation.

I'm glad that I now own a Chevy Bolt, which costs on average over the year about 3 cents a mile to drive for the "fuel."  Of course, it's not as handy for long trips, but 95% of my driving is powered by just plugging it into the wall in my garage.  It holds all of my tools.  I even fit my piano tilter in it for a job last week.