Hi all . . . . just curious if this economy has hampered your summertime car fun ? I know for myself, I am not travelling 1/2 as much as I normally would - filling the tank for $100+ is just nuts !! . . . Thinking of what a "one day" car show costs, that is a 3-4hr drive (one way), between fuel, food, etc . . . sure puts a crimp on the number of times you go out. Must say, I have been doing more local cruise nights. I do miss my long drive adventures to visit friends . . . Think between covid, and economy, I have become a "hermit" - being at home is not so bad, and it doesn't cost as much as travelling. Although all the inflationary costs, for just "living", are putting that "retirement" date, much further away . . . . UGGHHHH !!!

no

It probably would have if I had not got saddled with an unexpected kitchen remodel. It took all my time and money so I didn't get to work on my cars and enjoy them. That is when I would have felt the pinch of gas prices.

This fall I will feel it. I will not be eating at home and will be at work 4 days a week so my expenses will double what they are now.

yes, i couldnt afford to go to carlisle. i usuaaly put about 6500 miles o my cars and i havent kit 2000

Not at all.

No, but I recognize that I'm very fortunate to be able to say so.

Nope, Not at all.

I drive my car,,,,,A LOT.

This past weekend I actually had both out same time at our local Cars and Coffee

Put $100 in gas between the 2 , and most of that is gone . As the event is almost 100 miles round trip from my house. But then again just about everything is a good ways from my house

no, not at all

Only when I buy gas or food or household items...

Last road trip I took was in Spring, and it was a spendy one, but had to be done.
Transportation by hired truck - moving, vehicles, etc - has really gone up, as have lumber & building materials.

After being sick last year I have been racing like crazy. I just got home from my forth big money race weekends with three days of racing. Next up is this Saturday’s Night Of Fire at keystone then the 40 Grand nationals at Norwalk.

For sure. I've cut back on my own spending (golf, solo travel, eating out) so that I can still get the kids what they are used to (clothes, summer camp, music stuff, etc). Upside is, the yard looks a lot better!

Don't go out to eat as much.

Typical dinner for two w/one drink each is at least $100.00.

I can afford it, but seriously, don't see the point of doing this 4x/week. Maybe 1x/week.


No real road trips only b/c been super busy trying to get a couple houses sold.

Economy is pretty good if you have a job and managing your debts if you have any.

Sure, things are more expensive, but just don't spend money on crap you don't need (booze, cigarettes, new car/truck, expensive clothes).

I did retire and took a part time job were greatful for what we have and how we're doing.Im lucky my wife works full time so get her cappuccino in the morning and gas up her her car that gets 40mpg,the hemi truck gets 14mpg and we live close to my work and the shore.Wed still like a roadrunner but that's gonna get put on the back burner as well as getting new flooring.We done eat out alot,we cook most of the time,take a day trip usually to the beach and go for walks on the beach.We we're able to got to carlise and had fun,but didn't go overboard on buying stuff.

Why arent you still in Texas

No not really
I'm making good hours at work (we seem to be the only dealer with cars to work on) and my life is going good. Of course it does cost a little more to drive to work but hey at least I have a good paying job to drive to

Gus

Retired in '18, so the price increases hurt a little, so we cut back a little.
Used to not be unusual to put 250 miles a weekend on my 48 Plymouth coupe, now maybe 125- 150 miles for about the same money spent. We have still done most of the long trips we had on our schedule, but we did postpone our vacation to SD this year. We will probably skip a couple of the other trips and go for the SD vacation next year...

Pretty much what its done for us is to refine our priorities. We often did things because it sounded like it might be fun, but now we do things we know were fun before. Apparently, it hasn't stopped me from doing the body work and get the truck painted because its at the paint shop now, so there is that.

No, but getting Covid (extremely mild case) and then having surgery (gall bladder) two days after testing positive. We're spending a lot of time travelling for some doctor appointments for my wife, but we got a bit of fun in week before last (Monterey Bay Aquarium and a very tasty meal at a little hole in the wall restaurant in Pacific Grove). Also have made progress on the new garage. Might get stucco on in a couple of weeks (one more door on the house to replace). Got some fall plans for car shows, but still don't have a car ready...

My personal economy is doing ok. Getting sick of working nights, though.

No.
We made our summer plans last year, we had saved a lot from the Covid shutdowns, so we had the funds we needed to vacation as planned.
It's been a good summer.
- Art

No. Not at all. I'm trying to be more active and get out more, that almost always means spending more.

Not one bit, in fact I am busier than ever! It doesn't seem to affect anyone that drives, they are running faster than ever...

doctor and hospital visits have taken up a lot of the spring and summer.
got a new hip in april, and i must say, that was a complete success !
however, i had a relapse of my MS, and my wife is having trouble with her colitis and a very low sodium count.
it wears a guy out dealing with health issues all the time....................
but no matter how bad i/we have it, there are others out there that are WAY worse off, and THOSE people are the ones that need help and compassion.

Spill the beans.

I had the Linguini Special
Clams, prawns, scallops, fish in a basil lemon tomato cream sauce. Comes with Clam Chowder or salad.

It was tasty...


https://vivoloschowderhouse.com/

Yes….. hauling the SxS to the high country (get out of the heat) will run $175 just in fuel. People are still throwing money around so we sold our boat a month ago in this positive market. We bought a “new to us” pickup back in February. Have only put 3200 miles on it. Just tryin to save at this point.

When you witness the really poor judgement of drivers on the Interstates,
it is hard to argue that they are thinking about wisely spending money,
or how long it would take them to heal up after an accident,
much less whether they would EVER fully heal.

Whereas we have always had to be on the look-out for drunk drivers,
opiate drivers,
meth drivers,
and looking down at cell phone screen drivers
have at least made 4X as many
dangerous drivers to watch out for.

As to the phase of the economic cycle
I am 80% confident we are in the declining phase,
and 80% of the people seem ill at ease.

It is not a “Morning in America”
optimistic phase of the emotional cycle.

Same here. I don't travel much to start with so that isn't a problem. Need to get the barracuda painted but something always comes up that eats the cushion money. Still driving the Cyclone every couple of weeks and getting close to 12mpg with fuel injection. Loving it. Working like nuts though as we have 5 programs going on at work, plus the normal stuff. The wife and I both realize we are fortunate, not just for our jobs, but also because we both practice fiscal restraint and try to spend a lot less than we make.

I think I actually spent more, been buying parts, tools and stuff that i didn't do so much in the past.

Just picked up a vintage engine analyzer for my even more vintage car.

Same here. I notice it. $130 tanks of gas now that I moved an hour out of town and live on an island that costs a $10 ferry ride to get home everyt night........ LOVE IT!!!!! I remembver being MUCH less fortuante when I was young. I feel for the young and less fortunate - at least the ones that are busting their rears. But if they keep at it they'll be fine. 99.99999999999% of the population are LAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been through the 80ish, 87ish, 2001ish, 2007 UGH and never NOT been able to make a good wage. In fact started my biz in 2006 (great timing) I'm kinda curious how all the entitled, work from home yoof will fare if theres a downturn. The ones that get paid to shake their mouse so it "appears" they are working - if you call that work. There has GOT to be a reckoning soon to sort that foolishness out. Whew. Sorry to go in the weeds.

I agree 71TA. Funny, I have 2 boys. The oldest is 21. He did 2 years of college and told me I was wasting my money. In January started a job with a small electrical company doing 5G installs. Has worked there for 7 months now and he is a worker. He didn't know squat about electric work or code when he started. But, he showed up every day, 15 minutes early, and checked the trailers to be sure all was good and they had the gear loaded for the days work. He didn't think he was doing that good of a job because he was doing lots of trench digging. Would come home filthy. Well, after 6 months, the owner told him to apply to the trade school for his journeyman license classes and the company would pay for it. Son started thinking about it and figures out of 8 folks in the company, one has a masters and only 2 are journeymen. Boss told others last we he would take my son and do a job because he knew he would be there and not [censored] and moan about the work all day. Being a hard worker is apparently very rare, lol.

GOOD FOR YOUR SON! Unless you are gonna be a doctor or engineer college is overated (that might be too broad a brush) but there is a TON of money to be made getting your hands dirty. Or not dirty, like writing code. I programmed robots. $100/hr is cheap when contracting. No college here. I worked for millionaires. No college. Now with my own small business I work harder and longerr than I've ever worked in my life and LOVE IT. 7AM till midnight nearly every day. A young guy I mentored dropped out of U of M engineering and told me he could make more starting a business. 20 years later he spends his days at a new $1.2M hous in Key West. $1.5M house here in MI.100 person company making electronics that plug in, test, diagnose, control vehicle networks. He's 49. One of the hardest workers I know and FRUGAL. We went to lunch recently. He threw his KIRKLAND jacket on the bench of a cheap Mexican restaraunt he took me too

Racing and traveling more with 5 axles finally pushed me into getting my EZ Pass cutting my Turnpike Tolls big time. People are spending money if things are priced fairly so I’m making some shelf space and earning enough to pay some entry fees. 65.00 to race this weekend and I’m delivering two powerglide gearsets for 250.00 so every bit helps. This even pushed me into doing a little porting work for customers again which keeps me moving. Pa Winter is approaching rapidly so it’s go time.

No, we are traveling and doing more than ever as we have saved and only have so much time left. Just because there is a recession or slowdown does not mean I will participate. Prices are high so I raised my prices to stay even. I tell everyone, own your own business so your wages are adjustable, you will work more but never worry about making a living.

No, the thing that affects summer the most here location. We all try to squash summer into the nine weeks of good weather, and then get ready for the following 16 months of winter.