High Gas Prices Hold Back Summer Vacation Plans

Above, today's gasoline prices locally.

It looks like many others besides me are making alternate plans for summer vacationing.

I was originally planning to head up to eastern Wyoming and western South Dakota this summer, but the rise in gas prices have forced me to change plans and go to places nearby instead.

From what I am reading, others are doing the same.

The National Interest reported:

Summer vacation season still may be weeks away, but some experts are already contending that it will be an expensive one for American motorists, along with those wishing to fly.

The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose slightly on Friday to $4.15, according to data from AAA, and that upward trend is expected to continue in the weeks ahead. As reported by Fox Business, the head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, Patrick De Haan, has issued an outlook of what gas prices might look like over the summer months—and it doesn’t look pretty.

According to his estimates, the national average price for a gallon of gas will likely hover between $4.18 and $4.25. More specifically, in a recent tweet, he stood by projections that he made last month—$4.21 for June, $4.18 for July, and $4.23 for August. For the entire year, the average gas price comes out to $3.99.

My RV has a 55 gallon gas tank. To fill that up at the current Flying J price in Jamestown, New Mexico of $4.359 would cost around $239.75.

No, thank you!

To read more, go here. 

Ammo Shortage: The Five Hardest To Find Common Calibers

Unless you've totally tuned out of life, you're aware that there is currently an ammunition shortage.

Some say it is seven million new gun owners are driving it. Others say people are hoarding ammo. But the fact is, ammunition is in short supply and what is out there is more expensive to buy.

The National Interest has posted an article on the five hardest to find common calibers.

They begin it with:

As firearm sales continue to set new records, and show little to no sign of slowing down anytime soon, ammunition is likely going to remain expensive and likely difficult to find. Even not so popular calibers, such as .250 Savage, have been increasingly hard to acquire, while the more common calibers are now all but impossible to locate anywhere.

Brick and mortar and online retailers alike continue to sell out as fast as supplies arrive, so the best that consumers can do is to look often, sign up for back-orders and hope to get lucky.

The article lists the five hardest, but I will only present the first two:

9x19mm

A betting man could have cleaned up if he had guessed a year ago that 9mm would be this difficult to find, but a year into the pandemic whenever this common caliber is available it sells out quickly. Prices have gone up and 9mm is running between 80 cents to $1.20 a round. One factor driving up prices is that 9mm is so widely used by law enforcement, so that just adds to the demand across the country.

30-30 Winchester

It may not be hunting season, but it will take all of a hunter’s skills to track down this popular caliber. If you do an online search for the 30-30 Winchester cartridge, get ready to “Temporarily Unavailable” or “On Back Order.” Perhaps that is for the best as prices now range from $1.10 to $2.45 per round. This is pandemic pricing to say the least.

I use both 9mm and 30-30. Fortunately for me, I bought plenty before the ammo shortage began or got as bad as it is now.

To read more, go here.