Thursday, June 12, 2008

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Gas or Games?



You know those commercials with the talking cars made by Chevron? Yeah you do.
Well I saw one recently with one car complaining to another that it doesn't
get the same Techron gas as the other. Shut up please! The last thing I want to see on TV is anything about gas. Gas, and the lack of it in my car, has prevented me from doing a few things this summer.
This includes purchasing items that entertain me, like video games.

So, the question is, where will my funds be spent this summer?

The last game I bought was GTA IV, and it is definitely a game that can suck up your life.
The last time I filled the tank of my 2002 Toyota RAV4 it cost me $3.99 a gallon.
It's been nearly three weeks since then and gas around my city is up and around $4.50.
This has caused me to change my driving habits and walk to my destinations whenever possible.
I had a free pass to ride the local light rail and buses when I was in school, but that ship has set sail. Ahh regrets...

Now, the Swedish kid who's been staying at our house since November says us Americans are spoiled, and that our gas prices are nothing compared to Sweden.
He is correct in that Scandinavia indeed pays about $6.50 a gallon, but they tax everything there. And kids get paid monthly to stay in school, but that's another topic.
Of course, our dollar is worth less than Euros and Krons, public transportation is not as good, our cars aren't as fuel efficient, we pay for our own healthcare...etc.

What this really translates into is that summer is going to be rough on my wallet.

I'll be using the train more to visit friends/watch baseball in San Francisco, but even that has been affected by gas prices. More cars at the station I park in, less seats on the train, me running across busy expressways across traffic Frogger style to make the bullet train.

This has also led me to do something I've avoided my whole life, budget.
Which games will I indulge myself with in the upcoming months?
Let's take a look...Wii Fit, Metal Gear Solid, DBZ: Burst Limit, Soul Calibur 4, Bionic Commando, Top Spin 3, Madden 2009, Battlefield: Bad Company, Resident Evil 5, Final Fantasy IV, Alone In the Dark, Hellboy, Ghostbusters. Narrowing down the list to two or three titles will be tough.

How will you spend your summer cash?

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