Search Results: gas prices

A lady near the university I am at is scheduled to have back surgery and has asked for volunteers from the university to come out and care for her horses while she recovers.

I was one of the volunteers who offered to help. I went out there today to assess the property. Her back surgery is scheduled for next week.

While we were there (myself and a group of four others) the woman said she would be willing to compensate our gas expenses while we were caring for her horses.

There are 7 horses on her property and her property is 14 miles away from campus.

I'm having a difficult time deciding whether or not to take her up on her offer.

On the one hand, I did volunteer to do this and volunteer, by definition, implies not being paid. So I feel that taking her money would essentially not be fair.

On the other hand, I do not have a job right now and I have to pay for my own food (with money saved up from working Christmas = not very much) and I do drive a truck that gets 12 miles to the gallon.

I calculated it out.

14 miles there + 14 miles back 2x a week (Monday & Wednesday nights) x current gas prices... it all would wind up to be about $13 a week. From now until April.

The woman is older. She's in her 60's and is on a fixed income so there's another area where I'd feel guilty accepting her offer of gas money. $13 a week isn't very expensive, but if you think she'd also be paying everyone else's gas money (no one else drives such a gas guzzler)... that's more money she'd be shelling out, and then it's not like it's even volunteer work.

My mother thinks I should take the offer of gas expenses since I'm already strapped for cash to feed myself. But the volunteer side of me isn't sure.

So, help me decide.

I'm really tempted to take the money because it would make my food and gas costs not so scary but at the same time, I'd feel really bad to be taking this money from such a nice woman when I'm supposed to be helping her out.

Prices of gas are dropping all over, below $2 a gallon in some areas including Texas and parts of the Midwest.
Some people are wondering if they made the right decision paying a premium for an all electric (Tesla, Nissan Leaf), or Hybrid car. (Toyota, Honda, Ford, etc. and most other domestics).
What is your take?