Financial crises

Yesterday the price of oil jumped $5 per barrel. That means our "reprieve" from high gas prices is likely to end soon. I can't believe I even consider $3.39 per gallon for gas cheap, but I guess that's how they get us. A recent columnist in Newsweek reminded me that it's not cheap and that riding my bike to work is still a pretty good investment of my energy. Course soccer moms don't necessarily reflect the challenges of CMCA clients but truly there are alternatives to individual automobiles that pose solutions that all of us should consider. The bus system in Columbia seems to work for a lot of college students but I haven't heard a lot of praise from folks who are just trying to get to work on time. But it is something we can build on. Our more rural communities don't even have a kernel of a transportation system. Walking, biking, and carpooling seem to represent the best options for gasoline conservation at this point. But I digress. The NPR story that alerted me to the rise in the cost of oil also spouted off a litany of additional costs that we should expect to inflate. Primarily food, clothing, and just about anything one would use U.S. currency to purchase. Teri Roberts, CMCA Financial Education Coordinator, sent me this resource to help consider how to deal with these rising costs, avoid crises, and help our neighbors to deal with the crises they're already experiencing. It isn't much but we're all going to have to figure out how to get through this together.