Pocono News Section

The Hidden Costs of Oil

The Hidden Costs of Oil - Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 4:40PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Thursday, May 29, 2008 @ 04:40pm EST
STROUD TOWNSHIP - The ripple effect from high gas prices continues to spread. Now it doesn't just cost more to fill up your car, it also costs more to fix up your car.

Be prepared to say goodbye to more of your money when you get your car repaired. "Everything's gone up. Everything's gone up," complained Bob Olsen of Tannersville.

He went to Trophy Tire in Stroud Township to get new tires. He was shocked at the price tag and said, "There goes my pocket money."

Tire prices have rolled up hill for months. The reason, they're made from oil. It takes about seven gallons of it to make one tire.

Trophy Tire's Manager Bill Sloss said the ripple effect from high oil prices has slipped into just about everything the shop does.

An oil change will cost you double what it did this time last year. And if you need any parts, prepare to pay more because it costs more to ship them here. Sloss said, "All related products such as coolant, they're all on the rise."

Since the price of just about everything at the shop has gone up, some people have put off getting their cars fixed. But Sloss said that's probably going to cost them more in the long run.

He explained, "The more you stay on top of your maintenance, the less maintenance you'll have to do."

It's a piece of advice that Olsen said could be hard for him to follow. He complained, "You can't even save no more so you have to take it out of your pocket. You might have had that money for something else."

Sloss said the best way to save money on fuel and repairs is to make sure to get regular maintenance, keep your tires aligned and make sure they are inflated to the right pressure.