You’d think I would have learned my lesson
There are a lot of things I’d rather spend money on than buying fuel. A new pair of jeans, a new camera, or just a fun weekend away. Does any of that happen? Sometimes, but not often. Now it seems even more far-fetched since fuel prices have risen at such a rapid rate.
As of March 23, gas in Dodge City is around the $3 (a gallon) mark, and diesel is about $4.50. My brain goes back to 2008 when prices here in the High Plains were more than $5 for diesel. I wasn’t married yet. Kids weren’t even a thought in my mind. I had a nice horse, a good truck and trailer and wanted to rodeo in the amateur association that had rodeos in Kansas, Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, eastern Colorado, and northeast New Mexico. My bank account screamed every time I had to put fuel in my pickup.
Somehow, I still managed to go to a few rodeos and found a way to carpool with others going in the same direction. However, if I didn’t win any money at what I entered, it would be a little harder to enter the next one. At the time I was pumping that expensive diesel into my pickup, I wondered if it was really worth it. But, back then, rodeoing is what consumed me, so I could justify it.
This year, we chose to spend money at the end of 2025 instead of forking more over to the government for taxes, so a new pickup was the easiest choice when it came to cut back the amount we owed and it got me out of an auto loan. My half-ton gas pickup got traded in on a new work truck for my husband, and I started driving his one-ton single wheel diesel pickup.
As I started to drive it, I thought to myself don’t let it get under half a tank of fuel otherwise it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg to fill it up. It is a cab and chassis, so it has a 50-gallon tank. On my way back from Manhattan recently with it, it was just under a half tank, and apparently my math was off, and I about croaked when the fuel pump stopped at $113. In my gas pickup that was two tanks worth. I haven’t done the math to see what kind of miles I’m getting.
Recently I had to head out of town to get feed. My heart sank as I drove past the truck stop in Dodge City and noticed the price of diesel was $5.19. Immediately I texted my sister and told her what I saw. Her husband has a semi-truck and hauls cattle and hay. We commiserated over a few texts later in the day about how much it’s going to cost us for fuel.
As I continued my drive to Montezuma to pick up show feed for my boys’ steers and heifer, my mind spiraled out of control. I began making a list in my brain of the important shows we wanted to hit this spring and places we wanted to go this summer. Then I went to how much everything already costs and how it’s going to go up for everything since diesel is how trucks hauling nearly everything gets down the road and delivered.
Now as I’m back driving another diesel pickup, I am wondering if it’s worth it again. My $100-plus fill ups might not be that big in the grand scheme compared to others’ fuel bills. I’d have a heart attack if I was a farmer’s wife and had to write a check for their fuel bill. Or pay the bill for a semi-driver who most likely runs weeks or a month behind getting paid.
We’ve all gotten used to living a certain way and used to certain conveniences. My kids know how I loathe to cook, and they often suggest take out or pizza. I know if things continue the way they are, I’m going to have to rein in not only my $100 fill ups but also our eating out habit. That might be a good thing.
On a recent press call with the National Corn Growers Association, they said having year-round E15 could help lower gas prices. Other sources have said drilling domestically could help. I’m not educated enough to give an answer as to what will lower prices, but something needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].
