An important thing to remember is the here in the US most personal economies a based around what fuel costs. Not the cost of an ounce of gold. When fuel costs are relatively fixed it is easier to plan a budget.
   I have two neighbors who travel the same distance to work in opposite directions. One of them earns about 35% more than the other. So it is no guess whoose personal economy can handle the fuel rise easier than the other.
   The cost of fuel is transposed into everything else that we do here.   Just the cost of locally grown fresh food will increase as well. I've heard as much as 15%. If it we as much as 15% for just Green Beans I'd have no issues but it will be 15% on everything else as well. My salary won't increase. I can raise the price of my jewelry which is easy to do at this point. Something I have done once in 15 years. The cost of silver has increased 40% since last year and I won't even mention gold.
We have a nation that doesn't support mass transit very well. In most of the country if you get more than 30 miles outside the city limit you can forget about the bus or the train and it's car, bike , or Shank's Mare.
   My point in starting this thread was to answer a wonderment. Thanks alot I appreciate the input. Don't stop now.

Don