In the mock news today, headlines spelled out in detail the continuing depth of the 2026 Great Depression. People in all walks of life are finding that the cost of living has become so exorbitant that many things once taken for granted are seemingly gone forever. Below is the story shared by one family, but it is not an isolated incident. Perhaps you will identify with the things mentioned.
A couple days ago, I decided to take a short road trip to enjoy the sunshine of the day. For a bit of back history, going on highway drives by myself or with my wife has always been a treat, something that allowed for a bit of self-care at a reasonable cost. These road trips always made us feel better and the cost was far less than going on a vacation somewhere. Sadly, we have already had to go without a vacation for years due to the cost and our limited financial state. At any rate, Denise was busy on this day so I journeyed out on my own.
My trip took me from Saskatoon to the small town of Wakaw (red pin), with a slight detour on the way back to drive by the dairy farm I worked at roughly 44 years ago. A bit of a trip down memory lane, if you will.
Google Map – Screen Capture by Don Cheke
Below, all numbers are rounded off, but close enough to be valid for the discussion.
Before I left the city, I stopped for gas and I stopped at McDonald’s to buy an Egg McMuffin and a small pop. McDonald’s cost $6.00. When I got to Wakaw, I did what I have done before and bought 3 chicken tenders and a bottle of pop from the Coop convenience store – this for the trip back. That cost $12.00. When I returned home, I washed my car to remove all the bugs and dirt (the detour to the farm was a gravel road). The carwash cost $12.00. I then went back to Costco and filled my tank. Gas cost me $29.00. That made the total for my short 2.5-hour trip $59.00.
Let’s break down the cost of gas.
The total mileage of the trip was 194 km (89 + 89 + 16).
The price of gas at Costco was $1.59 per liter (less than other competitor pumps). That is roughly 18.24 liters used. That is 10.64 km/L or 25.02 MPG.
Here is something that might blow your mind, as it did me. For us old guys, that price per gallon is stunning!
Summary Comparison
| Measurement Unit | Amount of Fuel Used | Price per Unit | Total Spent |
| Liters | 18.24 L | $1.59 / L | $29.00 |
| US Gallons | 4.82 gal | $6.02 / gal | $29.00 |
| Imperial Gallons | 4.01 gal | $7.23 / gal | $29.00 |
$59.00 for a trip might not seem too bad but remember how short the trip was. Can you imagine a trip to Calgary to visit family! Hummm… 620 km x 2 = 1240 km. That’s roughly $185.00 for gas, just there and back, and using only Costco pricing. Hotels would cost roughly $225.00 per night, so staying 4 nights would cost $900.00. Meals for 2 at $150.00 per day would be $600.00. That is roughly $1685.00, not including the cost of other things such as trips to the airplane museum, the zoo, or Heritage Park – things like that.
All I can say at this point is OY!
As a side note, I had to laugh at myself for illustrating the gas mileage, because I used to hate it when Dee and I would visit her Alberta relatives in the past, and the first question from the old uncles was…. Wait for it…. You guessed it…. “What did you get for gas mileage?” LOL! A true story! 😊
Carney Car – Created by Don Cheke
The feature image, seen above once again, was something I thought about the day after the trip and thinking about how us poor Canadians are sure taking a beating with the ever-increasing prices and the shrinkflation I mentioned before. If I think about it too much, I fear what the future holds.
When discussing the trip with Denise I mentioned the cartoon I had in mind. We talked about the dirty 30s and the great depression and what that must have been like. I was already aware of the history where folks could no longer afford fuel for their cars so they towed them with a horse (often removing the engine to lessen the overall weight). The horse-pulled cars were called Bennett Buggies, the name derived from the current Prime Minister of that time – Richard Bedford Bennett (1930 – 1935). While discussing this I asked Denise who our current Prime Minister was, and she said Carney. I said that I needed a new name for the human-pulled car, and just like magic she said, Carney Car! Wow, I bellowed at Denise’s ocean of firing synapses, as I called it. I was so pleased with what she had come up in a split second that I thought I would use that and give her full credit – which I have just done. Isn’t that DeeDee something! 👍💖
I sure enjoyed creating the new cartoon and I couldn’t wait to share it with you. Let me know your thoughts on the rising cost of living. Have you had to make great changes too, or do you just suck it up as best you can, like we all must do?
Donald B. Cheke – Saskatoon, SK