With summer nearing the end, and fall set to begin, so does the colder weather, but we as a nation will once again be dealing with higher electricity bills as the price of gas continues to rise. 

Autumn is when we start pulling out our warmer clothes and begin our preparations for the upcoming winter which starts on December 21 of this year.

For some, like Stefan and I, it is time to stock up on cords of wood for the fireplace, pull out the sweaters, gloves and scarves, because Autumn does start to get chilly up in the mountains.

Those in warmer climates have a little more leeway in deciding when to start winter preparations because Autumn doesn't get quite as cold as it does in colder climates, but with inflation rising again, food costs approximately 20% higher in 2023 than it was in 2020, gas prices on the rise now that the manufactured relief from Joe Biden releasing the Strategic Reserves is almost all gone, it is likely a prudent idea to get everything in order earlier, before prices rise any more.

The issue is explained far better than I can do it in a piece titled "Oil prices are surging again, but this time Biden has way less ammunition to bring them down," from Market's Insider on September 9, 2023.

Key points from that piece:

• Oil prices are surging again, but the Strategic Petroleum Reserve remains near 40-year lows.

• Last year, the Biden administration drained 180 million barrels from the SPR as oil prices soared.