True confessions: Julia is a 4x4 driver

Before buying the car in June 2006, I consulted my father about my imminent purchase. "To drive a flash car, you need flash money," he said in sanctimonious tones. Flash money? I need to be a millionaire just to drive from A to B these days.

Back then, Brent crude was trading at $70/bbl. When I started writing about the chemical industry in the mid-1990s, the office would get excited if it got close to $15/bbl, never mind $150.

I've since taken to switching supermarkets, preferring somewhere more local to my favorite store. I've also started to turn down invites to birthday parties, dinners and other social functions of distances over five miles, as not filling my tank could instead keep my family fed for a week.

Why not get the train or bus some might say, but it's tough traveling with three small children and all of the paraphernalia.

I'm ashamed to say I even deliberated on taking my parents to the airport a few weeks ago. It's only 20 minutes from my home, but I knew it would cost me £30-40 ($59-79) in gasoline.

I'm off clothes shopping this weekend for a few preholiday purchases and I will not be taking the car.

My husband will look after the kids while I enjoy the retail therapy, supporting my friends in the polyamide industry. My guess is that he'll load the kids in the car, along with bikes, scooters, pram and a football and drive the short, but expensive, distance to our local park.

Mind you, it would probably be cheaper for him to take the kids on the Eurostar train and spend the day at Disneyland Paris.

For Julia's full article, see next week's ICIS Chemical Business.