I'm not going to read all 124 posts... so I will reply just to the title.

"What if gas goes sky high???" ( you mean it hasn't? )

You can always try ethanol.
Call around, as I found 60 cents of price difference within Nebraska alone.
Here's one of the best: Sutherland, Nebraska. Just north of I80.
$1.999 yesterday. And 85% or more was made in the U.S.A.

Oh... this is a DIY FlexFuel Hybrid.
$250 chip mod is all it takes to run straight E85.