2008 Woodie Awards
Rising gas prices put a dent on budgets
By Kim Dishler
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 3/18/05 Section: Opinion
Help, I'm trapped in Slippery Rock. No, I'm not locked in The Rocket office or under house arrest in my apartment; I just can't afford gas to drive anywhere.
On my college student budget the $1.99 per gallon prices make a simple thing like gasoline an expensive luxury.
I suppose I should be thanking my lucky stars I don't live in California or someplace else where gas prices are approaching $3/gallon. I'm also grateful I don't drive a gas-guzzling SUV that gets 10 miles to the gallon. But still, I'm stuck in Slippery Rock, limited to Sheetz, Giant Eagle and two dollar stores. My car used to fill up on about $12 to $15. Now, I rarely fill up my gas tank because $10 barely gives me half a tank.
Now I think twice when I'm craving a quesadilla from Taco Bell or a nice evening trip to Wal-Mart in Grove City. Is my trip, which is purely for entertainment purposes, worth the gas? And a trip to Super Wal-Mart in Butler? It is a special day when I decide to use my gas for that purpose. I know, it's a sad day when you can't go to Wal-Mart.
After spending a few days in Phoenix over spring break, I was at home for the remaining five days. I thought about going somewhere fun, possibly skiing, but then I decided to save the gas money for something more useful. Like my electric bill.
Obviously I'm not the only person frustrated by the ever-increasing gas prices. The current average pump price for regular unleaded gasoline jumped 7.1 cents over the past two weeks, up 26 cents from a year ago, based on an Energy Information Administration (EIA) survey of service stations.
The prices aren't expected to stop rising either. During the busy 2005 driving season, which runs from April through September, gasoline will average $2.10 a gallon, up 20 cents from the same period last year, the EIA said in its monthly forecast.
I remember the good old days when gas used to cost 99 cents a gallon. Now, I'm not that old and I don't think gas prices should have doubled in a 10-year span.
I suppose most normal people (a.k.a those who have real jobs) can just suck it up and pay the high prices. I suspect many college students are in the same position I am. Even if you don't limit your travel, a much larger portion of your money must be budgeted for gasoline.
The hardest part about the high gas prices is that people have no choice but to pay it because we are so dependent on cars.
I suppose I have no choice either, but in the mean time I'm spending less time shopping, which saves me money in more ways than just on gasoline.
On my college student budget the $1.99 per gallon prices make a simple thing like gasoline an expensive luxury.
I suppose I should be thanking my lucky stars I don't live in California or someplace else where gas prices are approaching $3/gallon. I'm also grateful I don't drive a gas-guzzling SUV that gets 10 miles to the gallon. But still, I'm stuck in Slippery Rock, limited to Sheetz, Giant Eagle and two dollar stores. My car used to fill up on about $12 to $15. Now, I rarely fill up my gas tank because $10 barely gives me half a tank.
Now I think twice when I'm craving a quesadilla from Taco Bell or a nice evening trip to Wal-Mart in Grove City. Is my trip, which is purely for entertainment purposes, worth the gas? And a trip to Super Wal-Mart in Butler? It is a special day when I decide to use my gas for that purpose. I know, it's a sad day when you can't go to Wal-Mart.
After spending a few days in Phoenix over spring break, I was at home for the remaining five days. I thought about going somewhere fun, possibly skiing, but then I decided to save the gas money for something more useful. Like my electric bill.
Obviously I'm not the only person frustrated by the ever-increasing gas prices. The current average pump price for regular unleaded gasoline jumped 7.1 cents over the past two weeks, up 26 cents from a year ago, based on an Energy Information Administration (EIA) survey of service stations.
The prices aren't expected to stop rising either. During the busy 2005 driving season, which runs from April through September, gasoline will average $2.10 a gallon, up 20 cents from the same period last year, the EIA said in its monthly forecast.
I remember the good old days when gas used to cost 99 cents a gallon. Now, I'm not that old and I don't think gas prices should have doubled in a 10-year span.
I suppose most normal people (a.k.a those who have real jobs) can just suck it up and pay the high prices. I suspect many college students are in the same position I am. Even if you don't limit your travel, a much larger portion of your money must be budgeted for gasoline.
The hardest part about the high gas prices is that people have no choice but to pay it because we are so dependent on cars.
I suppose I have no choice either, but in the mean time I'm spending less time shopping, which saves me money in more ways than just on gasoline.
