$4 Gas Predicted; Commuters Feel the Pinch

In the New Year, many drivers may have a new worry.  And that's even higher gas prices.  Prices have increased about a dime in the last week.  Wednesday, the price of a barrel of crude oil hit $100 a barrel.  And some analysts quickly predicted that because of more demand for oil around the world, drivers across the U.S. might be paying $4.00 per gallon by spring.

"It's already too high now," Barry Jackson told me as we talked at a gas station in South Savannah.

Jackson says he and his wife have cut back on things like going to the movies and out to lunch.  As we talked, we saw several signs advertising gas for $3.09, which if you really want to feel the pain, is 84 cents lower than this time last year. "It really cuts into everything else," Jackson says. "When you start having to pay extra for gas you just have to cut back on other things."

Matt Allen agrees.  He operates a pest control business and commutes daily from Effingham County to Savannah.  "It probably runs me about 80 (dollars) to fill up my truck," he says.  Allen says he's cutting down on personal trips to try and save as much money on gas as he can.

For those who drive for business, there's not much they can do according to Joel Davenport.  We found him filling up his tank and telling us about the huge expense he pays for gas each month.  "I commute across the southeast and I pay probably $1,000 to $1,200 each month for gas," Davenport tells me.  He says compared to last year, he's paying an additional $200 or more now. What would he do if it really went to $4.00 per gallon?  "Just cut corners everywhere I could and hope for the best," Davenport says.

Compared to last year, most average drivers are paying up to 12 dollars more each time they fill up.  (That's based on a 15 gallon tank.)   If gas really went as high as $4.00, that price would increase another 14 dollars or so.

"I am spending 40 or 50 dollars now to fill up and that's just one tank a week," Jackson told me.  "And my wife also has a car."

Allen says he thinks more people may be carpooling as prices get higher and is seeing some evidence of that now. "When I come in in the mornings, I've been seeing a few more cars with two people inside," he says.    

We found some websites where you can get more information and perhaps find a carpooling partner.

http://www.rideshare.com
www.carpoolsavannah.com
www.craigslist.com

You may also want to check with your employer to see if the company arranges carpools
of course, some companies help arrange carpools and others at least provide bulletin boards for people to post their needs, etc.

And to pinch as many pennies as possible, you may want to check out like local supermarkets (like Kroger) or large retail outlets (like Wal-Mart and Sam's Club) that have their own gas stations.  Often, discounts are offered as part of shopping incentives.