Last week, while filling up my 22-gallon tank, I was forced to look away in shock as the price of gas total kept rising and rising.
It felt like an eternity but by the time my tank was full, I was down $140 wondering if this was some cruel joke. I half expected someone to run out with a camera yelling you got pranked! Unfortunately, that was not the case.
The recent hike in gas prices has largely impacted my way of life, especially since I drive an SUV with horrendous gas mileage.
With every purchase I make, I have to be conscious of whether the item is a necessity and if so, whether there are any cheaper options.
Eating out has become a thing of the past while driving anywhere outside of school and work comes with a noticeable price tag.
On the bright side, being forced to take every one of my expenses seriously isn’t the worst thing in the world. A career in journalism does not scream fame and fortune so learning how to tighten my wallet will undoubtedly help me once I live alone.
Despite this glass half-full takeaway, the bottom line is these gas prices suck and other CSULB students seem to agree.
“It almost doesn’t seem real,” Kennedy Lee said, a second-year computer science major.
Lee lives in Garden Grove and it is about a 20-minute drive from campus. He has to stay on campus for nearly five hours, despite having only two classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“It’s just not worth it to drive home and back. I’d rather save my money,” Lee said.
Otto Rivera, a geography major in his final semester, shares that sentiment.
“I don’t want to stay at school in between classes, but I kind of have to now to save money,” Rivera said.
Rivera plans to move out once he graduates so saving every dollar is a point of emphasis for him.
As expensive as gas is now, it appears the price will be dropping.
The price of oil dropped by 5.6% on Oct. 5, which is an incredibly large decline as far as oil goes. Prices at the pump should similarly drop in the coming weeks.
“I hope they stay low this time because I don’t know how much longer I could afford the current price,” Rivera said.
It seems there is light at the end of this dark and expensive tunnel, providing timely relief for drivers everywhere.