As the title indicates, while the Memorial Day weekend may mean the beginning of summer fun, it also means that gas prices have, once again, gone up. This, naturally, means, those road trips families have been planning are going to cost more than they did a mere two weeks ago. As the chart clearly reveals, at the start of may, national gas prices were hovering around the $3.51 mark, and now, they are over $3.60.
While that 9 to 10 cent increase per gallon may not seem much, a dollar-per-ten-gallons increase can take its toll, especially on those who dream of taking long, National Lampoon’s Vacation-like trips to amusement parks on the other side of the country.
Over at HowStuffWorks, there is a comprehensive explanation for these yearly gas increases, but it can be boiled down to this basic concept: the increase in road travelers means a higher demand for that precious oil means, like in all things related to supply and demand, increased prices. Basic fundamentals of economics aside, that doesn’t make the news about increased gas prices any easier to stomach. That being said, the principle behind the increase also provides a clue for how to reverse the process: decrease the demand. Take shorter, less gas-demanding trips, or do something that doesn’t even require a combustion engine.
Of course, this means forfeiting long trips to Wally World, but then again, the disaster that was the Griswold trip should be all the salve you’ll need for whatever disappointment the gas price travel blues bring. At least you’ll be avoiding those potential crises.