If there were a poster child for current inflation, it would be the price of gasoline.
While prices on all goods and services across the country are up 9.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, gas prices are up 60% over the past year. And this increase puts American drivers on a path to spending as much as $562 billion on gasoline in 2022, roughly double the amount spent in 2020, before prices began their ascent.
The rising price of gas, like the prices on most other things, is the result of a perfect storm of unpleasant things — including a pandemic leading to supply chain and staffing issues, and a war in Ukraine disrupting global markets. The number of U.S. gas refineries in operation has still not reached pre-pandemic levels, and those in operation can’t keep up with increasing demand as Americans have taken to the roadways in full force.
But for many Americans at the pump, the “why” of rising gas prices doesn’t matter as much as the “how much.”
Gas prices by the numbers
Based on what we know about annual gasoline consumption, Americans likely spent about $105 on gas per vehicle in July 2020. In July 2022, it will likely be closer to $226. If this $121 markup was a one-month thing, it may be tolerable, but the high prices didn’t begin and won’t end in July. The national average price of gas hit over $5 a gallon in the second week of June, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and while it fell slightly in the weeks following (to $4.65 in the second week of July), it may climb again.
What this means across the nation: In all of 2020, Americans spent an estimated $279 billion on gasoline; in 2022, that total could reach $562 billion.
States where drivers are on track to spend the most include: Texas ($57B), California ($55B), Florida ($37B), New York ($21B), Georgia ($21B) — some of the most populous states, but not in order of population.
This comes at a time when prices on all goods and services have climbed 9%, and food alone has risen more than 10% over the past year, according to the most recent release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gasoline prices have risen 49% during that period, and the added financial pressure is inescapable for many Americans.
Who is hurt the most?
And as with many economic conditions, when it comes to gas prices, the impact is greatest among those who can withstand it the least.
Many Americans must drive to and from work each day. More workers than ever have the option of telecommuting, but this isn’t the case for workers in many industries. With few exceptions, retail and service work can’t typically be done from home. You can’t wait tables, landscape or clock in at a gas station if you don’t leave your house. An estimated 37% of jobs could be done from home, and those account for 46% of wages across the nation, underscoring that those with telework options are employed in higher-paying fields, according to a 2020 analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Rural drivers are also at a disadvantage. Not only do people in smaller towns have to drive farther to access doctors, grocery stores and just about everything else, but there also is likely no public transportation to serve as an alternative. Using the train or a bus may not be ideal to those in big cities who happen to have cars, but it’s an option when gas prices become too much to bear.
Finally, lower- and middle-earning households are likely to spend a greater share of their income on gasoline, according to spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While a high-income household can often find areas of their budget to trim back to account for higher fuel prices (if they even need to), the same can’t be said for households where nearly every expense is a “need” rather than a “want.”
Potentially overlooked (or underestimated) ways to save
There are many ways to save on gas, and though they may not drop the price per gallon to 2020 levels, they can make a significant difference. Using cash-back credit cards and gas apps, carpooling and driving less are default (and worthwhile) suggestions, but here are a few others you may not have thought of, or simply underestimated.
Join grocery gas discount programs
OK, one loyalty point for every dollar spent on groceries may not seem like much, but it can add up quickly, especially if you have a household of people to feed. At Kroger stores, for instance, you can redeem up to 1,000 fuel points for $1 off each gallon of gas. Even at the low end — redeeming 100 points for $0.10 in savings per gallon — a full tank could be a few dollars cheaper. These kinds of programs really pay off if you drive a pickup or large SUV with a big tank. Check your local grocery stores to see if they offer gas discount programs.
Call your auto insurance provider
There are many ways to save on car insurance — freeing up gas money — and the savings may be significant. Auto insurance companies have discounts for all kinds of things: being a safe driver, a good student or a homeowner, for instance. Call them to ensure you’re reaping those benefits, and to check if there are ways you can fine-tune your policy amounts to save on your monthly premiums.
Get auto insurance quotes
There’s a good chance you could save money by shopping around for a different insurance provider, too. A 2017 NerdWallet survey found that 43% of insured Americans hadn’t checked their current price or compared prices across insurers for at least a year. That analysis estimated potential savings at about $400 per year for doing so.
Insurance rates vary by provider; it’s a simple fact. And shopping around for the best rates should be something you do annually in order to ensure you’re not overpaying.
Visit 211.org
If you’re struggling to make ends meet and increased prices on gas and everything else are making it difficult to cover all of the costs, contact the United Way at 211.org or by calling 211. They can put you in touch with local resources that may be able to provide financial assistance, including gas vouchers.
More From NerdWallet
The article U.S. Drivers’ Gas Spending Soars Toward $562 Billion in 2022 originally appeared on NerdWallet.
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PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS
· Air Products and Chemicals Inc.’s chosen warehouse developer, Prologis Inc., will have to wait until July 13 for a final decision by Upper Macungie Township’s zoning hearing board on 2.61 million square feet of warehouses.
· Chubby’s of Southside Easton has added Krispy Krunchy Chicken to its offerings and name.
· Curaleaf Holdings Inc., which operates in the U.S. and Europe, will open a medical-marijuana dispensary at 1801 Airport Road, Hanover Township.
· Habitat for Humanity, which has “ReStores” that sell new and lightly used furniture, has leased 30,000 square feet at the South Mall.
· Nat Hyman’s bid to convert an old warehouse at 938 Washington St. in Allentown into 48 apartments did not win zoning hearing board approval this week after neighbors said more housing would make an on-street parking shortage worse.
· Members 1st Federal Credit Union opened a new branch this week at 5605 Hamilton Blvd, Trexlertown. It’s one of five planned for the Lehigh Valley.
· A Turkish restaurant has relocated from one downtown to another, taking its fresh ingredients and cozy atmosphere from Nazareth to 200 Main St., Tatamy.
· The Tennessee Titans have chosen Allentown-based Shift4 Payments to handle payments at Nissan Stadium.
· Wells Fargo Bank held ribbon-cutting at its downtown Allentown branch at 740 Hamilton St.
· The Wiz Kidz outlet at the Madison Farms residential/retail development in Bethlehem Township will hold a grand reopening and ribbon-cutting at noon on July 15.
· Bad Biscuit Company, which offered breakfast with scratch-made biscuits, freshly baked pastry and local, small-batch artisan coffee, said it will cease operations at 16 Columbia Ave. in Reading after its July 1 hours.
· FastBridge Fiber has announced it will build an all-fiber cable network that will offer ultra-fast internet in the Reading area.
· Hamid Chaudhry has said he no longer plans to move forward with pursuing a food truck park he previously proposed on the site of the former Sheetz convenience store and gas station in Exeter Township at 6600 Perkiomen Ave. (Route 422 East).
· The Maxatawny Township Planning Commission has OK’d a proposal for a Mavis Discount Tire store in the Kutztown Road shopping center that features a Giant supermarket.
· Valentino’s Italian restaurant has gotten Maxatawny Township’s approval to remain open when the state transportation department takes one-third of its parking lot to build a traffic roundabout at the intersection of Route 222 and Long Lane.
· Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson, under new ownership, will hold a “Grand Re-Opening Bash” July 9 and July 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· Sauce West End plans to open in a former Rita’s Italian Ice, just off Route 209 across from the Tractor Supply store in Brodheadsville.
· The Surgery Center of Pottsville, which offered medical procedure services for 16 years in Cressona Mall. will close June 28.
· Wells Fargo has closed its branch office in Langhorne, near the intersection with Maple Avenue.
· The latest PrimoHoagies location in New Jersey held a grand opening at 1930 State Route 57, Hackettstown.
· A new Tractor Supply Co. store in Warren County will have its grand opening in the former Toys ‘R’ Us store in Pohatcong Plaza on July 9.
· Hunter Pocono Peterbilt plans to move Pocono Township operations to Stroudsburg.
· Coal Winery and Kitchen at 81 Broad St., Bethlehem, has closed as its owner searches for a new location for the business, according to its Facebook page.
· Lowhill Township supervisors approved a 312,120-square-foot commercial warehouse and distribution center on a 43.4-acre tract on the west side of Route 100, south of the Kernsville Road intersection.
· The Mint Gastropub at 1223 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, announced that it has temporarily closed to undergo a merger with a “well-known restaurant group” from Bethlehem.
· The Slatington Farmers Market opened its 28,000-square-foot showroom, which includes space for 53 vendors, as well as a 4,000-square-foot event space.
· St. Luke’s University Health Network opened a new pediatric inpatient unit next to the eight-bed pediatric intensive care unit at St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem.
· 25th Asian House opened at the location of the former Tin Tin Chinese restaurant in the 25th Street Shopping Center in Palmer Township.
· The Chick-Fil-A in Broadcasting Square shopping center in Spring Township was razed to make way for a new, expanded facility for the popular chicken sandwich restaurant.
· Plans for drive-thru locations of a Chipotle and a Starbucks at the intersection of Ivy League Drive and Kutztown Road were rejected by Maxatawny Township planners.
· Cumru Township plannes reviewed preliminary plans for NorthPoint-Morgantown Commerce Center, a 738,720-square-foot warehouse to be built on 75.2 acres at Morgantown Road (State Route 10) and Freemansville Road.
· Kutztown University has plans to expand its historic Poplar House to 13,161 square feet with an addition around its side and back, but keep the 129-year-old structure intact.
· A wine store and beverage outlet could be coming to a new two-unit building along the commercial strip of Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Lehighton, Carbon County.
· ChristianaCare, a Delaware health care organization, has announced it will buy the former Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Chester County.
· Garden of Health Inc. celebrated the opening of the food bank’s new warehouse at 201 Church Road, North Wales, in Montgomery County.
· Silverline Trailers Inc. opened its first location in Pennsylvania and in the Northeast at 223 Porter Road, Pottstown, where it sells utility, cargo, dump, equipment and car hauler trailers.
· A new smoothie and bowl restaurant, Sips & Berries, opened at 285 Maple Ave., Harleysville, in Montgomery County.
· Terrain on the Parkway offers 160 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments at 1625 Lehigh Parkway East in Allentown.
· Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown at 835 W. Hamilton St.
· While Wells Fargo has been the leader in closing banks lately, it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new downtown Allentown office at 740 Hamilton St. on June 30.
· If you’re in the market for sterling silver jewelry, minerals and semi-precious gemstones, C& I Minerals is now operating at the South Mall at 3300 Lehigh St. in Allentown.
· The Allentown-based utility company PPL Corp. bought a major Rhode Island utility.
· Ownership at Martellucci’s Pizzeria in Bethlehem has changed, but Paul and Donna Hlavinka and their family are running the pizza place at 1419 Easton Ave., just as it has been operated for 49 years.
· Dr. Jacob Kasprenski’s new Kasprenski Family Eye Care opened at 1088 Howertown Road, Catasauqua.
· Josie’s New York Deli in downtown Easton closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but a June 13 Historic District Commission meeting approved a request for a new sign at its building at 14 Centre Square.
· Zekraft cafe has opened its second location in the Easton Silk Mill in Easton. The first Zekraft restaurant was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants’ menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients.
· Manta Massage at 319 Main St., Emmaus, will hold its grand opening on July 10 starting at 11 a.m.
· The former Iron Lakes Country Club, constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, will operate at 3625 Shankweiler Road in North Whitehall Township under its new name, The Club at Twin Lakes.
· Prologis, a titan in the logistics industry, will own and operate three warehouses proposed in Upper Macungie Township at the former Air Products headquarters campus at 7201 Hamilton Blvd.
· Lehigh Valley Health Network ceremonially opened its first Carbon County hospital — a $78 million, 100,578-square-foot facility at 2128 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Mahoning Township.
· Pocono Township commissioners voted to accept Swiftwater Solar’s preliminary final plan for the $111 million, 80-megawatt field on a private 644-acre site on top of Bear Mountain that would include about 200,000 solar panels.
· Firetree Ltd. wants to expand its in-patient rehab operation at the former Sands Ford auto dealership at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville.
· A Dunkin’ in Schuylkill County located at 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair, has become just the fourth location of the donut and coffee chain to go entirely digital.
· The Conservatory music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The nonprofit, located at 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown, will close June 30.
· A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Arby’s will be built on the site of the former Ahart’s Market on Route 22 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
· Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce offices and the Unity Bank Center for Business & Entrepreneurship will be located at 119 Main St., Flemington.
· Honeygrow opens Quakertown location, next to Chipotle on Route 309, on June 3.
· Dunkin’ reopens remodeled restaurant at 1174 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township
· Muse Modern Med Spa at 325 Fifth St. in Whitehall Township will hold a grand opening June 4.
· Around Again, a consignment store, opened at 154 S. Main St., Phillipsburg
· Steak and Steel Hibachi, a restaurant in the works at 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, still plans on opening late this summer.
· Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County
· Pedego Electric Bikes has a new outlet in Lambertville, N.J. at 13 N. Union St.
· Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.
· Easton’s new West Ward Market will open Wednesday and be open on Wednesday’s through the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market, created by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, will sell fresh produce on 12th Street, next to Paxinosa Elementary School.
· Ciao Sandwich Shoppe is adding a second location, this time on College Hill in Easton. Ciao plans to open at 325 Cattell St. in late summer. Ciao already operates in downtown Easton at 12 N. Third St
· Ma’s Crepes and Cakes will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting June 16 at 46 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The celebration starts at 5 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:45 p.m.
· Bethlehem’s Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city’s historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and “go back to its origins as a wholesale business.”
·The Beef Baron on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem is closed indefinitely for renovations
· The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.
· St. John Chrysostom Academy, an Orthodox school serving grades 1-9 starting this fall, held a grand opening at its St. Francis Center, Bethlehem, campus.
· Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.
· Carbon County is getting a taste of Brazil at Uai Brasil BBQ at 315 Lehigh Ave. in Palmerton.
· The Keystone Pub in Bethlehem Township, at 3259 Easton Avenue, has reopened after a lengthy and expensive renovation.
· The Trading Post Depot opened at 401 Northampton St., Easton. The rustic furniture store makes custom tables for dining rooms, desktops, conference centers and more.
· The Easton area has a new gym: Homemade Fitness at 444 Cedarville Road in Williams Township.
· Il Gaetano Ristorante opened at its 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, location.
· Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe to open second location on College Hill in Easton, replacing The Kettle Room
· Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading.
· Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon.
· Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County.
· Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs.
· The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.
· Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris’s new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.
· Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.
· First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.
· Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.
· Pedro’s Cafe in Emmaus to close
· SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location
· Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m.
· Elpedio’s Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.
· Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option.
· Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine.
· Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton.
· King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.
Source: wfmz.com
