Photo by Pat Christman
Gas prices are expected to stay between $2.50 and $3 per gallon all summer long. AAA Minnesota/Iowa spokeswoman Gail Weinholzer said political instability in some oil producing regions and a lack of oil refineries in the United States are factors driving up gas prices.
MANKATO — Minnesota State University student Ty Gangelhoff commutes to Mankato four days a week for class, and that won't change just because gas is back over $2.80 a gallon.
Gangelhoff, 24, estimated he now pays about $10 more at the pump every week than he did a few months ago. Over a semester that might add up to about $100 — a drop in the bucket compared to the $3,000 to $4,000 he pays in tuition, he said.
"It doesn't affect me terribly overall," he said. "It costs more, but I can't avoid it."
Gangelhoff might cut back on other expenses, if that was an option. On a students' tight budget, there are few places to trim.
Every time gas inches one penny closer to $3 per gallon it is greeted by a chorus of complaints.
But many — including students like Gangelhoff, the working poor and seniors on a fixed income — will have few options other than to bear the additional cost. After all, they still have to get to work or school or the grocery store.
Still, some say higher gas prices do change consumer behavior, from the way people commute to their summer vacation plans.
When Gangelhoff thought about it, he realized gas prices did factor in at least one decision. He purchased his 2002 Saturn SL1 several years ago in part because it gets 38 miles per gallon.
Elaine Schoeneberger, social services coordinator for the Mankato Salvation Army, said high gas prices don't just hit people with low-incomes at the pump.
Schoeneberger said the cost of gas is reflected, to some extent, in many purchases. Higher delivery costs raise prices at the grocery store, for example, she said.
"People are living so close to the edge anyhow, that this just adds fuel to the fire," she said.
The Salvation Army offers a one-time $20 gas voucher to pay for the commute to work. Demand has been up recently, Schoeneberger said.
"I think it's fairly obvious that as prices go up it will effect low income folks more so," Weinholzer agreed. "They may have, in some cases, fewer options available to them."
Not only is purchasing a hybrid vehicle out of the question, most can not even telecommute to work, she said.
For some people, spending a few extra dollars out of every paycheck on gas is all it takes to drain their funds.
Photo by Pat Christman
Quality Pawn owner Mark Lachmiller said sales of mopeds and scooters at his shop increase with gas prices. Many buyers are looking for a cheaper ride to work, Lachmiller said.
Quality Pawn owner Mark Lachmiller said higher gas prices bring more people into his store looking for extra cash.
"I've seen a lot of people come in and say, 'I need some gas money,'" Lachmiller said.
But Quality Pawn customers aren't just selling because of fuel expenses; they're buying, too.
Lachmiller, who also sells scooters and mopeds in his store, said sales of the gas-sipping machines spiked last summer.
"Last year, when all of a sudden gas prices jacked up to $3 a gallon, I was selling those things like crazy," he said.
He said most people buy them to commute to work in town. But some models are even suitable for the daily drive to a nearby city.
Weinholzer expected $3 gas to change not just the commute to work, but summer vacation plans.
While a road trip might not be canceled because of pump prices, data collected by AAA indicates consumers may alter their spending habits on the road.
Weinholzer said families may choose to drive past a hotel to stay at the cheaper motel down the road. Or they might pack the cooler with cold-cuts instead of hitting a fast food joint for lunch.
Carol Waugh of Mankato spends her summers tooling around in her RV. The vehicle has a 75-gallon tank and gets a wallet-draining 10 miles per gallon on the highway.
It isn't unusual for a stop at the gas station to cost $100, Waugh said.
"I think about it (high gas prices), but I'm still going to use it," she said.
Waugh, 69, is retired and a member of two RV clubs, the Good Sams and Loners on Wheels, a club for singles. She has two RV events coming up in May, one over Mother's Day weekend in Mapleton, and another the next weekend in Albert Lea. With gas prices so high, Waugh said she may go straight from one event to the other, instead of driving back to Mankato.
It's a choice that will save a few dollars of her gas fund. But Waugh seemed resigned to the fact that her hobby will just be more expensive.
"All I can do is not go so much," she said.
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