Expensive GAS is Here to Stay

Have YOU found yourself making lifestyle changes just to offset the cost of gasoline?  MOST Americans have, in some form or another.  What if you had a part-time business that paid your gas bills every month?...would that be worth talking with a few people every day? ...Dennis

AAA: Gas Has Been Over $3 a Gallon for 1,000 Days and Counting

U.S. gas prices have set a record — spending 1,000 consecutive days above $3 a gallon. This level, AAA warns, may be the new norm.

Gas prices have fluctuated but AAA points out that, on average, Americans have not paid less than $3 per gallon since Dec. 23, 2010.

Monday, the national average was $3.52 per gallon and prices have been above $3.50 for over half of this 1,000-day streak.

U.S. gas prices climbed above $3 per gallon for the first time after Hurricane Katrina struck in September 2005. In 2008, gas crossed over that mark again and remained above it for most of the year. Then, a weaker economy drove gas prices back down from October 2008 through December 2010, according to AAA.

"Paying less than $3.00 per gallon for gasoline may be automotive history for most Americans, like using 8-track tapes or going to a drive-in movie," says Bob Darbelnet, CEO of AAA. 

"The reality is that expensive gas is here to stay," he adds.

Despite this long-running price trend, many Americans still find the current prices painful. According to a consumer index from AAA, nearly half of adults consider $3 per gallon expensive, and well over half deemed $3.50 per gallon to be too high.

Americans do not idly complain about gas prices. Data show that as motorists spend more for fuel, they either alter their driving habits or make other lifestyle changes to offset the cost.

A $3 per gallon price floor is likely to be the new reality unless there's another recession, the organization projects.

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