Increasing Gas Prices Impact Student Pocketbooks
Gas prices aren’t something that most teenagers worry about every day, but students are still affected by the price of gas.
The national gas price is currently $2.44. In Wisconsin, the average gas price is currently $2.45 per gallon, according to www.milwaukeegasprices.com. According the the USA Today Article, “Refinery issue causes jump in Midwest gas prices.” Reporter Zlati Meyer says an oil refinery shut down in Indiana caused a surge in gas prices in the midwest, anywhere from 30 cents to a dollar. This ended up causing a huge increase in prices around the midwest, especially in Milwaukee.
According to www.gasbuddy.com, Wisconsin rose to an average of $2.90 during this time, while the Milwaukee average rose to $3.35, making it one of the most affected areas in the midwest.
Of the approximately 20 students surveyed, 55% of the students said they pay for their own gas. This mean more than half of the students are affected by increasing gas prices.
Tiana Rohe, a senior at Arrowhead High School, says she has to pay for her own gas. “When the gas prices go up, I am not able to spend my money on other things that I would rather spend it on. I live in Brookfield, so driving to Hartland for school everyday is a pretty long commute. I also have to drive to gymnastics practice everyday. Driving
back and forth so often uses a lot of gas. I end up having basically no money to do anything else.” Gas price surges still affect kids whose parents pay for their gas. Their parents will cut their allowance or spending on other things, such as food, clothing or technology, which many students spend a lot of money on. Another factor affecting costs is that this fluctuation happened during the summer, when, according to newsroom.aaa.com, teens are driving much more.
At the peak of the gas prices, students are spending more money than during the school year.
Gas prices impact everyone. And it becomes a bigger issue for teens having to pay for their own gas. They are always having to drive to school, work, and extracurricular activities, which increases the amount of money they have to spend on gas.
Lexi Bartz, a senior at Arrowhead High School said, “I don’t really care what gas prices are since my parents pay for it.”
