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Real Price of Gas
"In my low-mileage vehicle, I started to notice my wallet slowly getting thinner and thinner, especially when gas prices went through the roof."
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By Alex Daniels
Recently, gas prices have continued to rise at an alarming rate. These price hikes have impacted every driver and their priority setting. Youth Radio's Alex Daniels tells us about how high gas prices personally affected his lifestyle.
I’ve come to terms with a disheartening fact: no matter how hard it rains, that money tree is never going to sprout in my backyard.
Most people see the typical 17-year-old as the ideal consumer: loaded, materialistic, and anxious to spend. Until now, I’ve pretty much fit that description. But it took a gas guzzling car and high prices at the pump to make me change.
In the past, my financial decisions were somewhat relaxed. I didn’t go crazy, but I had plenty of money from odd jobs, birthdays, and Christmas to cover everyday expenses.
But,when I started driving daily, everything changed. In my low-mileage vehicle, I started to notice my wallet slowly getting thinner and thinner, especially when gas prices went through the roof.
I had to set my priorities and realized that I needed to cut back in other departments. While things like chips and candy at a convenience store don’t seem to cost a lot, they’re pretty much useless and add up.
These days gas prices have dropped a little, but my newfound principles haven’t changed. I’m careful only to buy things I really want so I can afford things that I need - like gasoline. I may be disappointing to marketers who are counting on my dollars, but, as an unemployed teen, high gas prices simply forced me to become more economically-minded.
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